TV SERIES: Stargate SG-1
TITLE: THE FORMULA
AUTHOR: Empress of Sirius
E-MAIL: sirius1645@aol.com
CATEGORY: Action/Adventure, Drama
PAIRING: None
SPOILERS: Jolinar's Memories
SEASON/SEQUEL: 5
RATING: G
CONTENT WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: SG-1 is on the trail of an elixir that kills the
Goul'd symbiont, but leaves the host unharmed.
STATUS: Complete
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Not to be archived with permission of the author.
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Colonel Jack O'Neill was the first to emerge from the stargate; with the rest of the SG-1 team, Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c, the former Jaffa, close on his heels. As Carter and Teal'c took up defensive positions flanking the Colonel, O'Neill scanned the area surrounding the gate. Satisfied they were in no immediate danger, he signaled his team to step down from the gate platform.
The stargate on PSC435 was situated at the edge of a broad, treeless plain. A seas of brown grass stretched toward the horizon, waving gently in the early morning breeze. Behind the stargate, the terrain became more rugged--a collection of steep hills covered with dense brush and rock. A short distance to the left of the stargate, a deep, narrow canyon cut a swath across the landscape, extending northward for miles. A sluggish stream flowed along the bottom, the remnant of the once-mighty river that had formed the gorge. Smaller tributary canyons branched out from the major artery like fingers.
The canyon walls were smooth and steep, but SG-1 managed to find an area where enough rock and debris had accumulated to provide handholds and footholds to enable them to descend to the bottom.
Preliminary data from the MALP had indicated the presence of huge deposits of naquada in the area. Naquada was a powerful energy source that Stargate Command hoped to acquire for use in creating weapons to fight the Goul'd. General Hammond had sent SG-1 on this three-day mission to investigate.
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They had traveled about a mile from the stargate, looking for a good place to set up camp and obtain ore samples. Carter walked over to a pile of rocks that had sloughed off the canyon wall. She picked one up, briefly inspected it, tossed it aside, walked a few paces and picked up another. Slowly she made her way along the rock wall, examining, and rejecting, stone after stone.
"Carter, where do you want to set up shop?" O'Neill asked. As the resident scientist on the team, it was the Major's job to run tests on the ore samples.
"There, sir," Sam replied, pointing downstream to a mound of rocks almost blocking the river's path. "That area should give me some good samples for testing."
"Okay, Major, while you play with your chemistry set, Teal'c and I will take a look around. Daniel, stay close and help Carter; I don't want you running off and getting into trouble," O'Neill addressed the archaeologist as if he were a small child.
Daniel scowled, started to make a snappy retort, but thought better of it. Instead, he just shrugged and headed for the river bank, eyes focused on the ground, looking for artifacts, shards of pottery, tools, any evidence of civilization. The MALP hadn't detected any signs of life, but Daniel knew from past experience the MALP wasn't too reliable when it came to determining whether or not a world was inhabited.
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Two hours later...
O'Neill and Teal'c had followed the river northward. They had found places along the canyon walls where enough dirt and rock had accumulated that they could climb out. Walking to the top of one of the hills, Jack thought he saw a city in the distance, perhaps three or four miles away.
If their naquada prospecting panned out, he didn't relish the thought of negotiating with the local populace for mining rights. Oh well, Jack sighed, it seemed nothing was ever easy.
Sam was finishing the last of her tests as O'Neill and Teal'c returned to camp.
"Well, Major, what's the verdict?" Jack asked eagerly, hoping to be told about a rich deposit of naquada.
"Bad news, I'm afraid, sir," Carter reported. "I took ore samples from several locations--both in the canyon and from those hills," Sam pointed, indicating where she had obtained samples. I ran the tests three times. The results were the same every time. Unfortunately, this isn't naquada."
"But initial telemetry indicated we'd found the mother lode."
"Well, sir, the MALP isn't equipped to make detailed scans. On the surface, this material looks like naquada and it does have many of the same properties, but my tests have determined that it's not naquada."
"You mean it's kinda like fool's gold?" O'Neill responded, "only this is fool's naquada?"
"Well, yes, sir, I guess that might be a good analogy. Anyway," Carter continued, "after the results from these first samples, I'm not very optimistic about finding naquada anywhere on this planet."
O'Neill sighed. "Well, so much for this little field trip. Okay, kiddies, let's pack it up and move out." Discouraged, Jack now just wanted to get this mission over with as quickly as possible. They'd check out a few more sites "down the road," so to speak, and if those failed to produce naquada deposits, they'd return to the stargate and report to General Hammond. In all likelihood, he'd cut the mission short.
As Sam started dismantling her equipment, Teal'c stepped up to assist her. Which reminded O'Neill...
"Where's Daniel?"
"I don't know, sir. I haven't seen him for awhile. He helped me unpack my supplies then said something about investigating one of the small tributary canyons."
"Well, that's just great," O'Neill's exasperation with the archaeologist clearly showed on his face. That boy just couldn't seem to follow orders.... or stay out of trouble, for that matter. Civilians!
Jack's mental diatribe was interrupted by a shout. Dr. Jackson emerged from a large crack in the canyon wall. He was motioning frantically for them to join him. "Hey, guys, you've got to see this!"
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Jack, Sam and Teal'c followed Daniel through the crevice, which turned out to be a passageway leading to a small chamber that had been hollowed out of the rock. Sunlight filtered through hundreds of tiny holes in the ceiling. The walls were rough and uneven, except for a smooth, polished circle in the center of the far wall. A profile of a man's head had been carved inside the circle. The man had long hair and a beard. But what was unusual about the carving was that the head had two faces, each looking in opposite directions. An inscription was engraved below the circle.
"This looks like the representation of an ancient Roman coin, circa 100 B.C.," Daniel said, bending close to examine the engraving. Looking up, he saw O'Neill's blank expression. "Around the time of Julius Caesar," he clarified.
"Yeah, I know... "et tu, Brutus and all that."
"This looks like Janus," Dr. Jackson continued. "He was the Roman god of beginnings and presided over doors and gateways. His symbols were keys and a doorkeeper's staff. He was depicted as a man with two faces."
"What does that inscription say?" Sam asked.
"This writing looks somewhat similar to Latin. Hmmmm, let's see," Daniel knelt next to the engraving, squinting at the letters, some of which were badly eroded, making it difficult to read. "Looks like 'here lies my kin.'" Standing up, Daniel looked around the room. "This may be the entrance to a family burial vault. Like what we found on PPS576 where..."
"Yeah, real impressive," O'Neill stopped the archaeologist before he could launch into one of his long-winded oratories about some ancient civilization that Jack had never heard of, and could care less about. "But we're not here for a history lesson. We came to PSC435 to look for naquada. Which, by the way, we have not found. So, as far as I'm concerned, this mission is a bust. We're heading home.
