Title: Road of Wisdom
Summary: Sam Carter has always tried to protect her younger brother Daniel from her work at the SGC, but when he's exposed to the jars of Osiris and Isis she has no choice but to involve him with the Stargate, or risk losing him.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Mainly Jack/Daniel, even if it's fairly mild. Sub pairings of Jack/Sam, Pete/Sam and Daniel/Sarah do show up randomly.
Author's Notes: This story begins in Stargate's fourth season, in the episode The Curse, however I reserve the right to change anything to suit my plot.
Author's warnings: Not beta'd
Disclaimer: I'd sell my soul for those rights
Chapter Two: Left and Right
Doctor Daniel Carter's face was illuminated softly by a ceiling light. He was currently bent over the main worktable in the room, his head hanging down to shadow a few of the artifacts. A glance at the clock would have told him it was very early in the morning, but as he continued to work diligently, neither he nor Doctor Jordan acknowledged anything but their work.
"Doctor Jordan?" Daniel wiped his long bangs out of his line of vision with the back of his hand. "What do you think about picking a random point of reference with these symbols?" He hadn't thought about it before and relished in the idea of thinking so clearly while so sleep deprived. "I understand it would be random and any given sequence wouldn't make sense, but if I could establish a pattern, any kind of pattern--"
"I don't quite think that will work, Daniel." Doctor Jordan lifted his reading glasses off his nose. "But heaven knows we haven't had any luck with anything else. Why don't you give it a try and in the morning we'll have Steven or Sarah analyze your results."
Daniel nodded to his favorite professor with a weary look then reached for an additional light.
Suddenly Doctor Jordan burst into deep laugher, setting his hands palm down on his own worktable. His shoulders shook and his head dipped.
"Doctor Jordan?"
Daniel set the jar of Isis down and gave the older man a look of curiosity.
"Oh, Danny," David Jordan let slip, still laughing somewhat. "This reminds me of our very first dig together."
A wide smile spread over Daniel's own face. "I remember that."
"By God, am I really getting so old? I remember that day like it was yesterday. I had with me this lanky, somewhat clumsy student who was so overly egger to impress me. If I do recall properly you managed to trip over the main spike holding the tent down within the very first hour of hour arrival."
At that memory Daniel felt a renewal of strength flood his body. He also remembered his early days out in the field. The rush of adrenaline that accompanied being in a new environment, and then the stab of fear from being away from his family. He remembered thinking going to college in another state was one thing, but being out of the country for months on end was a whole different issue. At twenty on his first real dig as an active member, not an assistant, he had been terrified out of his mind.
"It was pretty windy that day, too," He laughed. "It took a couple of us nearly an hour to get it back up and put everything back in order."
"Indeed it was." Doctor Jordan picked up a pencil and made a mark in his open book. "Sarah never has let you live it down, has she?" He shook his head quickly and erased his previous mark, feeling the need for sleep more than ever before. He really was getting too old to work through the night.
"Neither has Steven," Daniel confirmed, and then sat back in awe. "We really have been together a long time, all of us." Boy, did he feel nostalgic.
"You're a good boy," Doctor Jordan said. "You've been a good son to me. I've watched you grow and learn and mature into a self-confident man." He held out his hand to Daniel with beaming pride. "It has been an honor to work with you, Doctor Carter."
Daniel placed his hand into his mentor's and met the strong grip. "Likewise, Doctor Jordan. You were a father to me when my own couldn't be. You always made sure I was incorporated with your work, and that I knew I belonged. I thank you for that, and I appreciate it more than you'll probably ever know."
"You were my best and brightest student, Daniel, and you're my greatest hope for the future of Archeology." Doctor Jordan threw an arm around Daniel's shoulders. "Now enough with the maudlin teenage behavior. Get back to work before we're as old as these artifacts.
"Sure, Doctor Jordan."
With a bounce in his step Daniel returned to his worktable and tucked a free pencil behind his ear. "I can't wait for that carbon-dating analysis," He told Doctor Jordan, looking over his glasses.
"Well, Doctor Gordon promised to e-mail the results of the Osiris jar first thing in the morning, along with the results from several other items, including that odd device we found. What did you say it looked like?"
"I suppose it resembled an arm and wrist bracelet of sorts, but completely unlike anything I've ever seen. The extensions for the fingers and the jewel's purpose is confusing at best. I guess we'll have better luck with the appropriate facility in Chicago."
