"Dan, I really need for you to tell me what happened so that I can help you," Janet insisted.
The alien was having no part in this conversation. Lying on a gurney, he had turned his back to her, deciding instead to stare at the wall. It seemed that every time she tried to elicit a response from him, or obtain any information at all, he would become distressed and agitated, mumbling nonsensical phrases before refusing to speak or even acknowledge her concern.
Janet sighed. If Sam was right and all of these forms were just fragments of Daniel's mind, then why was his more logical and intellectual side pouting?
At that time, Janet stiffened, her neck prickling as she felt something light and scratchy tumble down her back. Scowling, she turned around, only to find Danny vainly attempting to conceal a fit of giggles as he pressed his hands to cover his mouth.
But what surprised her most was Daniel, who happened to be sitting and grinning at her, nonchalantly rolling another piece of paper into a ball.
Maybe the alien substance had made all these men mad. Or, maybe Daniel had been hanging around Colonel O'Neill too long.
If his behavior was indicative of her last thought, then maybe all hope was not lost.
Sending Daniel a mock glare, she reached down and picked up the crinkled piece of paper and unwrapped it carefully. The writing that was scribbled in the margins and haphazardly all across the page made no sense to her, but there was a picture sketched in the middle that could not be any clearer.
Arching an eyebrow, Janet eyed Daniel carefully, holding up the picture of a mug with steaming lines coming from it.
Daniel nodded, pointing to the paper and licked his lips.
"I'm afraid not," she told him, pocketing the note. "I don't know how caffeine will interact with the traces of chemical in your system, Daniel, and I know you won't tolerate decafe."
He pointed again to the paper.
"No," she said firmly.
He's not happy with my tone, she thought, watching Daniel mumble something under his breath as he played with the balled piece of paper. Yet, despite his displeasure with her, he looked better, more alive, and had even begun to seem more relaxed next to Danny. His behavior was in stark contrast to Dan's. Janet was sure this was significant, either lending to the fact he had acknowledged his situation and moved forward, or, negatively, he didn't have his full awareness and had accepted things at face value.
With a sigh, Janet took a moment to watch Danny show Daniel a few more pictures from his book, before she returned to Dan, rubbing his arm gently to try to move him to respond. She heard him mumble, frightfully similar to Daniel, before finally turning to face her.
"Are you going to finally talk to me?" she asked him, crossing her arms.
"What?" Dan asked, sounding disoriented. "What's going on?"
Janet cleared her throat and pressed her hand to his forehead. No longer warm, but his eyes were glassy. "We're in the infirmary. Do you remember coming here?"
He shook his head, hugging himself tightly.
"That's okay," she said gently. "I'm just going to ask you a few questions."
He nodded, but continued to curl in on himself. "I wouldn't if I'd known."
Inwardly, Janet was shaken, concerned at his incoherence, but outwardly she kept smiling. "You wouldn't have done what?"
"I'm not like that," he whispered, his breathing starting to become shallow. "I'm not!"
"No, you're not," she reassured him. "Why don't we talk about it? I don't want General Hammond to come down here and have to force you to talk."
"He would do that?" He laughed, a short hysterical laugh, before swallowing hard and regaining some of his composure. Then he closed his eyes, defeat no longer masked by his face. "Of course. We're just aliens to him."
"I know that is hard for you to accept, but I would rather do this the easy way than the hard way." Janet kept her tone soft, hoping to appeal to the gentler side of Daniel's alien clone. "It's not only for Daniel's good, but for your own as well."
Dan nodded. "I know. I understand that. It's just so painful." He shifted his weight so that he was now lying on his back. "You can't understand how much it hurts."
His words brought a frown to Janet's face, suspicious of his tone and his sentiment. "What do you mean by painful?"
He just shook his head, his vacant stare fixed on the ceiling. "It's just…it hurts. I didn't mean it."
"Didn't mean what?" she pressed, feeling a growing unease developing in the pit of her stomach. Placing her arms by her side, she took a step closer to Dan. "What do you mean by that?"
But he was no longer listening. Confused, Janet watched as Dan's gaze shifted from the ceiling to over his shoulder, his forehead deepening into a furrow of wrinkles before a surprised smile lit up his face.
While Janet was grateful that the tension was ebbing from the distressed alien, the action also troubled her. "What's so funny?" she asked him, moving to turn around.
The ball of paper bounced off the top of her head and rolled into the corner of the room. Janet watched the paper disappear from sight, unable to ignore the fit of giggles that followed. Turning around, crossing her arms again, she glared at Daniel and Danny.