"Besides, that thing gives me the creeps," Jack continued, pointing at the carving. "It looks just like a Goul'd. See, the eyes are glowing."
"Sir, I think that's just sunlight reflecting off quartz crystals in the rock," Carter, said, doing her best to stop the smile forming on her lips.
"Whatever. My point is..." Jack was interrupted by the sound of horses galloping near the canyon rim. Horses? Here?
Warily, they made their way back through the passageway to the main canyon. The sounds of hoof beats and the clank of metal were receding in the distance--in the direction of the stargate.
"We're going back to the stargate NOW!" Jack ordered. "Stay together! Let's go!" But O'Neill had a feeling it was already too late.
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Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, SG-1 climbed out of the canyon and started back to the stargate, using the rocks and shrubbery of the hillsides for cover. O'Neill took point, followed by Teal'c and Carter, with Daniel bringing up the rear. Jack had thought about staying in the canyon, but he decided against it. He didn't want to get pinned down in such an enclosed space, should they discover that the natives weren't friendly.
They were only a quarter mile from the gate when O'Neill detected a mission "complication." A detachment of foot soldiers and cavalry were camped out around the stargate. Their uniforms reminded Jack of those worn by Roman soldiers, with their leather sandals, shiny breastplates and tasseled helmets.
"Teal'c, those soldiers... are they Jaffa?" O'Neill whispered from his hiding place behind a large boulder.
"No, Colonel O'Neill, they do not appear to be."
Well, that was a relief, Jack thought. Maybe the carving they'd discovered had affected him more than he cared to admit; he was beginning to see Goul'd everywhere.
Looking behind him, O'Neill saw a group of legionnaires moving along the hillside, securing the area. Turning to signal his team to stay in position and remain hidden, he discovered that Daniel was missing.
"Where's Daniel?" O'Neill whispered to Carter.
"I don't know, sir. He was right behind me a minute ago."
Wonderful!, thought Jack. Half the Roman legion is camped out in front of our only way home and Jackson decides to go AWOL. Jeez, he was losing it; what had he been thinking, positioning Daniel as their rear guard.
"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c pointed to a spot near the top of the hill. A young man in dirty white robes was standing at the mouth of a small cave gesturing frantically for them to follow him.
With the soldiers closing in, Jack decided the prudent thing to do was to follow the youth. Besides, the kid looked a lot less threatening than those legionnaires.
Motioning for Carter and Teal'c to follow him, Jack scrambled up the slope toward the cave. He was worried about Daniel, but the archaeologist was just going to have to fend for himself... at least until Jack got a handle on the situation.
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With the young man as their guide, O'Neill, Teal'c and Carter were led through a labyrinth of tunnels that took so many twists and turns, Jack gave up any thought of ever trying to find his way out of the place. Besides, he was counting on Teal'c to have the route memorized.
The passageways were narrow, causing problems for O'Neill and Teal'c, both of whom had to stoop to avoid hitting the low ceilings. Several scraped shins and banged foreheads later, they emerged into a large chamber. An old man wearing the same style robes as their young guide stood near a rough-hewn wooden table. An oil lamp sat on the table, bathing the space in a faint golden light. Next to the table was a stool on which sat SG-1's missing archaeologist. A bucket of scrolls by his side, Dr. Jackson was busily picking through the manuscripts.
Although O'Neill was relieved to see that Daniel was okay, he was still upset with the young man.
"Daniel, do the words 'follow orders' mean anything to you?" O'Neill said in way of greeting. "Because that's what you're supposed to do when I give an order... follow it, as in 'do what you're told.' I distinctly remember stating--no, make that ordering--that we stay together!"
"Jack, I know. But it wasn't my fault. I slipped on some rocks and got a little behind the rest of you. When I tried to catch up, I literally ran into Callius here," Daniel pointed to the young man who had escorted them to safety. "He thought I was with those soldiers. Thankfully I managed to convince him otherwise before he did any permanent damage to my skull," Daniel rubbed a tender spot on the back of his head.
"Welcome, strangers, you are safe here," said the elderly man.
"Jack, Sam, Teal'c, this is Rufius," Daniel made the introductions.
Jack quickly sized up the elderly gentleman. Neither Rufius nor Callius appeared threatening. In fact, they both seemed quite harmless, but when it came to dealing with aliens, appearances could be deceiving.
"So, what's with the Roman army camped out at the ahh... stone circle?" O'Neill wasn't sure how the inhabitants of this world referred to the stargate.
"They are under the command of the emperor. His personal bodyguards. They engage in training exercises here."
Okay. War games. Jack could understand that. "So, how long do these training exercises last?"
"Not long," Rufius answered, "usually three, sometimes four days, then they return to the city. Romanium is not far from here"
Jack relaxed a bit. If the troops left in three days, SG-1 should still be okay with their mission timeline. If they were late reporting in, he didn't want General Hammond dialing in, only to discover the Roman legion out camped on the SGC's doorstep. That would be quite a surprise.
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After making introductions, Daniel had returned to the collection of scrolls. Picking through the bucket, he found one of interest and began reading.
"Rufius, what's this reference to a 'glowing sickness?'" Daniel asked.
"About 70 summers ago, a strange illness came among the citizens of Romanium. No one had ever seen anything like it before. It struck at random and without warning; it was rumored that even the emperor suffered from it."
"What were the symptoms?'" Daniel inquired.
"The eyes of those afflicted would burn a bright red, their personalities changed. They would behave strangely for days, then they would die. The disease was always fatal."
Uh Oh. Alarm bells went off in Jack's head. This had Goul'd written all over it.
"If it hadn't been for the high priest Saraben, the citizens of Romanium would have been annihilated," Rufius continued. "In addition to being high priest of the Temple of Janus, Saraben was a scientist and healer. He discovered the cause of the sickness was a snake-like parasite that had somehow entered a person's body. He created an elixir that killed the parasite, without harming the individual."
"Sir," Carter said, "If there's ..."
"Colonel O'Neill..." Teal'c said.
"My God, Jack, if this is true," Daniel began excitedly, "if they've managed to create a compound that can kill a Goul'd but leave the host unharmed..."
Everyone was talking at once.
"Whoa, whoa! Just hold on a minute," Jack raised his hands. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We're not even sure this 'sickness' has anything to do with the Goul'd. I don't suppose the author included the recipe for this elixir?'" he inquired.
Daniel examined the document, "The narrative mentions something about a cure... but doesn't go into specifics."
Naturally, thought Jack.
"You seek the cure for the glowing sickness?" Rufius asked. "The formula would be found in Romanium, housed in the library of the Temple of Janus."
"Sir," Carter said, "Our mission was scheduled to last three days, and we do have to wait until those soldiers leave the stargate area. It wouldn't hurt to check out the story. If this elixir does exist, it would be a powerful weapon to fight the Goul'd."
