Title: Wherever You Go, There You Are
Spoilers: SG1: Window of Opportunity; 100 Days. Farscape: A Human Reaction.
Rating: Um, PG just to be safe. Minor language.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG1 and Farscape are owned by lovely, wonderful people. I am not among them.
A/N: My apologies on the wait for this chapter. Hope it was worth it! And again, my thanks to all who have reviewed.
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Lost Mind
Daniel went into his natural lecture mode. "The Ancients are the race of beings who built the Stargate network. They were members of an alliance of races – the others being the Furling, and the previously mentioned Nox and Asgard. They apparently left our neighborhood some time ago. We've found some of their worlds, which have been abandoned for thousands of years."
"Abandoned?"
"Well, we don't know what caused them to leave. On at least one planet, there was some sort of major catastrophic event, but we don't know exactly what."
"Daniel, is it possible that the group that built this temple was from one of those planets?" Sam asked.
The archeologist shook his head. "Not from one that we've been on. So far, all the language we've seen has ties to ancient Earth languages. Like Latin," he added for Crichton's benefit.
"Oh yeah. I remember that." Jack commented under his breath. Daniel gave him a look, to which Jack responded, "Well, okay, I don't actually remember that." He pointed a finger at Daniel. "I do, however, remember the Latin."
Daniel slightly raised an eyebrow, then deliberately continued. "I've found some familiar references here, but the writing could not have come from any planet we've been on."
"Why not?" John asked.
"Let's say whoever built this was an advance party or, um, someone sent out to scout a new world. They would have had the same linguistic roots as the people they came from. We've seen this particular effect on worlds where humans were settled. The language changes, but the foundation stays the same."
"So, since you don't recognize anything, they have to be different than the Ancients you've run into."
"Well, different, yes. From a different planet, at least. But I think they are still the same race of, um, people. The writings mention a catastrophic event that occurred on another planet. Apparently our friends here were contacted with a request for help, but were unable to respond because the Stargate on the other end was malfunctioning. By the time they reached the other planet, it was too late."
" And that helps us how?"
Daniel looked over at his teammates. "There was a line of text buried in everything else that Jack and Teal'c should recognize." After a moment of digesting that information, their simultaneous reaction was about what he'd expected.
Sam tilted her head and asked, "P4X-639?"
Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
Jack shouted, "Tell me there's not another one of those damn machines here!"
To which Daniel quietly replied, "There isn't."
Jack, slightly mollified, said, "Alright then. You should've said that in the first place."
John raised his hand. "Point of information?"
Sam answered, "P4X-639 was a colony of the Ancients. They built a time machine to prevent the catastrophe Daniel mentioned, but it didn't work."
Jack jabbed a finger in the air. "Oh, it worked, alright."
"Okay, it worked, but not like it was supposed to."
"So, the planet mentioned in the temple is a planet you've been to?" John asked, confused. When Daniel nodded, he continued, "And from this we are to assume that since the Ancients were on that planet, they must have been on this one as well."
Both Sam and Jack looked to Daniel. "It's a strong possibility. We're, um, very familiar with the event in question…"
"Some of us more than others," Teal'c murmured.
"…And there are additional patterns in the temple which mimic other writings of the Ancients." Seeing that he hadn't convinced Crichton, Daniel added, "Think of it like Chinese and Arabic. Two completely different languages – different styles, different characters. But they developed on the same planet at different times. Now imagine that one of them completely picks up and moves to Mars. Something bad happens back on the home planet and the one left behind sends a message to the other on Mars asking for help."
John held up a hand. "I get it. They're connected. So how did this crew get all the way out here?"
"Still working on that. Zhaan ordered me to take a break – said something about how cranky humans get when they haven't eaten."
John laughed. "She should know."
"And yet, you still haven't eaten anything," Jack commented.
"Um, yeah."
Jack sighed heavily and passed him a plate. Daniel nodded his thanks and began picking at the food.
Sam mused, "Assuming that the Ancients who built this place are the same Ancients that you met, why did they leave? What are they looking for?"
"A new home," John answered her. When she looked at him in question, he added, "That's what he said."
"The poking around in your head?" she asked.
He nodded. "They created what I thought was a wormhole to Earth, except it wasn't. They were testing the reaction humans would have if they suddenly showed up on Earth."
"It wasn't a good reaction, I take it."
"No." John punctuated the word with a bitter laugh. "He told me that they only had enough energy left to transport their race one more time, and that they needed to be sure before they moved. They had hoped Earth would welcome them."
Daniel and Sam exchanged looks. "They didn't already know about Earth?" Daniel asked.
"Not much, no. And I'm assuming they didn't know about your little operation either, since they didn't take that into account."
Sam glanced at O'Neill. "Sir, if they aren't familiar with Earth, it means they haven't had any contact with any of the others."
"Others?"
