Eight: Entanglements

Earth, Colorado

Three Weeks After the Tollana Incident

Tick tock. Elizabeth Dominic watched as the hand of the clock went round and round on the face. Tick tock. Five more minutes and she was free to go home. Out of everything this was her least favorite class. She already knew all of what they were teaching her, but it was required so she had to sit through Hell. Her professor's voice droned on and on, leading her to believe that boredom could indeed kill. She didn't think she could last much longer when finally she heard the magic words: class dismissed.

"Thank you, God!" She cried, then sunk back down when she realized everyone was looking at her funny. "Err… sorry." She really needed to stop doing that. Her teacher was now looking at her with that death-glare she had become so accustomed to. Oh, I am so gonna fail now.

She quickly gathered her stuff and hurried out. Her classmates didn't like her. Of course, she figured that was just because they were just jealous that it was obvious that she was so much more smarter than they were. (Or not.) She didn't know, but she was sure tired of getting those ugly looks every time she went into detail about something those pea-brains couldn't understand.

She missed the SGC. She missed Jack O'Neill. Daniel Jackson. Hell, she missed Carter. She was way cool, and so smart. There was no way Liz could ever get bored around them. Nor would they glare at her because she was smart, too. She sighed as she tossed her books in the passenger seat of her jeep and climbed in. She grabbed her keys out of her side pocket and turned them into the ignition. Her CD immediately started playing, the grunge beats of Nirvana blaring out at the College parking lot. She received more glares. She rolled her eyes. She would have been boosting some Metallica if her brother, Simon, wouldn't have scratched it all to fuck.

She missed Benji. He would have never been so sacrilegious as to screw up Metallica. She didn't like Simon. He was just like their parents. He only cared for himself and the stuff he could do to get what he wanted. Benji on the other hand wasn't like that. She wasn't too off the mark when she had told Skaara on Tollana that he reminded her of Benji. Her brother was very caring and sweet, but with a mischievous streak a mile long.

The difference was Benji excelled in getting into the worst kind of trouble. The against the law kind of trouble. After a while he had decided that he might need an outlet for his ennui. So he had joined the air force. He had thought it was the coolest thing. He loved flying, which Elizabeth didn't understand. She hated heights with a passion. The highest she had ever gone was wherever her trampoline had taken her. She didn't wish to go up any further. If man was meant to fly he would have been given wings (and not those cool little pins that pilots got either).

The worst thing about the whole Benji being gone was that she had lost contact with him. It was like he had disappeared off the face of the earth. Which, considering what she had been experiencing lately, didn't seem that damn farfetched. She had emailed him a million times, making sure to keep him up to date with everything going on, minus her encounter with Colonel O'Neill and his team, and even sent him text messages. She knew he was checking his mail, or someone was, but she didn't know who. Of course, she had decided to give up hacking for a while to go towards earning a legitimate education and get a real job somewhere, so she could not find him that way.

I'll just have to wait, but Benji, where the hell are you!?

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

Meanwhile - - Stargate Command

"Unscheduled Off-world Activation!"

"Receiving SG-5's IDC."

The iris snapped open. Seconds later five figures came hurling through the gate. "Close the iris! Close it, now!" One of the young men screamed jumping to his feet. "And get a medical team down here!" He staggered, "quarantine procedures!" He fell to his knees, clutching at his side. His hand came away, his blood oozing a dark unnatural shade. Strange marks adorned his visible body, scratches and welts. "Don't let them come!" He screamed, then collapsed.

Three Hours Later

"Carter! We have to move now! Leave that stuff!" Colonel O'Neill shouted, grabbing Sam's arm and dragging her away from the bag she had dropped.

"But sir- -"

"None of its going to matter if we're all dead and can't use it."

She didn't object again. He was right. They would have to find a way to come back for it later when it was safer. "Do you think Daniel made it out?"

"I sure as hell hope so; he's our get-a-way plan."

They climbed up an exit that led to the outside. O'Neill shoved open the top and climbed out, reaching a hand to help pull Carter out. "We have to hurry to the rendezvous point and hope Daniel's there."

Sam agreed. "And that they aren't." She added, and Jack nodded.

The two of them crept almost soundlessly through the area. Each thinking about how something like this could happen. The SGC had been taken before, but to be driven from the compound with almost no hope of getting it back was different. The whole base was overrun. If Sam, Daniel, and Jack couldn't think of a way to fix the problem Stargate Command, and possibly all of earth would be lost.

O'Neill stopped suddenly and held out his hand. "There." He pointed. "Is that Daniel?"

"I believe it is!" Sam said, glad that he had made it out. "I hope it is."

"He better not be infected with whatever it is." Jack said, then moved out, hurrying toward the vehicle Daniel was hiding in. The door banged open as they reached it.

