Chapter Two

More Than They're Letting On

-London, England-

"Giles, I think you have a new e-mail." Buffy said when the computer beeped. She got up from the computer chair and joined Will on the couch. After the first e-mail from Dr. Jackson, Giles called the group together. Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Kennedy were there. Xander and Andrew, who were flying from Dublin, still hadn't arrived.

Giles sat in front of the computer and opened the e-mail, reading it aloud. "Mr. Giles, From what I can tell the tablet says this: 'The time will come when the powers of the one known as the Slayer will help in the fight against the false gods. What are you able to tell me about this Slayer? I am curious to find out anything I can. Thank you, Dr. Jackson.'"

"Another god? I have to beat down another one?" Buffy asked, exasperated.

"Well, it says 'false god' and this time you're not the only Slayer," Kennedy reminded her.

"Doesn't mean I want to go up against another being with a god complex." Buffy slumped down in her chair just as the door opened, revealing Xander and Andrew.

"Hey, guys, sorry we're late. Plane got delayed. Did we miss anything?" Xander asked, taking a seat next to Buffy.

"Only that I'm going to have to face some kind of god."

"Gods, plural." Willow mentioned. "But...'false gods'" she added when Buffy shot her a look.

"So, gods, huh? Anything like Glorificus?" Andrew asked.

"I hope not." Dawn said simply. Buffy rested a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Truth is, we don't know much else about them. Without that tablet, we won't be able to know for sure." Giles said.

"Do you think this Dr. Jackson knows more about this than he's letting on?" Kennedy asked.

"It's possible. Will, what did you find out about Dr. Jackson?" Giles asked, removing his glasses.

"Not much. At least not in the past decade or so. The last thing he published was about the pyramids in Giza and how he believes they were built long before the Egyptians used them as tombs. Since then he moved to Colorado Springs and began working in the military base there, NORAD. He's pretty much fallen off the face of the earth, academically-wise, anyway."

"Military?" Buffy asked in disbelief. "Like the Initiative?"

"I don't think so. If it was the Initiative, they'd already know what the Slayer is. Everyone involved there knew what one was and that you were it." Giles concluded.

"Not it anymore." Kennedy interjected.

"I think the real question here is what does an academic, working for the military want with some old tablet?" Willow wondered.

"Well, Dr. Jackson is an amazing linguist and archealogist. It's possible that he's persuing the meaning of the tablet on his own, rather than for the military. I remember that last paper he published. He made a pretty good arguement, although he was laughed out of the world of academia." Giles thought outloud.

"Well, why don't we pay a little visit to Colorado Springs and find out?" Buffy asked. "I want to find out as much as possible about these 'false god' people. Maybe Dr. Jackson can tell us, and I'd rather do it in person."

"I think that would be a good idea." Giles agreed.

"So, back to the States it is." Xander said.

"Sir, I got an e-mail back from Mr. Giles. He and a few others are coming to Colorado." Daniel said when he entered the briefing room.

"What? When?"

"Well, it's a good thing we got back a little early from P5614. They're apparently going to be here this afternoon. Mr. Giles sent the e-mail the day we left for the mission almost a week ago."

"Why do they want to meet?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. My guess is they know something about the Slayer, probably more than they're letting on. The way I figure it, if we want to find the Slayer we're going to have to meet up with them."

"Fine. SG-1 will meet with them. Find out what you can about the Slayer, without mentioning anything..."

"About the Stargate." Jack finished.

"Of course not, sir." Daniel added.