Of Two minds Part V
The mumbles of quiet discontent could be heard faintly from the stairwell as Daniel Jackson entered the briefing room. In one hand he carried a folder of black and white M.A.L.P. pictures and in the other the fragments of a small clay jar. 5 tired faces stared up at him from the briefing room table in various stages of annoyance.
"This had better be good Daniel, It's four in the morning." Jack muttered absently trying to comb with his fingers his sleep tousled hair. Sam Teal'c and General Hammond all looked at Daniel expectantly and Dr. Frasier peered at him from over the rim of her coffee cup.
"Do you remember the first few weeks after I came back, while I was slowly recapturing my memories?" He asked, and they nodded.
"Well the most significant of them always came back to me in dreams. That's what happened tonight. I was able to unlock some memories as I slept. Only they weren't mine. They were his." Jack rubbed his eyes and stiffled a yawn.
"Daniel please tell me you're coming to a point because I have to tell you, I was in the middle of a very good dream involving-" Jack caught Sam's gaze out of the corner of his eye and she smirked.
"Let me guess....Mary Stemburgen??."
"Anyways" Jack continued, ignoring her,
"It was good."
"I'm getting to it Jack. Anyways in this dream I saw the final moments of Chamdar, I was able to see just what happened to him." Daniel trailed off and General Hammond raised an eye brow.
"And?"
"He was sitting in the middle of this grassy field waiting for someone. Their was nothing but grass as far as the eye could see, except for this one tree, which was where he was waiting. And then she showed up."
"She?"
"Jana. They started kissing and then she."
"Wait a second" Sam broke in.
"They were kissing?? Why? Was he in love with her or something?"
"No" Daniel said quickly, disgusted with the memory of Chamdar's feelings.
"He knew what she was, and wanted to posses her power. He pursued her with promises of uniting the Ancients and the Goul'd and Ushering in an era of piece and prosperity, with her as his queen. She seemed to go along with it, but what he didn't realize is that she was playing him. While they were kissing she did something to him. I'm not exactly sure what but she changed him."
"Changed him?" Jack asked.
"Yes. Into...energy, which she then captured in a clay jar. She made the jar invisible and set it at the base of the tree, for all intense and purposes sealing him in forever. As you can imagine after 3 thousand years of being stuck in a jar he was pretty pissed. His feelings are very clear on the subject, he felt betrayed by her and spent most of his captivity plotting his revenge." Daniel cleared his throat and pulled the pictures from the folder and set them out on the table.
"I got to thinking about this lone tree, I remember it very vividly and I realized it wasn't just his memories that were recalling it, I was remembering it as well. Apparently the landscape has gone through some drastic changes in the last three thousand years, but that tree is still their. What was once grass is now nothing more then dust and rock."
Sam picked up one of the pictures and studied it closely.
"You mean...M38299?"
"Exactly." Daniel said.
"Do you remember what happened their??" He pulled out the clay shards and set them on the table as well.
"I stepped on this while we were exploring the base of the tree."
"Oh I remember that!" Jack said.
"You got all upset and went on some rant about breaking the only example of civilization on that moon and then I kind of made fun of your footwork."
"Yes, that was it. Remember how I kept saying that I couldn't believe I'd stepped on it, that I hadn't even SEEN it?" He stressed the word seen and the room was silent as the implications sunk into the team.
"So what your saying Dr. Jackson, is that while exploring M38299, you accidently broke open what was confining this Chamdar, and he was able to infect you without your knowledge?"
"Yes."
Dr. Frasier looked around thoughtfully.
"General, that would explain why all of Dr. Jackson's tests came back normal after they returned from the mission and sir." She said excitedly.
"Even with the eye witness accounts of her eyes changing, and both Teal'c and Major Carter sensing the Gou'lds presence, I have found no trace of a symbote in Jana's systems. If this thing has been turned into some kind of energy as Dr. Jackson says, then it would explain why it's not showing up in any of our tests."
Sam nodded.
"It would also explain why Teal'c and I were unable to detect it's presence within Daniel."
"Exactly. Now upon blending Chamdar had full access to my mind, and was able to tell the I knew her. That's probably why I was in such a rush to get through our last briefing and why I was so hell bent on asking her out. Chamdar needed me to get close enough to her so he could Jump host bodies."
General Hammond nodded in agreement.
"I agree Dr. Jackson, but I must admit I'm confused. If this Chamdar is so big on revenging what Jana did to him, why would he choose her as host?"
Daniel swallowed and regarded them all gravely.
"Think about it. What better revenge could their be then to posses the body of the one who put you into captivity. To make them a captive within their own bodies, powerless to stop their actions at your will." General Hammond tapped his finger on the table absently.
"I see."
"Now I understand Jana's whispers."
"Her whispers?"
"Yes, as she was... well as Chamdar was choking me I heard her whispering in my ear. She kept saying something about watching the life flow through my veins, watch as I accept the death she was giving me. It was like he was inviting her to watch my death."
"Why?" Dr. Frasier asked, and before Daniel could reply Jack answered.