"Hurry! I think they saw us!" Daniel cried as O'Neill and Carter got into the car. "If we don't get out of here - -"

"Yes, Daniel, we know." O'Neill snapped, "just drive!"

Daniel slammed it into drive and spun the wheel. Behind them dozens of SGC personnel were coming at them. It was terrible, Daniel thought, something that he could have only imagined in his darkest dreams. "Where are we going to go? No one can help us."

"Way to be optimistic, Daniel." O'Neill groaned.

"He may be right sir, as much as I hope its not. They've taken over our computer systems, locked us out. We can't even make it through the compound without being spotted."

"Well, who do we know that can dig their way through computers?" Jack said, then paused when the other two gave him a look. He realized what they were thinking. "No way. There is no way we're calling her into this. It's dangerous."

"Its going to be dangerous for the whole planet, and she may be the only one who can truly understand out problem. She's been in the systems before, she knows how they work."

"She was going through our records." O'Neill said, "there's a difference, isn't there, between base securities and our information center."

"Actually, sir," Carter flinched, "she told me a secret. She check out our security system for the fun of it that first time. That's what she was doing when she got a hold of our information. She can do it, Colonel, but we have to hurry before they completely reroute our systems."

"Well then," Jack waved his hand as they made it onto the main road, "to Dominic's house we go!"

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

Dominic Residence

After getting out of class Elizabeth drove by the high school and surprised Lynn. They did some driving around, among other things. When that had gotten boring Elizabeth braved returning home early. For the past few weeks she had heard nothing but complaints about the three days she had went missing. Her mother claimed she was about to call out the national guard or something of the sort. Elizabeth had just stared. After the previous days she had had she was willing to let it pass.

They were lucky and Mrs. Dominic was gone when they got home. She was actually at the office with another one of her very important clients. Gregory met them in the foyer, a look of anxiety on his face. "I'm sorry to bother you right when you return, Miss Elizabeth," and Liz flinched at the name, "but there's someone important here to see you. He says he knows you. I believe it is the men from the Air force. Two men and a woman."

"Liz, I thought we were finished with them." Lynn said, confused. Liz hadn't told her about her trip off-world yet, and frankly she didn't know how.

Yet, she still couldn't figure out why they would be calling her already. It definitely hadn't been half a year. "Uh, yes, Gregory. Where are they?"

"They are waiting in the entertainment room." Gregory said, and Liz sighed. 'Entertainment Room' was another one of her mother's tries to make rooms sound special. It was fancy for living room.

"Thanks." She said, and Gregory turned and left. Probably off to do some menial task her mother had appointed before leaving. "Come on, Lynn." She took off for the living room and Lynn followed.

What she saw made her even more worried than she already was. Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, and Daniel Jackson were all waiting for her, and they all looked anxious and tired. They didn't look like themselves. "Hey, what's wrong?" There had to be something wrong. The last time she saw them have a look like that was back on Tollana before they were attacked. "Are you all right?"

"Dominic, its about time you showed up. Your butler guy said you were supposed to be out of class hours ago." Jack snapped.

"I was… but me and Lynn drove around. What's the matter?"

"We need your help." Daniel said. "Something's happened."

"My help?" Liz cried, "what can I do that someone else can't?"

"There's no one else we can trust. Once we've explained it to you, you'll understand."

"Okay. Shoot."

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

"SG-5 had been taking samples from an unpopulated planet when something happened. So far we can only hypothesize about what." Sam begun, once Elizabeth had made sure Gregory was far away from them. "The five man team returned a day earlier than they were supposed to."

"They came crashing through the gate like a whole army of Goa'uld were on their tails is what happened." Jack interrupted, remembering the looks of terror that had been on the men's faces. It was like they had known just how bad it was going to get.

"Only it wasn't the Goa'uld." Sam continued.

"It was something worse." Liz speculated, taking in the three's ragged appearance.

"Very much so." Daniel said. He was laying along her couch, one arm over his eyes. He had dropped his glasses on the coffee table. Liz had started to worry about him. He was so pale, paler than the others. However, she kept her worries to herself for the time being.

"What happened? I mean, I still don't see how you need her help." Lynn said.

"Oh, thanks, Lynn." Liz said. Lynn shrugged.

"That will come." Sam replied, "I wish we didn't need your help."

"I wish you didn't need anyone's help." Liz said, her brows knitting in concern. "Colonel, you're being awful quiet." She said. "Is there something you want to say?"

Jack raised his eyes to the girl. "No. I'm letting Carter talk." Liz nodded, but didn't believe him. He was thinking very hard about something., but perhaps she shouldn't push. She turned her attention back to Sam.

"At first we thought the team had just been injured. They had these strange welts all over them. Even Janet thought it was mild. Until the infection began to spread."

"Infection?"