It had been Jack's experience that if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was. And this elixir thing certainly was in that category. They had been disappointed too many times in the past, but still....
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make a quick trip into town. But," he added, seeing the faces of his team members light up, "let's not get our hopes up." O'Neill turned to the old man, "Rufius, can you provide us with a guide to Romanium?"
"I will take you myself--at least to the canyon's end. Then Callius will escort you into the city and be your guide," he replied.
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Leaving the cave, they made their way to the canyon, taking care to avoid the soldiers. Descending to the bottom, the group followed the canyon's path northward, toward the city of Romanium. As they walked, O'Neill decided it would be a good time to get more information.
"So, what's with the cave?" Jack asked.
"Callius and I are fugitives," Rufius answered.
"And why is that?"
"It is a long story. About 70 summers ago, a man named A'Janel arrived through the stone doorway with a small group of soldiers who looked much like your friend Teal'c."
Jaffa? Rufius now had SG-1's undivided attention.
Rufius continued, "For years, the empire had been in decline. Romanium had been fighting battle after battle, trying to keep our lands out of the hands of the eastern barbarians. Battles we kept losing as the empire kept shrinking. Our enemies were advancing closer to Romanium every year. That summer, the barbarians were camped less than a day's journey from the city gates.
"The government was in chaos--emperors came and went with the seasons. Corruption was rampant, one unscrupulous government official after another had left the treasury empty. The blight had spread to every level of society and our great city was literally crumbling into dust.
"Augura, the emperor at that time, was a total incompetent who cared only for throwing lavish parties for his wealthy friends."
"Kind of a 'Nero fiddled while Rome burned' thing," Jack commented. "Sorry. You were saying..."
"A'Janel and his troops stormed through the city gates. He took control of the city, killed Augura and crowned himself emperor.
"Saraben, the high priest of the Temple of Janus, proclaimed A'Janel our 'Gift from Janus,' because he came to us through the stone doorway. Saraben believed A'Janel was destined to restore the empire to the heights of glory and power it had achieved thousands of years ago. It was no surprise that Saraben became a close confidant of the emperor. A'Janel also spoke of bestowing the gift of immortality upon the citizens of Romanium.
"For a time, things were peaceful. Then the rumors started... strange stories of secret ceremonies at the palace, experiments, citizens disappearing off the streets or from their homes, never to be seen again. The emperor's behavior became increasingly erratic and unpredictable, his reign degenerated into one of cruelty and oppression. It soon became apparent that A'Janel was no different than all the other emperors before him.
"A group of Senators decided to assassinate A'Janel during a party the emperor was hosting for the them and their families. During the festivities the Senators somehow managed to overpower A'Janel. They stabbed him repeatedly, sealed his body in the stone sarcophagus the emperor had brought with him and dumped it in a stone quarry not far from the palace. When A'Janel's soldiers learned their emperor was dead, they fled through the stone doorway.
"After disposing of A'Janel, the Senators fought among themselves for leadership of Romanium. Within days, the barbarians attacked. When the slaughter was over, Romanium was in ruins, most of its citizens dead. Our glorious civilization destroyed; our people utterly demoralized. It has only been in the last three summers that we have finally recovered enough in body and spirit to make any meaningful attempt to rebuild our city. That was when Janoose, the current emperor, arrived and took power."
"Where did he come from?" Sam asked.
"No one knows," Callius spoke up. "He just appeared one day on the steps
of the palace. But he did become emperor with the blessing of the Senate."
"So, why are you hiding out in these caves instead of doing your part to help restore the glory of the empire?" O'Neill asked.
"Before becoming a fugitive, I was a Senator, and quite influential, too, if I may be so bold," Rufius smiled sadly. "I began to see history repeating itself. Lately, Janoose has been exhibiting many of the same personality traits and afflictions that were said to plague A'Janel. One day, I was foolish enough to mention the uncanny similarities between A'Janel and Janoose to a group of my fellow Senators. My comments made their way to the ear of the emperor and I was marked for death. I fled with my aide, Callius, before we could be arrested."
"The name A'Janel is familiar to me," Teal'c announced.
"And...," Jack said. Sometimes it was an effort to get the stoic Jaffa to be forthcoming with information.
"He was a Goul'd who made the System Lords... nervous."
"A nervous System Lord, now this I've gotta hear," Jack said.
A'Janel considered himself a genius... a gifted scientist, architect, chemist, military tactician, politician..."
"Yeah, a regular Renaissance Goul'd. Sorry, Teal'c," Jack apologized. "You were saying..."
"A'Janel wished to join the ranks of the System Lords, but he had no power base. After a failed coup attempt on one of the outer systems, he disappeared. It was assumed he was dead."
Jack said, "So this System Lord wannabe and his merry band of Jaffa go looking for a way to get into the good graces of the Big Boys. So, he gates to this planet. But why here?"
"Naquada, sir," Carter said. "He may have come here looking for naquada, the same as we did. If he controlled a large source of naquada, that would make him very popular with the System Lords."
"Colonel O'Neill, there is one more thing you should know about A'Janel. Teal'c continued. "It was not discussed openly, but it was rumored that the adult Goul'd was defective, mentally ill, perhaps even psychotic. And its host also suffered from severe mental illness."
A psycho Goul'd meets a psycho host. Now, that's a match made in heaven, Jack thought.
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The canyon came to an abrupt end a mile from Romanium. Rufius left the group to return to the cave, as it was too dangerous for him to be seen in the city. Callius became their escort for the remainder of the journey.
Climbing out of the canyon, they crested the hill and there it was--the city of Romanium.
Frankly, Jack was disappointed. He didn't know what he'd expected, but it certainly wasn't this. Maybe he'd been watching too many old movies. He had visions of grand buildings constructed of pristine, white marble shining in the sunlight, huge temples, a bustling marketplace, everything bright, clean, larger than life... in short, all the usual trappings of a Hollywood "sword and sandals flick."
Instead, he saw a collection of dilapidated dwellings clinging to the hillsides. The once-white masonry now a dingy yellow, most of the buildings suffering from years of neglect. Even the Temple of Janus was in sorry shape, with its crumbling steps and broken support columns. In the distance, a massive fortress-like building... the palace, perhaps... took up several city blocks and from what Jack could see, was about the only structure in halfway decent shape. A high wall surrounded the city, providing a bit of protection, but it, too, was badly in need of repair.
No wonder the citizens had thrown their support behind this Janoose, Jack thought. It was going to take a strong leader to get the city back on track. What had these people been doing all these years, Jack wondered.
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With Callius as their guide, SG-1 made their way down the hill and into Romanium. Passing through the main gate, they followed the narrow cobblestone street that wound through the city. There was activity everywhere. Major construction and renovation projects were in progress on almost every corner. Workmen were busy plastering walls, hauling away debris, repairing roofs. The clink and clatter of craftsmen's tools reverberated all along their route.
