Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
By: Tempest
Disclaimer: Unfortunately the StarGate, SG-1, the SGC, and everything else associated with the movie or series doesn't belong to me! I'm just having my demented fun with the kids and promise to return them…mostly in the condition I found them (:-P)! No copyright infringement is intended, so please don't sue me. I'm P.O.R. Poor! (I can't even afford to buy that other 'O'!)
Warnings: If you couldn't tell by the title, yes, it's "another" pesky quantum mirror story. However, this one has a little bit of a twist. I hope you all like it! Oh yes, creative criticism is welcome! However, all flames will be laughed at and then trashed for their general stupidity! Sank ya! ()
Chapter 3: Confrontation
The mission had been easy…really easy. SG-1, and SG-3 had gone through, set up the mirror and found gone through with Danni and Janice to make sure this was the correct reality to which they should have been taken what SG-3 took the mirror back through to the SGC.
"Well….this looks….familiar." Jack said as he looked around the encampment recognizing them setting from their Beta site. He smirked a bit as he saw people doing double takes as they walked through the camp to the command building.
"Colonel!" Someone called out as a young man came running up to them his blond hair and blue eyes almost glowing with excitement and relief.
"Carter!" Janice called out as Sam looked over her eyes widening as she saw the young man breathlessly running up and then hugging Janice roughly.
Sam blanched as Jack's eyes widened a bit as did Daniel's, but Daniel's teeth gnashed a bit as suddenly the young man remembered himself.
"Ma'am!" He quickly released her and saluted her crisply, flushing "I…I'm sorry!"
Danni giggled as Janice blinked "Ah….don't worry about it, Carter." She said as she patted him on the shoulder a bit. "We've all been through a lot, eh?" She grinned a bit.
"Ma'am." He said, then smiled a bit shyly "I'm really glad you came back, Ma'am!" He said. Then looked, "Did you find another SG unit on Earth!" he asked his eyes wide with surprise.
"Ah…knida." She smirked a bit, "Captain Carter….may I introduce SG-1." She said with a flourished way as the Captain's eyes bugged a bit as his mouth dropped open. Then looked to the Colonel, "It's a long story…" She waved his head, "Let's get to the Command post and I'll brief you."
"Colonel!" An older man about fifty obviously a Tok'ra greeted Janice warmly hugging her tightly. Jack bristled a bit.
"It appears that Colonel O'Neill's disklike of the Tok'ra is not universal." Teal'c observed.
"Apparently." Sam chuckled a bit
"Can it, guys." Jack huffed a bit.
"Al'tash." Janice smiled as she pulled back, "It's been a while."
"I wish it could have been under better circumstances, Colonel." He said as he looked over her shoulder. "This is the SG-1 of the alternate universe I've heard about?"
"Yes." She said, "Major Samatha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and…Teal'c."
"Fascinating." Al'Tash said as he smiled and walked over, "Thank you all for bringing our Colonel O'Neill back to us." He said, "We need her desperately!"
"Desperately?" Janice smirked, "Looks like you've been doing quite well without me."
Daniel shot her a look hearing that underline pain in her voice…but no one seemed to notice it.
"Looks can be deceiving." Al'tash said sadly, "Apophis has found the Alpha site."
"WHAT!" Janice gasped out, "How! When!"
"Aw, crap!" Jack hissed under his breath
"He's on his way here." Al'tash continued his eyes clouded "He'll be here within a day, two at most."
"What are we going to do!" Danni gasped looking at Janice, who was rubbing her face.
"Fer cryin' out loud!" Janice snarled, "Carter!" She called out over her shoulder.
"Ma'am?" Sam replied as Janice winced.
"Sorry, Major…my Carter…" She said as she turned around
"Ma'am!" He said
"Get the word out, we're breaking down camp…the Alpha site's been compromised." She looked over her should, "I take it you have somewhere we can go." She said as she closed her eyes, "PLEASE tell me we have another option!"
"We do." Al'tash said, "Two in fact, which is why I'm glad you're back Colonel." He said "We can gate everyone form the Alpha site to you planet PX4-991. It's one of the gate addresses you programmed in when your head contained the knowledge of the Ancients…"
Jack looked over, "Head sucker got you too, huh?" He mused
"Hey, that's why we're buddies with Thor." She pointed out
"Good point." Jack said as he looked at the Captain, "Well! Don't just stand there! Get your butt moving!"