Doctor Jordan nearly ripped his glasses off his face. "We should get some sleep. In the morning things will become far more clear. I have no doubt we're missing something in or deprived states."
"What about the symbols on the Isis jar? My system?"
"In the morning, Daniel. Now you and I both need a vital four hours of sleep."
Daniel sneezed harshly and wiped his nose on a tissue he retrieved from his pocket. "Alright, Doctor Jordan. I'm going to make a quick phone call to my sister's voicemail. It's important," He added quickly, sneezing again.
"Is everything alright? I know things have been tough lately for your family."
"I hope so," Daniel told Doctor Jordan honestly, then he elaborated, "Sam paged me a couple hours ago, but we were so involved with our work at the time I couldn't get to a phone. I want to make a call to her voicemail and leave a message, just to make sure everything is okay."
Doctor Jordan reached to a nearby stool an scooped up his jacket. "Alright, why don't you use the phone in the adjacent office? Just let Jim know when you're leaving so he can set the motion alarm. Make sure," He warned, "We can't afford to lose or damage any of these artifacts."
He observed Daniel sneeze against and reached out to pat the poor man on the shoulder. "Time to upgrade your allergy medication. I can't have you sneezing all over the place."
Daniel nodded, sniffing. "Noted. Have a good night, Doctor. I'll see you in a few hours."
He watched Doctor Jordan leave the room and then made the quick trip into the conjoined office. He cradled a blue phone between his ear and shoulder as the dialed a familiar pattern. He left a quick and short message asking her what was so important and so secretive that she felt it was necessary they talk right away. He wanted to know why she sounded so apprehensive, and finally added he loved her before hanging up.
His knees were aching as he sank into an office chair. His eyes burned from hours of starring at bland colors and repetitive shapes. He needed to sleep, he deduced. Doctor Jordan was right, four hours would do wonders.
Daniel hadn't meant to lay his head down in his arms atop the wood desk. However with his mind on the thought of sleep, he found his body betraying him. There might have been one or two moments of full awareness, before Daniel was asleep, snoring lightly.
The next time he became aware, a soft but firm hand was shaking his shoulder quickly. A voice whispered his name in his ear and he identified the sweet sound as coming from Sarah.
"What is it?" He blinked rapidly, hands searching for glasses that must have come off in his sleep.
"We have a problem," Sarah told him.
A thought came to him. "Was the alarm set last night?" Was the problem his fault? He had fallen asleep before telling the well trusted security guard to set the alarm. Doctor Jordan had placed his faith in him, and predictably he had failed to come through.
"No, no," The blonde said quickly. "Nothing of that sort."
Daniel rose to his feet and settled the wrinkles out of his clothes. "Then what's the problem?"
"There are members of the Air Force here. Doctor Jordan and Steven are attempting to stop them from barging right in here. They claim they only want to look at our artifacts but Doctor Jordan believes they want to take them."
"The Air Force? Sam?"
Sarah took his hand in hers and let him from the office. "I'm afraid not."
"What does Doctor Jordan want us to do?"
Down the hall they walked, passing other students from the archeology department of the college. They ventured from that building to a nearby one where Daniel could make out the figures of three well dressed military men, Doctor Jordan and Steven.
"You've got the experience in this department, Daniel. You and I just have to stall them."
Daniel frowned. "Stall them?"
Daniel crossed his arms over his chest as he stepped next to Steven, just in time to watch Doctor Jordan storm off towards the archeology department in a fabulous show of rage. Steven gave Daniel a knowing look before he too left quickly. Daniel wasn't quite sure if any of the military men would follow after the doctors, even if they all looked like they sensed a plan in progress. Daniel moved quickly to intercept any idea of them foiling Doctor Jordan's plan.
"I'm Doctor Daniel Carter, and this is my colleague, Doctor Sarah Gardner. What can we help you with?"
"Major Charlie Kawalsky." The man nearest him thrust his hand out, smiling ear to ear. "You're Major Carter's little brother, aren't you?"
"Guilty as charged. Am I to presume you work with Sam?" Kawalsky nodded to Daniel. "Then she's also the one that asked you down here, right?" Logically if Kawalsky worked with Sam, and she was the only one he had talked about the expedition to, she was also the one who had alerted him here. But the question remained, why did the Air Force seem so interested in the artifacts? Why had Sam? God, his sister wouldn't betray him, he hoped.
