Author's Note: A huge shout out to the reviewers that have been diligently writing to me. You really make me want to keep posting. To address Jennyvre's question, I originally had Daniel's line translated, but I decided instead to leave the reader wondering –in true Stargate SG-1 style! (Yep, that's a Jack speaking Ancient reference.) Also, thanks to Mara Jade Jedi, the Betaing Queen!


Chapter Six: The Thought Universe

"Daniel has lapsed into a coma."

This was met with the type of dead silence that Janet hated. She was in the briefing room, reporting to General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Sam about Daniel's condition.

"But I don't think it's natural," she informed the group, "Moments before he went comatose, Daniel told me that the organisms in his body had asked him to 'join them'. That he was going to initiate a first contact."

It was weird, thought the Colonel, but what wasn't these days?

"And I'm sure that's going to go so well," Jack muttered. His second-in-command glared at him, but Jack didn't catch the look, instead focusing on the pen he was fiddling with in his right hand.

"Is there any way we might be of assistance?" asked Teal'c.

Janet shook her head. "I'm going to keep looking for a way to neutralize the organism, but if it is intelligent, I'm not sure how effective anything I come up with will be. Daniel's first contact approach might end up being the best solution."

"We won't keep you then, Doctor," Hammond replied. Janet took the dismissal and hurried out of the briefing room, not willing to lose any time (even if it was going to be spent hitting her head against a microscope).

Hammond gave the remaining three a sympathetic look before issuing his orders, "Until such time as Dr. Jackson has recovered, SG-1 will be grounded. Major, unless you believe you can assist Dr. Fraiser, there are a number of items SG-11 brought back…"

"I'm on it, sir," Sam replied.

"Teal'c, if you would work with Major Castleman for SG-5's Hand-to-Hand combat training?" Teal'c nodded his head, accepting the assignment.

"And Colonel, I'd appreciate it if you would…"

"Finish writing my reports. Gotcha."

"Dismissed."

Hammond watched them leave before he let the mask of command drop. Now worry and exhaustion were evident on his features. He was concerned for the young man he'd known for so many years now. He was also worried (selfishly) what would happen if Daniel didn't make it this time.


"Welcome to our universe, Dr. Jackson."

It was a bright white room. Infinite. Dimensionless. Daniel couldn't see the floor he was standing on (all white), but it felt solid –almost like concrete. The speaker was a man who was immaculately dressed. He was wearing a black suit, white cotton shirt, and a black tie. He was Caucasian with brown eyes and hair, a person that would never stand-out. If he added a pair of sunglasses, Daniel would be tempted to describe the situation as a Matrix-inspired nightmare.

"Hello," Daniel replied eventually (it was rude to stand there dumb-struck), "What is this place?"

"This is a laboratory, in a manner of speaking. It is controlled by our very thoughts. Our Thought Universe."

"What's your name?"

"You can call me Virgil."

Daniel recognized the classical reference immediately, "Dante's Divine Comedy."

"I am your guide," was Virgil's explanation. Whether it was through Hell or Purgatory, Daniel didn't know.

Suddenly, two chairs shimmered into existence in front of them. They were large, comfortable recliners –the type that Daniel wished he owned, but never got around to purchasing. Daniel had just been thinking that he wanted to sit down to hear this. The man smiled slightly at the chairs appearance and sat down.

"You learn quickly, Dr. Jackson," he commented.

"I made those appear?" Daniel asked, touching the other unoccupied chair apprehensively. It felt 'real' enough.

"Reality is shaped by thoughts here." Daniel carefully took a seat.

"It's a dreamscape? We're within my mind?" Daniel hypothesized.

"This is our world. We exist within you and so this place exists within yourself." It was like talking to Oma Desala again, except Virgil almost made sense. But so help him god, if he started talking about tall men hiding in short grass…

"So we're inside me because you're inside me," Daniel clarified.

"Yes, you understand."

No, he really didn't. But from Daniel's past experience, he knew better than to admit it.


"Doctor Fraiser, I need the monthly medical supply order," a Lieutenant announced from the doorway of the lab.

"It's on my computer," Janet replied, glancing quickly up from her microscope. Five minutes later she looked up again and he was still there waiting.

"You want me to get it now, don't you?"

The Lieutenant nodded sharply, and Janet got up from the short, awkward lab stool. Her legs were getting cramped anyway (her brain too).

Janet tripped walking into her office (damn cord for the damn laptop!). She turned on the lights to be greeted with the lovely sight of a pile of unread files. Janet rubbed her eyes. Nope, the pile wasn't disappearing. Sighing at the backlog, she switched on her computer.

"It'll just be a few minutes, Lieutenant!" she shouted to the man outside her door.

Waiting for Windows XP to load, Janet glanced at the pile, and idly flipped through the reports: Medical Files, SG-4's Mission report (the medical SG team), inventory reports, a new study on a protein isolated from the Jaffa immune system…

Janet stopped flipping, and started reading the abstract of the study: "…Law-18, a protein uniquely produced by the Jaffa immune system, has been shown to mark mutated cells for degeneration by lymphocytes… has particular ramifications for cancer research…"

This was good. Really good. However, Janet restrained herself from getting too hopeful. The paper had the suspicious nature of sounding too good to be true. In fact it sounded precisely like the unmasking agent she'd been searching for as a solution to Daniel's infliction. Looking at the name of the scientist that wrote the paper, Janet picked up her phone and dialed the number for Area 51.

"I need to speak to Dr. Edward Milligan immediately. Tell him it's Dr. Janet Fraiser from the SGC." Janet crossed her fingers that her name alone would carry enough weight to talk to the scientist without delay.

The young Lieutenant poked his head into her office and she waved him off with her free hand, "Go and get a coffee. I'll have the order printed up for you as soon as I'm done with this call."


"Dr. Fraiser?" Janet looked up from the hurried notes she had been writing while on the phone with Dr. Milligan. They had talked for nearly an hour as he explained his research. In fact he had several samples in the SGC that she could examine 'at her convenience'. Janet now knew that she had the key to curing Daniel and she was overwhelmed with the adrenaline from the find.

The nurse rushed on with her news as soon as she knew she had Janet's attention, "Dr. Jackson's woken up."


"Daniel?" Janet voice was filled with relief as she approached her patient's bedside. Familiar blue eyes greeted her, but he had the strangest expression written on his face.

"Dr. Janet Fraiser," he said in an emotionless, silted tone.

Her face fell, and she immediately knew what had happened. Whoever was talking to her wasn't Daniel Jackson (God knew she'd seen it enough times).

Janet reacted instinctively. "Lieutenant!" she yelled, praying that the poor man was still waiting outside the infirmary. She rushed over to hit the large red panic button on the far wall, but she was too slow. The person that wasn't Daniel jumped off of his bed and grabbed her into a bear hug. Janet struggled. She was an Air Force Major, for god's sake! However, she was also only five foot two and whatever was controlling Daniel wasn't planning on letting her go. She was leverage.


TBC

(Dum! Dum! DUM!)