"Sir!" Carter said as he ran out of the room, as Jack frowned a bit.
Sam looked very unhappy about the Captain's hesitation…like he was afraid to make a decision for himself.
"Alright you said, two options." Janice said very carefully, "What's the other, and why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like it?"
"Well…you know we discovered an artifact here…" Al'tash said as Danni chimed in
"Yes!" She said, "Something that, as Janice said, 'Gave Carter a boner for weeks'!"
Sam blanched as did Daniel, Janice and Jack flinched "Danni! Language!" Janice scolded as Danni ignored her.
"Something to do with a great power source and summoning…" Her eyes furrowed "The Lord of Nightmares…."
"Okay….I am SO not liking the sound of that!" Jack said
"Far as we can tell it is a planetary defense system, one that rivals if not exceeds that of a Gou'ald mother ship shield…maybe even the Asguard." Al'tash continued.
"Okay…that sounds, impressive." Janice said, "So what's the catch…" She turned to Jack, "There's always a catch."
"With the Tok'ra, I don't doubt it!" Jack grimaced
"It can only be activated by someone from this universe, with who possesses the genes of the Ancients." Al'tash finished as Janice groaned.
"See, I knew it!" She complained.
"Wait, you said that it could only be activated by someone of this universe…how do you know?" Carter asked
"Because that's what the inscription says." Al'tash said
"Inscriptions?" Everyone said at once
"What inscriptions?" Daniel asked
"Colonel…" Janice looked up, "Would you mind overseeing the evacuation with your team and the rest of mine while Daniel and I go check this out with Al'Tash." She asked
Jack looked at her then at Danni, who looked down ashamed, "I couldn't learn Ancient." She replied a bit pathetically, as Jack's eyes softened a bit.
"Alright." He said as he looked at Daniel, "But don't touch anything!" He warned
"Whoa…" Janice said as she looked around the huge room. Everything was glowing in pure white light. The inscriptions all over the wall were glowing silver and in the middle of the room was a see through container with a stand with two bars about arms length apart. "Nice deco…"
"Janice…" Daniel said capturing her attention
"Right, Al'Tesh." She said as the man lead them over to one wall and pointed.
"Here." He said as his brow furrowed a bit, "I couldn't make out any more than the insciprtion of the Lord of Nightmares."
"Right…" She looked over "Dan….." She smirked a bit, Daniel was already tracing the glowing letters looking at them intently his mind working furiously.
"Right…" She smirked as she looked to the two men who began trying to translate the script. "I'll just be….." She waved her hand a bit, "Over here…."
No one knew how much later it was…as Jack's voice sounded across Janice's radio.
"Colonel." Jack's voice was grim, "We just picked up Apophis' ship coming into the galaxy."
"Crap!" Janice snarled, as she pressed her mic key "How long?"
"An hour at most." He said, "Come up with anything?"
"I think we might!" Daniel said
"Think you might?" Jack's voice echoed from the door as everyone looked over.
"Well…hope we've might!" Daniel said as he pointed to the glowing letters "All these are chants like invocations." He said as he pointed at one.. "Here." He said "This one says 'Lord of the dreams that terrify sword of cold and darkenss. Free yourself form the heavens bonds above. Become one with my power one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together. Power that can smash even the souls of Gods….'" He looked over..
"Daniel…" Jack said his voice tinged with impatients
"Here…." He pointed to another grouping " 'Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night. King of Darkness, who shines like gold upon the sea of Chaos. I call upon thee, sware myself to thee. Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I posess…..'"
"Daniel!" Jack snapped as the young man looked at him
"This is all very interesting. But what in the hell does it mean!" Jack asked exasperatedly.
"Jack…this room….it's like a summoning chamber. When activated by a key it draws power from dimensions…" His eyes wide "Power enough to smash even the souls of Gods."
"Okay…that's nice." Jack winced a bit, "So…what's the key?"
"Someone with the ancient's gene." Janice said grimly "You were right when you said this was a summoning room, Daniel." She looked around, "Because the only way to harness power in-between dimensions is to channel it though something that exists in the same dimension." She looked over and smiled wanly, "So I guess that makes me the key."