One thing Jack found curious. Deep holes, about six feet by six feet had been dug everywhere. It looked like someone had been digging for treasure and not finding it in one location, had quickly moved on to the next spot. There were even a few of these excavations in the middle of the street, necessitating a couple of minor detours on the part of the travelers.
When they approached the Temple of Janus, Callius led them down a side street. After many twists and turns, they arrived at the rear of the temple.
"Wait here. I will explain your presence to the Caretaker," Callius said, slipping inside the back door.
"Caretaker? I thought we were going to see a high priestess or something." No offense, but Jack didn't think a janitor was going to be of much use to them.
A few minutes later, Callius returned, motioning them inside. He led them down a long hallway into a windowless office.
"Honored Caretaker, may I present the friends of Rufius... O'Neill, Carter, Teal'c and Jackson."
The tall, middle-aged woman standing before them nodded her head in greeting. "I am Aurelia, the Caretaker of the Temple of Janus. Callius informs me you wish to see the library."
"Yes, Ma'am, we're looking for some information and were told you could help us," Daniel answered.
"What sort of information do you seek?"
"Well, Jack replied, "you might say we're looking for a recipe."
Giving the group a quizzical look, Aurelia moved forward. "The library has not been used since the barbarian invasion," she explained. "Follow me."
They were led across the hall and directed through a door, down several stone steps and down another hallway. The library was housed underground. They stopped in front of a wooden door that looked like it had seen better days, the rotted wood was riddled with cracks and gouges.
Aurelia opened the door and ushered SG-1 into the library. "As I am sure you witnessed on your journey here, Romanium has only recently begun to rebuild. Restoration of the library has not been a priority."
The cavernous room was crammed floor to ceiling with scrolls, thousands of them. Piled haphazardly on tables, heaped on the floor, there were baskets overflowing with them. Scrolls were even stuffed in crevices in the walls. There was barely space to move about.
O'Neill surveyed the mess, "Well, it's obvious nobody around here ever heard of the Dewey Decimal System."
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Jack turned to the archaeologist. "Okay, Daniel, get busy. Do your thing."
"Excuse me?" Daniel adjusted his glasses, looking at the mountain of documents with growing despair.
"Start reading."
"Jack, you've got to be kidding!" Daniel was incredulous. This had to be O'Neill's idea of a joke. "There must be thousands of manuscripts stored here. It would take me three lifetimes just to catalog the contents, let alone translate them. What we're looking for could be anywhere. The formula could even be written on that scroll you just crushed beneath your feet," Daniel pointed at Jack's boot.
O'Neill jumped back. Sure enough, he'd stepped on one of the scrolls, turning it to a fine powder.
"Do you have a better idea?"
"We could contact General Hammond, see about a trade proposal with these people. We borrow the contents of their library in exchange for... I dunno... food, medicine, something. That way, if we took the scrolls back to the SGC, we could have the computers help with cataloging and translation."
"Yeah, that might be a possibility. But in the meantime, we've got three days before we get access to the stargate, so we might as well make good use of the time."
Daniel shook his head. Sometimes he just didn't understand the military mindset. However, the thought of browsing though all this historical data was exciting. "Okay, I'll see what I can do, but it's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack."
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Daniel spoke to the Caretaker and was given directions to the general area where he might find the writings of the high priest Saraben. Gingerly, he made his way to one of the cubbyholes on the wall and started pulling out scrolls. As an archaeologist and historian, Jackson was appalled at the condition of the library and the manuscripts. The humidity and temperature weren't doing much toward preservation of the scrolls, they were deteriorating at an alarming rate. It wouldn't be long before the contents of the library turned to dust. Pulling up a stool, Daniel opened a scroll and started to read.
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Jack decided to send Carter and Teal'c on a little recon mission. The emperor was giving a speech in the plaza in front of the palace, and O'Neill wanted Sam's expert opinion on Janoose. Ever since Carter had been host to the Tok'ra Jolinar, she had somehow been able to sense the presence of a Goul'd. O'Neill had a gut feeling the emperor was a Goul'd.
Jack was going to try to speak to the caretaker Aurelia about the political situation in Romanium. Daniel's idea about borrowing the library in exchange for food and medicine was a good one. The possibility of acquiring an elixir that could rid people of these unwanted parasites was just too good to pass up. It was almost as good as finding naquada.
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The courtyard was jammed with people. Janoose, standing at the top of the palace steps, was playing to a packed house. Carter and Teal'c remained at the back of the crowd, trying to remain inconspicuous.
The emperor was expounding on the future glory of Romanium, a new age of pride and prosperity was dawning, the usual propaganda. Carter listened with half an ear. Her attention was focused on the man himself.
She didn't need to get close to see Janoose was a Goul'd. When he spoke, his voice resonated with that grating, deep base sound and his eyes glowed when he spoke. But there was something strange about them. They didn't glow with the red fire and intensity of a "normal" Goul'd; instead, they radiated a dim, purple light as they constantly darted among the crowd.
Janoose was coming to the end of his speech... "We will utterly destroy our enemies, grind them into the soil. Our glorious empire will flourish again and our enemies will tremble before the immortal citizens of Romanium!"
Immortal citizens? Carter thought that an odd turn of phrase, but the crowd loved it. Cheering and waving their hands, they surged toward the emperor, pushing Carter along with them. It was so crowded, she was helpless to stop her forward movement--it was like trying to swim against the tide. Looking behind her, she glimpsed Teal'c still standing at the perimeter of the crowd.
Turning, Sam found herself at the front of the throng, face-to-face with the Goul'd.
"... the citizens of Romanium will become the..." Janoose stopped speaking in mid-sentence, his powerful gaze bored into Sam.
"My queen!" Janoose exclaimed!
Oh, great, Sam thought. She was sure Janoose was sensing remnants of Jolinar. For a time, Sam had been host to the Tok'ra Jolinar, and she still carried bits and pieces of Jolinar's memories. Her experience as host had also permanently changed her blood chemistry, and a Goul'd could sense this.
"Citizens of Romanium," Janoose smiled down at the crowd, "She is here, the one I have been searching for. My queen has arrived!"
Before Sam could react, she was grabbed by the emperor's bodyguards. Carter tried to fight them off, but it was no use. The last thing she heard was the frenzied roar of the crowd before being dragged inside the palace.
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Failing to find the Caretaker, O'Neill decided to check on Daniel, see how he was doing. Jack had no illusions that they'd be lucky enough to find the formula for the elixir in that sorry excuse for a library, but it was worth a try. Besides, that was one of the reasons Jackson was on the team.
