Revised 10.23.04
Chapter 23: Suffer the little children
Methos turned away from the tense little group and stared out the window at the looming spaceship. Please, Thor, he willed, don't spill the beans on me. He tried to steel himself for the effect of the revelation.
"Colonel O'Neill, I am becoming concerned about the status of Teal'c," Thor said.
The abrupt change of topic left Methos bemused.
"His life signs have been declining for some time now," Thor continued. "His heart rate now seems dangerously high."
Teal'c was one of the Jaffa he'd met earlier, Methos realized. The man who had attended the original briefing and had gone up in the death glider. He wondered what had happened to him.
"Beam him aboard then, Thor," the Colonel replied, sounding concerned. "What's the problem?"
"I can't tell without examining him. However, he is in the company of another human, O'Neill, and not one of your personnel," Thor replied.
"Never mind, bring him up anyway. It's not like the guy behind will have any proof, and we can deal with any fallout later."
"Very well, O'Neill."
A second later, Teal'c appeared in front of them, and sprawled on the floor. Methos took in his disheveled appearance. The alien no longer looked the formidable warrior he had previously appeared to be. His shoulder was tightly bandaged, but with a large red spot seeping through. And his hands and ankles were tightly bound with duct tape.
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"What is it, Colonel Dwyer?" General Hammond said disinterestedly as he looked up from his desk at the man entering his office. He'd been staring at the same reports now for almost half an hour, unable to really focus on anything but his missing friends.
"Sir, I thought I had better come down and tell you myself. We've started to collate the Intel from the beam-down locations, and there is a consistent pattern. But it's pretty weird, Sir."
General Hammond's interest picked up. This is why he was here after all, and he couldn't let the deaths of a few colleagues, however dear, distract him. He looked up at the tall, dark-haired man in front of him.
"So, what have you got, Colonel?"
"Sir, at twenty of the sites so far, they've got reports of, um, abandoned babies."
"Babies!" he said. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Sir. There are no indications of hostile activity at any of the beam-down sites. But we are getting reports of abandoned newborn babies found at all of the locations Major Carter gave us. From all accounts they seem to be perfectly normal."
General Hammond stared at him, trying to work out if this was some elaborate joke.
Dwyer stared back, unwavering.
Clearly not a joke. But could it be some twisted Goa'uld trap, Hammond asked himself? Perhaps the babies were infected with some alien virus that would attack their carers? Or had nanobytes swimming in their bloodstreams, ready to create miniature naquadah bombs within their bodies, as the Goa'uld Nirrti had done with Cassandra.
He shuddered – Cassandra had been the only survivor of a plague unleashed on her planet. SG-1 had rescued her, brought her back to the SGC. Only to discover a naquadah bomb being assembled within her heart by the miniature robots in her bloodstream. In that case, Niirti had programmed the bomb to be triggered by proximity to the Stargate. Cassie had survived deep in an old nuclear bunker – shielding intended to protect them from her had saved her life. She had then proceeded to worm her way into all of their hearts. Dr Fraiser had formally adopted her, but all of SG-1 were her de facto parents, giving them the family ties they all missed.
Invasion of the exploding babies, he thought, just diabolical enough to be something a Goa'uld would do. It sounded like some 1950s B-grade movie.
What a nightmare, he thought to himself, as he started issuing orders to try and quarantine the foundlings, and give them all MRIs.
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Jack rushed over to Teal'c, and started removing the tape. He let out a sigh of relief as his friend's eyes blinked, then opened, taking in his surroundings.
"What happened to you, Teal'c? No, that can wait." He turned around, and waved at Daniel. "Help him to the medical unit, Daniel, Sergeant," Jack said.
"I am able to walk, O'Neill, do not be concerned," Teal'c said, and started trying to get up. Jack snorted in disbelief.
"No you don't, Teal'c. Let them help you."
Jack gestured, and Daniel and Sergeant Mason moved in. They propped him up between them carefully, maneuvering around to avoid Teal'c's wounded shoulder.