"No!" Daniel barked his eyes wide.
"Colonel, get everyone out of here." She said grimly as she pulled off the tactical vest and began walking over to the stand.
"Janice!" Daniel ran over to her as she shrugged out of the vest pulling off her baseball cap. "We don't know what this will do!"
"Daniel…!" Jack called out, but then thought better of it. He had to do this himself….
"I know." She said evenly as she walked to the chamber and press the silver button on the side.
"Janice!" He gripped her arm, "You CAN'T do this!" He said desperately.
"I HAVE to do this!" Janice said determination in her eyes, "I have to make a place where my people will be safe Daniel! That's what I DO! I can't fail! Not anymore!"
"Is that what you think!" Daniel demanded angrily, "That your SGC fell and it's your fault!"
"IT IS MY FAULT!" She twist her arm around as she gripped his shoulder desperately "I'm not any kind of leader! I never was! And you saw what happened because of my inabilities!" Her eyes softened and one hand came up to gently cup his face. "Daniel…you were the only one who ever gave me hope." She smiled tenderly at him, as she quickly raised her other hand to grasp his face and kissed him…passionately one last time. "I love you Daniel." She whispered her eyes clouded with emotions, "I always will!" With that she pushed him back and stepped into the contained as the doors sealed shut.
"NO!" Daniel cried out in agony as he beat his fist against the door, "Janice! Don't!" He crumbled a bit, "Janice! Please…..please don't leave me!"
She stepped onto the platform and turned to smiled at him, "I'll never leave you Daniel." She said, and they could hear her through the container. "I'll always be…in your heart…for as long as you keep me there."
"…no…" He pressed his head against the barrier separating them. "Janice…I…I love you! Please!"
Janice looked at him sadly….then both her arms shot out and gripped the pillars as Janice body arched out as she gasped the whole room becoming alive with white and color.
"NO!" Daniel screamed…
"DANIEL!" Janice cried….
"Sir!"
A voice called to Jack as Jack moaned and batted away the hands that pulled at him, "Sir! Can you hear me!"
"Carter….?" Jack corked, "Can't you let the dead rest in peace?"
"Sir!" She shook him again.
"What!" He snapped prying his eyes open only to find that his 2IC wasn't looking at him…she was crouched next to him looking forward in awe and perhaps a little fear.
Jack scrambled to his knees and looked up, "Oh….Christ." He whispered.
There before them was Janice…..floating in air…surrounded in a gold light holding a small little golden globe in her outstretched hand. Before them was Daniel who was half lying on the ground next to Jack looking up at Seraphine with wide eyes and before standing before Seraphine and just to the right of SG-1…was Apophis!
"Tau'ri!" Then Gou'ald system lord snapped and he whirled around "Where am I? What is this place!" He looked back up to the woman who held her eyes closed "Who are you!"
"I am the mother of all Darkness." Janice's voice rang out beyond space and time "I am the one who was dreamed for years uncounted of regaining my form. I am darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night. I am the sea of Chaos, the source of all chaos. That is how you describe me." Slowly her eyes opened and looked down on the System Lord with a dispassionate gaze, "I am…the Lord of Nightmares."
"My God…" Daniel whispered, "The power….the power channeled through the key it's not just energy!" His eyes widened, "It's an entity!"
"The Lord of Nightmares!" Al'Tash whispered "Supposedly the mother of all, the sea of Chaos that is the universe it's self!"
"That is correct Tok'ra." The voice continued, "I was the first creation in the universe when there was void, and I will be the last when all light is extinguished." She looked to Apophis her brow furrowed a bit, "You see for nothing except that driven by your own greed." She hissed "You wish everything to be destroyed….so that you may create it in your own image…as a God. You have the arrogance of the God, and yet…you are not."
"Blasphemy!" Apophis snarled
"Then so be it." She said as she extended her hand with the globe. "I shale give you than which you want, he that would be God." The globe flew from her hands and then smashed into Apophis as he cried out in agony as the globe seemed to eat his body…his eyes flashing. "I give you…oblivion." Apophis cried out once more his body convulsing then suddenly the light surrounding him flared once then he vanished his anguished cries following him into nothing.
"Oh…my God…." Carter whispered as the rest looked up at the woman who settled down onto the stand as she turned to them.