The two of them gave her the most pitiful look she'd ever seen. If she hadn't known better, she thought they were co-conspiring against her.
Daniel flashed her his most innocent smile before saying something in Aramaic.
"I have no idea what you're saying," Janet began as she crossed the room to pick up the paper, "but if you're going to act disorderly in my infirmary, I will set things up so you're in a separate room with just my nurses."
Daniel didn't respond to her comment, but kept smiling just the same, as he sat on the gurney with his legs bent and his elbows resting on his knees. Danny remained close by his side, humming happily as he toyed with the sleeve of his "father."
"I mean it," she warned, but found herself smiling. Daniel looked well. He looked healthy. If it wasn't for the speaking problem…
Sighing, she unraveled the paper and glanced over it. Again, there was writing scribbled all over the paper, but curiously, it was different than the script from the prior piece. In fact, the graphs on this sheet of paper were unique and looked suspiciously…
"Russian?" she asked aloud.
By the time she had gathered her wits to question Daniel, she was shocked only to find Danny sitting on the gurney, doodling in the pad that Daniel had held only moments ago. Fighting down a wave of panic, she jerked to her right, relieved to find Daniel hadn't moved too far. He was standing beside Dan, muttering something quietly to the alien.
Cautiously, Janet took a step forward, still uncertain at this time about Daniel's state of mind. While overall, he had been kind to her and only had been causing minimal trouble, he still was not himself, and she wasn't willing to let him wander around even if he was in perfect health.
"Daniel?" she asked, taking another step closer.
He held up a finger to silence her, sending her a shy, almost apologetic smile. Then he made a quick motion by jerking his hand to Dan.
Dan took the cue, and whispered something that sounded similar to what Daniel had muttered just a minute ago. Whatever he said, the words caused Daniel to jump unexpectedly, a frown touching his face while deep creases furrowed into his forehead. Dan continued his rant, of whatever kind, his voice rising and falling, becoming more fervent, before he finally bowed his head, his shoulders sagging. Daniel only watched patiently.
Then, finally, when it appeared Dan would break into tears, Daniel reached out and laid his hand on his shoulder, squeezing once while whispering softly to him, gently saying something that sounded both soothing and sad. Dan nodded in return, leaning over to rest his head on Daniel's shoulder.
Janet said nothing during the exchange. While she couldn't understand the words, she could interpret the meaning. Something significant had happened, something that Dan had been reluctant to tell any of them but Daniel. Now, it was finished. The next part would be to either have Dan finally reveal what has been troubling him, or to have Daniel make a communications breakthrough.
But despite it all, one thing instilled hope in her.
Dan and Daniel had been communicating in Russian, not Aramaic.
"Daniel," she said, nearly forgetting to breathe. "Can you speak anything else?"
To this, he had no answer.
Disappointed, Janet nodded, slipping the crumbled piece of paper into her lab coat pocket. At least they were making progress.
"Doc!"
Colonel O'Neill's shout brought her out of her thoughts. Surprised, she watched him enter with a handful of soldiers, along with Teal'c. Both O'Neill and Teal'c were nearly dragging Jackson and the other Daniel, known as Moody, into the infirmary, the cloned aliens appearing more than a little green. In actuality, they seemed downright fearful, struggling against the tight grip of the men that were trying to help them. As soon as they were inside, she rushed over to them, distressed over their appearance and behavior.
Janet came forward and pressed her fingers to the more moodier Daniel's neck. His pulse had increased. "What happened?" she asked both O'Neill and Teal'c, moving over to drag her equipment towards the aliens.
"They became ill while meditating in my chambers," Teal'c informed her, helping Jackson to sit. "They have experienced visions," he added.
O'Neill was quiet, but the frown on his face was enough to make her feel uneasy.
Janet nodded, checking her patient quickly, troubled by his lack of awareness, and the growing tremors that shook his body. She tried to calm him, as she had done with Dan, pulling the frightened man back to normal. He struggled against her as she placed the cuff on his arm to check his blood pressure, but seemed to lack the strength to give her any trouble.
"No," he muttered. "Damn him."
"Shh," she told him, stroking his hair, aware of O'Neill's hard gaze on her. "Just relax, okay?"
"Guh," mumbled "Moody," clutching onto his chair. He swayed, his face draining of color before he lifted his gaze to focus on Daniel. His eyes narrowed, his body struggling to slide off the chair and move towards him. "He's awake," he managed to say.