Picking his way through the heaps scrolls, he found the archaeologist hunched over the same document he had been reading when Jack had left him over an hour ago. "What, you're still working on the same scroll?" O'Neill asked. "I thought you'd work faster than this."
"You think translating all these ancient languages is easy?" Daniel responded irritably. "Do you have any idea what's involved in comparing ancient Earth languages with those we find on other worlds. It's a meticulous, time-consuming job. And most of the time, you want an instant translation. Just snap your fingers and Jackson will have the answer."
Before the situation could become more strained, Teal'c appeared in the doorway. "Colonel O'Neill, Daniel Jackson. The emperor Janoose has taken Major Carter captive."
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"... he announced that he had found his long-lost queen, then his bodyguards physically removed Major Carter to the palace." Teal'c finished his report of the events leading up to Carter's capture as SG-1 hurried toward the palace.
"Jack, what do you propose we do when we get to the palace?" Daniel asked. "We can't just walk in with guns blazing."
"Why not? Look, Daniel, I don't know; I'll think of something."
O'Neill had planned to sneak into the palace, maybe slip in a side door, to effect a rescue, but all thoughts of a clandestine approach were eliminated when he spotted a contingent of imperial guards headed straight for them. The guards surrounded the team, confiscated their weapons and proceeded to march them toward the palace.
"Hey, guys, not so fast," O'Neill said, stumbling on a broken cobblestone, "we were headed in that direction anyway."
They were herded up the front steps of the palace, then down a long hallway.
"Well, at least we came in the front door. That's a good sign, right?" Jack whispered. Daniel shrugged his shoulders in reply as they were ushered into the throne room, where the emperor was holding court.
O'Neill gave Janoose the once-over. He had seen his share of Goul'd in the past few years, and there was something about this one that didn't look right. The guy was, well, twitchy was the word that came to mind. Although sitting on his throne, he was constantly in motion, waving his arms and hands, shuffling his feet, moving his head constantly, eyes continually darting around the room. It was like he couldn't concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds.
A Goul'd sarcophagus rested on the floor beside the throne. The left side and part of the lid were caved in. Not surprising, thought O'Neill, remembering that Rufius said the emperor A'Janel had been dumped at the bottom of a rock quarry. The sarcophagus had suffered serious damage, but had apparently functioned well enough to keep A'Janel alive, although it had been unable to fix the Goul'd's mental problems. Jack had no doubt that Janoose and A'Janel were the same person... Goul'd... whatever.
The emperor was issuing orders to one of his bodyguards. "Double the guards at the... the east...."
For a moment Janoose seemed to lose his train of thought. He stared into space for several seconds, then recovered.
"...the east gate."
The soldier bowed and left. Janoose then turned to the three SG-1 team members.
O'Neill paid particular attention to Janoose's face. He wore the desperate, wild expression of someone quite mad. Well, Jack thought, there would be no reasoning with this Goul'd.
Janoose stood and looked down at SG-1. He didn't say anything, just stared, a blank expression on his face, as if his mind were elsewhere.
Finally, Jack decided he'd better speak up or they'd be standing here forever.
"You have our..."
"Queen," Daniel whispered to Jack.
"Queen," O'Neill repeated loudly. For whatever reason, Daniel thought it best to refer to Carter in that manner.
"You have our queen, and we want her back."
Janoose ignored O'Neill, addressing Teal'c instead. "Jaffa, I have been searching for my kin. You know where they are. You will bring them to me before sunset tomorrow, or your queen will die."
Queen... kin... Jack was confused. Had he missed something here? Didn't Janoose think Carter was his queen? Now he was talking about long-lost relatives?
Before O'Neill could respond, guards unceremoniously grabbed the team, roughly dragging them out of the palace and unceremoniously dumping them on the street.
"Do either of you have any idea what the hell went on in there?" Jack pointed toward the palace.
"I think, Colonel O'Neill, that Janoose is looking for his fellow Goul'd and he thinks we know where to find them," Teal'c said.
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The guard shoved Carter into the cell, pulling the door closed behind him. It locked with a heavy thud. Running to the door, she thought she heard the guards moving off down the corridor. Turning, she did a quick inspection of her prison. The room was small, the walls, ceiling and floor were constructed of stone. There was no furniture and no windows; the only source of light was a tiny slit near the ceiling. Sam got the impression the room had been used for storage (perhaps grain, she thought). It didn't seem to have been constructed as a jail cell.
All things considered, she guessed she was lucky. It could be a lot worse-- she could be shackled to a damp, slimy wall in some filthy dungeon. But then, considering Janoose's unpredictable behavior, he might decide she belonged in a dungeon after all.
The floor was dusty, but thankfully, dry, so Sam sat down in a corner and started running though possible escape scenarios.
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Carter didn't know how much time had elapsed, as the guards had confiscated her watch. It could have been a few minutes or several hours. The light in the room had taken on a rich golden color, so she guessed it must be close to sunset.
She heard activity at the door. It opened and a guard set a cup on the floor. He then tossed in a small cloth bundle before slamming the door shut. Evidently, her waiter had just delivered dinner.
Sam got up, walked over and picked up the food and returned to her corner. She unwrapped the bundle, which contained three pieces of hard bread. She drank the water, but decided the bread was unedible. The last thing she needed now was to crack a tooth. She wasn't hungry anyway and decided to set it aside for later.
As Carter placed the bundle down, she noticed one of the floor tiles was slightly raised above the others. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the stone was loose. Carefully, she worked to pry the tile out of the floor and discovered a hole. She could feel a cool breeze coming from the opening.
Sam grew excited; maybe there was a way out of this place after all. Examining the tiles, she found the others were solid, but with effort, she was certain she could pry them out.
She calculated her chances of escape as she worked on removing the floor tiles. The guards had just fed her and the light was growing dim, which meant night was approaching. With any luck, the guards wouldn't be checking on her a few hours and she could dig her way out of this place before they returned. The alternative was to wait for Colonel O'Neill to attempt a rescue. Carter had no doubt her SG-1 teammates would try, but Janoose's behavior was so unpredictable, she wouldn't be surprised if he ordered her immediate execution at any moment. She didn't have anything to lose.
Many minutes and several broken fingernails later, Sam had made an opening in the floor large enough for her to fit through.
Well, it's now or never she thought, crawling into the hole and plunging into total darkness.
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It was a good news/bad news kind of thing. The good news was that Sam had found a tunnel. Where it led, she had no idea, but as long as she was heading in a direction away from the palace, that was a good thing. The bad thing was that it was pitch black and the tunnel was very small. She couldn't stand up; if fact, she barely had enough room to get on her hands and knees and crawl.
Carter didn't suffer from claustrophobia, but the confined space, combined with the lack of light, was beginning to work on her nerves. As she crawled along, her hand brushed the side of the tunnel and she felt something slimy slide across her fingers. Quickly, she pulled back her hand.
