STARGATE SG-1: The Grandfather Paradox
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.
Season: Any.
Spoilers: None (?).
Pairing: None (for once!).
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Stargate SG-1! (Shame really!).
Author's Note: I was hoping to have this story neatly in 3 parts, but part 2 sort of got away with me so I've split it into 2 (this being the first of them). In that case, I'll try and get part 3 written quickly and posted at the same time as the last part (now part 4) as that one is already written! (Does that make any sense at all?!?). Anyway, R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!
The Grandfather Paradox – Part 2
Sometime in Ancient Egypt...
"But you don't even know who he is, Ayesha!" Was the first thing Jack heard on regaining consciousness.
"He asked for my help for my help, father! What could I do? Leave him for the guards to find?" replied the man's daughter.
Jack slowly opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction of the voices. Soon, his still focusing eyes lited upon the young woman who had been in whatever chamber he had arrived in. with her, was an older man – her father he presumed. His skin was the same olive-tanned colour as hers, but his hair had long since turned grey.
She turned her attention back to Jack, surprised to see him watching them.
"You're awake," she said coming back to his side. She stepped fully into the light and Jack was instantly struck by her strong brown eyes that shone at him through the lamp light. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Do you have a name?" she asked.
It took a while for Jack to respond as his mouth was so dry.
"Jack," he whispered eventually.
"Well, Jack," said her father from the other side of the room. "Do you want to tell us just what you were doing in the royal chamber?"
"Father!" Ayesha scolded. "Leave him be!"
But Jack felt they deserved some sort of explanation, though how much he was allowed to tell them was harder to judge.
"It's OK, I'm OK," he said sitting up.
"No. You need rest," "Ayesha insisted, reminding Jack of Fraiser.
"I'm fine, doc, really."
"Doc?"
"Yeah. As in doctor? Someone who makes you better?"
Ayesha creased her brow. "I am not a physician."
"Never mind." He turned to her father. "Look, the truth is, sir, I don't know why I was in that chamber."
Ayesha's father paled. "Were you attacked?"
"No! No, it's nothing like that, I ... well, what I mean is I don't know why I was in that chamber specifically."
He was met with a confused gaze from both his hosts, forcing him to proceed carefully with the explanation.
"Look, I'm not from around here. Or now, for that matter. I'm from the future. I came here to stop something from happening. Something that could end the world."
Still, confused looks greeted him.
"There's this Goa – a woman, named Wadjet –"
"Wadjet? The Goddess? Ra banished her," Ayesha interrupted.
"OK, 1: she's not a goddess. 2: trust me, she's back!"
Jack observed Ayesha's face for a second. It was as if she couldn't make up her mind as to be overjoyed by what he was telling her or phenomenally disappointed. Either way, he got the impression that she believed him. It didn't take long for him to explain the rest of what he could about the situation he was in.
"So what is your intention here?" Ayesha's father asked.
"I've been sent to kill her," Jack stated plainly.
The old man drew back in fear. Jack could understand why. It wasn't every day he met someone who claimed to be able to kill one of their 'gods'. But he didn't have time to stand – or sit – around explaining himself. He wasn't even sure how much he was supposed or allowed to tell anyone around here what was really going on.
'Damage control' Carter would have called it. 'Inconvenient' was another word.
"Look," he said firmly. "I don't have time to explain everything here. So, please. I need your help."
He watched the two of them carefully for any signs that they were about to help him or toss him out on his as. Either would have been fine (the former preferable).
Instead, they remained fairly neutral. Barely even a muscle in their faces twitched at all.
Finally, Ayesha spoke.
"Father is growing weaker and is unable to conduct his duties at the palace. You could take his place. The guards will not suspect anything. Lo'tars are always being moved about."
"Ayesha!" her father protected. "Do you know what you're saying?! It's blasphemy! The gods will know!"