Janet pushed him back down onto the chair, glaring at him sternly. "Sit," she instructed before moving over to the other alien clone beside him and began a preliminary check. As with the other aliens, and Dan and Danny, they all exhibited similar symptoms, but if she were to make a diagnosis, she would have to say they were swaying close to some form of shock.
"So sorry," Jackson whispered to her, his lips trembling. "So, so, so, sorry."
Janet nodded, though she was uncertain how to respond. Their behavior…was troubling to say the least. She wasn't sure if the aliens were experiencing some sort of breakdown, either mentally or on the molecular level. At least she knew she wasn't the only one troubled by they way they were acting.
She shot over a worried glance over to O'Neill.
He was hovering by the phone.
"I'm not comfortable with allowing them to leave the infirmary," Janet admitted, taking a step back to glance them over one last time.
"What is it?" O'Neill asked.
"It could be anything from the flu to shock." Janet didn't like this at all. All of them, drawn to the infirmary for illness. God, they looked as if they were all frightened to death. "But frankly, Sir, I am not willing to rule out anything. They could be having an adverse or allergic reaction to a chemical or the alien substance for all we know."
"I'm willing to bank on something else," he muttered, his cold gaze finding Dan.
Janet glanced over to Dan, feeling a mix of sympathy and unease, as he remained seated on the gurney, hunched over with his face covering his hands. Daniel remained by his side, but there was something off about him, something she could not place just yet.
Glancing once at Moody and Jackson, and then over to Danny, who seemed to care less about what was happening, she returned her attention to Colonel O'Neill. "What do you mean?"
"According to Teal'c, they've admitted to hurting Daniel somehow," said the colonel. He motioned over to the guards stationed within the infirmary. "I'm not taking any chances."
Janet tensed, but nodded, eyeing the aliens suspiciously. If what Colonel O'Neill said was true, then perhaps they had been too lenient in allowing the aliens free range around the base, and with their emotions. Feeling her own hurt and anger staring to rise, she glared at the alien Daniel that had spent time with her in her infirmary.
He only stared back.
Was that hurt in his eyes? Or was this another game?
It was as if everything that had happened over the course of the past few days had just been washed away, leaving her feeling empty with a sense of defeat, feeling used and discarded as a means to an end. Suddenly, the men in this room weren't reflections of a friend she held so dear, but the laughing smug faces of strangers that had manipulated her and made a mockery of her profession.
When she looked hard into the eyes of the clone that had spent so much time with her, he glanced away and stared at the floor. Part of her wanted to reach out and tell him it was okay, that part that denied that what Colonel O'Neill said could be true. But the other part of her wanted to scream.
She was ripped from her thoughts when heard a crash from behind her. Turning, she caught sight of an open-mouthed Daniel, who had knocked over a bedpan as he slowly stepped forward. His eyes dancing with fear, he stared at Jackson and Moody.
"Kakogo chyorta?" Daniel asked, his eyes wide as he pointed to the two new Daniels.
She didn't know what to say. Daniel's eyes were wild, as his gaze jumped from one clone to the next, almost as if he were sizing up the new occupants in the infirmary.
"Is that Russian?" the colonel asked, sounding disgusted as he hung up the phone. "He's speaking Russian now?"
Daniel only glared at O'Neill, pointing his fingers with a hard thrust at the aliens. Scowling, he held up four fingers.
Returning her attention to Daniel, she tentatively reached out towards him. "Daniel?"
He thrust out his hand again, this time more urgently.
"Yes," Janet answered softly. "Four."
"Four?" he repeated.
"That was English," Colonel O'Neill said, his eyes darkening. "Tell me you haven't been able to speak English all this time."
"I think it's more of a reflex," Dan informed them, shifting on his gurney. He kept his head down, his arms crossed. "He's repeating words to stamp them to memory."
Daniel eyed Janet wearily.
She smiled back at him, hoping her concern and compassion hit their mark. Instead he just looked down and glanced away.
"Well, as much as it's wonderful that our dear old dad is awake," the other Daniel said, pulling his chair closer to Janet despite his shaking hands, "I think it's rather telling that he can't speak a word of sense."
Janet became a little unnerved at the way the alien was glaring at Daniel, though she would have to deal with that situation when the time was right. Currently, she was more concerned for the original, and she began to slide closer to him when she noticed a hitch in his breathing.
Daniel eyed him closely, crossing his arms before uttering another word Janet didn't quite understand.
"Minara?" the alien repeated. "Such language."
