AN: And here I am again! Multi-chaptered fic and no major characters. I must enjoy suffering.
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Tuesday's Wait
1500, Stargate Departure Area
She had never felt this much trepidation before stepping through the Stargate. She rarely went through it, but as she stood in the line of travelers bound for Chulak, it was all she could do not to hyperventilate on the spot. Still, she was an officer of the USAF, and she was determined to walk, unflinching, through that Gate.
Her travel papers were all in order. According to them, she was going to Chulak to visit her godson, which was not entirely a lie. The Aschen who had processed her through customs had said something mildly insulting in his native tongue to a colleague when he read the part of her travel application that said 'Profession: Doctor', but Janet took the high road and ignored him. She was, after all, about to stick it to his entire race.
Her suitcase was a work of art. Her contact addresses were all in an unassuming notebook, and should any ambitious customs official flip through it, he or she would find, among other things, a very nice recipe for Chicken Tika. The Gate addresses were marked out by coloured dots on the pages of 'A Beginners Guide to Earth Astronomy'. It was easy to forget sometimes, that Daniel Jackson had a great deal of experience when it came to liberating planets. Janet carried no weapon, that would have been impossible, but her communication sphere was ingeniously concealed as one of a pair of Chinese medicine balls. He'd even figured out a way to make it chime in the right key when shaken. Concealed in the false bottom of the case was a disk containing Janet's medical files, everything Sam could come up with about the Jupiter project and an Aschen to English translating program.
She wanted more than anything to look back over her shoulder, to see Colonel O'Neill, and Daniel, and maybe Sam before she stepped through and away, but she knew she couldn't. Jack had been marked as soon as he entered the complex, and it was vital that there not be a connection between them. The PA system announced her imminent departure, and the line began to move. She reached the base of the stair case, and risked one look. From the balcony, Daniel looked down at her, his complete confidence and an unspoken 'Good luck' in his eyes. He raised his hand, and she responded automatically.
Trying not to think about what was or what might be, Janet set her shoulders, walked resolutely up the stairs and, without flinching, stepped through.
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1800, Chulak
The sunset was the most beautiful she had ever seen. It was not her sun, nor was it her sky, nor her horizon, but as the heavens of this alien world lit up with a symphony of oranges, reds, pinks and purples, she thought the beauty of it might break her heart. But her heart could not break, because it was already broken.
She was still here, sitting on a secluded ridge on a planet far away from her own, waiting to hear from a Tok'ra who might or might not be alive, gazing out at this gorgeous vista. It could at least be raining.
She wanted to die. But she couldn't, because he had asked her to live. Moreover, in the moment the Stargate had reassembled her molecules on the Chulak side, she had noticed an addition, and now she was even more bound to this life than she had been before. But right now, she was very much alone.
The communication sphere began to hum, and suddenly the face of Jacob Carter appeared in front of her. It was evident from his expression that he was in shock to be hearing from her, so Janet was unsurprised when it was Selmak who initiated the conversation.
"Dr. Fraiser," she said in the customary Tok'ra tone. "Why are you using a communication sphere?"
As quickly as she could, Janet outlined the activities of the last few days, beginning with her discovery of Sam's condition, and ending with the distressing fact that this reality still existed. Neither Jacob nor Selmak interrupted her story, but she was reasonably certain that the silence was a direct result of the latter's influence on the former. She was about ready to beg for help when Jacob finally cut her off.
"You'll have to come and get us," he said simply. "We don't have a ship handy."
"Rya'c will bring me," Janet said. "He'll take us to Earth. We can't risk using the Gate. I'm probably at least wanted for questioning, and the symbiote detectors tend to. . .overreact."
"Indeed." The extreme treatment of the Tok'ra who visited Earth was another straw on the camel's back of problems ignored, and the unspoken reason why the Tok'ra had pulled out of their alliance with Earth after the war. "I am sending you the coordinates of our planet. We're actually not far from Chulak. If you leave now, you should be here in a couple of hours."
"Thank you, Jacob," Janet said, meaning it completely.
"They took my little girl from me," Jacob said, his eyes hard. Selmak took over. "The Tok'ra have long hoped that the Taur'i would someday see the trap into which they walked so willingly. We will help them out of it. Come quickly, Dr. Fraiser. The day is flying past."
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2100, Tok'ra Base
Janet had never flown in space before, nor had she ever been on three planets in one day. According to her wristwatch, it was still Tuesday on Earth, though just barely. She had spent the trip from Chulak decoding the various chicken recipes into addresses. Daniel's cipher was a little obscure, but it was easy enough once she got the hang of it.
