"Well, aren't we punctual," O'Neill joked, walking into the briefing room.
Daniel was seated at the far end of the table with an open notebook in front of him, twirling a pencil through his fingers. He grinned at O'Neill, and then Sam and Teal'c as they entered.
"Wow, Daniel," Sam said, joining in the tease. "I don't think I've ever seen you on time for anything before."
"Not even for the evening meal," Teal'c added.
Daniel grinned. "I'm just excited," he said, tapping the pencil on the notepad. "Plus, the sooner we end the briefing, the sooner I can go back to my office and work on some more translations from the ruins."
Sam grinned. She knew exactly how Daniel felt.
"How's the arm?" O'Neill asked.
"You mean, where I scraped myself in the forest, or where you hit me?"
Sam chuckled and shook her head, listening to the exchange. She reached the nearest seat, and eased herself into it.
"That's what you get," the colonel warned with a smirk, standing across the table from Daniel. "Now means now. I swear, I'm never loaning you out to another SG team again."
"But Colonel Edwards likes me," Daniel droned.
"Colonel Edwards doesn't like anyone." O'Neill straightened, smiling smugly as he gazed at the doorway. "Hello, Edwards."
Edwards laughed, shaking his head. He slid into the seat next to Daniel. "Always talk about me behind my back?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
Slowly, the remaining members of the teams that had gone off world to P9R-139 entered the room. Various scientific members of SG-11 and SG-19 sat on the side of the table with Daniel, while the more military minded people stood behind Sam or found seats beside her. Biting down a comment, Sam smiled as Daniel stood up to pull out a chair for Captain Mueller, who in turn accepted with a blush of her cheeks.
She knew that the colonel would beat her to it.
"Hey," O'Neill whined, feigning that he was upset. He pointed to the chair next to him. "Why don't you ever do that for me?"
Before Daniel had a chance to answer, Teal'c stepped forward and pulled back the chair, motioning O'Neill to sit. A few snickers and chuckles filled the room, but the leader of SG-1 accepted the gesture gracefully.
"Thank you, Teal'c," he stated.
"You are most welcome, O'Neill."
"Alright, people, good to see everyone is here," Hammond announced, easing himself into the coveted chair at the head of the table. "Shall we begin?"
The commotion in the room ceased as Daniel began his lecture.
"Well, as you all know, I accompanied both SG-11 and SG-17 on an archaeological survey of some ruins that the UAV discovered while flying over the area near the Stargate on P9R-139. At first, we believed that the ruins were part of a shrine that the indigenous peoples of the planet might have left for a Goa'uld impersonating one of their gods. That was based on the Goa'uld script we found on several stone markers around the structure." He paused, and tapped his finger on the notebook. "However, after we swept the area, we concluded that the indigenous populous, whomever they were, had either left, had become extinct, or been taken from the planet long ago."
Sam frowned, following Daniel's speech closely. "So, are you saying it's not a shrine?"
"Technically… no. It appears that it was built in a manner to masquerade as a shrine. But what we found in the back of the structure is far more significant."
"Do tell," O'Neill stated, resting his head in his hand.
"Behind the main room, there were three adjoining rooms." Daniel stood at this time, motioning to Anderson with a wave of his hand. "David, the tape please?"
"Sure, Doctor Jackson." David Anderson stood and rolled out the nearby television and proceeded to attach the camcorder to allow for playback. While Anderson worked on hooking up the equipment, Daniel continued.
"Each room seems to have it's own separate function, as we'll confirm with visuals in just a moment. But before we continue, I think it would be pertinent to give a little background on the Goa'uld we believe erected the false shrine."
Sam stole a glance at her commanding officer, who just rolled his eyes at her before staring at Daniel.
"So, a Goa'uld built a shrine to himself. Seems to fit the bill, wouldn't you say?"
"Only it's a false shrine," Daniel reminded him.
"So why, Doctor Jackson, would a Goa'uld take the time to build a false shrine in the first place?" Hammond asked.