Daniel blurted out another line of sounds, in yet another tone. This time it was Latin, and though Janet knew some Latin in her line of work, her knowledge was specifically classificatory and medical. Though she couldn't comprehend what Daniel was saying, she could understand the tone.
"Okay," she said, coming between the two aggressors. "Colonel?"
"Everyone sit so we can get this straightened out," O'Neill commanded, waving his hand for them to sit. Teal'c took a step forward in order for them to get the point. "I've called Hammond down here and we're getting this over with once and for all."
Janet frowned, studying Colonel O'Neill closely. "Sir?"
He pressed his lips together before finally speaking. "I've had it. Besides, this has gone on long enough. Having Daniel walking around blabbing about different languages is fine, but having him blabbing around in different languages isn't."
Daniel glared at O'Neill, and for a brief moment she thought maybe he had understood what the colonel had to say.
"I want guards in here at all times," Colonel O'Neill called, waving his hand for three airmen to enter. "Now that our boys seem to miraculously feel better, I'm not being had anymore."
"Do you hate us?" Jackson asked suddenly, bowing his head.
"Just stay still," O'Neill said authoritatively.
Jackson nodded, but Janet saw the starts of panic begin to settle into his body once again. Before she could say anything, Jackson gasped. Taking a step towards him, she shook her head.
He was hyperventilating.
"I need for you to breathe slowly. You're going to hurt yourself," Janet told him. She beckoned Teal'c with a wave of her hand. "Teal'c is going to be right here and—"
Danny started to wail, kicking at the base of the gurney in a full-blown tantrum.
Surprised, Janet paused as she hovered over Jackson, watching as Danny continued to scream. Only a few minutes ago he had been fascinated by the notebook, without any signs of panic or pain the others had experienced. Now?
Teal'c came to her side, holding down Jackson as he shook. She thanked him silently, distressed when she saw Moody begin to react in a similar fashion.
She frowned, holding him down as he started to mutter and shake. What was going on?
Colonel O'Neill was already making his way over to the distraught Danny, but Daniel intercepted him, urging the colonel to stand back. When he reluctantly complied, Daniel walked to Danny, and tried to soothe him.
Danny would have no part in it.
"No!" he yelled. "Make 'em stop thinking! I don't wanna hear!"
Janet froze, shooting O'Neill another anxious look.
"They…they might be connected somehow," Janet said.
"Wonderful," Colonel O'Neill muttered. He stared intensely at Daniel. "And him?"
"I don't know, Sir."
Daniel said something in another language, but Danny kept crying. Then, suddenly, his face darkened, and he grabbed Daniel by the waist, hugging him close, while pointing an accusing finger at the other clones. "I hate you!" he yelled. "I'm not bad like you!"
Janet felt her blood run cold; she stepped away from the Daniels, blocking out the shock that seeped into the faces, and ignored the protective glances from O'Neill and Teal'c. Moody leaned forward, his pain stricken face on the verge of tears.
"Janet," he whispered.
"Don't move," she said sternly, feeling her cheeks redden.
Glancing over to Daniel, she sighed, watching him attempt to disentangle himself from Danny. The clone continued to cry.
When she moved to meet him, to help him and his mentally younger counterpart, she yelped, feeling the abrupt tug at her arm. Moody grabbed her hard, squeezing her wrist, his eyes pleading.
"We're not like that," he said, his voice cracking. "Don't listen to him. We're not bad."
"Let me go," she said in a low voice, jerking back.
"It's not what you think, Janet." He leaned closer, holding her tightly. "I wouldn't hurt you."
The pain, the emotion in his voice couldn't sway her though. She was too tired and too angry to deal with him, or any of them.
In fact, she was so tired, didn't even see Daniel launch himself onto the alien clone. Moody swore, struggling against Daniel as he snapped back, prying Moody's hand off Janet's wrist. The two started to wrestle next to the chair, Moody fighting to return to Janet, Daniel pushing to keep him in his spot.
Dazed, she stepped back, realizing the whole room had been tossed into chaos. O'Neill and two airmen had rushed forward to restrain Danny, who was howling with anger at his brethren, while Teal'c had summoned more SF's to hold back the distressed Jackson so he could break apart Daniel and Moody. Only Dan sat alone, in a world of his own, as he remained silent with only his tears to keep him company.
Summing up all her courage and the willpower that had pushed her down the medical path in the first place, she set aside her feelings and commanded the remaining airmen to secure the exit. She hated to do this, but she knew now there was no other choice. Janet demanded for all of them, including Daniel, to be cuffed and restrained until General Hammond arrived. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c made sure it was done.
