Chapter 3: Revelation of Thought
Daniel entered his room, and helped the door close by leaning back into it. He drew a deep breath and walked across the small room to a mat on the floor. He tried several methods of clearing his mind of the memories flooding from it; Ho Tien Chi, focusing on a small flame, even simple meditation wasn't working.
He was remembering things he hadn't lived through. At least he didn't think he had, but if Jack was right, the events Sirius spoke of would have taken place during his Ascension. The more he thought about it, the madder he got. Daniel always felt that cooler heads prevailed, but he couldn't stop the anger growing inside him.
"DAMNIT! Why can't I remember!"
"Because Daniel, you were not meant to remember." The voice was familiar, but still unsettling. Daniel rose to his feet, and turned to see a face he had not expected to see again.
"Oma." He should have expected her, but he didn't know why. "What's going on here? I think I'm remembering things from my Ascension, but I can only get fragments."
"Daniel, you were made to forget everything when you broke the rules. You returned in human form, but without the knowledge you had acquired."
Daniel's face reddened, and his voice was possibly louder than he realized. "Don't talk to me about breaking rules. Anubis was searching for the Philosopher's Stone. If he had gotten his half-Ascended hands on it he would have been…" Oma cut him off.
"What did you call it?" The shock on her normally serene face frightened Daniel.
"The Eye of Ra, what did you think I said?"
Oma realized she would now need to bend a rule or two. She knew she couldn't outright tell Daniel anything, but if he happened to remember things on his own, and draw the proper conclusions…
"No, Daniel. You called it the Philosopher's Stone. What made you say that?"
He realized she was right. He did call it that. But why? "I don't know, it just came out." Daniel began thinking, "That's what the Eye of Ra was called in Sirius' world wasn't it? The Philosopher's Stone. I don't know how I know these things, but I do know them don't I?"
Oma spoke as cryptically as ever, "Wouldn't you be a better judge than I of what you do or do not know, Daniel?"
Almost as if speaking to himself, "I wanted to keep helping. I couldn't just stand by and watch. What good is omniscience if you can't use what you know?" Daniel stopped, turned, and looked at Oma Desala. He looked as though he had just discovered the meaning of everything. "I chose to come back, forget everything and return to the one place I could make a difference."
"Daniel, there are several places you could make a difference." She knew that she was once again toeing a very thin line.
"No, there are several places I have made a difference. Not just here at the SGC, but in London, in Sirius' world. I wasn't truly ascended. I was more moved somewhere else for a while. You saw something in me that was needed somewhere else, so you took me there when this body was dying. So I could continue helping." His words slowed, he felt like he was putting together a jigsaw puzzle before all the pieces had been printed.
"I chose not to remember anything, because I had died there too." It didn't feel right, he was rushing, trying to force it. He knew he had to slow down, and recall what happened, not create it. "No. I didn't die there. But something happened… something important…"
They were gone now, lost in a fog of thoughts and memories that were and were not his. He was trying too hard to remember. His head quickly became a combination of dull fingernails trying to scratch their way out and the feeling you get from eating ice cream too fast, and it was unbearable.
"I need to lie down," he moved to his bed from instinct, the idea of opening his eyes made him nauseous.
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O'Neill led Black to the commissary and joined another airman who was in line waiting to get food. Sirius wondered slightly at the 'cafeteria style' food setup. He turned toward O'Neill and asked, "Am I only limited to the oatmeal?"
Jack smiled at the in-joke, knowing Sirius wouldn't understand, yet. "No, you can get whatever you'd like, lunch is on me. Well, actually it's on the tray, but I digress… I'd recommend staying away from the meatloaf, it was Salisbury steak yesterday." He grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and placed it on his tray. He glanced back at Sirius, "I love oatmeal!"
Sirius smirked and took some mashed potatoes and what looked like a ham or bologna sandwich. "Thanks for the warning. So what is it you people do here, I take it you're government or something?"
O'Neill led Sirius to his usual table. He had spent a lot of time at that table, thinking about things, again and again… and again. As they sat down O'Neill spoke. "Yeah, we're something here. Normally I'd start by saying 'what I'm about to tell you is classified,' but seeing as how you're already here, and not from here, I think we can skip that part. Sirius, my friend, you are at the bottom of Cheyenne Mountain. Twenty-eight levels below the surface. This is a Top Secret Air Force project, where we use the Stargate to explore other worlds."
"Wait, other worlds? As in places not on earth?"
"As in places not on Earth. We've been to hundreds of planets, met new races, made some friends, pissed some people off, you know." Jack knew he was making light of the importance of the program. He could see that Sirius was really interested in what went on here.
"So have you met any non-humans in your travels… you know like mere-people or centaurs?"
