Chapter 8: Unexpected Visitors

Colonel O'Neill stared in puzzlement at the person standing before he and his team.

"Tell me I'm not seeing another ghost." Jack replied slowly.

"If you are, then I'm seeing it as well." Replied Major Carter.

"Relax Jack, I'm not a ghost." Replied the new-come apparition.

"Daniel! You're here, yet you're supposed to be dead, and you're telling me you're not a ghost? What? Do I look like I was born yesterday!" Jack exclaimed.

"I swear, I'm not a ghost." Daniel replied.

Jack picked up a piece of rubble from the ground and chucked it at the archaeologist. It passed right through him.

"Hey! Watch it, Jack!" Daniel exclaimed in offense.

"Not a ghost huh?"

"No."

"Oh for cryin' out loud Daniel, I just threw something at you, and it went through you. Don't you dare try and tell me that you're not a ghost." Jack stated.

"Alright, things go through me, but that doesn't mean that I'm a ghost."

"In my book, it does."

Major Carter had been looking on the situation in confusion and chose that moment to speak.

"Daniel? How can we be sure that it's really you?" Sam questioned suspiciously, remembering her ordeal with the imposter, posing as Jonas.

"Trust me Sam, it's me. I've got something to tell all of you."

"Can they see you too?" Jack questioned pointing to Teal'c and Jonas.

"We can see him, Colonel." Jonas stated, solemnly.

Teal'c nodded to confirm that he was in fact able to see Daniel and continued to look on silently.
"So, Daniel, you said that you had something to tell us, we're all ears." Jack replied.

"Alright, you've been wondering what the deal with this planet is and I have the answer for you." Daniel replied.

"How, do you know we were wondering about this piece of rock?" Asked Jack.

"I've been keeping an eye on all of you, just to make sure you didn't end up in trouble." Daniel told them.

"And you just picked this moment to make your presence known?" Sam asked.

Daniel nodded.

"So what is the deal with this planet, Dr. Jackson?" questioned Jonas.

"You of all people, should have some type of an idea." Daniel informed him.

Jonas drew in a breath as he clued into what was being mentioned.

"You know the..memories, you've been experiencing?"

Jonas nodded silently.

"They're the memories of the people of this planet's past."

"Past?"

"Yes past, this planet has more secrets then any of you could even begin to fathom."

"Like?" Jack inquired.

"The woman that you saw yesterday, the one that was trying to get Jonas out of the way."

"What about her?"

"She was executed on this planet almost 30 years ago."

"So, she was a ghost?"

"A ghost, yes. As were all of the others that you have come in contact with. The two people that attacked Jonas, and the man that was on the ice. They're all ghosts of the past."

"So, why aren't they gone? I mean they are dead, right?"
"They are. They just don't know that."

"Well, what do they want from us?" Sam asked.

"Revenge, it's that simple. They want all of you to go through what they went through, that's what you've been experiencing Jonas, their memories."

"So that's what it was when I was...attacked?" Jonas asked, shifting uncomfortably in his spot.

Dr. Jackson nodded in answer to his question.

"Daniel Jackson, I have yet to experience these vengeful spirits that you speak of." Teal'c spoke up.

"Let's hope you don't get that chance." Jackson told him.

"Thanks for the warning but, one thing. How are we supposed to stop the ghosts before they get the revenge that they want?" Carter questioned.

"I don't know Sam, it's for you to find out." Daniel stated.

"Well, that's just fine and dandy but, if they want revenge, I'm thinking that they'll stop at nothing to get it and there will be absolutely nothing we can do about it." Jack concluded.

"I'm sorry Jack, I can't help you, I've got to go. You'll find a way out of this, somehow." Daniel replied before vanishing into thin air.

"Oh no, he's not a ghost! Explain that!" Jack called into the darkness.

"I'm not a ghost, Jack." Came Daniel's disembodied voice, followed by silence.

"Again with the silence!" Jack exclaimed.

The wind picked up then, tearing over the ground, and biting through the team's clothing.

Jonas looked about, began walking away, and shivered against the wind. So, he'd been experiencing the memories of the planet's past? That in itself was enough to catch anyone off guard, yet he was surprisingly calm, even relieved that he finally had an answer. For some time, he'd been sure he was losing it, now he knew that that wasn't the problem.

He heard a shout ring out in the darkness from somewhere nearby and turned toward it. Only the night greeted him.

"Hello, darkness, my old friend." He muttered, recalling the lyrics to a song he'd heard on the radio recently.
"Hello Jonas." Came a silent reply.

The darkness was talking back, that was definitely more than he'd bargained for. Soon he realized that the darkness wasn't talking to him at all, instead the greeting was being uttered from someone's lips, and he turned toward the speaker, only to let out a shout of surprise that echoed in the night.