This was precisely why feelings were problematic in her field. She needed the distance. It was bad enough that her closeness to SG-1 and some of the other SG teams could be construed as crossing that line. But dealing with what had happened over the past few days, the past few months…
Janet remained silent, steady, watching the occupants of her infirmary with a detached coolness. She would wait for Hammond to return and this would come to an end.
"What the hell is going on in here?" General Hammond, asked as he entered the infirmary.
Janet sighed and walked to the entrance of the infirmary to join Sam and the general. She looked over her shoulder to note Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill were standing with the SF's, still watching Daniel and others closely. All five of them were seated in a row, side by side on two gurneys that had been pulled together. Janet had to admit, even after days of working with the various Daniels, the sight was still enough to jar her.
"There was an incident and we had to restrain them," she answered quietly.
"An incident?" Sam asked with disbelief.
Janet nodded. "It appears the aliens are linked somehow. I'm not sure how, but my guess is that it's some sort of psychic link, probably connected with their shared knowledge of Daniel."
General Hammond wasn't amused. "That doesn't explain why they're cuffed and on guard, Doctor."
She cringed inwardly. No, it didn't.
"They became hostile, Sir," Colonel O'Neill answered for her, stepping in to join them. "Not only that, they're all about ready to crack, if you ask me."
General Hammond shot Sam a warning look, one that Janet didn't quite understand, but she didn't push her luck to question them. She did understand their frustration though. She shared the fatigue and the growing sense of hopelessness with them.
"What about Daniel?" Sam asked. "Is he—?"
"No, I don't think so," Janet replied. When she glanced back to him, she noticed he was watching them very carefully. "He hasn't demonstrated any sign of the same hysterical behavior as the others, or indicated that he has any kind of mental connection to them. In fact, whatever has afflicted him seems to be passing. He's far more aware now than when he first woke up, and he's speaking several languages now."
"But not English?" asked Hammond.
"No, Sir."
"I see," was all he said in return. Turning back to Colonel O'Neill, he began again. "You said they were hostile, Colonel?"
"That's right," O'Neill answered, his face emotionless. "They admitted to Teal'c that they'd hurt Daniel, but I'll be damned if we know how they did it. These guys aren't talking. They'll allude to something one minute and flatly deny it the next."
"It's almost as if they are confused, Sir," Janet said to Hammond. It was the best way she could explain their behavior. "Their panic attacks and their nervousness are not helping."
"Confusion or not, the fact they attacked Doctor Jackson, or at least caused him harm in some way, is enough for me to seriously reconsider the levity I've given all of you in this matter," the general said hotly. His hard gaze bounced from one member of SG-1 to the next. "You gave me your assurances they were harmless."
"With all due respect, Sir, they haven't hurt anyone since they've been brought on base," Sam stated.
To this, O'Neill nodded. "Carter's right, Sir. I'll give them that much. But I don't trust them, not after they've been giving us this song and dance for days now." He glared at Janet. "Even if they are confused."
"But their confusion might be the key, Colonel." Sam motioned to the clones before she continued with her point. "Didn't Dan tell us that he was having trouble remembering what happened on the planet, or how he came to be the way he is now?" She paused in that signature way of hers, as if her mouth was attempting to catch up to the ideas spinning in her mind. "What if their confusion is sincere? What if they haven't been able to remember what happened? We sent them off with Teal'c with the hope kel'no'reem would help them to remember."
"They did all fall ill, or at least exhibit similar behavior relatively close to each other," Janet admitted. "If they are linked, and one of them did remember something, it could have caused a chain reaction."
"Yeah," Colonel O'Neill added. "They remembered hurting Daniel which is unacceptable."
Hammond grunted in agreement. "Are they still not cooperating?"
"Only in vague passing phrases," Janet replied solemnly.
"Well, this can't go on any longer," General Hammond told her. He set his jaw as he glared at the Daniels. "I'm getting some answers."
Janet nodded, following General Hammond over to the gurneys were the clones sat. While she still felt the sting of betrayal, knowing that on some level they hurt Daniel, she did feel sympathy for them, able to see Daniel reflected in all of them. The conflict in her was undeniable.
All five of them were sitting quietly. Jackson was picking at his fingers while Moody stared at the floor. Next to them, Dan had his head bowed, muttering under his breath. Daniel was seated by his side, watching all of them, his expression closed, which she could only decipher as frustration. Danny was on his other side, his head resting against Daniel's shoulder as he swung his legs over the side of the gurney.
