Chapter Three
Eternity and this week could be considered synonymous, MacGyver thought ruefully as he sat at his desk, thumbing through various reports and memos that were all marked as 'urgent'. Between trying to get to know base personnel without letting on that he already knew them, sneaking into the infirmary and switching his medical charts again, several SG teams returning precipitously after being attacked by Goa'uld forces, and wondering if Teal'c suspected anything Mac was stressed nearly to his limit.
It was time to decide what was more important: trying to keep the team he'd come to trust and love as a family (maybe more in Carter's case, but as usual his mind shied away from that) from discovering that he had been and still was lying to them, or being on top of his game and trying to keep the planet safe. An easy decision one might think, especially given Mac's background, but he still hesitated. Finally, he decided that if Teal'c wasn't going to say anything, then neither was he, and left it at that.
That decision made, Mac turned his attention back to more urgent matters. Colonel Reynolds' report of the incursion on PX5-666—a rather unfortunate designation—was almost identical to the other six team's reports except that the Jaffa belonged to different System Lords leading Mac to believe that Ba'al or another enemy had taken control of at least a small portion of the six System Lords involved.
He mentally reviewed what he knew of the Goa'uld in question. Yu was senile, and yet his Jaffa were extremely loyal. His First Prime wouldn't have stayed with him knowing he wasn't as he tried to appear otherwise. So, a fraction may have been overtaken and impressed. Of the other five, Mac only knew Camulus, and his armies—by his own admission—had been acquired by Ba'al.
It really was too bad the Tok'ra hadn't been in contact for nearly a year now. As much as MacGyver disliked their methods—and attitudes regarding humans, they generally had very useful information concerning the Goa'uld.
MacGyver grimaced, tossed the reports aside, and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. It had been a long day ending a long week. With a sigh he glanced at his watch. Still three hours until he could officially leave. There had to be something he could do. Before, when he'd been stuck on something he'd always gone and bothered Danny or Carter in their labs.
Actually, he thought, that might not be such a bad idea. Where as before he'd had to act the dumb-as-dirt colonel—and then general—now he could actually supply his own theories and suggestions without couching them in simplistic terms that sounded like he had no clue what he was talking about. Grinning, and feeling lighter than he had, he practically skipped down to Carter's lab, ignoring the looks he received from the SF's and base personnel he passed on his way.
Carter, however, wasn't in her lab. Mac frowned in disappointment and made his way with slightly less enthusiasm to Daniel's, who, to Mac's pleasure, was ensconced in his work and not paying attention in the least to anyone or anything around him.
MacGyver sauntered over to the desk and peered over the archaeologist's shoulder at the ancient texts. He frowned as he stared at the runes, a sense of recognition filling him. Not just at what they were, but almost as if he could read them. It passed, and he shook it off, deciding it must be the stress getting to him.
"Looks kinda like Asgard," Mac mentioned off-handedly.
Daniel jumped and his head bounced off Mac's chin. MacGyver winced and rubbed the spot. "Sorry," Daniel muttered, "You startled me."
Mac grinned sheepishly and responded, "No, it's my fault. I should have given you some warning I was in the room."
Daniel nodded, accepting this and then waved his arm towards the texts. "You said it kind of looks like Asgard?" His expression was skeptical.
Mac tensed, realizing that he'd once again slipped. However, he could easily cover this one, unlike the last. "Yeah, I looked at some of the languages and runes this program has come across over the past few years, this looks a little like Asgard." Mac indicated the texts as well. "And yet…it doesn't." He shrugged lightly. "I can't really explain it."
"Hm," Daniel murmured, "I've got the same feeling about it. Actually, now that I look at it, I think you're right. It does have some of the same form and structure as Asgard. It could be another dialect. Unfortunately, I can't even translate the Asgard we have come across, much less another language based off it."
"You can translate Norse runes…"
Daniel shook his head. "You'd think there'd be a similarity considering that the Asgard have taken on the persona of the Norse gods. Of course, the Ancients spoke a language that is remarkably similar to Latin, but their written language is like nothing I had ever come across before so there's a high probability that this could be Asgard."
MacGyver nodded thoughtfully. "Or…maybe it's a mixture of both? See," he pointed at an area of text, "This line here has the same structure as the Ancient runes, but it also has a structure reminiscent to one of the other four languages you found."
Daniel glanced at him in surprise, then grinned ruefully. "You might look like your uncle, MacGyver, but you're a hell of a lot smarter than he is." Then the archaeologist shook his head. "Well, this gives me a lot more to work on than I had before. I never even thought to look for a mixture of languages." And with that, he was back to work and ignoring the rest of the world.
Mac grinned as he left the man to his devices. There had been so many times in the past that he had wanted to do just as he had done. To say, "Look Danny, the answer's in front of your face. Use it." Well, he had said that once, but it had been sarcastic, antagonistic and stating the obvious.
Nodding politely to various personnel that walked past, he wandered in an almost aimless direction, not wanting to make it back to his office and the paperwork that inevitably awaited his attention and hoping that something would happen to further stall that most unpleasant chore. His wish was granted a few seconds later.
The warning klaxons blared to life and Sergeant Davis' voice could be heard over the intercom, "Unauthorized off-world activation. Incoming wormhole."
MacGyver jogged to the control room, and slightly out-of breath asked for a report. The technician told him what he'd just got through saying and then pointed out, "We're receiving an IDC, sir…" he paused in apparent confusion, "It's the Kelownans, sir."
MacGyver frowned. "Open the iris." The tech did so, and with a metallic scraping sound the iris opened to show the shimmering event-horizon of the worm-hole. A second later a man stepped out. MacGyver looked questioningly at Davis—even though he already knew who it was.
"It's Jonas Quinn, sir," Davis answered the unspoken question, "He's one of our allies and was a part of SG-1…"
"Thank you Sergeant," MacGyver told him, "I read the reports. I know who Jonas Quinn is." He walked from the control room down into the 'gate room in order to greet the man. And to get the shock of the first meeting over with. Honestly, was he going to have to do this with everyone who knew Jack O'Neill? Yes, his own mind supplied sardonically. It really was his own fault though, and if he didn't like it, then maybe he should just quit now.