"O'Neill," Teal'c said, gesturing at his helpers to stop before they reached the doorway.
Jack turned back around to face him.
"I believe it would be wise to take my abductor into custody. He was waiting for me in Daniel's apartment and appeared to have some knowledge of the Goa'uld. Beware of him, however. Although he is kek, he is well-armed and a cunning warrior."
"Kek?" Jack asked. He wondered what that meant in this context. The bitter memory surged to his mind of Teal'c describing himself as Kek after he had lost his symbiote. Teal'c had described himself as already dead - ready to commit suicide - because he felt weak and unable to continue serving at his old level of strength.
"He is disabled – he has no legs," Teal'c replied.
"You mean a man in a wheelchair managed to capture and injure YOU like this?" Jack replied incredulously. Out of his peripheral vision, Jack couldn't help notice Adams stiffening slightly, and moving over to pay closer attention to their conversation.
"He has pretend lower limbs," Teal'c replied with dignity. "And despite his weaknesses, he proved a formidable opponent." He sagged between his two supporters.
"You mean prostheses?" Adams demanded.
Teal'c bowed his head towards him.
"Okay, Teal'c, we'll be careful of your one-armed man," Jack replied. "Now get to the infirmary before you pass out."
"I believe he has both of his arms, O'Neill," Teal'c replied, raising an eyebrow at him. The effect was weakened by the wavering voice and the paleness of his face.
"Don't try and tell me you haven't watched The Fugitive ten times Teal'c," he replied. "Now get out of here."
He turned back to face the ship's commander. "Thor," he said, "if you wouldn't mind bringing up another guest?"
A moment later, another body materialized in the middle of the floor.
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"What is it, Colonel?" General Hammond said, carefully replacing the phone in its cradle as Colonel Dwyer entered his office.
"Sir, I have the preliminary reports you ordered on the babies," the Colonel said. "Fortunately two of the local ones ended up at the Academy Hospital, so they ran some routine tests on them even before we put in the request. Bad news, Sir, they check out as absolutely normal so far."
"That's hardly bad news, Colonel – would you like innocent babies to be the frontline troops for an invasion?" he replied severely. General Hammond frowned. "How conclusive is this, Colonel, what tests have they done so far?" he went on more gently.
"The babies were suffering from mild exposure when they were first found, but recovered pretty quickly. Nothing showed up on the MRI; no viruses; definitely no naquadah or nanites. In fact, they both had perfectly normal O-negative blood. It'll be a day or so before the DNA and a few other tests come back, but so far we've got absolutely zip."
"Well, assuming the rest of the tests come up clear, it does leave us with something of a puzzle," Hammond said. "If the babies aren't the threat, why were they beamed down?"
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"Joe!" Jack heard Adams exclaim.
"Well this sure is a fancy ambulance you've got here, um, Michael," the new arrival drawled with considerable aplomb, as his eyes swept his surroundings, and fixed on Lt Adams.
Jack gritted his teeth as Adams moved quickly to the new arrival's side, and started helping him to stand up. He clenched his hands behind his back to stop himself from throttling the man on the spot. No one harmed his team, and got away with it.
Jack forced himself to study 'Joe' and see what he could learn before he intervened. Appearances could be deceptive, he told himself. If it hadn't been for Teal'c's warning, and Adams' recognition of him, he would have been convinced that Thor had beamed up the wrong man. 'Joe' looked like a perfectly harmless - albeit rather haggard looking - man in his late 50s or early 60s. He had silvered hair, and a deeply lined face.
He was also looking none to steady on his feet.
But then, being suddenly beamed onboard an alien spaceship tended to do that to you.
Jack watched as Adams shifted one of the ubiquitous Asgard control-stones. A second later a gleaming metal throne-like chair materialized in front of him. Adams carefully led his friend to it.
"Joe," Adams said again. "What on earth are you doing here?"
"Are you sure we are on Earth?" Joe retorted, gesturing out the window. "And I could ask you the same question."