"Oh, for crying out loud! They're not gods! They're human, just like you and me!" Jack blurted. "Well, they've got a little reptilian activity going on in their craniums, but that's it! And they won't find out because the whole point of sending me to do this is that I'm good at covert."
"Covert?" Ayesha asked, unsure of the term.
"Yeah, it means I'm stealthy. I can get around places without being noticed."
Ayesha let out a soft peal of laughter. "Do you say the way you approached me was 'covert'?!"
Jack had to hand it to her. It had been pretty dumb. If his old SF drill sergeant had found out about hat, he'd have been out of the Air Force faster than Carter could think!
"That was an isolated incident," he said in his defence.
Ayesha just looked at him, much in the same way that Daniel did when he disapproved of something – which was fairly often.
"I am still unsure of what you are doing, Ayesha. How do we know to trust this man?" her father questioned.
It was a fair point. He was asking a lot of them, but he was desperate.
"He appeared from nowhere, father," Ayesha pointed out. He was about to counter the argument when she carried on regardless. "And someone who can do that clearly possesses great power. Whether he means good or ill is beside the point. What do you think he will be able to do to us if we don not help? We know too much of his intentions."
She looked over to Jack to reassure him that she truly did trust him, but was merely playing to her father's many insecurities.
And it worked. 'Damn she's good!' Jack thought, admiring her fortitude. She'd have made a great addition to the SGC if she hadn't been stuck in this time.
With her father finally convinced, Ayesha made her way about the small hut of a house that they were in; getting everything Jack would need to fill her father's post in the palace.
"How will this get me close to Wadjet?" Jack asked once he was suitably attired.
"As a Lo'tar, you will have access to everything the god's possess. If Wadjet is truly here, you will also be required to wait upon her. You need then only chose your moment."
Jack was stunned for a moment by the clarity of her logic – something that both Daniel and Carter were yet to perfect. "OK, one question," he said eventually. "What makes you so eager to help me out? You know how dangerous it could be?"
Ayesha's gaze flicked momentarily to where her father was now asleep on the other side of the room. Satisfied that he wasn't able to hear, she turned back to Jack. She leaned in closer so she could whisper.
"For some time now, a number of the Lo'tars have been suspicious of the gods and how we are treated."
"That's what happens when people don't have a union," Jack quipped.
"Oh no," she insisted. "We are perfectly united in our cause, I assure you."
Jack smiled. He clearly had to explain that concept to her later. "Never mind. You were saying?"
"Although our number has grown greatly over the years, many still fear the wrath of the gods and what will happen to us if we fail. With your help, I believe we can truly succeed."
"So you're helping me to prove to the doubters that it can be done and in return, I help you?"
"Indeed."
"Do what exactly?"
Ayesha's eyes flicked to her father once again. He was still asleep. Jack got the feeling that he wasn't part of the group she was talking about.
"We want to fight back," she said plainly.
"Fight back?"
"Yes."
"You mean you want to start a rebellion?"
"Yes."
"THE rebellion?"
Ayesha creased her forehead. But Jack didn't notice. He was too busy trying to process what was going on. Of all the times in Ancient Egypt Wadjet could have picked to go back to, she picks the biggest down fall in Goa'uld history. And now, he was being asked to help with it. More than that maybe. There was a glint in Ayesha's eyes that told him that she wanted him to LEAD them in this rebellion. Could he actually do that? Could he screw around with earth's past like that?
Then it occurred to him that what she was talking about, he already knew had happened in his time. Maybe he was the catalyst to the events leading to the end of the Goa'uld reign on earth. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Heck! Daniel was the one to convince Catherine Langford to look into the Stargate project in 1969. Who was to say that he hadn't done this?
It wasn't any of these thoughts that really swayed him to agree. He somehow felt obliged to help them out. After all Ayesha was laying on the line for him, it only seemed fair to repay the favour.
Even so, this was going to take some working.
******
Author's Note: That's all for now. I promise not to leave it so long before posting the next part. As I said before, I'll probably post the last two together, so look out for it. OK, enough of me! Review!!!