"Because she cares about him."
"Right. He was making her watch me die by her own hands, and she would not have been able to stop him."
The table fell silent. Sam and Dr. Frasier studied the pictures some more, Teal'c stared off into space and General Hammond poured himself a cup of coffee.
"You know" Jack said after a time.
"Just when you think those slimy snake heads can't get any more creepy..."
Daniel Nodded.
"Watching someone you care about die at your hand while powerless to stop it...it's torturous. Unfortunately that's exactly what he had in mind."
"So" Said General Hammond
"Why hasn't he attempted to escape?"
"Chamdar may be a bit outdated, but he's no fool. He know's he is no match for the System Lords or Anubis, the knowledge he gleaned from my mind showed him that they were very technologically superior. His best bet is to try to unlock Jana's Buried memories. She was once an Ancient as Anubis was, and from what Oma has told me, a pretty powerful one. If he can get his hands on that knowledge and mastery of Ancient technology, he could wipe the floor with his opposition and we'd be in VERY big trouble."
"How's he going to do that?"
"I'm not sure."
Jack yawned loudly.
"What no idea's?" Daniel grinned wryly.
"No....just not much of one."
Dr. Frasier looked at him thoughtfully.
"I could try running some additional tests...ones that measure brain waves, electrical impulses, that kind of thing. I could use Sam's help too." General Hammond nodded.
"Do it. In the mean time Dr. Jackson, maybe you should try talking to her..him..it...again."
"Ok"
"And take Teal'c with you."
They all started to rise and Jack blinked rapidly.
"Uh sir..?"
General Hammond regarded him a moment and then smiled.
"Get back to bed Colonel, you look like hell."
Chamdar was stretched out on the cot, with Jana's eyes closed when Daniel and Teal'c entered the room. The guard at the door was happy to let them in.
"Good to see you Dr. Jackson, I was just about to phone up to the General, things are getting...weird."
Teal'c titled his head to the side.
"Explain"
"Well sir," The guard said eyeing Teal'c,
"She's...he's...they are talking to each other. It's like when the Tok'ra are around, and their voices change when the hosts talks? It's like that except, well... they were having a conversation. I couldn't understand what was being said, but the voice kept changing. Towards the end the girl got really angry about something, but then they went to sleep. It was creepy sir."
"Thank you" Daniel said, dismissing the S.F. who gratefully made his way to the far corner of the room.
Daniel and Teal'c made their way to the bars again and sat down. Daniel closed his eyes and tried to reach out with his senses, vainly trying to touch Jana's mind, or at the very least bring back the sense. Since she'd been taken over he'd felt this great emptiness inside his head, one that he desperately wanted to fill. He realized with a start just how much stock he had placed on that noise inside, how comfortable and acclimated to it's presence he had become. He now found he could barely function without it.
Jana turned over in her sleep, to face them and Daniel sent out a probing thought again. "Please...." he said softly.
For a moment she seemed to stir and in that instance Daniel felt it. Not the warm comfortable fuzz he was used to, but a hard black loathing. She cracked open her eyes and stared out at him without speaking. Daniel's stomach turned as their minds became in synch with one another, and for a split second he felt as if she were choking him again.
As fast as it had come it was over, and Jana was asleep again.
"Should we rouse her?" Teal'c enquired but Daniel shook his head.
"No..." he said faintly. "Let her sleep." He rose to his feet and motioned for Teal'c to do the same as Dr. Frasier and her team crept into the room. Gently, soundlessly the made their way into the cell and strapped Jana down onto a gurney. The girl mumbled something intelligible, but didn't awaken. As softly as they'd come they crept her away to do their tests and Daniel, Teal'c and The S.F. were left in the hold room. Daniel's stomach gave a great lurched and bending over he spilled the contents of his stomach onto the floor.
"DanielJackson!" Teal'c started forward but Daniel held up a hand.
"I'm ok..It's just...woaw...."
"So...Any news?"
It was several hours later when Daniel was finally able to calm himself down enough to visit Dr. Frasier's lab. His mind was still burdened with the feelings He and Jana had shared, but his curiosity about the outcome of the tests had won out, and he waited with Sam and Jack expectantly.
"Well Dr. Jackson, it appears you're...Chamdar's memories proved correct. Further tests show an unknown energy signature in her brain. It's so minute it's almost undetectable, and not at all like the normal pattern for a symbiote. It was probably their on the first brain scan I took, but I didn't even notice it."
"So..." Jack said slowly. "That proves...what? That's she's infested like we already knew she was??"
"Well Colonel, it proves that there is indeed something their, and now that we know what, we might be able to find a way to remove it without harming her."
"But the Tok'ra can barely remove a symbiote, which we don't' even know how to begin to do" Said Daniel. "How can we remove him?"
"I don't' know" Dr. Frasier said softly. "But we have to hope that there is a way"
She opened her mouth again to speak but a red light began to flash accompanied by a loud noise and the sound of one of the gate room technicians, utterly terrified.
