Chapter Two
"I think that's about it." Clicking her pen closed and putting it into her pocket, Dr. Fraiser perused the chart in front of her, then glanced over at Joanna. The alternate universe Colonel sat on an infirmary bed, clad only in an olive t-shirt and shorts, and uncharacteristic, for an Air Force Colonel that is, light blue socks with daisies on them. She shivered slightly.
"Do all you docs keep your infirmaries so damned cold?" To a casual eye Joanna seemed at ease, but Janet noticed that she kept playing with a silver ring on her finger.
Janet smiled politely, continuing. "You seem to be in excellent health; a few old breaks, concussion or two, both knees have some ACL damage --you did know that there's also extensive scar tissue in..."
"Yeah." A crooked half-grin crossed Joanna's face as she ran a hand over her flat abdomen. "A combination of the contraceptive the Air Force put us on and old war wounds, you might say."
Janet looked at her with sympathy. "Did the contraceptive cause the early pre-menopause also?"
"Yep." A genuine smile came out. "That was a fun time. Apart from the hot flashes. The screwy hormones made me perpetually pissed off. Hammond liked that; we killed a lot of Jaffa that year. Finally took out Ra, too." Joanna stared at the floor, absent-mindedly rubbing her belly.
"Well," Janet said briskly, "all we need now are the DNA test results and then we're done."
"You're just like her." The smile softened. "My Janet," explained Joanna. "Very compassionate and dedicated. I personally slit the throat of the Jaffa that murdered her and SG-8."
~~~~~
"Well, Dr. Fraiser?" Hammond inquired as she and Joanna walked into the situation room. The general was seated at the head of the long red and black table, the members of SG-1 flanking him. They had an uncanny resemblance to an inquisition, and only with difficulty Joanna overcame the craving to have the reassuring heft of a gun in her hand.
Jack crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Don't tell me she's my long lost sister or something," he drawled sarcastically, a curious mix of studied laissez-faire and extreme unease.
"All right, I won't." Janet sat down opposite from Hammond, while Joanna took a seat by her side. "What I will tell you," she continued, opening the folder in front of her, "is that barring your Y chromosome, both DNA samples match perfectly."
"I knew it!" Sam crowed, an exultant grin splitting her face. Jack's glare only dimmed it slightly. His chair creaked as he leaned forward.
"So what you're saying is ..." Jack silently dared Janet to complete the sentence.
"You and this Colonel O'Neill are the same person. Just a different sex." Everyone's eyes swung toward Joanna as Janet shuffled some papers, letting them get used to the idea. Joanna looked calmly back at Jack, lifting a shoulder in a slight shrug.
"You're sure," demanded Hammond.
"Positive," Janet answered crisply. "The corpsman ran the test twice to be certain, then I had him run it again while I watched. The Colonels are one and the same."
"But- " Jack gaped like a fish, trying to wrap his mind around what Janet had sprung on them. "But she's a woman! Everyone else has been the same! Why me?" Joanna sighed and rolled her eyes. Glaring at her, Jack muttered, "You're taking this rather well." She just stuck her tongue out at him, and he responded in kind.
"I doubt we'll ever know why, Colonel," Janet gently chided. "Perhaps something happened at conception, and in her universe Joanna was created instead of you."
Daniel's expression took on a thoughtful air. "Joanna --" he murmured, then looked over at her. "Joanna Michelle?" She nodded. "The feminine form of Jonathan Michael," he said to the rest of them, as if that explained everything.
Jack smiled humorlessly. "Thank you, Professor."
"Was there anything else, Doctor?" Hammond interjected before the boys could start sniping at each other.
"Nothing that can't wait for my report, sir." Gathering up her various folders, Janet threw Joanna a reassuring glance before she left.
"This is so incredible." Sam leaned forward. "The other two universes we've encountered have been different than ours, of course; Daniel was never part of the SG program, I became a civilian consultant instead of joining the Air Force, but nothing of this magnitude." Her look of excitement was in direct contrast to Jack's petulant expression.
"Yes, we're all very thrilled about it, Carter." The irony was thick in Jack's voice. "But in case you haven't noticed, *I'm. A. Woman.*"
"For cryin' out loud, get over yourself, Jack." Joanna's sarcastic tone matched his. "I happen to be a man."
"Yeah, but you're *supposed* to be a man, *Joanna*."
"Frankly," her alto voice turning silky and her brown eyes flinty, "from what I've seen, I consider this an improvement, *Jack*."