Kawalsky gave no answer to the question, almost as if he had been trained not to.
"Again," Daniel pressed. "You purpose here is?"
Sarah cut in, "Barring any disrespect, we must ask you to leave, immediately. Doctor Jordan's team is conducting extremely important studies regarding advancements in the field of archeology. The American military has no place here."
Kawalsky removed his hat. "I'm afraid we have permission to be here, ma'am. We'd just like to take a look at the artifacts from the Steward expedition. If everything checks out, we'll be on our way. I assure you, we'll be no trouble at all."
"I assume you have paperwork that will vouch for you?" Daniel asked, then read over the forms Kawalsky handed him.
He passed the paper over to Sarah and shot her an almost helpless look. His finger discreetly passed over the authorization, as if to indicate how deep they had accidentally gone. There was certainly something big going on, and Daniel had no doubt in his mind Doctor Jordan had been right. These men intended to take the artifacts from the Steward expedition. He wasn't sure if this action was part of some big military cover-up but he was less than enthusiastic about handing over possibly the utmost important archeological discovery in the past century. He hoped Doctor Jordan had some brilliant plan up his sleeve, if not they were in serious trouble.
"This looks authentic."
"It is," Kawalski assured. "It gives us the authority to look the artifacts over and take into possession any we deem necessary."
"These artifacts are thousands of years old," Sarah snapped, handing the paper back over to Daniel. "You can't possibly understand how delicate the objects are. You risk breaking or contaminating the artifacts, even without realizing so. Surely you understand our concern."
"Of course, Doctor Gardner, which is why I asked Doctors Greene and Turner to accompany me." The two captains behind him straightened up. "Respectably they hold degrees in archeology and Egyptology. You can rest assured they won't break anything."
Sarah, as if sensing Daniel's anger brought her own arms across her chest in a defensive stance, something Daniel had not seen her do in a very long time. "Just what is the Air Force's interest here? Major Kawalsky, we've come into possession of several thousand year old artifacts, not nuclear warheads."
"None the less," Kawalsky sighed, "I'm here to do my job ma'am, now if you and Doctor Carter could point us in the direction of the Steward artifacts, we'd greatly appreciate it."
Daniel nodded finally, haven given Doctor Jordan all the time he could spare. If he persisted with questions any longer Kawalsky and the other would become suspicious. So instead he and Sarah turned together and let the small group back towards the archeology department.
Daniel stood outside of the room containing the artifacts as Kawalsky and his men sifted through the artifacts. For nearly half an hour he could hear the distinctive unhappy grunts from Steven, and the furious clicking of Sarah's shoes. Perhaps Doctor Jordan's silence was what bothered Daniel the most. Try as he might Daniel could not face the sight of careless military men, handling the artifacts they had no right to.
Then as the minutes came slower the room felt silent until Charlie Kawalsky emerged with the two other doctors, carrying two separate crates from the Steward Expedition. Daniel watched them carry the artifacts away in silence.
"It's alright, Daniel."
Sarah shook his shoulder then, as she had done earlier that morning.
"Quite right," Doctor Jordan added. "Step in, Daniel, and close the door behind you."
Daniel spied Steven leaning against a nearby cleared workbench. He immediately recognized Steven's wiry smile, one he hadn't seen since his days at the University. "You don't seem upset." Daniel observed, watching as both Steven and Doctor Jordan allowed their posture to dictate their emotions.
"You bought us just enough time," Steven said, moving to peek out of a nearby window.
"Enough time for what?"
Doctor Jordan was suddenly nose-diving into stacks of boxes, foam and packing material. The elder doctor sifted through the mess until he uncovered a small box, the label reading it contained archeology books.
"We lost most of it to them," Doctor Jordan said, pulling the box up to rest on a table. "But we decide they wouldn't miss a few artifacts."
"Oh, wait, wait, wait." Daniel took a step back.
Doctor Jordan retrieved the jar of Osiris with careful hands. "You do want to study these artifacts, do you not?"
Daniel's face pinched as he thought of the doctor's actions. "Doctor Jordan, you've very aware of how much I want to study those jars, but it doesn't extend to jail time. You just withheld artifacts from the United States Air Force. And need I remind you that Air Force had a warrant? If they find out we withheld artifacts from them we're facing criminal charges."