"Touché," Adams replied.
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Hammond grimaced as he put down the red phone. Explaining to the President that the world potentially faced a threat from an invasion of babies had not been easy – particularly as his advisors were getting twitchy on how to manage the public on this one.
For the moment, that meant continuing to pretend that everything was normal. And that in turn meant pretending that the planned NORAD Open Day would proceed tomorrow.
Well, at least he'd managed to get agreement that they would claim a terrorist threat had been made and cancel out on the day. In the meantime, though, it meant he had to deal with one of his least favorite people – the man whose job he was currently doing, and Jack's former nemesis.
He shook his head. The only bright side of Jack's long convalescence had been that he hadn't had to break the news that the man forced Jack out of Space Command eight years ago had returned as NORAD's overall commander. Well, he thought sadly, at least he'd never have to explain the bad news now.
His phone buzzed.
"General Holloway is on line 3, Sir," a voice said. No reprieve, even for a moment, he thought. Still, he could hardly refuse to talk to the regular head of NORAD. "Put him through, Lieutenant," he replied.
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Jack took a step towards Adams. The rest of his team, automatically followed, moving to form a loose circle around the pair.
Adams looked up at the movement, then turned back to his friend.
"You can speak freely, Joe," he said to the man. "In fact, I think it might be a good idea if you started speaking freely post haste. These people are allies, but I don't think they much appreciate you hurting their comrade." Adams turned on an endearing grin.
"I'm afraid I've been living up to my reputation on the 'doing damage' stakes, so I don't think they'll accept my character reference for you."
"Well you got that right, Adams," Jack said. Just how many more little surprises are we going to find in your little war against the SGC, he wondered
"Good to see some things never change," 'Joe' replied before Adams could.
"Actually, I was trying to rescue you," he added to Adams.
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"George," Holloway said.
Hammond grimaced. He could hear the false bonhomie oozing down the phone line. He held the receiver further away from his ear. "What's this cock-and-bull story you people have been spinning? You've had me locked out of my own base for the last 48 hours and now I hear you're trying to stop my Open Day going ahead?"
"My apologies, General," Hammond said. He counted to three. "But I take it you have been briefed on the seriousness of the situation here?"
"Sure I've been filled in on your little alien war game. Look, you've had your fun, now I really need you to wrap it up so we can get ready for tomorrow. You have been told we are proceeding?"
Hammond swore to himself. How had this jackass managed to get himself assigned to be in charge of the Mountain? He must have been briefed on the SGC's activities, Hammond told himself. He had to be, in case a foothold situation got out of control, or some other disaster flowed on to NORAD.
Trouble was, although Hammond had talked to him briefly at the change of command ceremony a few days ago, he hadn't yet had the chance to give him the nickel and dime tour of the SGC. And, it seemed, the General wasn't going to believe unless he saw first.
"Sir, you are aware of the nature of the SGC's work?" Hammond replied.
"Sure, I've been briefed," Holloway replied, his tone light. "You guy's are having some fun, creating and playing out one of those doomsday scenarios some of the loonier factions of NORAD used to dream up to try and justify their existence. Now I can understand that: we need to keep the men on their toes and you research guys need to justify your existence." His voice hardened. "But you have to realize, we've been planning this Open Day for the last year. It's the first one since 9/11. Surely you can understand its importance in the circumstances?"
"General, I really don't think you understand," General Hammond replied, raising his eyes to the heavens. "This is not a 'scenario' as you put it. This is real. Right now we have possible invading forces in key locations across the world. Our primary defenses have been taken out of action, and a number of my key personnel, including my second-in-command, are missing in action, presumed dead."
"Yeah, sure, George, I get it," he said, his voice making it clear that he didn't at all. Hammond wondered who had briefed him. And how such invincible stupidity had managed to acquire three stars. "Anyway, since your 2IC's out of the game," Holloway went on, "why don't you get him to call my aide, and we can get things rolling for tomorrow?"