"Emergency in the gate room! Emergency in the gate room! Emergency in the..."
The voice suddenly cut out, mid sentence, and everyone, including Dr. Frasier took off down the hallway at a dead run.
The four of them skidded to a halt just inside the gate room door, which was only partially closed. The scene before them was nothing less then extraordinary. Several guards were frozen in various positions of being knocked around. Some were laying on the ground, some where in mid fall, some still reeling, but all motionless. Teal'c half stood just inside the door, but his eyes were closed and his arms limply at his sides. Daniel glanced over through the window into the tech room and saw Hammond and the technician. General Hammond stood with his hand outstretched pointing to nothing. The technician sat motionless gripping the microphone tightly his mouth forming a silent word, all frozen in terror. In the midst of it all Stood Jana. Quietly serene she stood at the beginning of the gate ramp, surveying her work with grim satisfaction.
"Holly Crap" Jack whispered and started forward. Jana half turned towards them and smiling widely made a small gesture with her left hand. Sam, Jack and Dr. Frasier were all lifted off their feet and tossed very unceremoniously into the concrete wall. All three of them landed in a heap at the bottom and no one stirred. Then she turned to Daniel.
"Open the Gate." Chamdar demanded, his voice flat, emotionless.
"No"
"It's only a matter of time before I take total control over her powers. I'll then be able to open it myself, but you will not live to see that unless you open the gate NOW."
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Let me talk to her, and I'll open it."
"She has no wish to speak to you."
"Let me talk to her, or you're little trip ends right now."
They stared at each other for a moment, and then Chamdar nodded.
"Very well."
He lowered his head a moment, and upon raising it again Jana glared coldly at him.
For a split second Daniel reached out with his mind to confirm that it was really her, and once knowing it was took a step forward.
"Don't come any closer." Jana said gravely raising her hand and Daniel stopped mid-stride.
"I didn't want to talk to you."
"Jana Please" Daniel said softly.
"I don't know what he's told you, but please, just listen to me."
"Why? So you can fill my head with more lies? No, I won't give you the satisfaction. I have nothing to say to you."
"Jana, I don't know what he's told you, but it's all lies. Please listen to me.."
"No" Jana said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"You're the one who lies." She began to pace back and forth.
"To think all these months I've been wandering aimlessly, waiting for you to throw me a breadcrumb. But no more. How unworthy a thing you've made of me. You used me!"
"I would never"
"You talked and smiled and made me think that maybe, just maybe someone as seemingly nice, and sweet, and...normal as you might like me...but it was lies, You're married for christ's sake!"
Daniel shook his head vehemently.
"No Jana, widowed. Not married."
For a moment Jana seemed to falter at his words, but she soon resumed her pacing.
"No, you're lying. You want my knowledge. You seek to posses what I know, and once you had that you'd cast me aside like some common hussy. I'm not a whore Daniel Jackson, especially not yours."
Seeing the shock and Daniel's face seemed to strengthen her resolve.
"Oh don't you fret, he's told me everything. About your wife, how you're friends hunt and kill his kind. I know it all and don't waste you're breath trying to deny it, you're words are wasted on me."
"Jana" Daniel said desperately.
"He's a gould. He's evil...he tried to kill me, and he would have made you watch me die!"
"No! It was you who tried to kill me, he saved me! I remember it, how you kissed me, and all the pain...and...the coldness of you're smile...."
"You remember everything do you? Do you remember being an ancient? Do you remember luring Chamdar to that planet, and transforming him?"
Jana shook her head but Daniel kept on.
"He took over my body Jana, and I lead him right to you. It was him who tried to hurt you, not me. I would never do that... I care about you."
"Lies."
"Why would I lie?"
"It's all lies. You don't give a damn about me, you just want what I possess. Chamdar is my friend, he protects me from people like you, and I'm not going to let you hurt him!"
"Daniel tried desperately to find the right words to say, but Jana turned her back on him."
"This is pointless! As every moment passes, I know remember more and more....I don't need you to open the gate any more."
With a slow sweeping motion her hands which were at her sides began to raise until they were in a position strait up and pointing to the ceiling. As her arms rose an active wormhole began to seep into the gate, until a full blown even horizon could be viewed.
"No!" Daniel cried as any rational thought he had left disappeared. In a frantic moment he caught hold of her arm and whipped her around to face him. Jana paused momentarily as his action caught her off guard and before she could react he pulled her to him and kissed her as hard as he could.
Time seemed to slow down as the kiss lengthened and Daniel's mind was hurled forward. Past thought, word, or action, to a place where only emotion and memory could dwell. He willed her to know the truth, to see her memories through his shared thoughts of Chamdar, to shatter the illusion with which he held her. The kiss went on and on and Daniel lost all concept of space and time. He knew, saw, felt, WAS nothing but memory and emotion which he channeled into her mind through his lips.
When they finally parted they were both gasping for breath, and Daniel's knees nearly buckled from the tension. Chest heaving he managed to right himself and weakly call her name.
"Jana.."