Farther down the tunnel, she noticed the walls felt moist. In places she could feel a sponge-like substance growing on the walls. When she got back to the SGC, Dr. Frazier was undoubtedly going to inject her with every antibiotic known to medical science, she thought ruefully.
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Carter felt like she had been traveling though the tunnel for hours, she had no idea how much time had elapsed since she had left her prison cell. Sam began to worry that the guards would be checking on her soon and find her missing. She had to find a way out of this tunnel, and soon. She didn't relish the thought of coming to a dead end and having to retrace her path.
The tunnel made a sharp turn to the left and opened up a bit. Sam could now crawl along at a pretty good clip. Suddenly, her head hit a wall. Was this the dead end she'd been worrying about? She rapped on the bricks; they sounded a little hollow to her ear. If she applied enough force, perhaps she could break through the wall.
Carter maneuvered herself so she was facing the wall feet-first. Uttering a silent prayer that she wasn't going from the proverbial frying pan into the fire, she started kicking. It only took a few well-placed kicks for the wall to crumble. She climbed through the opening to find herself in a large chamber.
Her eyes had long ago become accustomed to the darkness, and she thought she could see a bit more light in this room. If only she could find a light. Moving her hand along the wall, she found a torch set in a sconce. She rubbed the torch end along the wall; sparks flew as it ignited. Let there be light!
Sam looked around her. She had stumbled into what looked like a workshop or laboratory. There was a table in the center of the room and shelving along the walls to her left and right. The forward wall was bare brick.
Carter walked over to the table, upon which several instruments lay; a mortal and pestle, an assortment of bowls of various sizes, a knife, spoons and cups. She saw several jars sitting on shelves. Some of the jars were transparent; they definitely hadn't been manufactured on this world.
The room was in disarray, as if someone had been working, been interrupted and then fled in a hurry.
As she moved to inspect the contents of the shelves on the left wall, her foot stepped on something, making a crunching sound that was almost deafening in the silence. She had stepped on pieces of a ceramic jar. Looking down, Sam almost dropped her torch in shock. Nestled among the shards of pottery lay the remains of an adult Goul'd.
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Continuing her investigation, Sam discovered two human skeletons slumped in the far corner of the room. Moving closer, she could see that the right arms of both the skeletons were chained to the wall. Had these people been prisoners, or guinea pigs, subjects of some grotesque experiment, perhaps. Just what was this place, she wondered.
Noticing an alcove behind the skeletons, she moved forward for a closer look. As she did so, she felt a tickle at the back of her brain; a sense she had experienced before. Holding her torch high, she took a few steps into the alcove and saw row upon row of transparent jars sitting neatly on floor to ceiling shelves. In each jar was the body of an adult Goul'd. They were stasis jars, but most of the them were cracked or broken, the liquid had drained out, spilling along the shelving and onto the dirt floor.
Again, she felt that familiar tickle at the back of her brain. While the majority of the Goul'd in the stasis jars were dead, Sam had the feeling that some of them were still alive.
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Carter had to get out of this place and find Colonel O'Neill immediately. Quickly, she backed out of the alcove and began examining the far wall of the laboratory. She thought she could see a bit of light coming though the cracks in the stones near the ceiling.
Finding an old barrel stored under some shelving, she moved it against the wall. It gave her just enough height so she could peer through the crack. She thought she could see light--moonlight?--and she could feel cool, damp air. Sam hopped down from her perch and rummaged around looking for something to use as a hammer. A table leg would do nicely.
Grabbing the table leg, she pounded the bricks furiously. It was hard work, but she finally got a couple of them loosened. Removing them, she found herself looking at a small piece of night sky. Quickly, she pushed more bricks out of the way and scrambled up and out of the hole, to find herself outside the city walls.
Carter filled in the hole she had made as best she could. Hopefully, her little excavation project wouldn't be noticed among all the other debris. Hugging the side of the wall, she slowly crept along, taking refuge in the shadows. She figured her best bet was to head back to the stargate and Rufius' hideaway.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Daniel, are you sure about this?" Jack whispered as they squeezed through the crevice into the room they had discovered that morning. Moonlight illuminated the carving on the stone wall and once again, Jack was again struck by the fact that the eyes on the face of Janus seemed to glow.
After being ejected from the palace, O'Neill, Teal'c and Daniel had wound their way through the streets, making sure they lost anyone Janoose might have assigned to watch them.
Satisfied they were not being followed, they left the city, returning to the burial chamber near the stargate. O'Neill was trying to formulate a plan to rescue Carter, but in the meantime, he decided to see what was inside this vault. Maybe it would be something to use as leverage, to use to trade in exchange for Carter's freedom. Under the circumstances, Daniel's translation of the inscription as "here lies my kin" took on new meaning.
"Okay, then. Where's the magic button we push to open up this baby?"
Daniel examined the wall, running his hands along the stone feeling for indentations, raised surfaces--anything that might suggest a latch mechanism. He found nothing.
"I have seen tomb entrances such as this before," Teal'c said. "I believe applying pressure directly on the center of the carving will open the door."
"Worth a try." O'Neill responded.
Jack, Teal'c and Daniel put their hands on the carving.
"Okay," Jack announced. "On three... one, two, three... push!"
The stone swung inward, opening on a small burial chamber. Moonlight flooded the room, illuminating a stone coffin resting on a pedestal in the center of the floor. Intricate carvings of warriors and battle scenes adorned the sides and lid.
"Well, what do you think? Does this sarcophagus look occupied?" Jack asked.
"There is only one way to determine that," Teal'c answered.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
Jack was almost certain what "kin" Janoose was referring to, and he wasn't exactly thrilled at the possibility of meeting any of Janoose's "family."
With Daniel and Teal'c on either side of the sarcophagus, they prepared to do some heavy lifting.
"Just a minute," Jack looked around the crypt. They had no weapons and Jack needed to arm himself. Finding a heavy stone, he stationed himself at the head of the coffin. If there were live Goul'd in there, they were going to be in for a surprise, although, what good a rock would do against a Goul'd was anyone's guess. At least it made Jack feel at little better, knowing he had some sort of weapon at the ready.
"Okay, now."
"Teal'c and Daniel pushed on the coffin lid. With a harsh grinding sound, it opened.
There were no Goul'd--living or dead--inside the sarcophagus. Just a skeleton... a human skeleton by the look of it.
Daniel leaned over the open casket. "Definitely no live Goul'd," he announced to O'Neill.
"I can see that," Jack responded crossly.
The skeleton was human, that of an adult male. The body was laid out with arms crossed on the chest. The hands and fingers of both hands were tightly curled around a scroll.
"There's not much left of the clothing, just a few scraps," Daniel observed, "but the quality of the cloth suggests someone of importance, maybe a member of the nobility or a high government official."