Yes, the five of them together definitely jarred her.
"You've come seeking answers," Dan said, as the rest of SG-1 came to stand by Hammond's side.
"You bet I have," General Hammond answered. "I don't tolerate being lied to, especially when it concerns the welfare of one of my people."
Dan sighed, keeping his head bowed. "I've made my peace. I can die without it on my soul, now."
Janet frowned at that comment, looking over at Daniel. His gaze was fixed on her, one of his knowing gazes. Taking his cue, she asked the alien what happened.
"I don't know, exactly," he replied with sincerity, despite the groans he received. "But it's there. All the pain and the feelings. They're there."
Janet noticed the general was about to speak, but Moody intervened first. "Do you think we like to feel this way?"
"It's like burning," Jackson said with a shiver. "Cold burning."
"This isn't getting us anywhere," O'Neill reminded the aliens.
"I know," Dan said softly. He looked down at his hands and sighed. "It's hard when you don't understand it yourself. It's all so strange. It's like-like—"
"Living someone's else's life," Moody said quietly.
Sam stepped forward after hearing his comment, her frown of thought deepening as she studied them. "Living someone else's life? Can you elaborate on that?"
Dan smiled weakly. "We-we have all these thoughts, memories, of Daniel which we know aren't ours. We know this. But—" He shook his head, the wrinkles in his forehead deepening. "There's more. Something else."
"Cold, painful…" Jackson said, his voice trailing.
"I hate him. I want him to be gone," Dan said between clenched teeth.
"He's hurting us," Moody snarled.
"But I don't want him to go," Jackson said sadly. "We'd never hurt him. We'd die for our father."
"No! You're bad!" Danny snapped, huddling close to Daniel. "You hurt him. Not me! I'm good!"
"Damaged," Dan whispered.
"He's damaged…somehow," Moody said, his tone deflated. Janet watched his gaze fall to Danny. "Somehow…"
Jackson sighed, a confused expression touching his face. "He's not complete."
Dan nodded. "Don't blame him for what he doesn't know."
The three aliens bowed their heads, growing silent. Janet glanced over to Sam, knowing that she was trying her best to piece this together. But the reactions from General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill were far different. Less patient, uncomfortable, she knew that they wouldn't tolerate the cryptic behavior from the aliens much longer. Teal'c remained impassive.
"I do not believe they are sane," the Jaffa stated at last. "They speak in riddles."
"They're confused, Teal'c," Janet said, surprised as she defended her patients. Did she really believe that? Or was she just in denial? "They appear to be in conflict over their memories and emotions."
"I can relate," Sam said, watching the aliens. "Sometimes, even now, it's hard for me to separate Jolinar—" She stopped suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Carter?" O'Neill asked, taking a concerned step towards her.
"Oh my God," she said, staring at the three that had been talking to them. Then, quickly she turned to Janet. "We know that they have Daniel's memories and knowledge, but adamantly state they aren't their own. What if you're right? And this is something like genetic memory?"
Janet frowned, taken by the departure in Sam's theory. "But you mentioned—"
"I know. Fragments." She pointed to the aliens. "But what if it's more than that? What if they're experiencing the memories and feelings of something other than Daniel?"
Janet watched as Hammond considered this possibility, some of his skepticism melting away. "I'd like to believe that, given the circumstances, but from your reports there were no other life forms found on the planet."
"The MALP and the UAV showed nothing, Carter," O'Neill agreed.
Janet had to concur. There was no viable physical or chemical threat based on the preliminary tests done prior to SG-1's recon mission. Though, when had that ever stopped them from bringing back problems before?
"We encountered no alien life on the planet," Teal'c said. "The only substance that we encountered was the chemical that was present on DanielJackson."
"Which was dead," Colonel O'Neill added.
"I know that, Sir," Sam said, her eyes bright as her thoughts continued to roll. "But what if it wasn't?"
"Dead," he reminded her. "I said dead."
Sam gave him a pointed glare. "I heard you, Sir, but there's a possibility that we haven't considered yet."
Hammond eyed her closely. "And what's that, Major?"
Staring at him intensely, she continued. "We have to consider the reason why the clones have the alien DNA but Daniel doesn't." She paused, waiting for everyone to give her their undivided attention. "They are the alien substance."
"What?" O'Neill didn't sound impressed.
"Well, at least a product of it." When no one answered, including Janet, Sam gave a frustrated sigh and began again. "Think about it. These memories have to come from somewhere. They obviously aren't Daniel's and we haven't identified any life forms on the planet, aside from some shrubbery and the alien substance, a material that has DNA identical to that found within the aliens."