"Colonels," Hammond warned, interrupting their wrangling and turning to Joanna. "Colonel O'Neill, why don't you bring us up to speed on what's been happening in your universe. What made you set off the autodestruct?"
Joanna frowned as she collected her thoughts. "I suppose you'd need a little background on our Gate history; it was found in 1931 in Giza, Egypt. World War I had been long and drawn out, and although the government agent in the area had sent in a report, nobody was really interested in ancient Egyptian artifacts. They were more concerned with how Germany was arming itself again. So the scientists who discovered the Gate were able to smuggle it into the U.S. and begin trying to figure out how to work the damn thing. World War II halted the expeditions in Egypt, but they started up again in '38 when that War ended."
"Wait," Daniel broke in. "So your Gate was discovered three years after ours, we get that; but your World War II ended in '38? No Pearl Harbor, no Hiroshima?"
"You can ask the Colonel all the questions you want after we're done here, Dr. Jackson." Daniel flushed slightly under Hammond's rebuke, nodding.
"Sorry."
Joanna smiled in understanding. "They found the DOD -"
Sam raised her hand, smiling apologetically. "The what?"
"The DOD. Dial Out Device," Joanna explained at their blank expressions. "The round thing with the Gate symbols on it, big red crystal dome in the middle ... "
"Dial Home Device," Sam answered. "The Germans found ours in Giza after our World War II. Since we didn't have a control panel, we had to jury-rig a power source to dial the Gate. Therefore the first one we saw was on another planet, which we then used to get back. Ergo, Dial Home Device."
"Oh." Joanna blinked twice, nonplussed for the moment. "Okay. Well, somehow the scientists kept the Gate a secret, although they were scouring their field for any promising Egyptologists that could help them figure out the markings on the cover stone. They found you, Daniel, and about twelve years ago brought you in to see what you could do."
"Twelve? Here Christine brought me in nine years ago."
"Yeah, Catherine and her group worked a little faster than the military does, although if they had been more careful things might have ended up a lot different. Anyway, you figured out it was a Stargate and got the damned thing up and running. You made it to Abydos, did a meet and greet, and then proceeded to seek out new life and new civilizations, boldly going, etc, amazingly enough keeping the government from finding out about what you were doing.
"Then a few months after you got to Abydos, Ra stopped by. And you could imagine his surprise when he found out the Gate on Earth was now up and running. The scientists were no match for his Falcon Guards, and soon legions of Jaffa were pouring in through the Gate. Panicked, you guys called the Pentagon, Stargate Command and the Stargate Teams were formed, and we've been fighting them ever since."
Joanna sighed, her unfocused eyes seeing past battles. "We'd gain some ground, then lose it, gain some more, than lose that; but it wasn't until three years ago that everything went to hell. Although we finally got rid of Ra, Apophis stepped in and filled the breach."
She looked over at Teal'c. "I don't know how you were before you renounced him, but in my universe you were... driven. The devotion you had toward your God made you go above and beyond. Apophis would want a village destroyed; you'd take it and the surrounding ones out, as an example." Teal'c frowned, remembering times when he had done just that.
Jack's voice was harsh in the silent room. "What about the Asgard? The Tok'ra? Didn't anyone help you guys out?"
"Thor and the Asgards were losing their war with the Replicators; we tried to help them out as much as we could but it was never enough. All that was left of the Tok'ra were a handful of beaten down resistance cells scattered through the galaxy." Joanna shook her head. "Neither were in any condition to help us, and everyone else was in even worse shape.
"We finally figured out a way to close the gate when we weren't using it so no unauthorized people could get through, but by then it was too late. Goa'uld mother ships had long since arrived, and since most of the second and third world countries had been taken over by Ra and then Apophis, they already had a firm foothold on Earth. We started evacuating people to the few planets still under our control, and planned on destroying their Gates once we were done. The last had finally gone when Serpent Guards overran the mountain. I set the autodestruct, gated, and found myself here."
"Amazing." Sam stared in wonder at Joanna, digesting what she had told them. "Your universe must be further down the quantum dial than any of the others we've seen, so many things are different. The basic history, the balance of power between the System Lords... "
"You and Dr. Jackson can debrief Colonel O'Neill all you want tomorrow. I still need your reports on P3K5186. Colonel O'Neill," continued Hammond, turning to Joanna, "the sergeant will show you to your room."
"Thank you, sir." Getting up, Joanna's eyes swept the team, noting their expressions ranging from open welcome to barely hidden antagonism. "Good night."