Well, so much for finding Janoose's kin, O'Neill thought. Now they were back at square one. And Sam was running out of time. If that demented Goul'd hadn't already signed Carter's execution order. Best not to think about that possibility.
Daniel carefully pried the scroll from the skeletal hands. Walking to the doorway where the moonlight provided more illumination, he slowly opened the scroll. It was in bad shape, brittle with age; pieces broke off as Daniel started to unroll it. Scanning the document, Jackson rolled it up, taking care not to inflict any additional damage.
"This document purports to be the final confession of Saraben, high priest of the Temple of Janus."
"Isn't he the guy who's supposed to have whipped up the recipe for this magical brew we're looking for?" Jack asked.
"I need to get this scroll to a safe place so I can and work on it without damaging it. It's in terrible condition, and I'm afraid if I open it again the whole thing is going to disintegrate."
Rufius' cave seemed the best place for Daniel to work on the translation.
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Sitting at the table, Daniel unrolled the scroll, securing the ends with rocks. Light from the table lamps flickered over his face as he concentrated on the text. He was so immersed in the world of ancient languages that at first the shouts didn't register. Then a female voice brought Daniel abruptly back to the present.
"Sam!" he exclaimed, grinning, "you've escaped!" Great, Jackson, he thought immediately after the words left his mouth, nothing like stating the obvious.
"It is good to see you unharmed, Major Carter," Teal'c said in way of greeting.
"Nice work, Major," Jack tried to sound nonchalant, but the big grin on his face gave him away. He was clearly relieved to have his team back together and in one piece.
Carter briefed her teammates on the details of her escape. "Sir, it was very faint, abut I sensed the presence of Goul'd in that laboratory alcove. I think there are adult Goul'd in stasis in that laboratory, waiting for human hosts."
Daniel, who had returned to his translation efforts, looked up from his work. "I've finished a rough translation of this document and you're definitely not going to like it."
"More bad news?" O'Neill asked.
"You could say so," Daniel began. "This is the deathbed confession of Saraben, the high priest of the Temple of Janus. In addition to being a priest he dabbled in the sciences, experimenting with various herbs for treating disease, working with minerals and ores, you get the picture. Anyway, A'Janel had him brought to the palace to work on a 'special project.'"
"Yes!" Callius, who had been listening to Carter's story, interrupted. "He created the elixir to cure the citizens of Romanium of the glowing sickness!"
"Not exactly," Daniel hedged. "Evidently, the people of this world are not compatible hosts for the Goul'd. They tried taking some as hosts, but both Goul'd and host died within a short time of joining. A'Janel kept talking about bringing immortality to the citizens of Romanium. And Saraben at first was flattered and honored that this "god" had requested his assistance. Saraben worked on creating an elixir that would allow the humans on this world to be compatible hosts for the Goul'd. The worst part is, he succeeded."
The silence seemed to last a very long time. Finally, Carter said, "That explains the underground laboratory I discovered. They were experimenting with human subjects and some of the adult Goul'd in stasis."
"But he had a group of Jaffa with him when he arrived on this planet. They all carried larval Goul'd with them. Why would he need a supply adults?" O'Neill asked.
Teal'c responded, "A'Janel was a scientist. It is conceivable he brought a supply of adult Goul'd with him to use in his experiments."
"What a sweetheart--a regular Dr. Menegle of the snake set."
"Sir," Carter interjected, "if Saraben was successful in creating an elixir that allowed the Goul'd to use the population of this planet as hosts, the formula could possibly be adapted for use on other worlds where the inhabitants' physiology is naturally 'resistant' to the Goul'd."
Callius was distraught. "You mean there is no elixir to cure this evil disease?"
"No, Callius, it doesn't exist; it never did," Jack said.
Daniel continued, "According to Saraben's confession, after his initial success with two test subjects, A'Janel planned a party for the Senators and their families. Evidently they were going to be the first batch of 'immortals' --translate that as hosts for the Goul'd. Saraben finally realized that A'Janel was no 'god' and that he planned to enslave the entire population of Romanium. He writes that he tried to stop him and managed to destroy all but one copy of the formula for the elixir before he was arrested and imprisoned for his act of treachery against the emperor."
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Jack knew they had no option--they were going to have to return to Romanium and destroy the Goul'd that Carter had discovered stored in the stasis jars. A few well-placed hand grenades should take care of that. But the possibility loomed that they might have to destroy the library, since it seemed likely the last copy of the formula was somewhere among Saraben's papers, and those manuscripts could be anywhere in the library. They couldn't risk the formula falling into the wrong hands. Needless to say, Daniel wasn't too happy about this prospect.
"Jack, you can't be serious, destroy the whole library--there's thousands of years of accumulated knowledge in those manuscripts!" Daniel was horrified.
"Believe it or not, Daniel, I don't like the idea any more than you do, but we can't risk Janoose getting his grubby little paws on it. He's looking for something--he's got so many holes dug around the city, the place looks like a bunch of gophers have been running wild. Destroying the library will be the last resort. However, I'm not prepared to risk the possibility of the Goul'd taking over this planet. And I sure don't want the recipe for that devil's brew finding its way offworld into the hands of some System Lord to use to enslave innocent people. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. And if that means torching a few thousand books, so be it." Like it or not, Daniel had to realize they were at war.
Inside, Daniel was seething, but he said nothing. Daniel was determined to do everything in his power to save the library. He didn't know what that was, but he'd figure something out--he had to.
"Does Saraben provide any clues as to where this last copy may be found?" Teal'c asked.
Daniel took a deep breath. Setting aside his anger at Jack, he strove to regain his professional demeanor. Scanning the document, he shook his head. "Not directly. He says something about a testament to the great evil he has unleashed upon his people. He asks their forgiveness for aiding the demon of the underworld."
"Okay," Jack rubbed his eyes. It had been a long day; he was tired and they still had work to do. "Here's the plan. We head back to the city, blow up the lab, grab the formula, get back to the stargate, create a diversion for the legionnaires, dial home and we're outta here. Piece of cake."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It was dawn by the time SG-1 returned to Romanium. The city was in an uproar.
"Well, Carter," O'Neill commented, "looks like someone discovered your escape, and they're not too happy about it."
Janoose's troops were scouring the city, literally leaving no stone unturned. They were searching every pile of rubble, every possible hiding place they came across. Sooner or later, the soldiers would discover the laboratory, and then they'd be sure to find the Goul'd.
Sam led the team to the spot where she had discovered the underground laboratory and Jack began issuing orders. "First, we head for the palace to collect our weapons. Carter, Teal'c you two will return here and toss a few grenades into that lab. Daniel, you and I will go back to the library. You've got one last chance to see if you can lay your hands on that formula. We'll meet back here in..."