When they arrived at the Tok'ra planet, Rya'c Ringed her down to the surface, and she saw Jacob waiting for her. For all she was a competent doctor, and a decorated officer, the moment she saw her best friend's father, her grief finally hit her, and she broke down for the first time since she had realized what must have happened on Earth. Jacob said nothing until she had cried herself out, and then he passed her the Tok'ra version of Kleenex, and began to speak.
"One of the first things Selmak warned me about, just before we were blended, was that I would never get older. I would stay the same for a very long time, and then I would die." Janet wasn't sure what his point was. "Hidden in that warning, she was telling me that I would outlive my children. And my children's children. And possibly even the generation after that.
"Selmak has been preparing me for the death of my daughter since the day she slithered down my throat. It hasn't done much good." Jacob paused, and then switched gears entirely. "There are a hundred Tok'ra here, all of whom have experience in subversive tactics from our war with the Goa'uld. You and I will go to Earth with six others, and then Rya'c will return here to ferry the rest. They, and the ones who come with us, will go into hiding until we contact them."
Janet, though initially thrown by his quick switch to business, lost no time in cataloging what Jacob was telling her. A hundred Tok'ra was an impressive number. They might have a viable shot at this. She realized suddenly that Jacob was staring at her, and she returned his gaze, not sure what he wanted.
"Selmak says you're – "
"I know," she cut him off. She couldn't handle it now. "I felt it coming through the Gate. How long until your people are ready to leave?"
"We're ready now." It was a deflection, and he knew it, but he let her get away with it. "Tell Rya'c we can be Ringed up in two minutes. We'll be on Earth by 0400, and then we can move to our next stop."
"Yes sir."
"Janet," he said as gently as possible. "This has to come from you, you know that, right? Humans must save themselves. It will be a long time before they'll trust aliens again, if ever. I'll advise, I'll correct, I'll get coffee, but you are going to be at the front of this."
"I am starting to realize that." She said it calmly, but she felt the weight of it begin to fall on her, and it was terrifying.
"Jacob is excitable," Selmak said. "We will be with you all the way. Human loyalty is strong. When you find the former members of the SGC, they will rally behind you."
"Thank you, Selmak." Janet never thought she'd see the day when a Tok'ra would make her feel better. "I'll signal Rya'c, and then we'd better get moving."
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AN: You know how last time Selmak was really funny? Yeah, it kind of didn't work this time around. Sorry! I'll try again later. What do you think so far? R&R SVP!
..................
Tuesday's Wait
1500, Stargate Departure Area
She had never felt this much trepidation before stepping through the Stargate. She rarely went through it, but as she stood in the line of travelers bound for Chulak, it was all she could do not to hyperventilate on the spot. Still, she was an officer of the USAF, and she was determined to walk, unflinching, through that Gate.
Her travel papers were all in order. According to them, she was going to Chulak to visit her godson, which was not entirely a lie. The Aschen who had processed her through customs had said something mildly insulting in his native tongue to a colleague when he read the part of her travel application that said 'Profession: Doctor', but Janet took the high road and ignored him. She was, after all, about to stick it to his entire race.
Her suitcase was a work of art. Her contact addresses were all in an unassuming notebook, and should any ambitious customs official flip through it, he or she would find, among other things, a very nice recipe for Chicken Tika. The Gate addresses were marked out by coloured dots on the pages of 'A Beginners Guide to Earth Astronomy'. It was easy to forget sometimes, that Daniel Jackson had a great deal of experience when it came to liberating planets. Janet carried no weapon, that would have been impossible, but her communication sphere was ingeniously concealed as one of a pair of Chinese medicine balls. He'd even figured out a way to make it chime in the right key when shaken. Concealed in the false bottom of the case was a disk containing Janet's medical files, everything Sam could come up with about the Jupiter project and an Aschen to English translating program.
She wanted more than anything to look back over her shoulder, to see Colonel O'Neill, and Daniel, and maybe Sam before she stepped through and away, but she knew she couldn't. Jack had been marked as soon as he entered the complex, and it was vital that there not be a connection between them. The PA system announced her imminent departure, and the line began to move. She reached the base of the stair case, and risked one look. From the balcony, Daniel looked down at her, his complete confidence and an unspoken 'Good luck' in his eyes. He raised his hand, and she responded automatically.
Trying not to think about what was or what might be, Janet set her shoulders, walked resolutely up the stairs and, without flinching, stepped through.
..................
1800, Chulak
The sunset was the most beautiful she had ever seen. It was not her sun, nor was it her sky, nor her horizon, but as the heavens of this alien world lit up with a symphony of oranges, reds, pinks and purples, she thought the beauty of it might break her heart. But her heart could not break, because it was already broken.