"To hide," he answered.
"To hide?" O'Neill repeated. "Sounds pretty lame, if you ask me. Wouldn't hiding under a rock be more in line with a snake?"
Daniel glared at him.
"It is not uncommon for a Goa'uld to perform such an action," Teal'c commented. "At one time, Apophis had many shrines erected in his name, only to serve as covert military posts. Working in these shrines and temples, he was able to learn much about his rival, Ra."
"So, maybe not to hide?" Colonel O'Neill suggested.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Teal'c said from behind them.
"So, Jack, if you'd allow me to finish…" Daniel said irritably, admonishing him as he folded him arms.
"Please continue," Hammond instructed, glaring at O'Neill.
"Based on what we've uncovered, we believe that the Goa'uld here was hiding or…not hiding…for some reason."
"What reason?" Sam asked.
"Some…reason." He sucked in a deep breath and winced. "I'm not entirely sure, actually."
"Great," O'Neill mumbled, still obviously sore from the general's glare.
"Well, remember, we've only had a week to sort through the entire area encompassing the ruins," Daniel said, frowning at O'Neill. "If we hadn't been attacked, then we might have come back with a lot more valuable information."
"And have you come back with anything of value, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked, his point purely tactical.
"Yes," Daniel nodded. "I believe so."
"Almost ready," Anderson stated.
"We believe that the ruins were erected by the Goa'uld known as Thoth." Daniel paused, waiting for his audience to absorb the information. When he realized no one was biting, he continued. "Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom, knowledge, science…"
Sam winced, hearing the silence in the room. Mythology really wasn't their specialty. Though, even though she thought she recalled the name from somewhere, the only one that made some sign of notable recognition was Teal'c.
"I am familiar with the one known as Thoth," he stated.
"Familiar as in 'hey buddy' or familiar as in you've heard of him?" O'Neill asked, tilting his head back.
Teal'c arched an eyebrow, speaking to the colonel, but turning his head to Daniel. "He was often present before all the Goa'uld, including Apophis."
"Sounds like he got around," O'Neill muttered.
"Um, if we could get back to the topic?" Daniel asked impatiently.
General Hammond nodded again.
"Okay," Daniel stated, turning his attention to the monitor. Images sprung to life as the camcorder documented the group's journey. "See, here," he demonstrated, pointing to the screen, "This was our first clue. This is the symbol of an ibis, one of the signature animals representing Thoth."
"An abscess?"
"No, Jack. An ibis." He pursed his lips. "It's a bird." With a slight shake to his head, and a subtle roll of his eyes, he returned his attention to the screen. "And then here, we noticed a baboon-headed dog, another symbol representing Thoth."
Daniel ignored the snicker, and continued with his lecture. "In fact, the more we explored the ruins, the more evidence we found indicating that this was a place special to Thoth. The writings, the artifacts, the hieroglyphs that were etched into the walls…" Daniel swept his hand around, pointing to various sections of wall on the screen. "Now, onto what I believe will be of interest to everyone in this room."
Daniel instructed Anderson to fast-forward to another section of the tape, indicating with his hand for him to pause. "Here. This--the first room we encountered. A library." He held up his hand again, this time glaring pointedly at O'Neill. "Now, before you say anything, hear me out. This isn't just any ordinary library. Many of the books are written in the Goa'uld script, and by hand."
"What kind of books are they, Daniel?" Sam asked.
"They're on a variety of subjects. Thoth was known as a master of knowledge, as the myths go. We encountered books ranging from farming, to history, to astronomy, to geometry, to even space travel."
"That knowledge could be very useful," Sam admitted, turning to Hammond.
"Only problem is that there are Jaffa all over the damn place now," Edwards commented.
"And we were only able to retrieve and bring back limited information," Major Tyrell added.
"We'll make do with what we've got, people," Hammond stated. "Continue, Doctor."