"This planet is now protected," She said as she looked down at Daniel "...and the wish of the key was fulfilled."
"Wish…what wish!" Daniel demanded
"What did you do with Janice!" Al'tash demanded.
The being closed it's eyes "My body is my mind, my mind my power. When uncorrupted by all other factors, my mind becomes it's purest form of power." She opened up her eyes again…as she stepped through the container the brilliance from the light surrounding her fading just a bit as she looked to those huddle before her. "The key, the one you know as Janice made a wish. She offered to us, her pure heart, her noble spirit and her willingness to protect…all to save a life." Slowly her hand raised up and one finger extended to pointing "All to save the life, of that man." She said "The Tau'ri known as Daniel Jackson."
Everyone looked to Daniel as Carter gasped out, Teal'c raised and eyebrow as Daniel sealed his eyes in pain and bowed his head, as Jack reached out and grasped his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the young man.
"She sacrificed everything she was, and everything she is…so that you would be saved." The voice continued as she lowered her hand "Such was the nature of her wish."
"Wh…what about Janice!" Daniel demanded his head shooting up tears in his eyes. "What's going to happen to Janice?"
Eyes looked at him dispassionately "One who touched the force of Chaos, is marked and can never return." She said, "Her body…will be consumed."
"NO!" Daniel rejected, "I want Janice back!" He lunched to his feet, "Do you hear me!"
"Daniel…!" Jack hissed worriedly
"NO!" Daniel pulled away from Jack as he looked to the Lord of Nightmares, "I don't care what you do have to do, I want her back right now!" Tears streamed down his face.
"It was her wish to sacrifice herself to save you." The voice said, "That, cannot be unmade."
"I don't CARE!" Daniel shouted, then suddenly lunged and gripped onto the beings arm as eyes locked with his.
"DANIEL!" Jack said as he raised up his p-90
"I want her BACK! NOW!" Daniel snarled.
The being looked at him…and Daniel stared as he saw a little smile play at her lips "Such…is the price…of the emotion know as love." She said as she slowly closed her eyes.
"No…." Daniel whispered desperately "Please…don't!"
The light flashed brilliantly once then vanished as Janice's form slumped and Daniel caught her body easing her to the ground.
"Janice!" He called shaking her and tapping her face. "Janice! Wake up!" Desperately he pressed his fingers to her neck…..and felt…nothing.
"No!" He sobbed as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, "No! Not again!" He cried he heart breaking.
Carter's eyes tears as Teal'c bowed his head to pay homage to her sacrifice. Al'tash closed his eyes against the tears and Jack made his way over to Daniel who was sobbing horribly aginst Janice's body.
"I'm sorry……" He said as he rocked her a bit in his arms, "I'm so….so sorry!"
"Sorry for what?" A voice asked and immediately everyone's head snapped up at the familiar voice and gasped.
Standing before Daniel was….Janice! She was smiling with her hands in her pockets grinning "Hey! What'd I miss!"
"Colonel!" Carter cried out as Teal'c looked up in awe and Jack and Daniel simply stared as the woman knelt down Daniel blinking frantically as she took the other woman's face in her hands.
"Aw…girl, what did you do to yourself?" She sighed out shaking her head and then drawing them back then looked up "She'll be okay in a while." She assured them.
"Wha….wha…" Daniel's mind was trying to work frantically
"Ah…what just happened?" Jack was able to say the statement Daniel was trying to.
Janice smirked and shrugged a bit, "Cosmic Joke?" She asked and rubbed the back of her neck, "Really don't quite know, actually." She looked apologetic, "Other than the fact that well…." She chuckled a bit, "This is kinda embarrassing…"
"Well!" Jack demanded impatiently, "Wanna let the rest of the class know!"
"Right. Right, sorry." She grinned sheepishly "Alright, well….this…being that we contacted…."
"That whole Lord of Nightmares guy…girl…thing…" Jack said waving his hand a bit.
"Yeah…" She said, "Well apparently there are rules that even Chaos has to follow." She said, "You see…they could take Janice only of her body was her own to give." She said "Since it's not….they couldn't take her."
"Um….wanna run that by us again?" Jack asked confused.
"Oh, fer cryin' out loud!" She sighed as she knelt down to Daniel, "Guess there's no easy way to say this." She looked at him and smiled, "Well…congratulations! You're going to be a daddy!"