Jana was staring at her hands like she'd never seen them before, and when she finally met his gaze her eyes were wide with terror and revulsion.
Oh God....oh....God..." She whispered. She took a tiny step toward him and then stopped rigidly. Her eyes flashed and Chamdar emerged angrily.
"What do you think you are doing boy??" He demanded shrilly advancing towards him.
Chamdar raised Jana's hand and Daniel winced his mind playing over the various possible things she could do to him. Nothing happened. Chamdar gestured again...nothing.
"Arg!" he cried in frustration.
"Don't do this!" he muttered angrily.
Daniel watched in awe and Chamdar and Jana seemed to struggle for control of Jana's body.
"I won't let you hurt him!" Jana cried in her own voice, and then it changed and Chamdar cursed vulgarly in Goaul'd.
She stood stock still her eyes flashing back and forth as the wills of Chamdar and Jana clashed within her. For what seemed like forever she stood their, not saying a word or moving, the only visible indication of anything coming from her eyes and they went from normal to incandescent and back again in rapid progression.
Then suddenly something seemed to change and Jana's arm shot out. As if yanked on a string one of the guards guns was hurled into her hand
"No!" Daniel cried but before he could finish the word a shot rang out.
Chaos ensued as everyone came back to life and Daniel rushed to where Jana had fallen.
"Please don't be dead, oh please don't be dead." He thought over and over as her turned her over and gently gathered her in his arms. She lay weakly against him a read spot spreading over her right shoulder where she had shot herself. Vaguely Daniel heard Dr. Frasier call out for a medical team but he just stared down at her.
"Please don't be dead, oh please don't be dead!"
As if she heard his thoughts Jana's eyes fluttered open and she stared groggily up at him.
"Daniel?"
Daniel gave a guttural yell of triumph and nearly hugged her senseless but she winced as his arms tightened around her.
"Are you ok?"
Jana smiled weakly.
"Besides the hole in my shoulder? I think...so.....Daniel??"
Her voice trailed off as she lost cautiousness.
"Well the bullet went through cleanly, and the wound is rapidly healing itself, I don't think she'll need surgery."
General Hammond, SG-1 and Dr. Frasier were huddled around Jana's bed in infirmary listening to Daniel's account of what happened.
"But it will probably be several hours before she.."
Dr. Frasier trailed off as Jana stirred.
Daniel came to stand beside her as she opened her eyes.
"Daniel??"
"I'm here." he said and she turned her head to face him.
"Hey..." he smiled.
"Hey."
"Looks like you're going to be ok, the wound is healing pretty good and."
"I want to be put to sleep."
Daniel shook his head and Dr. Frasier stared.
"Excuse me?" they said in unison and Jana gave a weak laugh.
"I want to be put into a coma. You can do that can't you Doctor...keep me sedated??"
"I suppose so, but why?"
Jana sighed wearily.
"Chamdar is buried for now, but he is strong. If I stay awake he will re-emerge, and I don't know if I can stop him. That's why I shot myself, so I would loose cautiousness. Only here," She said pointing to her temple. "Can I truly battle him. In my mind I will be strong. Out here I am weak, and I'll loose."
Dr. Frasier looked at General Hammond.
"Sir, it may not be a definite solution, by it may prove successful for the short term, until we can find a way to remove him from her." General Hammond paused for a moment and then nodded.
"Do it."
"No...General..I mean..Dr. Frasier" Daniel faltered and Jana softly touched his hand.
"I'll be ok."
"Jana.."
"You'll be ok too, I promise."
Daniel smiled and took her hand in both of his.
"But Jana, I've been looking forward to getting to know you..."
"Their will be plenty of time for that."
"You're sure??"
"Yes."
"How?"
Dr. Fraiser motioned to one of the nurses who brought her syringe. Without pausing she shot the liquid into Jana's I.V.
For a moment she didn't say anything, just blinked several times. When she finally did speak her voice was but a whisper.
"Because...I know this sounds like a total cliche, but...well..." She laughed softly.
"I've got something to fight for now...right?"
Daniel brought her hand to his lips and turning her palm upward kissed her wrist gently. He could feel her pulse slowing down through his lips and he nodded.
Jana blinked more rapidly as the sedative began to take hold of her.
"Daniel? Will you be hear when I wake up?"
"I promise."
"...promise...." her voice trailed off into nothingness and her hand went limp in his grasp. She was gone.
For a moment nobody said anything and then Jack cleared his throat. "So I'm thinking....debriefing??" General Hammond nodded.
"Agreed. If you'll follow me people."
"Ugh...General..." Daniel began but General Hammond put up his hand.
"No need son, take a a bit here if need be."
"Thanks."
As the rest of them filed out of the room Daniel pulled up a chair next to Jana's bedside. For a long while he just stared at the rhythm of her chest as it rose and fell in steady breathing. Then taking her hand once more he began to speak.
"So Jana, I guess now would be a good time to tell you what I do hu? Remember how you said you always wanted to meet Thor?? Well I've got a story for you...."