"Moving into the next room, we encountered a storage room. Or, more accurately, some sort of a housing facility for several different Goa'uld devices and artifacts, some of which we collected and are now sitting in quarantine." Daniel adjusted his glasses, and returned his attention to the screen, using his pencil as a pointer while Anderson paused the tape. "We've been able to gather a general idea of the use for some of these devices, and we've also brought back manuals and lab notes to help determine their functions." Daniel allowed his gaze to shift from person to person in the room before he spoke. "Teal'c and I can work on most of the translations while Majors Menard and Carter can figure out how to work the devices, based on what we've gathered in the manuals."
"I would be more than eager to assist you with your translations, DanielJackson."
"Thanks, Teal'c, I was counting on it."
"So…you and your fellow scientists didn't happen to play with these Goa'uld do-hickys, did you?" O'Neill asked cautiously.
Daniel paused, skipping the question, and pointed to the screen. "We're positive we didn't bring back anything harmful, based on the detailed notes that Thoth left behind."
"If we want to believe a Goa'uld," O'Neill reminded Hammond.
"Your concern is noted, Colonel."
"And as soon as we're done with the briefing, I can suit up for protective purposes and study what was brought back," Sam began, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. "Once I can complete a threat assessment, and a spectra-analysis, then we can get to work to see what technology we can use for our benefit."
Hammond nodded, obviously pleased. "Anything you want to add to that, Doctor? Doctor Jackson?"
Sam frowned, noting the remote look in Daniel's eyes as he stared into the distance. Occasionally, when Daniel was on the verge of a breakthrough, he would "zone out," and then blurt out some idea or solution that would stun them all. Typically, he didn't lose time during a lecture, though.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry," he muttered, a slight frown creasing his forehead. Then he chuckled nervously. "I think all that lack of sleep is getting to me."
Sam looked over to Colonel O'Neill. The man did not look pleased.
"Anyway," Daniel said, stroking his chin as he continued. "The third room. A lab of some sort."
"A lab? What kind of lab?" Sam asked suddenly, remembering all that Cassie had gone through.
"All-purpose lab?" Daniel guessed with a shrug. "I'm going to allow for Major Tyrell to take the floor. I didn't spend much time in the lab since I was busy with the storage room and the husks we'd found outside the structure."
"Wait. Oh, wait just a sec," O'Neill said, leaning forward. "Husks?"
"Dried out Goa'uld husks," Captain Mueller stated, playing with the cuff of her jacket.
O'Neill whistled and leaned back, his body language flashing his feelings like a neon sign. Sam felt uneasy as well.
"How old were these husks?" Teal'c asked.
Menard readjusted his seat, turning to face Teal'c. "We haven't been able to date them yet," he admitted.
"The problem is that the husks weren't buried in any stratigraphic layers," Mueller informed them.
"Which made it difficult to place the husks in any sort of geological context," Daniel added.
"Why? You should have had sufficient equipment--" Sam asked.
"Because basically the husks were just…there," Daniel admitted, interrupting her.
"There?" O'Neill repeated, a skeptical tone to his voice.
"There," Daniel stated. He sighed. "They were just littered across the field. Whatever happened didn't happen very long ago."
"Well, that's comforting," Colonel O'Neill mumbled.
"There was no danger, sir," Tyrell commented, standing. "They were just husks. Whatever Goa'uld inhabited the world are very dead."
"The word 'dead' doesn't hold the permanence it once had for me," said O'Neill with a grimace.
"We'll have a better idea once the results come back from the lab," Mueller informed them. She wiped her forehead and sighed. "But when we did soil analysis—"
"Nothing," Lieutenant Menard stated.
Sam frowned again, eyeing Menard and Mueller carefully. "Nothing? You checked for naquadah in the soil and you found nothing?" She shook her head, glancing briefly at Anderson and Daniel as they shut down the recording and allowed Tyrell to take their place. "Goa'uld have naquadah in their blood. When a Goa'uld dies, you can still find traces of it in the soil. It doesn't matter if it was buried in stratigraphic layers or not. When the Goa'uld begins to decay, the naquadah seeps into the soil around it and underneath it."