She was still here, sitting on a secluded ridge on a planet far away from her own, waiting to hear from a Tok'ra who might or might not be alive, gazing out at this gorgeous vista. It could at least be raining.
She wanted to die. But she couldn't, because he had asked her to live. Moreover, in the moment the Stargate had reassembled her molecules on the Chulak side, she had noticed an addition, and now she was even more bound to this life than she had been before. But right now, she was very much alone.
The communication sphere began to hum, and suddenly the face of Jacob Carter appeared in front of her. It was evident from his expression that he was in shock to be hearing from her, so Janet was unsurprised when it was Selmak who initiated the conversation.
"Dr. Fraiser," she said in the customary Tok'ra tone. "Why are you using a communication sphere?"
As quickly as she could, Janet outlined the activities of the last few days, beginning with her discovery of Sam's condition, and ending with the distressing fact that this reality still existed. Neither Jacob nor Selmak interrupted her story, but she was reasonably certain that the silence was a direct result of the latter's influence on the former. She was about ready to beg for help when Jacob finally cut her off.
"You'll have to come and get us," he said simply. "We don't have a ship handy."
"Rya'c will bring me," Janet said. "He'll take us to Earth. We can't risk using the Gate. I'm probably at least wanted for questioning, and the symbiote detectors tend to. . .overreact."
"Indeed." The extreme treatment of the Tok'ra who visited Earth was another straw on the camel's back of problems ignored, and the unspoken reason why the Tok'ra had pulled out of their alliance with Earth after the war. "I am sending you the coordinates of our planet. We're actually not far from Chulak. If you leave now, you should be here in a couple of hours."
"Thank you, Jacob," Janet said, meaning it completely.
"They took my little girl from me," Jacob said, his eyes hard. Selmak took over. "The Tok'ra have long hoped that the Taur'i would someday see the trap into which they walked so willingly. We will help them out of it. Come quickly, Dr. Fraiser. The day is flying past."
..................
2100, Tok'ra Base
Janet had never flown in space before, nor had she ever been on three planets in one day. According to her wristwatch, it was still Tuesday on Earth, though just barely. She had spent the trip from Chulak decoding the various chicken recipes into addresses. Daniel's cipher was a little obscure, but it was easy enough once she got the hang of it.
When they arrived at the Tok'ra planet, Rya'c Ringed her down to the surface, and she saw Jacob waiting for her. For all she was a competent doctor, and a decorated officer, the moment she saw her best friend's father, her grief finally hit her, and she broke down for the first time since she had realized what must have happened on Earth. Jacob said nothing until she had cried herself out, and then he passed her the Tok'ra version of Kleenex, and began to speak.
"One of the first things Selmak warned me about, just before we were blended, was that I would never get older. I would stay the same for a very long time, and then I would die." Janet wasn't sure what his point was. "Hidden in that warning, she was telling me that I would outlive my children. And my children's children. And possibly even the generation after that.
"Selmak has been preparing me for the death of my daughter since the day she slithered down my throat. It hasn't done much good." Jacob paused, and then switched gears entirely. "There are a hundred Tok'ra here, all of whom have experience in subversive tactics from our war with the Goa'uld. You and I will go to Earth with six others, and then Rya'c will return here to ferry the rest. They, and the ones who come with us, will go into hiding until we contact them."
Janet, though initially thrown by his quick switch to business, lost no time in cataloging what Jacob was telling her. A hundred Tok'ra was an impressive number. They might have a viable shot at this. She realized suddenly that Jacob was staring at her, and she returned his gaze, not sure what he wanted.
"Selmak says you're – "
"I know," she cut him off. She couldn't handle it now. "I felt it coming through the Gate. How long until your people are ready to leave?"
"We're ready now." It was a deflection, and he knew it, but he let her get away with it. "Tell Rya'c we can be Ringed up in two minutes. We'll be on Earth by 0400, and then we can move to our next stop."
"Yes sir."
"Janet," he said as gently as possible. "This has to come from you, you know that, right? Humans must save themselves. It will be a long time before they'll trust aliens again, if ever. I'll advise, I'll correct, I'll get coffee, but you are going to be at the front of this."
"I am starting to realize that." She said it calmly, but she felt the weight of it begin to fall on her, and it was terrifying.
"Jacob is excitable," Selmak said. "We will be with you all the way. Human loyalty is strong. When you find the former members of the SGC, they will rally behind you."
"Thank you, Selmak." Janet never thought she'd see the day when a Tok'ra would make her feel better. "I'll signal Rya'c, and then we'd better get moving."
..................
AN: You know how last time Selmak was really funny? Yeah, it kind of didn't work this time around. Sorry! I'll try again later. What do you think so far? R&R SVP!