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.
Season: Any.
Spoilers: None (?).
Pairing: None (for once!).
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Stargate SG-1! (Shame really!).
Author's Note: I was hoping to have this story neatly in 3 parts, but part 2 sort of got away with me so I've split it into 2 (this being the first of them). In that case, I'll try and get part 3 written quickly and posted at the same time as the last part (now part 4) as that one is already written! (Does that make any sense at all?!?). Anyway, R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!
The Grandfather Paradox – Part 2
Sometime in Ancient Egypt...
"But you don't even know who he is, Ayesha!" Was the first thing Jack heard on regaining consciousness.
"He asked for my help for my help, father! What could I do? Leave him for the guards to find?" replied the man's daughter.
Jack slowly opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction of the voices. Soon, his still focusing eyes lited upon the young woman who had been in whatever chamber he had arrived in. with her, was an older man – her father he presumed. His skin was the same olive-tanned colour as hers, but his hair had long since turned grey.
She turned her attention back to Jack, surprised to see him watching them.
"You're awake," she said coming back to his side. She stepped fully into the light and Jack was instantly struck by her strong brown eyes that shone at him through the lamp light. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Do you have a name?" she asked.
It took a while for Jack to respond as his mouth was so dry.
"Jack," he whispered eventually.
"Well, Jack," said her father from the other side of the room. "Do you want to tell us just what you were doing in the royal chamber?"
"Father!" Ayesha scolded. "Leave him be!"
But Jack felt they deserved some sort of explanation, though how much he was allowed to tell them was harder to judge.
"It's OK, I'm OK," he said sitting up.
"No. You need rest," "Ayesha insisted, reminding Jack of Fraiser.
"I'm fine, doc, really."
"Doc?"
"Yeah. As in doctor? Someone who makes you better?"
Ayesha creased her brow. "I am not a physician."
"Never mind." He turned to her father. "Look, the truth is, sir, I don't know why I was in that chamber."
Ayesha's father paled. "Were you attacked?"
"No! No, it's nothing like that, I ... well, what I mean is I don't know why I was in that chamber specifically."
He was met with a confused gaze from both his hosts, forcing him to proceed carefully with the explanation.
"Look, I'm not from around here. Or now, for that matter. I'm from the future. I came here to stop something from happening. Something that could end the world."
Still, confused looks greeted him.
"There's this Goa – a woman, named Wadjet –"
"Wadjet? The Goddess? Ra banished her," Ayesha interrupted.
"OK, 1: she's not a goddess. 2: trust me, she's back!"
Jack observed Ayesha's face for a second. It was as if she couldn't make up her mind as to be overjoyed by what he was telling her or phenomenally disappointed. Either way, he got the impression that she believed him. It didn't take long for him to explain the rest of what he could about the situation he was in.
"So what is your intention here?" Ayesha's father asked.
"I've been sent to kill her," Jack stated plainly.
The old man drew back in fear. Jack could understand why. It wasn't every day he met someone who claimed to be able to kill one of their 'gods'. But he didn't have time to stand – or sit – around explaining himself. He wasn't even sure how much he was supposed or allowed to tell anyone around here what was really going on.
'Damage control' Carter would have called it. 'Inconvenient' was another word.
"Look," he said firmly. "I don't have time to explain everything here. So, please. I need your help."
He watched the two of them carefully for any signs that they were about to help him or toss him out on his as. Either would have been fine (the former preferable).
Instead, they remained fairly neutral. Barely even a muscle in their faces twitched at all.
Finally, Ayesha spoke.
"Father is growing weaker and is unable to conduct his duties at the palace. You could take his place. The guards will not suspect anything. Lo'tars are always being moved about."
"Ayesha!" her father protected. "Do you know what you're saying?! It's blasphemy! The gods will know!"
"Oh, for crying out loud! They're not gods! They're human, just like you and me!" Jack blurted. "Well, they've got a little reptilian activity going on in their craniums, but that's it! And they won't find out because the whole point of sending me to do this is that I'm good at covert."