"General," Hammond replied, his patience rapidly running out. He felt his cheeks flush red with anger. "I really don't have time for this right now." George focused on keeping his voice under control. "For one thing, my 2IC, Colonel Jack O'Neill, is missing, presumed killed in action. For another, I'm expecting that we will have to claim a terrorist threat has been made, and cancel your Day out. If things change, and everything looks like being resolved before then, I'll call you back. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you would let me get on with my job."
"O'Neill!" Holloway almost spat down the phone. "You know, when I talked about loony factions, he's who I meant." The oil had vanished from the voice. "I had O'Neill booted out of NORAD eight years ago, what the hell is he doing back? No wonder you people are off with the fairies. Now you look here, Hammond, you've been ordered to let this go ahead, and you will comply."
"General Holloway, I've been ordered to maintain our cover story and cooperate with you to this end, but I will not tolerate any disrespect to my officers. Colonel O'Neill has saved the Earth more times than I can count, and his loss is a major tragedy."
"See, General Hammond, here's where I have a problem," Holloway sneered back. "O'Neill always had this thing about aliens - seeing things that weren't there, convinced we were about to be invaded by little green men. And this whole thing has the ring of one of his con jobs all over it. So I'm ordering you to stand down from this scenario, and let the open day proceed."
"General, this is not a game. I'm in command of the Mountain at the moment, and you don't have the power to order me to do anything." He slammed down the phone.
He sat staring at it for a moment while he tried to calm down, then sighed, and picked it up again. "Get me General Jumper, please," he said.
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"They sent a squad to your apartment," 'Joe' started explaining to Adams. "So I grabbed your laptop and got out. I needed somewhere to stay, and a way of getting to you in the Mountain where I assumed you were being held. I'd already taken a look at your very interesting little database, so I decided Dr Jackson was my best bet."
"Database, Adams?" Carter interjected.
"Just my records of the evidence I found of possible alien activity on Earth," Adams replied offhandedly.
"So how did you manage to capture and injure Teal'c?" O'Neill demanded in a hard voice, focusing them back on the main issue.
"I figured if I could get a hostage, I could use him to get me into the Mountain. I figured they'd be a lot of people around NORAD tomorrow for the Open Day, and if I could set up a diversion, I might be able to get away with it."
"You obviously have combat training then, Mr., ah?
"Dawson," the older man ground out.
"Mr. Dawson," O'Neill replied. "Teal'c is a considerable warrior."
"I lost my legs serving in Vietnam," Dawson replied. "Anyway, it wasn't that hard. I set up a trip wire, followed it up by a burst from the tazer. Tied up your man while he was still stunned."
Jack stared back at him disbelievingly.
"Didn't entirely work though," he admitted. "Even after he was down and tied up, he managed to rip my legs off me. That was when I shot him."
Anger flooded onto Jack's face.
"I did warn him I would if he tried anything," Dawson added placatingly. "I wouldn't have done any serious damage if he hadn't moved at the last minute. As it was, I bandaged him up, but he managed to reopen the wound when we started talking. I just about to give in and call an ambulance when he disappeared. And then, here I was."
"It was impressive, O'Neill," Teal'c voice rumbled from the doorway.
He was on his own two feet, Jack was relieved to see, and his face had returned to its normal color.
"He is a warrior of considerable cunning and ability. And he was able to take advantage of my shock at his false legs. I have never seen such a thing. On Chulak, anyone with such injuries would have chosen the path of honor."
"Just as well we aren't on Chulak," Jack muttered back. He ignored Teal'c's raised eyebrow. "Good to see you back, T," he added more loudly.
"Anyway, Jack, perhaps, we should take the time to introduce each other properly, and dispel any remaining misunderstandings?" Daniel said, as he walked forward from behind Teal'c.
"Alright Daniel," Jack said. "Do your stuff. While you're doing the spiel, I really need to brief General Hammond. Thor, can I use your hologram thingy?"
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General Hammond looked up, startled, as someone cleared their throat in his office.
"Jack!" he exclaimed. "You're alive!"