The End
The mumbles of quiet discontent could be heard faintly from the stairwell as Daniel Jackson entered the briefing room. In one hand he carried a folder of black and white M.A.L.P. pictures and in the other the fragments of a small clay jar. 5 tired faces stared up at him from the briefing room table in various stages of annoyance.
"This had better be good Daniel, It's four in the morning." Jack muttered absently trying to comb with his fingers his sleep tousled hair. Sam Teal'c and General Hammond all looked at Daniel expectantly and Dr. Frasier peered at him from over the rim of her coffee cup.
"Do you remember the first few weeks after I came back, while I was slowly recapturing my memories?" He asked, and they nodded.
"Well the most significant of them always came back to me in dreams. That's what happened tonight. I was able to unlock some memories as I slept. Only they weren't mine. They were his." Jack rubbed his eyes and stiffled a yawn.
"Daniel please tell me you're coming to a point because I have to tell you, I was in the middle of a very good dream involving-" Jack caught Sam's gaze out of the corner of his eye and she smirked.
"Let me guess....Mary Stemburgen??."
"Anyways" Jack continued, ignoring her,
"It was good."
"I'm getting to it Jack. Anyways in this dream I saw the final moments of Chamdar, I was able to see just what happened to him." Daniel trailed off and General Hammond raised an eye brow.
"And?"
"He was sitting in the middle of this grassy field waiting for someone. Their was nothing but grass as far as the eye could see, except for this one tree, which was where he was waiting. And then she showed up."
"She?"
"Jana. They started kissing and then she."
"Wait a second" Sam broke in.
"They were kissing?? Why? Was he in love with her or something?"
"No" Daniel said quickly, disgusted with the memory of Chamdar's feelings.
"He knew what she was, and wanted to posses her power. He pursued her with promises of uniting the Ancients and the Goul'd and Ushering in an era of piece and prosperity, with her as his queen. She seemed to go along with it, but what he didn't realize is that she was playing him. While they were kissing she did something to him. I'm not exactly sure what but she changed him."
"Changed him?" Jack asked.
"Yes. Into...energy, which she then captured in a clay jar. She made the jar invisible and set it at the base of the tree, for all intense and purposes sealing him in forever. As you can imagine after 3 thousand years of being stuck in a jar he was pretty pissed. His feelings are very clear on the subject, he felt betrayed by her and spent most of his captivity plotting his revenge." Daniel cleared his throat and pulled the pictures from the folder and set them out on the table.
"I got to thinking about this lone tree, I remember it very vividly and I realized it wasn't just his memories that were recalling it, I was remembering it as well. Apparently the landscape has gone through some drastic changes in the last three thousand years, but that tree is still their. What was once grass is now nothing more then dust and rock."
Sam picked up one of the pictures and studied it closely.
"You mean...M38299?"
"Exactly." Daniel said.
"Do you remember what happened their??" He pulled out the clay shards and set them on the table as well.
"I stepped on this while we were exploring the base of the tree."
"Oh I remember that!" Jack said.
"You got all upset and went on some rant about breaking the only example of civilization on that moon and then I kind of made fun of your footwork."
"Yes, that was it. Remember how I kept saying that I couldn't believe I'd stepped on it, that I hadn't even SEEN it?" He stressed the word seen and the room was silent as the implications sunk into the team.
"So what your saying Dr. Jackson, is that while exploring M38299, you accidently broke open what was confining this Chamdar, and he was able to infect you without your knowledge?"
"Yes."
Dr. Frasier looked around thoughtfully.
"General, that would explain why all of Dr. Jackson's tests came back normal after they returned from the mission and sir." She said excitedly.
"Even with the eye witness accounts of her eyes changing, and both Teal'c and Major Carter sensing the Gou'lds presence, I have found no trace of a symbote in Jana's systems. If this thing has been turned into some kind of energy as Dr. Jackson says, then it would explain why it's not showing up in any of our tests."
Sam nodded.
"It would also explain why Teal'c and I were unable to detect it's presence within Daniel."
"Exactly. Now upon blending Chamdar had full access to my mind, and was able to tell the I knew her. That's probably why I was in such a rush to get through our last briefing and why I was so hell bent on asking her out. Chamdar needed me to get close enough to her so he could Jump host bodies."
General Hammond nodded in agreement.
"I agree Dr. Jackson, but I must admit I'm confused. If this Chamdar is so big on revenging what Jana did to him, why would he choose her as host?"
Daniel swallowed and regarded them all gravely.
"Think about it. What better revenge could their be then to posses the body of the one who put you into captivity. To make them a captive within their own bodies, powerless to stop their actions at your will." General Hammond tapped his finger on the table absently.
"I see."
"Now I understand Jana's whispers."
"Her whispers?"
"Yes, as she was... well as Chamdar was choking me I heard her whispering in my ear. She kept saying something about watching the life flow through my veins, watch as I accept the death she was giving me. It was like he was inviting her to watch my death."
"Why?" Dr. Frasier asked, and before Daniel could reply Jack answered.