"What would you have us do, Daniel?" Steven challenged. "Did you want us to give them everything? You know as well as I do that there is something very big going down that involves the artifacts. Those symbols mean something and obviously the Air Force knows that, which brings me to my next question, Doctor Carter. Do you want to explain to us all how they found out so fast? Fast enough to send a bunch of military dopes over to confiscate not only the artifacts, but all our notes, our charts and our progress. The military has everything, including our carbon-dating analyses, which we have yet to see ourselves."
"What are you saying?" Daniel asked.
"I'm saying," Steven responded, "You're the only one who owns a house here, with a family member in the military. I'm saying you opened your mouth and told your sister, who told her superiors."
"Sam wouldn't, Steven." He bit his tongue after that, because he suspected she would. She was his older sibling who always took it upon herself to ruin everything he did. At his current age he could recognize how unintentional it was, but it still happened all too frequently.
His eyes fell to the floor as he reviewed the conversation he had with her over dinner. She had seemed so much more interested in the symbols than ever before. And he couldn't deny her military status and her accessibility to the artifacts if deemed necessary. All in all she could have quite possibility been responsible for the warrant, but he wasn't going to accuse her until he was absolutely sure.
"Boys, boys." Sarah stepped between them with a disapproving look. "Now is not the time to fight."
Doctor Jordan replaced the lid. "I do agree. Daniel, if you feel uncomfortable I won't ask you to accompany us to Chicago. I was well aware of my actions at the time, but I won't involve you in this without your full consent. It's up to you Daniel. If you choose to sit this out I'll personally ask the University to grant you another project."
"How can you be so okay with withholding these artifacts from the government?" Daniel asked. He could feel the perfect image of his mentor cracking in front of him.
"I'm not proud," Doctor Jordan said, securing the box in his arms. "But I do what I have to for the sake of the future of archeology."
"We can't be caught," Sarah said, and then more softly, "We won't be caught, Daniel, not if we're careful."
Reaching into his coat pocket Doctor Jordan retrieved an airline ticket and handed it to Daniel. "If you want to study the jars of Isis and Osiris, be on this flight, but mind that I will think no less of you if you choose not to participate. The plane leaves at noon."
Daniel stuffed the ticket into his own coat pocket and left the room quickly, eyebrows knitted in worry. He found it sad he couldn't bear to breathe the same air as his associates.
"Do think about it," Sarah called to him just before he was out of earshot.
Standing in the student courtyard Daniel wondered just how his beloved mentor had gone from hero to villain in less than twelve hours. He had always looked up to Doctor Jordan to do the right thing and preserve the integrity of archeology. However now he found his surrogate father betraying the law and a personal moral code. He personally hadn't wanted to give up the artifacts to the government, but he wondered if Doctor Jordan had the authority to withhold those jars and the bracelet of sorts.
Now he was left with an impossible choice. He desperately wanted to be there, shoulder to shoulder with Doctor Jordan studying the artifacts and deciphering the symbols, but he also wanted to live his life without moral corruption. He wanted to do his job without having to look over his shoulder for the government. He really wanted those artifacts more than he had ever wanted anything before.
By ten he was aware of his decision to follow after Doctor Jordan and his team to Chicago. The archeologist in him had won out, as he had expected. He was prepared to deal with the moral and legal ramifications, and he assured himself getting on that place was worth it all.
In a taxi to the airport Daniel recalled a conversation with Sam from long ago. Just shortly after their mother's death she had told him about a certain feeling in the pit of her stomach. He wasn't completely sure if everyone felt it from time to time, but the way Sam had explained it had been terrifying. The nauseating feeling that started in your stomach and then numbed your legs and feet so you couldn't move. The pounding of your heart and the loss of feeling in your arms followed next, completed finally by an aching migraine. That was the feeling of dread. That was the feeling that said something was wrong, and it was exactly what Daniel was feeling currently.
If, and he meant if, Sam had given the military a heads up on the artifacts, she must have had a good reason. Did the military really know about those symbols? How could they?
He prayed by getting on the plane he wasn't getting himself into deep trouble. Unfortunately the bad feeling in his stomach said he had more to worry about from the artifacts, than the military finding out they had lied and withheld items. He surely wished it was the other way around.