"Except for on the Goa'uld homeworld."
"Right, but Teal'c, this isn't the Goa'uld homeworld," Sam countered.
"Definitely not," Daniel added as he sat down.
"But husks? Hey, I admit I am no scientist here, but doesn't that usually mean that they haven't been dead all that long?" O'Neill asked.
"Usually, but that's dependent on preservation," Daniel answered. "I mean, look at Cimmeria. Didn't you and Teal'c find Goa'uld husks that were lying around for years?"
"Yeah, but Daniel, the difference is that Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c found those husks underground in a cave. The extent of preservation in a cool dank environment would be far greater than out in the open, as was just stated by Captain Mueller," Sam said.
"So, what are you trying to say?" Daniel snapped.
Sam leaned back, frowning, puzzled over Daniel's behavior. "I don't follow, Daniel."
"Of course not," he grumbled.
"Whoa, easy there, big fella." O'Neill shot Daniel a look, warning him to back off. "We weren't there and we're just trying to get an idea of what happened."
"What happened is that we didn't get to finish our job," Major Tyrell stated hotly, standing in front of the table. "Those damn Goa'uld ruined it for us."
"Which isn't our fault, Major," Colonel O'Neill stressed.
"People, we appear to have strayed from the topic," Hammond intervened, his tone threatening. "Now, if we can't handle remaining in a room together, I am going to have to re-evaluate how off-world teams operate. Is that clear?"
There was a murmur of agreement.
Sam nodded. Exhaling deeply, she fidgeted in her seat, a little unnerved by Tyrell's outburst. She was used to Daniel, though he didn't usually become curt with her, but Tyrell was one of the sweetest and most good-natured people on base. She rubbed her eyes. She guessed they were all just a little tired.
"Why don't you start, Major."
Tyrell nodded at Hammond, wiping a droplet of sweat from the bridge of his nose, before folding his arms behind his back. "I primarily spent my time in the lab, researching the items and vials that had been left behind by the former occupants."
Vials? She glanced over her shoulder to Teal'c, who appeared concerned, even for him, by the direction the briefing was taking. Sam swallowed a lump in her throat.
"What kind of vials were they?" Sam asked.
"And for what purpose did they serve?" Teal'c added.
"Not to worry," Tyrell said with a gentle smile. "We know the effects of many of the Goa'uld agents and only entered with extreme caution. Basically, we studied from a distance, using the translations Doctor Jackson had completed from the library. That's how we gained most of our knowledge."
"Were you able to determine what kind of medical tests or organisms were being used in the laboratory?" Hammond asked.
"To some degree," Tyrell stated. "The lab was the last room we explored so our time was limited. All we really gathered was that Thoth was working on some sort of Goa'uld symbiote experiment." He sighed, looking defeated. "We were finally getting somewhere when Major Lorne spotted one of Anubis' ships enter the planet's atmosphere. He then informed Lieutenant Colonel Braun and Colonel Edwards who contacted the SGC for backup as the rest of us started our evacuation."
Hammond looked to both Braun and Edwards who nodded in response.
"Then, as you know, General, SG-1, 13 and 19 came in for the rescue and evacuation," Colonel Dixon added from the back of the room.
General Hammond sighed. "Which appears to have run pretty smoothly." He paused, folding his hands in front of him. "So, what can we conclude about the mission to P9R-139?"
"At this point, we can only make some broad generalizations," Daniel admitted, twirling his pencil again. "But we're sure the structure belonged to Thoth. We believe he was hiding, or something, possibly from other Goa'uld like Setesh did."
"Oh, good ol' Seth," O'Neill mumbled.
"Only, Seth was associated with death and chaos, while Thoth was usually associated with morality and enlightenment."
Sam sat up at his remark, stealing a glance at Colonel O'Neill. He raised his eyebrows.
"A morally enlightened Goa'uld, Daniel?"
"No, Jack. I don't mean it that way. I am just saying that Thoth's motivations for hiding may be vastly different than Seth's."