"Because she cares about him."
"Right. He was making her watch me die by her own hands, and she would not have been able to stop him."
The table fell silent. Sam and Dr. Frasier studied the pictures some more, Teal'c stared off into space and General Hammond poured himself a cup of coffee.
"You know" Jack said after a time.
"Just when you think those slimy snake heads can't get any more creepy..."
Daniel Nodded.
"Watching someone you care about die at your hand while powerless to stop it...it's torturous. Unfortunately that's exactly what he had in mind."
"So" Said General Hammond
"Why hasn't he attempted to escape?"
"Chamdar may be a bit outdated, but he's no fool. He know's he is no match for the System Lords or Anubis, the knowledge he gleaned from my mind showed him that they were very technologically superior. His best bet is to try to unlock Jana's Buried memories. She was once an Ancient as Anubis was, and from what Oma has told me, a pretty powerful one. If he can get his hands on that knowledge and mastery of Ancient technology, he could wipe the floor with his opposition and we'd be in VERY big trouble."
"How's he going to do that?"
"I'm not sure."
Jack yawned loudly.
"What no idea's?" Daniel grinned wryly.
"No....just not much of one."
Dr. Frasier looked at him thoughtfully.
"I could try running some additional tests...ones that measure brain waves, electrical impulses, that kind of thing. I could use Sam's help too." General Hammond nodded.
"Do it. In the mean time Dr. Jackson, maybe you should try talking to her..him..it...again."
"Ok"
"And take Teal'c with you."
They all started to rise and Jack blinked rapidly.
"Uh sir..?"
General Hammond regarded him a moment and then smiled.
"Get back to bed Colonel, you look like hell."
Chamdar was stretched out on the cot, with Jana's eyes closed when Daniel and Teal'c entered the room. The guard at the door was happy to let them in.
"Good to see you Dr. Jackson, I was just about to phone up to the General, things are getting...weird."
Teal'c titled his head to the side.
"Explain"
"Well sir," The guard said eyeing Teal'c,
"She's...he's...they are talking to each other. It's like when the Tok'ra are around, and their voices change when the hosts talks? It's like that except, well... they were having a conversation. I couldn't understand what was being said, but the voice kept changing. Towards the end the girl got really angry about something, but then they went to sleep. It was creepy sir."
"Thank you" Daniel said, dismissing the S.F. who gratefully made his way to the far corner of the room.
Daniel and Teal'c made their way to the bars again and sat down. Daniel closed his eyes and tried to reach out with his senses, vainly trying to touch Jana's mind, or at the very least bring back the sense. Since she'd been taken over he'd felt this great emptiness inside his head, one that he desperately wanted to fill. He realized with a start just how much stock he had placed on that noise inside, how comfortable and acclimated to it's presence he had become. He now found he could barely function without it.
Jana turned over in her sleep, to face them and Daniel sent out a probing thought again. "Please...." he said softly.
For a moment she seemed to stir and in that instance Daniel felt it. Not the warm comfortable fuzz he was used to, but a hard black loathing. She cracked open her eyes and stared out at him without speaking. Daniel's stomach turned as their minds became in synch with one another, and for a split second he felt as if she were choking him again.
As fast as it had come it was over, and Jana was asleep again.
"Should we rouse her?" Teal'c enquired but Daniel shook his head.
"No..." he said faintly. "Let her sleep." He rose to his feet and motioned for Teal'c to do the same as Dr. Frasier and her team crept into the room. Gently, soundlessly the made their way into the cell and strapped Jana down onto a gurney. The girl mumbled something intelligible, but didn't awaken. As softly as they'd come they crept her away to do their tests and Daniel, Teal'c and The S.F. were left in the hold room. Daniel's stomach gave a great lurched and bending over he spilled the contents of his stomach onto the floor.
"DanielJackson!" Teal'c started forward but Daniel held up a hand.
"I'm ok..It's just...woaw...."
"So...Any news?"
It was several hours later when Daniel was finally able to calm himself down enough to visit Dr. Frasier's lab. His mind was still burdened with the feelings He and Jana had shared, but his curiosity about the outcome of the tests had won out, and he waited with Sam and Jack expectantly.
"Well Dr. Jackson, it appears you're...Chamdar's memories proved correct. Further tests show an unknown energy signature in her brain. It's so minute it's almost undetectable, and not at all like the normal pattern for a symbiote. It was probably their on the first brain scan I took, but I didn't even notice it."
"So..." Jack said slowly. "That proves...what? That's she's infested like we already knew she was??"
"Well Colonel, it proves that there is indeed something their, and now that we know what, we might be able to find a way to remove it without harming her."
"But the Tok'ra can barely remove a symbiote, which we don't' even know how to begin to do" Said Daniel. "How can we remove him?"
"I don't' know" Dr. Frasier said softly. "But we have to hope that there is a way"
She opened her mouth again to speak but a red light began to flash accompanied by a loud noise and the sound of one of the gate room technicians, utterly terrified.
