The Explanation: The Tale of Judea (Part I)
PhDelicious
Disclaimer: Nothing has truly changed since the last time I posted…still not mine. I'm still not getting anything from this so please don't hurt me.
Gabriel set out across the pillar at a right angle from the direction they had approached at. As they crossed back to the outer wall he gestured to the city.
"Refuge is the oldest occupied city here, but as you know our people have not always lived underground. It has only been within the last few hundred years that these precautions have truly proven necessary. Let me tell you the story of our descent."
"Not to turn down free information, but it is unusual for people to share everything so quickly. You know almost nothing about us."
Suzannah responded to Daniel's implied question.
"We have seen the hearts and minds of Jack and Samantha. Their trust in and respect for you, as well as their love for and loyalty to your planet is all we need to know that you will not betray us."
"We are indeed honored by your trust and confidence Healer Suzannah. Gabriel, please continue your tale."
"The histories tell us little about the early ages here on Judea. It is as if our civilization appeared fully formed, split into six Tribes each lead by a Family. Members of the Families held all the positions of power in the guilds and the Family heads met in regular councils to govern the planet. The Families seem to have been mostly fair and benevolent in their governing, though for the most part they kept themselves separate from the other people of their tribes. Of course complete separation is impossible and so after a time many children were born with mixed blood. Some of these children inherited the gifts of the Families and they tended to rise to important positions within the Tribes, but not all were as lucky."
"Gifts?"
"Yes Daniel, legend has it that those of the Family possessed extraordinary talents: telepathy, telekinesis, empathy, powers of healing, and the ability to see the future. These days very few of our people exhibit such abilities, but those that do are more easily able to interact with the old devices. They are the ones responsible for the air plant, the gardens, the Sentinels, and the collective."
"It sounds similar to the Ancient Gene that O'Neill carries, does it not Daniel Jackson?"
"Given what little I saw of the ruins from the initial reports it seems highly probable that these people were related to the Ancients."
Suzannah spoke up again.
"The Collective has been unusually responsive to Jonathan. Perhaps this is why. However it only complicates matters with regards to the retrieval."
"Suzannah, once again, I don't want to give offence, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would actually explain what you mean by Collective and Retrieval instead of just mentioning them and moving on as if we already understand."
"My apologies Daniel. By the time Gabriel has finished our tale you should understand."
By this time the group had crossed back to the outer canyon wall and descended a few levels to approach the large tunnel that Daniel had noticed earlier.
"There seems to be more movement in the air in this section of the cavern."
"That, Teal'c, is the fresh air from one of the gardens being blown back here for us to breathe. One of the many engineering marvels left for us to use."
Gabriel led them into the tunnel, which seemed to brighten as they walked along. The light was emanating from several small doorways.
"Up there are the gardens. Light from the surface is passed through a series of lenses and mirrors to light the plants."
"The Jaffa have never noticed?"
"Most of the illumination holes are camouflaged by dead tree stumps and other plant life."
"An ingenious idea indeed. Please continue with your fascinating tale."
"Well records indicate that this system of governance worked well for several hundred years. Then a couple of gifted Family castoffs began stirring up trouble. It took them a while and a change of leadership to cause any major trouble. That change in leadership came with Esau. Esau was the oldest child of a Family head and should have inherited control. However, he had not inherited many gifts. His younger brother, Jacob, had a double share. Because of this their father had named Jacob his heir. Disillusioned and vengeful, Esau allied himself with the dissatisfied. Under his leadership the castoffs managed to murder most of two Families before they were arrested. After the incident the Family council decided that they could no longer remain aloof from the Tribes. Intermarrying became encouraged and anyone who showed aptitude was fully trained in the use of their gifts. Eventually, there were no more full-blooded Family members left and the manifestations of the gifts became weaker with the passing generations. Now it is all we can do to harness the machines of our ancestors and bend them to our will and stay hidden from the warriors of The Beast."
"Such talents must be sorely missed. But why did your people abandon their cities and move belowground?"
"It happened a few generations after the departure of Isaac, the last Family member. The histories contain very few references to the religious convictions of our ancestors, except for the stories of Isaac. According to what is written Isaac was blessed, or cursed, with the gifts of healing and foreseeing. It is said that on his tenth birthday Isaac entered the council chambers during an open meeting and prophesied the end of their civilization. The adults laughed at him, a small slip of a boy proclaiming such doom. It wasn't until years later, when Isaac had learned to focus his abilities and he had been proven right time and again that people began to remember and worry. The second time he spoke such doom, Isaac was barely twenty and his words were recorded.
Here are the words of Isaac, the last great prophet of Judea, 'The time is coming when the One God will test our faith. Fire will reign from the sky and his people shall quake in terror. One shall come claiming the ability to control the fire and bring peace to the people. People will proclaim him a god, but this is a false proclamation and this man shall enslave and decimate our people. You shall know him by the glowing of his eyes and the marks worn by his soldiers.'
By the time he was thirty Isaac had devised a plan to survive the coming trials. With the help of his sons and some loyal followers, he began to build Refuge, taking advantage of the natural caves here on Judea. This was said to be one of their favorite sites."
Gabriel paused by a sharp bend in the tunnel.
"Here we shall rest a moment."
Daniel, the Suzannah, and finally Teal'c turned the corner. They entered into a moderately sized cave with a large lake in front of them. A small path delineated the lake's edge from where they stood, nest to a waterfall falling away behind them into darkness, to the far side of the cave where a small stream entered. The thunderous noise of the water passing over the falls made speaking impossible. Gabriel gestured for Daniel and Teal'c to make themselves as comfortable as possible before turning to Suzannah. The two Judeans knelt alongside each other facing the water and began to pray. Daniel studies his surrounding in awe, while Teal'c, ever alert, kept an eye out for anything that could harm their new allies.
A/N: I know this is another truly short chapter, but I wasn't going to be able to have the entire story ready before I left for my friends' weddings so I went with the 'little bit of something is better than nothing' theory. Hopefully this chapter kept your attention despite the lack of dialogue or action. Thanks for all the reviews so far. Please continue to let me know what you're thinking. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated, though not necessarily incorporated. Thanks.