Janet blinked, realizing the implications of this line of reasoning. They had assumed that the chemical presence in the aliens and the substance itself indicated some kind of contagion, based on the symptoms that the aliens carried. But she reminded herself that Daniel had those symptoms as well, and that he distinctly did not have the alien DNA. But if Sam was right, and the alien DNA was a marker proving that the aliens were products of the substance, then they had even more unanswered questions.
And it still didn't explain what was happening to Daniel.
"Might I remind you, Carter, that that stuff was dead?" O'Neill said again.
She nodded. "I know that, Sir, but if you recall on the planet, it was active." She shrugged. "Maybe it needed something on the planet to survive. Maybe our interference killed it. I don't know. But the aliens have memories from somewhere and it's not just Daniel. I think it's a possibility we have to consider."
"I am inclined to agree with Major Carter," Teal'c said. "Upon returning to the planet to retrieve DanielJackson, we could find no trace of the substance. It is possible that during our absence, the material produced the alien clones."
"Um, hello?" Jackson waved his bound hands at them. "We're right here. Right in the room. You can talk to us like we're here."
Janet, as well as the others, returned their attention to the aliens and Daniel, still guarded by the airmen that Colonel O'Neill had called into the infirmary. As she watched the clones, and studied their pathetic faces, she was struck how helpless they appeared, and how vulnerable they looked. Despite whatever had marked them with such a conflicting repulsion and compulsion towards Daniel, they were human, to her at least, and needed someone there for them more than ever.
Funny, since it was this same undercurrent of need that she saw running underneath Daniel's strength and compassion.
It was at that time she thought that perhaps these aliens weren't fragments of Daniel at all. In truth, they were just reflections of different parts of his soul, of what made him whole, and allowed her the window of opportunity to see beyond his façade, to witness the man in all his complexity, and to sift through all his layers.
It was in that moment she realized just how deeply she loved him.
Inhaling sharply, she hadn't realized just how much the revelation had struck her, rattling her to her core. But she knew she wasn't alone in understanding.
The alien clone, the one that held her in such high regard, smiled at her warmly.
"So, wait, I'm confused," Jackson said. "What?"
"What is it you remember?" Sam asked him. "Exactly. What kinds of images have you seen along with your feelings?"
He frowned, his face pensive. "I—"
"Don't be afraid," Janet said calmly, ignoring the impatient look O'Neill gave her. "Just tell us what you saw. We're trying to help."
Jackson considered her words, and then nodded with hesitation. "It's weird. I can feel anger and pain, and wanting to strike back, to strangle. But I also feel the pain of being attacked, like something was wrapping around my throat." He bowed his head, his breath rattling. "It hurt like liquid fire."
Sam and Janet exchanged a knowing look. If that didn't sound like a connection to the alien material, then she didn't know what did.
"So you think we're…offspring of that…chemical compound?" Dan asked, snapping Janet back to reality.
"Doctor Harlow's studies show the DNA in your blood is possibility a hybrid, a mix of both Daniel's DNA and the compound's DNA," Janet said quietly. She felt so peaceful, like the weight of a thousand men had been lifted off her shoulders. "Daniel's DNA had continued to override that of the alien's, so we weren't sure what to make of it. But now…"
"We decided that Daniel's DNA was the stronger of the two. Oh God," Sam said, excited. "What if the alien substance and Daniel mixed to create something entirely new, using Daniel's form as a template?" She jumped again. "What if they bonded more thoroughly with certain aspects of Daniel on that template and that is why they have varying personalities? Danny…the damaged one…what if he was taken out of the process too soon? Prematurely?"
"It's possible that we're some bizarre mix of both, passed down to us from our parents," Dan said with wonder.
"Whoa, wait a minute," O'Neill said, holding up his hand. "Are you saying that Daniel and this slime…?" He motioned with his fist, making a slight knocking motion.
"Technically speaking, yes," Sam answered, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Though how I don't know. We're talking something completely alien. The logistics on how it was possible—"
"I don't want to think about it!" Colonel O'Neill exclaimed. Exasperated, he turned to Hammond. "General?"
General Hammond, who had remained quiet for the past few minutes, glanced up at O'Neill before focusing on the alien clones. "While I'd like to put all my weight behind what you're saying, I still have my doubts. We have no proof to support any of your theories, and even if these clones are Doctor Jackson's offspring, so to speak, we still have a problem."