"Emergency in the gate room! Emergency in the gate room! Emergency in the..."
The voice suddenly cut out, mid sentence, and everyone, including Dr. Frasier took off down the hallway at a dead run.
The four of them skidded to a halt just inside the gate room door, which was only partially closed. The scene before them was nothing less then extraordinary. Several guards were frozen in various positions of being knocked around. Some were laying on the ground, some where in mid fall, some still reeling, but all motionless. Teal'c half stood just inside the door, but his eyes were closed and his arms limply at his sides. Daniel glanced over through the window into the tech room and saw Hammond and the technician. General Hammond stood with his hand outstretched pointing to nothing. The technician sat motionless gripping the microphone tightly his mouth forming a silent word, all frozen in terror. In the midst of it all Stood Jana. Quietly serene she stood at the beginning of the gate ramp, surveying her work with grim satisfaction.
"Holly Crap" Jack whispered and started forward. Jana half turned towards them and smiling widely made a small gesture with her left hand. Sam, Jack and Dr. Frasier were all lifted off their feet and tossed very unceremoniously into the concrete wall. All three of them landed in a heap at the bottom and no one stirred. Then she turned to Daniel.
"Open the Gate." Chamdar demanded, his voice flat, emotionless.
"No"
"It's only a matter of time before I take total control over her powers. I'll then be able to open it myself, but you will not live to see that unless you open the gate NOW."
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Let me talk to her, and I'll open it."
"She has no wish to speak to you."
"Let me talk to her, or you're little trip ends right now."
They stared at each other for a moment, and then Chamdar nodded.
"Very well."
He lowered his head a moment, and upon raising it again Jana glared coldly at him.
For a split second Daniel reached out with his mind to confirm that it was really her, and once knowing it was took a step forward.
"Don't come any closer." Jana said gravely raising her hand and Daniel stopped mid-stride.
"I didn't want to talk to you."
"Jana Please" Daniel said softly.
"I don't know what he's told you, but please, just listen to me."
"Why? So you can fill my head with more lies? No, I won't give you the satisfaction. I have nothing to say to you."
"Jana, I don't know what he's told you, but it's all lies. Please listen to me.."
"No" Jana said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"You're the one who lies." She began to pace back and forth.
"To think all these months I've been wandering aimlessly, waiting for you to throw me a breadcrumb. But no more. How unworthy a thing you've made of me. You used me!"
"I would never"
"You talked and smiled and made me think that maybe, just maybe someone as seemingly nice, and sweet, and...normal as you might like me...but it was lies, You're married for christ's sake!"
Daniel shook his head vehemently.
"No Jana, widowed. Not married."
For a moment Jana seemed to falter at his words, but she soon resumed her pacing.
"No, you're lying. You want my knowledge. You seek to posses what I know, and once you had that you'd cast me aside like some common hussy. I'm not a whore Daniel Jackson, especially not yours."
Seeing the shock and Daniel's face seemed to strengthen her resolve.
"Oh don't you fret, he's told me everything. About your wife, how you're friends hunt and kill his kind. I know it all and don't waste you're breath trying to deny it, you're words are wasted on me."
"Jana" Daniel said desperately.
"He's a gould. He's evil...he tried to kill me, and he would have made you watch me die!"
"No! It was you who tried to kill me, he saved me! I remember it, how you kissed me, and all the pain...and...the coldness of you're smile...."
"You remember everything do you? Do you remember being an ancient? Do you remember luring Chamdar to that planet, and transforming him?"
Jana shook her head but Daniel kept on.
"He took over my body Jana, and I lead him right to you. It was him who tried to hurt you, not me. I would never do that... I care about you."
"Lies."
"Why would I lie?"
"It's all lies. You don't give a damn about me, you just want what I possess. Chamdar is my friend, he protects me from people like you, and I'm not going to let you hurt him!"
"Daniel tried desperately to find the right words to say, but Jana turned her back on him."
"This is pointless! As every moment passes, I know remember more and more....I don't need you to open the gate any more."
With a slow sweeping motion her hands which were at her sides began to raise until they were in a position strait up and pointing to the ceiling. As her arms rose an active wormhole began to seep into the gate, until a full blown even horizon could be viewed.
"No!" Daniel cried as any rational thought he had left disappeared. In a frantic moment he caught hold of her arm and whipped her around to face him. Jana paused momentarily as his action caught her off guard and before she could react he pulled her to him and kissed her as hard as he could.
Time seemed to slow down as the kiss lengthened and Daniel's mind was hurled forward. Past thought, word, or action, to a place where only emotion and memory could dwell. He willed her to know the truth, to see her memories through his shared thoughts of Chamdar, to shatter the illusion with which he held her. The kiss went on and on and Daniel lost all concept of space and time. He knew, saw, felt, WAS nothing but memory and emotion which he channeled into her mind through his lips.
When they finally parted they were both gasping for breath, and Daniel's knees nearly buckled from the tension. Chest heaving he managed to right himself and weakly call her name.
"Jana.."