"You think this Goa'uld is more like Yu?" Sam asked.
"Possibly." He looked down at his notes, and glanced up again. "All I know is that this is something we really should investigate further. It's going to take time and research."
"I'll take that under advisement, Doctor."
Daniel was obviously pleased.
"Anything else you'd like to add, Doctor?"
"Oh, yes." He cleared his throat and turned a page of his notebook. "General, I think we have finally found some information and technology that could lead us to understanding the very nature and biology of the Goa'uld themselves."
There was a pause from the members around the table. O'Neill was the first to speak.
"They're parasites, Daniel. We already knew that."
"I mean beyond that, Jack. I'm talking about their biological functions and why some seem to contain naquadah and others don't. Aren't you the least bit curious why we would have found Goa'uld remains absent of naquadah on another world? So far, we surmised that it was an evolutionary step for the Goa'uld. Was it? If we can figure out puzzles such as these, we might be able to use this knowledge against them."
"Weren't you the one that said genetic memory and the knowledge of the Goa'uld were bad things?" Colonel O'Neill pressed.
"I never said anything about genetic memory today. I am talking about other aspects of their biology. Besides, as for the technology, we have manuals and datapads that I brought back to study in conjunction with the artifacts. An informed decision is a good decision."
O'Neill did not reply.
"Look," Daniel said with a slight edge to his voice as he swiftly flipped to another page of notes. "Thoth was one of the more obscure, but more important, figures in Egyptian mythology. He is knowledge. He had an entire cult of followers. His information—"
Sam allowed her mind to wander, breaking free of Daniel's academic plea to O'Neill. Shifting in her seat, she couldn't help but catch a glimpse of Captain Mueller, who appeared to become increasingly distressed with the conversation. She would sigh, fidget in her seat, and then would sigh again. In fact, she seemed extremely pale.
Feeling a new kind of uneasy creep down her spine, Sam glanced over at her commanding officer. She noticed he was staring intently at Mueller as well.
"Jack? Are you even listening?"
"Something wrong, Captain?" Colonel O'Neill stated instead, ignoring Daniel's question.
"No, sir," she said quietly, her lips trembling. "I agree with Doctor Jackson."
Daniel leaned over the table, studying her carefully before he broke and continued. "Legend says, he even wrote an incredible text called the 'Book of Thoth.' Now, reportedly, this book held the knowledge of immortality, of the greatest scientific achievements—I mean, this book could be the key to unlocking the secrets of the Goa'uld, their existence, and their strive for domination. I believe—"
Captain Mueller screamed, holding her head, as she leaned over the table. Doctor Anderson quickly came to her side, trying to console her as Daniel stopped mid-sentence. Sam rose to her feet, ready to call for medical assistance when she noted Hammond had already done so.
Then, Sam gasped.
Mueller screamed again, this time her eyes glowing molten golden-white.
"Shit!" O'Neill swore, throwing his chair back, and gestured with his fingers at some of the military personnel to hold her down.
Daniel could only stare, his mouth agape as he dropped his pencil.
Quickly, Dixon and Wells had the struggling Captain within their grip, trying to restrain her. She continued to scream and gasp, the sweat beading on her face while her eyes continued to glow. Teal'c hovered in the background, ready to offer his assistance if necessary.
Finally, for reasons Sam could not discern, Mueller passed out.
"What the hell was that?' Hammond demanded, his livid gaze shooting from person to person.
"I-I—" Daniel didn't continue, his face still frozen with shock.
"What happened on P9R-139?" Hammond asked, his gaze jumping quickly from one soldier to the next. "Doctor Jackson?"
"I-I didn't know," Daniel said numbly. He shook his head, his body stiffening. "I didn't know."
Hammond set his jaw. "And how did a Goa'uld get in here without detection?"
"I don't sense the presence of any Goa'uld in the room, sir," Sam admitted, feeling her own fears and insecurities bubbling to the surface.
"The lack of naquadah," Menard stated, understanding.