Everyone balked
"Gee, don't everyone get all happy at once!" Janice pouted a bit.
"I'm….I'm….." Daniel's mind tried to comprehend but shock was getting to him.
"Whoa…it's a good thing you're sitting down Daniel, you'd look like you'd fall down if you weren't!"
"Daniel…and Janice…!" Carter blurted, "Having a baby! But….but….how!"
"Well Major, when two people love one another……" Janice began with a mischievous grin
"Colonel!" Jack snapped as he looked down at Daniel…who had pulled Janice's body even closer to him more protectively.
"A….father?" He whispered as he looked down at the dormant form in awe.
"Alright…." Jack rubbed his face a bit. "So how do we explain you?"
"Oh. That's easy." She smiled, "I'm the replacement." She said, "Perfect copy…um…minus one small detail that won't be so small in nine months or so!" She grinned.
"Replacement?" Jack asked
"Apparently, the people who created this place didn't like the whole idea of being 'Consumed' when they activated it. So…they got some techno mumbo jumbo that I don't even PRETEND to understand so that the person wouldn't be…."
"Consumed?" Jack said
"Yeah….except with Janice…there was that little problem of being pregnant." Her eyes clouded a bit, "That Cascade thing….would've eventually happen." She said "It might've taken months or years…even though your…well our DNA was different, it was still similar enough for the effect to occur…it would've just taken longer." She shoved her hand in her pockets and stood up, "But now…thanks to the alien doo-hicky thing…Janice's DNA has been altered."
"Altered!" Daniel's head snapped up.
"Whoa….easy there." She said as she held up her hands, "It's been altered in a way I can't even being to explain again." She smirked a bit, "Let's just say that Janice and your kid is gonna be a little extra…special." She said.
"Special as in….how?" Jack asked.
"Oh…you know….this and that." She smirked.
"You're not going to tell us are you?" Jack asked.
"Well I could tell ya, but then I'd have to kill ya!" She winked, "Besides I don't wanna spoil the surprise!" She grinned
"Oh…spoil it….I insist." Jack said as Janice sighed.
"Don't be an ass Jack, I really can't tell you." She said as she looked up at him apologetically, "I didn't exactly get the whole low-down ya know?"
"So….what do we do?" Daniel asked as Janice smiled a bit as she knelt down next to him.
"You, Doctor Jackson, are going to take her back to your reality….Ah!" Janice held up her fingers, "I don't wanna hear it Colonel, because she can't stay here." She said as she looked at Jack, "If she stays here…she'll die."
"What!" Daniel gasped out
"That creature, The Lord of Nightmares, it's a primal force of the universe. It can't be contained or controlled for very long if ever!" Her eyes clouded, "It's touched her, and knows that she exists in this universe. It'll look for her until it's found her and then it WILL consume her!" She held up her hands, "I'm not making this stuff up Jack, so don't ask me if I'm kidding I'm not."
"But if it lives between dimensions…" Daniel said uncertainly.
"It does." She smiled, "But it's only been to this dimension." Her eyes clouded, "Which means if this thing exists in your universe…"
"And we activate it….it'll come looking for Janice too." Jack finished grimly.
"Right on the nose." She said as she looked at Daniel.
"Look, I know it's a lot to take in…but she needs your help." She said her voice a plea, "I don't want her to die, Jack….I really don't." She said as Jack looked down at the young man…his eyes narrowing a bit.
"You really are….different, aren't you?" He asked as she rosed a bit and smiled.
"I'm the Janice that would've been had I had the same support as you, Jack." She said as she shrugged a bit, "And that does make a world of difference."
Jack smiled a bit, "It does."
Her eyes darkened a bit, "Am still going to punch out the old man if I ever see him again for being such a dick!"
"Hey…" Jack held up his hands, "You got no complaint from me there!"
She smiled, "So I take it…you're going to take her back with you?"
Jack sighed and looked down as Daniel held onto her protectively, "Jack….please." He whispered, he looked up to his friend "She's…..carrying my child…." His eyes begging, pained…
Jack sighed out and shook his head, "You're such a sap Colonel!" Janice grinned at him as he shot her a look.
"Don't be an ass, Colonel!"