"Yes. Along with their wounds they had a foreign substance, dark in color. It quickly began to cover the surface of their skin, causing fevers and hallucinations. They became paranoid quickly, saying they could see things, hear voices. At least we thought they were hallucinations. It turned out that the substance was alien, perhaps a life form. Whatever it is, it has managed to spread through the compound. It rearranges memory and takes over the mind. Those who cannot be taken over by it are either taken prisoner or killed. So far it seems only the Colonel, Daniel, and I were able to escape it."

"What about Teal'c?" Liz asked without thinking. Lynn gave her a strange look.

"He seems to be immune to its mind-altering effects, but whatever allows him to maintain control has also caused him to fall into a coma. They have him in the infirmary under supervision." Sam said. She seemed upset. Liz was upset and she had only met the Jaffa warrior for a brief time.

"Once more, what does this have to do with me? I'm not a doctor."

"Under its influence the technicians have changed our computer systems. The whole base is under constant camera supervision. Our passes have been locked out. We need to find a way to get in our systems. That's where you come in. You know our security protocols. We were thinking somehow you could go in and take it back.

"I could try. Anything for you guys." Liz said. She tried to keep very calm, but she felt as thought the weight of the world had been dropped on her shoulders.

"Hopefully on our return we will be able to find a cure. With your help. Your not being a doctor is exactly why we need you. If this works we have another task for you, but you can decline if you wish."

"What is it?" Liz had a bad feeling.

"We can't let her." Jack spoke up suddenly.

"Sir, we'll need her."

"I don't care, we can't ask that of her."

"Why not?" Sam was exasperated.

"You know why!" Jack snapped.

It was like watching a bad tennis game. Liz finally blew, "It's my damn decision!"

O'Neill grew quiet. Sam nodded. "The organism seems to work like a system itself, a computer system. It grows and organizes like code in the body. With your help we may be able to create a way to undo its effects."

"I'll do it." Liz said without hesitation.

"Dominic, I have to advise against it." O'Neill said. "It's going to be dangerous. We may fail to even make it back inside intact."

"Listen, Colonel. Dangerous as it may be, if this thing isn't stopped how long before it reaches the outside? My staying here will only prolong my survival. And plus, what about those people infected with that thing! I can't just sit around and do nothing."

He nodded once. So it was set. Liz prayed she didn't screw up…

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

"Who's Teal'c? And that woman? We never met her before!" Lynn cornered Liz on the way up to Elizabeth's room to begin her work. "What aren't you telling me?" She started Liz down. She hated when Liz kept secrets.

"Teal'c is a Jaffa. Remember reading about them in the files?" Liz asked, and Lynn nodded. "He works for Earth now, I guess you would say. And the woman. She's Major Samantha Carter. She works with O'Neill and Daniel."

"Yeah… pretty much figured that, but how do you know them?"

Liz thought of a way out of this. Her experience off-world was still so unreal to her. She was reeling from what happened. She didn't think she could handle having to explain it to someone else right then. "I, I met with them again after that first time. I got them to let me see it. The Stargate. When I was on the base I met Teal'c and Sam."

"And somehow got on a first name basis?"

"It was a long visit." Liz turned away from her and went into her room. She didn't have time for this. She couldn't deal with this right now. All she could think about was how much she missed being there, being away from Earth. She missed Skaara. She hated her life here…

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

"How's it coming?" Jack poked his head in an hour later.

Liz sat back with a sigh. "Not good, but promising. It's been majorly fucked with. However, there is still enough of the original coding left to save. I've put up a password block on it keeping whatever's eating at the system out of it. From there I hope I can make a completely new system to work on. Once that's done, we can go."

"Making a new system? Seems like a big job."

"Bigger than you know, but I think I can do it. I have to do a temporary job now, but later, when you get the base back - - and I know you will - - you can make it a more permanent structure."

Jack blinked. All that information. Painful. "I guess I should let you get back to your work then."

"Wait." Liz spun in her chair. "Why were you pulling the protective bit downstairs. You know I can take care of myself."

"You can take care of yourself, yeah, but you haven't seen what it's like in there. You could easily get killed. I don't want that on my conscience."

"Liar. There's something else." Liz said, and O'Neill looked surprised at her bluntness. "What's the real reason you didn't want me to go."

"Its not important anymore, Dominic." Jack turned and left. Liz sighed.

And I thought I was bad at keeping secrets.

to be continued…

Sorry it took me a bit to get this out. I was going to write the whole incident in just one chapter but I soon figured out that would be a really long-ass chapter. I'll try to finish it up in the next chapter. I've already got three more pages written, but decided just to post this much.

Side note, yesterday was my birthday (the fourth). I'm 19! Woot. My party is this afternoon, about an hour or so from now.

Been trying to work on my Stargate site, but internet is fucking up again. Haven't saved any of the changes to the web, so I'll tell ya when its updated for the ones who care.

Cya next chapter. I'm off…