"There you are, my queen. I've been looking everywhere for you!" the raspy voice of Janoose filled the air. The Goul'd sat astride a white horse, his bodyguards walking beside him.
Dismounting, Janoose stepped forward, peering into the hole Carter had made during her escape. "Perhaps you have found that which I have sought for..." he drifted off.
Jack fervently hoped that Janoose wouldn't remember the laboratory. His memory seemed like Swiss cheese and Jack wished that little piece of information was missing. If Janoose found those Goul'd in stasis... well, O'Neill figured it would be all over for this world.
"Guards, prepare for an execution!" Janoose snapped.
O'Neill looked around for an avenue of escape. Unfortunately, he found none. "Look, I think we should all just talk this over..." a thunderous explosion interrupted the Colonel.
Pillars of flame shot into the sky. The Temple of Janus was burning. Fire leapt from the temple to the adjoining buildings, which were quickly engulfed. People were screaming as they ran through the streets, trying to escape the fire. Pandemonium reigned.
Transfixed, Janoose stared into the flames, muttering to himself. The fire seemed to have jogged a long-buried memory. At first, Jack couldn't understand the words... it sounded like mate. Was the guy still hung up on finding his queen, O'Neill wondered. No, not mate, he was saying gate.
Snapping out of his fugue, Janoose pulled a scroll from the pocket of his robes, brandishing it in front of his captives. "I shall return to the council triumphant! The System Lords will welcome me as one of the gods! The time of my ascension is at hand!"
I hope that's not what I think it is, Jack thought desperately.
"I shall rule worlds even the System Lords could not conquer!"
Janoose mounted his horse. Turning, he glanced at the fire busily eating its way through the city. "Kill them!" he shouted, riding toward the stargate--with the last surviving copy of the formula, O'Neill was certain.
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Janoose had vague memories of a time many years ago when he was called by another name. He could only remember bits and pieces of events, but the sight of the one called Carter had unlocked snippets of memories.
He remembered a scroll--a document that contained information so important that with it, he could rule any world he chose. He remembered hiding the document in a place no one would dare look--his sarcophagus.
During the night, Janoose had gone to the throne room. Running his hand along the side of the sarcophagus, a hidden panel opened, revealing a secret compartment containing a scroll--the key to his future.
Janoose opened the document, but had been unable to read the words printed on the parchment; they were all a meaningless jumble in his head. No matter. He couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters now.
After retrieving the scroll, he had made his way to the library of the Temple of Janus, where he had started a fire. There was only one scroll that mattered, and it was in his possession. All others must be destroyed.
Now, he was on his way to the stargate to fulfill his destiny.
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Janoose's' troops weren't quite sure what to make of this turn of events, but they were trained soldiers and their emperor had given them an order they were duty-bound to carry out. As they turned their swords on SG-1, a screaming mob came stampeding down the street. This was just the diversion they needed. Spotting a small cart with a team of horses hitched to it, O'Neill motioned for his teammates to follow him.
"This way," he yelled, "we've got to stop Janoose before he escapes through the stargate with that formula." Jumping in the cart, Jack gripped the reins as the horses took off at a dead run toward the stargate.
To say the ride was rough was an understatement. It took all their strength to hang on and keep from falling out of the cart. They bounced along the road, trying to eat up the distance between them and Janoose. Jack didn't care about the quality of the ride--he was totally focused on catching the Goul'd before he reached the stargate.
"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c, who had positioned himself behind Jack in the cart, pointed. Jack could see the stargate up ahead, and it looked like they might be too late.
Waving the scroll like a magic wand, Janoose was in the process of dialing out, his memories of how to operate the stargate still intact. He had one more symbol to enter to complete the dialing sequence.
"Here, Teal'c, you drive." Jack handed the reins to the former Jaffa as the horses and cart headed straight for the Dial Home Device and Janoose. As the cart passed the DHD, O'Neill jumped off, landing squarely on his target as the seventh symbol locked and the wormhole activated.
Teal'c brought the cart to a stop not far from the stargate. However, before they could go to O'Neill's assistance, they were surrounded by four soldiers, swords pointed menacingly in their direction. The legionnaires who had been camped at the stargate had returned to Romanium when they saw smoke and flames coming from the city, leaving these soldiers to act as sentries.
O'Neill and Janoose went flying across the steps of the gate platform. The Goul'd lost his grip on the scroll, which landed with a loud clatter at the bottom of the steps.
Eyes glowing like purple coals, Janoose picked himself up. With an angry growl, he launched himself at O'Neill, who was still sprawled across the steps. Jack rolled to the left, just in time.
Jack was in no condition to fight. In fact, he couldn't even get up. When O'Neill had made his swan dive off the cart, he had injured his shoulder and knee when he and Janoose landed on the steps.
Janoose tried to kick O'Neill in the head. Jack rolled to the right, lost control, and kept on rolling down to the bottom of the steps, landing on top of the scroll with a sickening crunch.
The Goul'd started down the steps, determined to finish off O'Neill, when an energy discharge hit the corner of the stargate platform. It was followed by another bolt very close to the soldiers.
Rufius appeared from his hiding place behind a boulder. He was carrying Teal'c staff weapon, which he trained on the troops. Rufius had a wild look in his eyes, his hair was singed and his robes were covered with soot. And the way he handled the staff weapon left no doubt in the minds of the legionnaires that this crazy man meant business.
"Back away!" Rufius ordered. "This emperor is not worthy of your loyalty. He has lied to us all. He cares nothing about Romanium. His true plan was to enslave our people."
"Lies! Lies! Lies!" screamed Janoose.
"There are witnesses--citizens and soldiers who saw you set fire to the library!" Rufius challenged.
"You will pay for your insolence! I shall return and crush you all!" Janoose ranted. Turning, he ran forward, disappearing into the wormhole.
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The soldiers slowly lowered their weapons. They were all very confused.
Carter and Daniel hurried over to O'Neill.
"Jack, are you okay,?" Daniel asked.
"I've been better. My back is killing me." Gingerly, O'Neill tried to sit up.
"Where's the formula?" Jacked asked.
"You're wearing it, sir," Carter responded, picking pieces of parchment off the back of his shirt.
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SG-1 was standing at the stargate platform. Rufius, Callius and a few of Romanium's citizens were there to see them off.
"Rufius," Jack said. "I wish you the best of luck with your rebuilding program."
"I think we will leave Romanium to the elements. It was a cursed city. We shall rebuild, but not here. It is time to let the city die, as the empire died years ago."
"I strongly suggest that you bury the stargate," O'Neill said. "Janoose may decide to pay you a return visit; and I'm sure he won't come alone. Trust me, you don't want to meet any of his... kin.
"Okay, kiddies, let's go." O'Neill said, herding his team toward the stargate. "Daniel, dial us home."
The End