"Nothing happened on the planet, General," Daniel stressed. "We didn't touch anything in the laboratory, I swear."
"Something happened," O'Neill said, but now is voice was laced with more concern than anger.
"We-we entered the shrine. The false shrine. And we set up our equipment," Daniel rattled off quickly, as if he was trying to make sense of everything. "Then-then we started our survey. We didn't even touch anything in the lab. We kept a good distance from any of the-the, uh, items. I-I spent most of my time doing translations in the main room by the, um, altar."
"Did you ever see anything that would have alerted you to a change in behavior in Captain Mueller?" Hammond asked, his voice low.
"No! No." Daniel shook his head.
"The Goa'uld are efficient at mimicking the behavior of their hosts," Teal'c reminded them.
Hammond shook his head with disgust. "Get Captain Mueller to a holding cell until we can sort—"
Tyrell screamed, doubling over, hitting the floor with his knees.
"Oh my God," Daniel muttered breathlessly.
Teal'c surged forward, holding back Tyrell as his glowing eyes burst with the hot white light.
Sam stared disbelievingly at Tyrell, her heart sinking. Feeling the panic rise, she turned to Daniel. Once again, Colonel O'Neill beat her to the punch.
"Were you with them, Daniel? Tell me you weren't with them!"
"I wasn't with them!"
"Uh, Doctor Jackson?" Anderson asked meekly, his hands trembling. "Don't you remember? You accompanied Captain Mueller and I—" His face froze as he realized the implications of his statement.
Within moments, military personnel were pouring into the briefing room, heading straight for the scientists. Anderson backed away, swallowing hard as the airmen approached.
"Daniel?" O'Neill's tone was desperate now.
"No. Well, yes. But I didn't study in the lab with them!"
Anderson began to spasm as he was held in restraint.
Daniel made a choking sound as he leaned over the table, refusing to look at Anderson. Refusing to look at any of them.
"I'm sorry, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said sternly. "But I'm afraid I am going to have to keep you in a holding cell until we figure out what happened."
"General!" Daniel turned to face O'Neill. "Jack. Jack, I'm not one of them. Sam, come on, Sam. I'm not one of them!"
She wanted to plead in his favor, but she knew it would be in vain. The truth was, any one of them could have been compromised while on the planet, including Daniel.
Menard shouted, and fell, his eyes flashing, as he became the next victim.
"That's it," Hammond stated. "Confine SG-11 and SG-17, including Doctor Jackson, until a full set of diagnostics can be run on them."
Daniel began to rear as several SF's approached him.
"Daniel," Colonel O'Neill warned. "Just do what they say and we'll straighten this all out, I promise."
"I'm not one of them, Jack," Daniel muttered irritably, as his hands were forced behind him and handcuffed.
"Just tell me this," O'Neill stated, nearly pleading with Daniel. "Did you touch and activate any of those devices on the planet? Anything?"
Sam's heart sunk when Daniel didn't reply. He remained mute, coolly motionless, as an SF pushed him out the door. She exchanged worried glances with Teal'c and O'Neill, knowing they felt the same anxiety she did.
"Sir, permission to accompany—"
"Denied, Colonel," Hammond stated promptly, his round face red. "Colonel, you and the rest of SG-1 will report immediately to the infirmary for evaluation." His even gaze surveyed the remaining occupants of the room. "Then, you'll be placed in a holding cell while SG-13 and SG-19 are examined."
"Sir, we're-we're not Goa'uld," Sam stammered, struggling to believe what was happening.
"And until five minutes ago, we thought the same about SG-11 and SG-17," Hammond reminded her. "I'm not taking any chances until every last person who went off-world is fully examined." He thought for a moment, before urging additional airmen forward to escort them to the infirmary. "In fact, I'm not taking any chances at all. This facility will be sealed, and anyone that has come in direct contact with any of you will be required to undergo an MRI."
Colonel O'Neill sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yes, sir."
"Good," Hammond stated. "Report to the infirmary, immediately."