Jana was staring at her hands like she'd never seen them before, and when she finally met his gaze her eyes were wide with terror and revulsion.
Oh God....oh....God..." She whispered. She took a tiny step toward him and then stopped rigidly. Her eyes flashed and Chamdar emerged angrily.
"What do you think you are doing boy??" He demanded shrilly advancing towards him.
Chamdar raised Jana's hand and Daniel winced his mind playing over the various possible things she could do to him. Nothing happened. Chamdar gestured again...nothing.
"Arg!" he cried in frustration.
"Don't do this!" he muttered angrily.
Daniel watched in awe and Chamdar and Jana seemed to struggle for control of Jana's body.
"I won't let you hurt him!" Jana cried in her own voice, and then it changed and Chamdar cursed vulgarly in Goaul'd.
She stood stock still her eyes flashing back and forth as the wills of Chamdar and Jana clashed within her. For what seemed like forever she stood their, not saying a word or moving, the only visible indication of anything coming from her eyes and they went from normal to incandescent and back again in rapid progression.
Then suddenly something seemed to change and Jana's arm shot out. As if yanked on a string one of the guards guns was hurled into her hand
"No!" Daniel cried but before he could finish the word a shot rang out.
Chaos ensued as everyone came back to life and Daniel rushed to where Jana had fallen.
"Please don't be dead, oh please don't be dead." He thought over and over as her turned her over and gently gathered her in his arms. She lay weakly against him a read spot spreading over her right shoulder where she had shot herself. Vaguely Daniel heard Dr. Frasier call out for a medical team but he just stared down at her.
"Please don't be dead, oh please don't be dead!"
As if she heard his thoughts Jana's eyes fluttered open and she stared groggily up at him.
"Daniel?"
Daniel gave a guttural yell of triumph and nearly hugged her senseless but she winced as his arms tightened around her.
"Are you ok?"
Jana smiled weakly.
"Besides the hole in my shoulder? I think...so.....Daniel??"
Her voice trailed off as she lost cautiousness.
"Well the bullet went through cleanly, and the wound is rapidly healing itself, I don't think she'll need surgery."
General Hammond, SG-1 and Dr. Frasier were huddled around Jana's bed in infirmary listening to Daniel's account of what happened.
"But it will probably be several hours before she.."
Dr. Frasier trailed off as Jana stirred.
Daniel came to stand beside her as she opened her eyes.
"Daniel??"
"I'm here." he said and she turned her head to face him.
"Hey..." he smiled.
"Hey."
"Looks like you're going to be ok, the wound is healing pretty good and."
"I want to be put to sleep."
Daniel shook his head and Dr. Frasier stared.
"Excuse me?" they said in unison and Jana gave a weak laugh.
"I want to be put into a coma. You can do that can't you Doctor...keep me sedated??"
"I suppose so, but why?"
Jana sighed wearily.
"Chamdar is buried for now, but he is strong. If I stay awake he will re-emerge, and I don't know if I can stop him. That's why I shot myself, so I would loose cautiousness. Only here," She said pointing to her temple. "Can I truly battle him. In my mind I will be strong. Out here I am weak, and I'll loose."
Dr. Frasier looked at General Hammond.
"Sir, it may not be a definite solution, by it may prove successful for the short term, until we can find a way to remove him from her." General Hammond paused for a moment and then nodded.
"Do it."
"No...General..I mean..Dr. Frasier" Daniel faltered and Jana softly touched his hand.
"I'll be ok."
"Jana.."
"You'll be ok too, I promise."
Daniel smiled and took her hand in both of his.
"But Jana, I've been looking forward to getting to know you..."
"Their will be plenty of time for that."
"You're sure??"
"Yes."
"How?"
Dr. Fraiser motioned to one of the nurses who brought her syringe. Without pausing she shot the liquid into Jana's I.V.
For a moment she didn't say anything, just blinked several times. When she finally did speak her voice was but a whisper.
"Because...I know this sounds like a total cliche, but...well..." She laughed softly.
"I've got something to fight for now...right?"
Daniel brought her hand to his lips and turning her palm upward kissed her wrist gently. He could feel her pulse slowing down through his lips and he nodded.
Jana blinked more rapidly as the sedative began to take hold of her.
"Daniel? Will you be hear when I wake up?"
"I promise."
"...promise...." her voice trailed off into nothingness and her hand went limp in his grasp. She was gone.
For a moment nobody said anything and then Jack cleared his throat. "So I'm thinking....debriefing??" General Hammond nodded.
"Agreed. If you'll follow me people."
"Ugh...General..." Daniel began but General Hammond put up his hand.
"No need son, take a a bit here if need be."
"Thanks."
As the rest of them filed out of the room Daniel pulled up a chair next to Jana's bedside. For a long while he just stared at the rhythm of her chest as it rose and fell in steady breathing. Then taking her hand once more he began to speak.
"So Jana, I guess now would be a good time to tell you what I do hu? Remember how you said you always wanted to meet Thor?? Well I've got a story for you...."
The End