"Centaurs no, not yet but we're always looking! By 'mere-people' you mean…"
"Aquatic sentient beings, they look kind-of human but they have gills and webbing between their hands and fish like fins on their legs as well as webbing between their toes."
"Ah! Yes, we have met some, well one, mere-folk. They're called Ohnes. We ran into him back on P3X- something or other. Nice guy, once we got past the whole kidnap our partner and make us think he's dead thing."
Sirius raised a single eye-brow and nodded somewhat dubiously. "What do you mean by P3X? I remember Daniel saying something similar when he was interrogating me."
"Oh, that's just some way of labeling the planets we go to. Some of them we call by name, like Chulak, some we never find out what they're called. I think it's based on some kind of binary whatzit, you should ask Carter, its her idea."
"Somehow I don't think I'd understand her explanation. Muggle terminology has never been my strong point, it wasn't exactly proper for the heir of the Black family to learn that stuff. Anyway, what other creatures have you met?"
Jack thought before answering, he was from a different world, maybe some things were different. "What do you know about a crash in Roswell, New Mexico? About fifty years ago?"
Sirius thought about it. He closed his eyes and tried to remember anything he knew about America. Then it struck him, "Roswell, little town that supposedly had a water-balloon go down, but that was the government cover-up?"
"It was a weather balloon, but you're right. It was a cover up. What crashed was a ship from another world, from a race called the Asgard. They are great people, and are our allies. We've also met the Unas, the Nox, the Tok'ra, surprisingly, most of the people we encounter came from Earth, or rather their ancestors did. But there are a few races out there that aren't human."
Sirius wondered at some of the names Jack had mentioned. He was also unsettled by the fact that in this world aliens were responsible for the events in Roswell. He tilted his head slightly and said, "In my world the events in Roswell were caused a wizard who didn't want to obey the new flying rug regulations and somehow got spotted but muggles and shot at. He crashed and of course the muggles who know about the wizarding world helped to cover it up. I find it rather odd that there are such parallels between our worlds… You said Unas and Nox, the Ones and the Outs?"
"Well, the Unas were the first ones. That is the first beings that the Goa'uld inhabited, and the Nox…" O'Neill thought of something clever, "the Nox are way, way out there. Did you say flying rug restrictions?" He didn't seem amazed at the thought of flying rugs, as much as the thought of them being regulated.
Sirius nodded, "Yeah, flying rugs are considered regulated enchanted muggle artifacts, at least in America and Britain… I think France may regulate them too, but America was the fore-runner for regulating the enchantment of muggle artifacts."
Silently, O'Neill responded with his "Oh!" face as he enjoyed an oversized spoon of oatmeal. The two ate quietly for a minute, and then, "So, Sirius. Any thought on how we're gonna get you home? Don't get me wrong, you're welcome to stay, but I can't exactly throw a…" he closed his eyes, "a…", now looking at the ceiling. Finally the word came to him as his head snapped back to Sirius, "reducto curse for you to block." He was very proud of himself for remembering the curse's name, and it showed on his smiling face.
Sirius watched the man look for the word and grinned when O'Neill decided on what to say. Sirius shook his head and said, "The curse unfortunately isn't why I'm here. If it was…" he shrugged. "Anyway without knowing exactly how the veil is connected to the gate, I'm not sure I will be able to find my way home. Although the more I learn about it the more likely I am to figure things out, so for now, if you don't mind I'd like to stick around."
O'Neill smiled again, "Actually Sirius, that's what I had in mind. SG-1 has been a member short since I made General, and I'd like you to join up with them. You'd get to see new places, hang out with Daniel and Teal'c, get confused by Carter, whaddya say?"
Sirius sat back and thought for a moment. The idea of seeing other planets appealed to his adventuring spirit which had been stifled in Azkaban and afterward by Grimmauld Place. "Would I be able to learn about the gate? How and why it works?"
"It just so happens that the leading expert in this world on the Stargate is Carter, and the expert on the who's and when's is Daniel's department. Anything you would want to know about the Goa'uld, Teal'c can answer. You couldn't ask for a better way to learn about any of this."
Sirius nodded, "You've mentioned the Gauld twice now. Why are they so prominent in your vocabulary? And I will gladly join SG-1, was it?"
"It's Goa'uld," he emphasized the syllables, "there's a 'ooh-aah' in the middle, and they are what we fight here. They're parasites, snake looking things about yea long," O'Neill held up his hands about two feet apart, "they get in your head and take you over, make your eyes glow, and your voice boom, not real nice people. They portray themselves as Gods, and enslave entire planets."
"Sounds like these Goa'ulds are successful Dark Lords. I take it you've managed to keep them away from earth?" Sirius asked, concerned that these aliens may be a problem if not.
"We've had a couple close calls, but they know not to come knocking on our door. We've killed off quite a few of them, and we're still working on it."