"Covert?" Ayesha asked, unsure of the term.
"Yeah, it means I'm stealthy. I can get around places without being noticed."
Ayesha let out a soft peal of laughter. "Do you say the way you approached me was 'covert'?!"
Jack had to hand it to her. It had been pretty dumb. If his old SF drill sergeant had found out about hat, he'd have been out of the Air Force faster than Carter could think!
"That was an isolated incident," he said in his defence.
Ayesha just looked at him, much in the same way that Daniel did when he disapproved of something – which was fairly often.
"I am still unsure of what you are doing, Ayesha. How do we know to trust this man?" her father questioned.
It was a fair point. He was asking a lot of them, but he was desperate.
"He appeared from nowhere, father," Ayesha pointed out. He was about to counter the argument when she carried on regardless. "And someone who can do that clearly possesses great power. Whether he means good or ill is beside the point. What do you think he will be able to do to us if we don not help? We know too much of his intentions."
She looked over to Jack to reassure him that she truly did trust him, but was merely playing to her father's many insecurities.
And it worked. 'Damn she's good!' Jack thought, admiring her fortitude. She'd have made a great addition to the SGC if she hadn't been stuck in this time.
With her father finally convinced, Ayesha made her way about the small hut of a house that they were in; getting everything Jack would need to fill her father's post in the palace.
"How will this get me close to Wadjet?" Jack asked once he was suitably attired.
"As a Lo'tar, you will have access to everything the god's possess. If Wadjet is truly here, you will also be required to wait upon her. You need then only chose your moment."
Jack was stunned for a moment by the clarity of her logic – something that both Daniel and Carter were yet to perfect. "OK, one question," he said eventually. "What makes you so eager to help me out? You know how dangerous it could be?"
Ayesha's gaze flicked momentarily to where her father was now asleep on the other side of the room. Satisfied that he wasn't able to hear, she turned back to Jack. She leaned in closer so she could whisper.
"For some time now, a number of the Lo'tars have been suspicious of the gods and how we are treated."
"That's what happens when people don't have a union," Jack quipped.
"Oh no," she insisted. "We are perfectly united in our cause, I assure you."
Jack smiled. He clearly had to explain that concept to her later. "Never mind. You were saying?"
"Although our number has grown greatly over the years, many still fear the wrath of the gods and what will happen to us if we fail. With your help, I believe we can truly succeed."
"So you're helping me to prove to the doubters that it can be done and in return, I help you?"
"Indeed."
"Do what exactly?"
Ayesha's eyes flicked to her father once again. He was still asleep. Jack got the feeling that he wasn't part of the group she was talking about.
"We want to fight back," she said plainly.
"Fight back?"
"Yes."
"You mean you want to start a rebellion?"
"Yes."
"THE rebellion?"
Ayesha creased her forehead. But Jack didn't notice. He was too busy trying to process what was going on. Of all the times in Ancient Egypt Wadjet could have picked to go back to, she picks the biggest down fall in Goa'uld history. And now, he was being asked to help with it. More than that maybe. There was a glint in Ayesha's eyes that told him that she wanted him to LEAD them in this rebellion. Could he actually do that? Could he screw around with earth's past like that?
Then it occurred to him that what she was talking about, he already knew had happened in his time. Maybe he was the catalyst to the events leading to the end of the Goa'uld reign on earth. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Heck! Daniel was the one to convince Catherine Langford to look into the Stargate project in 1969. Who was to say that he hadn't done this?
It wasn't any of these thoughts that really swayed him to agree. He somehow felt obliged to help them out. After all Ayesha was laying on the line for him, it only seemed fair to repay the favour.
Even so, this was going to take some working.
******
Author's Note: That's all for now. I promise not to leave it so long before posting the next part. As I said before, I'll probably post the last two together, so look out for it. OK, enough of me! Review!!!