"I think that's about it." Clicking her pen closed and putting it into her pocket, Dr. Fraiser perused the chart in front of her, then glanced over at Joanna. The alternate universe Colonel sat on an infirmary bed, clad only in an olive t-shirt and shorts, and uncharacteristic, for an Air Force Colonel that is, light blue socks with daisies on them. She shivered slightly.
"Do all you docs keep your infirmaries so damned cold?" To a casual eye Joanna seemed at ease, but Janet noticed that she kept playing with a silver ring on her finger.
Janet smiled politely, continuing. "You seem to be in excellent health; a few old breaks, concussion or two, both knees have some ACL damage --you did know that there's also extensive scar tissue in..."
"Yeah." A crooked half-grin crossed Joanna's face as she ran a hand over her flat abdomen. "A combination of the contraceptive the Air Force put us on and old war wounds, you might say."
Janet looked at her with sympathy. "Did the contraceptive cause the early pre-menopause also?"
"Yep." A genuine smile came out. "That was a fun time. Apart from the hot flashes. The screwy hormones made me perpetually pissed off. Hammond liked that; we killed a lot of Jaffa that year. Finally took out Ra, too." Joanna stared at the floor, absent-mindedly rubbing her belly.
"Well," Janet said briskly, "all we need now are the DNA test results and then we're done."
"You're just like her." The smile softened. "My Janet," explained Joanna. "Very compassionate and dedicated. I personally slit the throat of the Jaffa that murdered her and SG-8."
~~~~~
"Well, Dr. Fraiser?" Hammond inquired as she and Joanna walked into the situation room. The general was seated at the head of the long red and black table, the members of SG-1 flanking him. They had an uncanny resemblance to an inquisition, and only with difficulty Joanna overcame the craving to have the reassuring heft of a gun in her hand.
Jack crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Don't tell me she's my long lost sister or something," he drawled sarcastically, a curious mix of studied laissez-faire and extreme unease.
"All right, I won't." Janet sat down opposite from Hammond, while Joanna took a seat by her side. "What I will tell you," she continued, opening the folder in front of her, "is that barring your Y chromosome, both DNA samples match perfectly."
"I knew it!" Sam crowed, an exultant grin splitting her face. Jack's glare only dimmed it slightly. His chair creaked as he leaned forward.
"So what you're saying is ..." Jack silently dared Janet to complete the sentence.
"You and this Colonel O'Neill are the same person. Just a different sex." Everyone's eyes swung toward Joanna as Janet shuffled some papers, letting them get used to the idea. Joanna looked calmly back at Jack, lifting a shoulder in a slight shrug.
"You're sure," demanded Hammond.
"Positive," Janet answered crisply. "The corpsman ran the test twice to be certain, then I had him run it again while I watched. The Colonels are one and the same."
"But- " Jack gaped like a fish, trying to wrap his mind around what Janet had sprung on them. "But she's a woman! Everyone else has been the same! Why me?" Joanna sighed and rolled her eyes. Glaring at her, Jack muttered, "You're taking this rather well." She just stuck her tongue out at him, and he responded in kind.
"I doubt we'll ever know why, Colonel," Janet gently chided. "Perhaps something happened at conception, and in her universe Joanna was created instead of you."
Daniel's expression took on a thoughtful air. "Joanna --" he murmured, then looked over at her. "Joanna Michelle?" She nodded. "The feminine form of Jonathan Michael," he said to the rest of them, as if that explained everything.
Jack smiled humorlessly. "Thank you, Professor."
"Was there anything else, Doctor?" Hammond interjected before the boys could start sniping at each other.
"Nothing that can't wait for my report, sir." Gathering up her various folders, Janet threw Joanna a reassuring glance before she left.
"This is so incredible." Sam leaned forward. "The other two universes we've encountered have been different than ours, of course; Daniel was never part of the SG program, I became a civilian consultant instead of joining the Air Force, but nothing of this magnitude." Her look of excitement was in direct contrast to Jack's petulant expression.
"Yes, we're all very thrilled about it, Carter." The irony was thick in Jack's voice. "But in case you haven't noticed, *I'm. A. Woman.*"
"For cryin' out loud, get over yourself, Jack." Joanna's sarcastic tone matched his. "I happen to be a man."
"Yeah, but you're *supposed* to be a man, *Joanna*."
"Frankly," her alto voice turning silky and her brown eyes flinty, "from what I've seen, I consider this an improvement, *Jack*."