"What's that, Sir?" Janet asked, taking a step closer.
"No matter what they are, they still have the memories and knowledge of Doctor Jackson." He sighed. "Even if they are harmless and only harbor some of the residual feelings of whatever consciousness this alien ooze seemed to carry, they're a security risk. I can't hold them on base forever," he added quietly.
"No!" Jackson shouted. He jerked in his seat, causing the airmen to respond in kind. The fact he had the barrel of a MP-5 pointed at him didn't seem to faze him in the least. "You can't! You can't send us away to them!"
Janet frowned. Send them away? He couldn't possibly mean…
"They're coming, aren't they?" Moody added, his wide eyes jumping from person to person. "I knew it would happen sooner or later. It was bound to happen. Even if you had promised to hide us forever, they would come for us. Damn them!"
Colonel O'Neill frowned. "NID?"
Hammond nodded. "I received the call earlier today. It was my hope we would be able to resolve this problem before word got to the NID."
"Sir, you can't," Sam said, glancing at the Daniels. "Do you have any idea what they'll do to them?"
"Of course I know, Major," he said, his cheeks growing a little pink. "I can protect Doctor Jackson with all the backing I've got, but when it comes to his…offspring, or whatever they are, I can only do so much." He sighed, his sympathetic gaze contrasting with his hard stance. "You can understand the situation that I'm in right now."
Janet nodded, but felt hollow inside. General Hammond had been under increasing pressure as of late to make some headway with the Stargate program. The SG teams continued to run into difficulty in obtaining cooperation with advanced races to negotiate for technology. Even Daniel's diplomacy skills and treaties weren't getting them very far.
If something didn't break soon, Janet feared for the worst.
And General Hammond was caught in the middle.
"I don't care how much of a pain they are, Sir," O'Neill muttered, his eyes trained on Danny. "I won't let those sons of bitches waltz in here so they can drag them back and cut them open with all their tools, all in the name of science and the good ol' US of A of course."
"Cut open?" Danny whispered, his face draining of color. "Me?" He turned to Daniel. "I'm not broken."
Daniel muttered something under his breath, leaning close to Danny. Whatever he said, or whatever tone he'd said it in, calmed the frightened man. Quietly, he leaned his head on Daniel's shoulder.
The sight was enough to rattle Janet, and she had to turn away not to cry.
"See what I mean?" O'Neill pointed to Danny. "Are you going to be able to live with yourself knowing what they'll do to him?"
"Colonel!" Hammond's eyes blazed, but softened, as Colonel O'Neill remained silent. "Just what do you expect me to do?"
"If we could find a ringhole, then perhaps we could assist the DanielJacksons."
Everyone looked to Teal'c, including the Daniels, as he finished his statement. Perplexed, Teal'c raised his eyebrow, shifting his gaze to each of them in turn.
"Loophole, Teal'c, loophole," O'Neill stressed.
Teal'c nodded, standing straighter. If Janet didn't know better, she would have thought he was frazzled, she thought with a smile.
"A loophole," Sam repeated. "But we'd have to find something that could work."
"A little difficult when we got five Daniels, one which can't communicate on a regular basis," O'Neill muttered.
Janet nodded. Their problems just seemed to continue to multiply. They still didn't know what was wrong with Daniel, and if he would keep improving, or if he was lost to them. They had five clones that weren't really clones, one that, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be damaged somehow. The aliens seemed to be connected and they had genetic memory, or something close to it. This was the perfect treasure for the NID. How could they find a way around it?
"Um, excuse me?" Jackson held up his cuffed hands, leaning forward to try and grab their attention.
"Yeah," Colonel O'Neill said, sounding disinterested. "What?"
Jackson pointed to Daniel. "He wants you."
All eyes were now on Daniel, who wasn't trying to hide his frustration. Thrusting out with his cuffed hands, he motioned to the notepad that was lying on the floor. Teal'c, without hesitation, picked up the notepad, causing Janet to silently hold her breath. The incriminating picture was still in that notebook, and she wasn't exactly comfortable with showing the world just what the alien had done. Luckily, Teal'c did not flip through the pages and quietly handed the notepad to Daniel.
Daniel nodded in thanks before then handing the pad to Dan. Dan grabbed the pencil, hovering close to Daniel listening carefully as Daniel whispered to him, talking animatedly with his hands. When Daniel was finished, Dan grinned, completing his task and outstretched his hands and the pad to Hammond.
"I think we've found your loophole," Dan said, his eyes twinkling. "Daniel has a plan."