Sirius smirked slightly at the pride in Jack's voice and said, "It sounds like I have a lot to learn, and as much as I hate homework… when do I start?"
"It's not that hard to learn. We're the good guys, they're the bad guys. Keep your head down and your Zat pointed in their direction, you'll be fine."
Sirius' face reflected an internal struggle, quietly he said, "Its never that simple…" louder he asked, "What's a zat?"
O'Neill smiled, "Tell ya what, we'll start tomorrow. I'll show you to a room, it's nothing fancy but it's home… well, kinda. Carter's running tests on the gate and it's systems, Teal'cs… Teal'c-ing, and I'm not sure what Daniel's doing, but I'll let them know that you're on, and we'll start with the basics. Sound good?"
"Sounds like a plan to me."
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Daniel woke, unsure of how long he been out. Fragments of thought scattered his mind; a green eyed boy with messy hair, arguing with an impossibly old man, with silver-white hair and beard. But it wasn't the argument that remained, it was how it ended. He mouthed the words as the remnants of dream spoke. They burned themselves into his mind.
He had to speak to Sirius. He had to speak to Sirius now.
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He picked up the phone in his office, not the bright red shiny phone, the other, somewhat less important one. "O'Neill." He said in a practiced voice. By the ring he knew the call was coming from inside the SGC, but he still loved hearing his own voice.
"Jack, it's Daniel. I need to speak with Sirius, and well, you too I guess." His tone told Jack something was serious, so he layed off the jokes.
"Sure, Daniel. I just showed him to one of our deluxe suites, but I doubt he's sleeping yet." Daniel had become more than a member of O'Neill's team over the years, he had become a friend. "You okay, Daniel?"
"I think so, I just…" he trailed off, "I just need to speak to you guys. See you in the conference room." Jack knew the click of a disconnected line. As he placed the phone in its cradle, he remembered everything Daniel had been through since joining the SGC: the loss of Sha're, not once but three times, his own death, ascension, and rebirth, and now this. Daniel was a good man, he didn't deserve this. But if anyone could get through it, it was Daniel.
Jack picked the phone back up and dialed Sirius' room, briefly wondering if he'd know how to answer it. After two rings he hung up, and decided to just go get him. He stood up and sighed. "I should get some carrier pigeons." He shut off the light and closed the door. "Of course I'd have to grant them clearance."
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Sirius had just begun to slip into the realm of dreams when an unusual sound started him. He rolled off the bed and got into a defensive crouch, silently cursing the hard floor which bruised his knee. The sound occurred again and this time Sirius saw a small light blink on the table beside the bed. Sirius whispered, "Lumos." In the light from his wand he saw the object which had made the sound and flash of light. He sighed it had only been a tel-fon.
Sirius stood and said, "Nox," extinguishing his wand. He crawled back into the bed and had closed his eyes when a knock sounded on his door. Sirius sat up and called, "Come in."
O'Neill opened the door, revealing a dark room. "Hey, Sirius? Daniel just called, he needs to talk to you." Jack squinted, expecting the light to come on at any second, "Are you decent?"
"Lumos Solem," Sirius said in response, bathing the room in bright noon-day sunlight. "I'm dressed if that's what you mean." Sirius stood up, he hadn't changed out of the jumper they had dressed him in.
"Whoa!" He was glad he had nearly closed his eyes. "We could have used you on P3X-797. You know we have a device here called a light switch, see?" He flipped the switch on, then off, then back on, unable to make his point due to high noon in the room. He covered his eyes with one hand, "Could you… ah?" With his other hand he motioned for Sirius to lower the light.
Sirius, once again hearing the high pitched sound of muggle lighting, nodded, "Finite Incantatem," causing the sunlight to fade, leaving a washed out bleached look to the colors in the room.
O'Neill blinked a few times, and looked around the room. The artificial light made him miss being out at his lake, not catching fish. "Daniel needs you, in the Briefing room, it sounds pretty important. C'mon, I'll take you."
Sirius nodded, "if he doesn't think it can wait till morning…" He started walking toward Jack and then looked down at his olive-drab jumper and waved his wand at himself, wondering why he hadn't thought to do this before laying down. The magic washed over the clothing and a brief sparkle was all the warning Jack got before the jumper vanished to be instantly replaced by… robes of a dark blue color.
Jack watched the transformation, and looked at Sirius. "Whew," He snapped his fingers, "Ya know, I almost wore that same thing," the two of them made their way to the Briefing room. As they rounded the corner, Jack continued, "only mine's kind of a puce, with orange highlights…"
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Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, we really appreciate the encouragement. Next chapter… what Daniel's dream was about, and hopefully Sirius will begin training… but no promises… this seems to change itself every time we sit down to write.