"Colonels," Hammond warned, interrupting their wrangling and turning to Joanna. "Colonel O'Neill, why don't you bring us up to speed on what's been happening in your universe. What made you set off the autodestruct?"
Joanna frowned as she collected her thoughts. "I suppose you'd need a little background on our Gate history; it was found in 1931 in Giza, Egypt. World War I had been long and drawn out, and although the government agent in the area had sent in a report, nobody was really interested in ancient Egyptian artifacts. They were more concerned with how Germany was arming itself again. So the scientists who discovered the Gate were able to smuggle it into the U.S. and begin trying to figure out how to work the damn thing. World War II halted the expeditions in Egypt, but they started up again in '38 when that War ended."
"Wait," Daniel broke in. "So your Gate was discovered three years after ours, we get that; but your World War II ended in '38? No Pearl Harbor, no Hiroshima?"
"You can ask the Colonel all the questions you want after we're done here, Dr. Jackson." Daniel flushed slightly under Hammond's rebuke, nodding.
"Sorry."
Joanna smiled in understanding. "They found the DOD -"
Sam raised her hand, smiling apologetically. "The what?"
"The DOD. Dial Out Device," Joanna explained at their blank expressions. "The round thing with the Gate symbols on it, big red crystal dome in the middle ... "
"Dial Home Device," Sam answered. "The Germans found ours in Giza after our World War II. Since we didn't have a control panel, we had to jury-rig a power source to dial the Gate. Therefore the first one we saw was on another planet, which we then used to get back. Ergo, Dial Home Device."
"Oh." Joanna blinked twice, nonplussed for the moment. "Okay. Well, somehow the scientists kept the Gate a secret, although they were scouring their field for any promising Egyptologists that could help them figure out the markings on the cover stone. They found you, Daniel, and about twelve years ago brought you in to see what you could do."
"Twelve? Here Christine brought me in nine years ago."
"Yeah, Catherine and her group worked a little faster than the military does, although if they had been more careful things might have ended up a lot different. Anyway, you figured out it was a Stargate and got the damned thing up and running. You made it to Abydos, did a meet and greet, and then proceeded to seek out new life and new civilizations, boldly going, etc, amazingly enough keeping the government from finding out about what you were doing.
"Then a few months after you got to Abydos, Ra stopped by. And you could imagine his surprise when he found out the Gate on Earth was now up and running. The scientists were no match for his Falcon Guards, and soon legions of Jaffa were pouring in through the Gate. Panicked, you guys called the Pentagon, Stargate Command and the Stargate Teams were formed, and we've been fighting them ever since."
Joanna sighed, her unfocused eyes seeing past battles. "We'd gain some ground, then lose it, gain some more, than lose that; but it wasn't until three years ago that everything went to hell. Although we finally got rid of Ra, Apophis stepped in and filled the breach."
She looked over at Teal'c. "I don't know how you were before you renounced him, but in my universe you were... driven. The devotion you had toward your God made you go above and beyond. Apophis would want a village destroyed; you'd take it and the surrounding ones out, as an example." Teal'c frowned, remembering times when he had done just that.
Jack's voice was harsh in the silent room. "What about the Asgard? The Tok'ra? Didn't anyone help you guys out?"
"Thor and the Asgards were losing their war with the Replicators; we tried to help them out as much as we could but it was never enough. All that was left of the Tok'ra were a handful of beaten down resistance cells scattered through the galaxy." Joanna shook her head. "Neither were in any condition to help us, and everyone else was in even worse shape.
"We finally figured out a way to close the gate when we weren't using it so no unauthorized people could get through, but by then it was too late. Goa'uld mother ships had long since arrived, and since most of the second and third world countries had been taken over by Ra and then Apophis, they already had a firm foothold on Earth. We started evacuating people to the few planets still under our control, and planned on destroying their Gates once we were done. The last had finally gone when Serpent Guards overran the mountain. I set the autodestruct, gated, and found myself here."
"Amazing." Sam stared in wonder at Joanna, digesting what she had told them. "Your universe must be further down the quantum dial than any of the others we've seen, so many things are different. The basic history, the balance of power between the System Lords... "
"You and Dr. Jackson can debrief Colonel O'Neill all you want tomorrow. I still need your reports on P3K5186. Colonel O'Neill," continued Hammond, turning to Joanna, "the sergeant will show you to your room."
"Thank you, sir." Getting up, Joanna's eyes swept the team, noting their expressions ranging from open welcome to barely hidden antagonism. "Good night."