"Asgard, Goa'uld, Tok'ra. Anybody. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have needed to test a reaction."
"We're that important?' John asked.
"Oh, I don't know if important is the word I'd use," Daniel said.
"Let's just say our reputation is well deserved and generally precedes us," Jack added.
"Why where they looking for a new place to live?" Sam asked.
"Didn't say. I got the impression they'd been at it awhile."
Daniel put down his plate. "So, you've actually met an Ancient. That's definitely something we haven't done. I think."
"You're not sure?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
"Trust me, you'd remember if you met these guys. Big, ugly, kinda insect-y."
"How did they test you? Or Earth?" Sam asked.
"That's the kicker. They put me down in an almost perfect simulation of Earth, including people I knew." He picked up a small stone and started to throw it, but Aeryn put a hand on his arm again. John dropped the rock and said, "The alien running the test looked like my dad."
"They're shape shifters?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know that I would call them that, although they do have the ability to disguise themselves."
Sam exchanged looks with Aeryn, who nodded. She'd been there. "It can't have been easy, going back to Earth and then having it pulled out from under you," Sam said.
"No, but I can't say I minded seeing home again, even if it wasn't actually home." He sighed. "I wish I'd been able to bring some things back with me. There are a few things I'd like to introduce to this part of the universe."
"Such as…?" Jack asked.
"Iced tea. Jimmy Buffet. Basketball."
"I would think that might make it harder – having things from home to remind you of what you can't have," Sam said.
Jack looked around at the group. "Okay, all those who have been stranded somewhere for more than a couple of weeks with little chance of ever seeing home again – raise your hands." As he finished, his hand shot up in the air. John followed suit and then Daniel raised his hand. Aeryn and D'Argo traded glances of comprehension.
Sam looked at Daniel, eyebrows raised. He shrugged and said, "So it was voluntary. The principle is the same."
"And you still wanted things from Earth?"
"Yeah. It might have easier not to have it, but I still wanted it."
"What did you miss most?" John asked.
Daniel smiled. "Books. Aspirin. A decent bottle of wine."
"Coffee," Jack interjected. "I can't imagine you going without coffee."
Daniel nodded. "And you?" he asked, not really looking at Jack. They had never really discussed what happened on Eudora.
"Pizza. Refrigerators. Hockey."
John laughed. "I tried to make pizza once."
"Once being the operative word," Aeryn muttered.
"You don't even want to know what I had to use as pepperoni." He shuddered for effect. "The point is, we try to recreate home wherever we go. We're there and we might as well make the best of it." He looked up at Sam, who was laughing silently at him. "What?!"
"That's an excellent philosophy, Professor Crichton."
"Yeah, when I get home, I'm going to publish a whole book of Crichton- isms." He held his hand up to illustrate an imaginary title. "John Crichton's Guide to Life: Everything I Need to Know I Learned From SETI."
"SETI?" Aeryn asked.
"Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence," John answered. "Number one: aliens can understand us; they just aren't listening. Number two: if they were listening, they wouldn't care. Number three: static happens."
Sam rolled her eyes as Jack said, "Oh, that'll be a best-seller. In Roswell." He stood. "Okay, campers, enough talk. Let's all find something to do."
"Um, I think I may need to go back to the SGC; I have some things there that might help," Daniel said.
"Carter, how much time do we have before we call home?"
"About two hours, sir."
"Time for a field trip?" John asked.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Field trip?"
"Sure." He pointed a finger toward the sky. "I have a friend with a really big ship."
Sam looked at her CO, who would have laughed at the eager kid-in-a- candy-store look on her face if he thought he could get away with it. Instead, he sighed heavily. "Alright. Teal'c?"
"I will stand watch here, O'Neill."
"Good. So, Carter, we're with Crichton, Teal'c's on guard, and Daniel…"
"I know. Temple."
"Go ahead and contact Hammond if you need something. He can send it through."
Daniel nodded, stood and made his way back into the temple.
John looked to his companions as Jack was handing out assignments. "Anybody wanna place bets on how long it takes before O'Neill shoots Sparky?"
D'Argo laughed. "I would like to see that."
Aeryn smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Come on, Aeryn. Entertainment like this just doesn't open the door and roll out a welcome every day."
She shrugged. "I think I'll stay here. In case Zhaan needs any help."
John nodded. A smart man chose his battles with Aeryn Sun wisely and this was not one he could win. "Suit yourself." He turned to the two Air Force officers. "You kids ready?"
Before Jack could say yes, Sam jumped in. "You two go ahead. I just thought of something I think Daniel should look for."
Exchanging looks, both men shrugged.
Sam ran after Daniel, catching him just as he entered the ruin's shadow. "Daniel!"
"Sam? What's up?"
"You're going to have the General send you some things, right?"
"Yes..." He drew the word out into a question.
"I need you to get a few things for me."