He leapt out of his seat and moved towards him. But as he reached out to touch Jack, the image shimmered, and he found himself reaching through an apparition. He deflated for a moment, before realizing that this was Asgard technology he was seeing, not a ghost.
"Yes, General," Jack said, clearly amused. "Thor did his thing once again and saved us. Have to give the Asgard their due, they've got great timing. Oh, and we picked up your disappearing man from Adams' apartment as well, by the way."
"Hold on Jack, just a moment," he said. He reached over to the intercom, clicked and said, "Ask General Carter to come and join me as soon as possible, please. He's down with the rescue team."
He hesitated suddenly.
"Hold on a moment," he said. He turned back to the hologram image of the Colonel. "You have got Carter up there with you haven't you Jack?"
"Yes, Sir," Colonel O'Neill replied. "Carter, Daniel, Teal'c, Mason, Adams, one Joe Dawson, and I think four other SFs."
George Hammond suppressed his momentary surprise at the inclusion of Teal'c on the list, and clicked the intercom back on. "Lieutenant. Tell the rescue teams to hold the search, all the missing personnel have been located. Snap to it." He clicked off the intercom before anyone could argue with him.
"Alright, Jack," Hammond said expansively. "Fill me in."
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Jack moved away from the corner of the room, and returned to the rest of the group.
"OK, Thor, now that that's done, let's get this show back on the road. Tell me more about that spaceship over there," he demanded.
"Indeed, the situation regarding Thrynheim is becoming most urgent," Thor replied. "Thrynheim is a genetics laboratory – a Goa'uld laboratory."
Jack paled. The implications of yet another piece of the ethics-free research being conducted by the Goa'uld right on Earth's doorstep were terrifying.
"You mean like Nirrti?" Major Carter demanded nervously.
Jack sympathized. Carter had come close to seeing her body dissolve in front of her in their last encounter with the female Goa'uld.
"You are correct, Major Carter," Thor said, "Like Niirti, Idun was searching for the perfect host."
"But you called it Thrynheim – and I thought Idun was an Asgard?" Daniel queried.
"That is partially correct," Thor replied. "Her host was Asgard. She, however, was a Goa'uld. Her experiments involved blending human, Asgard and the genetic material of certain other races. And your world has been acting as a nursery for the products of this research."
Nursery! Shit, what horrors were about to be revealed?
"I do not understand, Thor," Teal'c interjected. "Jaffa legend states that Asgard cannot be taken as hosts."
"That is true now, Teal'c," Thor replied. "After we discovered what had happened to Idun, we were able to genetically modify ourselves to prevent a recurrence. Unfortunately, it was this modification that sealed our inability to reproduce except by cloning, and now threatens our ability to create new bodies for ourselves at all."
"So how come the laboratory is still operating?" Jack asked.
"We were able to defeat Idun," Thor said, "But she was destroyed in the battle. When we discovered Thrynheim here, we found it was both automated and well guarded. We have not been able to shut it down."
"So the beam-downs I detected were the research subjects being transported to Earth?" Carter asked.
"That is correct, Major Carter," Thor replied. "Thrynheim has been programmed to produce babies with a range of gene variants, and then transport them to Earth to be fostered. Perhaps because of its impending destruction, the laboratory has recently accelerated its production. It had started beaming an increasing number of babies to locations inhabited by older products of the experiments."
"Babies?" Adams said. His voice sounded tight. "This is where the foundlings come from?"
Foundlings! Jack swallowed convulsively, and tried to formulate the right question.
Carter jumped in before he could. "Are they like Cassandra," she demanded, "Programmed to explode or something?"
"No, certainly not," Thor replied quickly. "Let me assure you that none of the children pose any threat to your planet's security," Thor said.
Well that was a relief at any rate, Jack thought. Foundlings. He found himself repeating the word over and over in his mind. And I allegedly represent the next step in human evolution. The key to solving the Asgard's evolutionary dead-end.
"Am I one of them?" Jack ground out.
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