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. Also, because I'm using a primitive form of Word, scene changes aren't showing up and will therefore be indicated by (Stargate SG-1) which isn't especially imaginative or original, but it suits the purpose.
Author's warnings: Not beta'd
Disclaimer: I'd sell my soul for those rights
Additional Notes: Most importantly I have to say I'm actually torn on an issue I've never had to deal with before. I've been getting the feeling that not everyone is exactly savvy with the Jack/Daniel slash that will appear later on in the story. Normally I wouldn't pay mind to this, not in disrespect, but for the fact that I write my stories based on what I want them to be. However, I will admit when this plot bunny sprung into existence, I wanted it to be slash, but as I wrote the first chapter, I felt that it really wasn't suited to be. While I always intended it, the story took its own shape and is really nagging at me not to be slash, but instead a Jack/Daniel friendship. I am torn at the moment between what I want this story to be relationship wise, and what it actually should be. As it stands this is still slash, but this isn't permanent at the moment. I will make a final decision within the next chapter when Daniel and Jack meet up for the first time. Feel free to voice comments about this, as I am interested in knowing.
Chapter Four: Chicago and Cairo
Daniel felt a wave of nervousness as he and Sarah--at least Sarah's body, boarded an Egyptian Airline's plan bound for Cairo. In this action Daniel felt he had poorly judged his opponent and underestimated him the highest degree. It was regrettable as he had been raised in a military household and had been trained to avoid the very trap he found himself in. It was also regrettable because Daniel had no doubt his life was forfeit when they reached Cairo.
More importantly, it was smart and it was learning.
When Osiris had first revealed himself, Daniel had been sure they were both equally confused. If it was indeed Osiris, however possible, he had been utterly lost in a world thousands of years more advanced than him. Despite the 'ship' and higher technology Osiris had hinted at, the sight of a car had caused him what Daniel best felt was a panic attack. However that was only within the first hour.
Somehow as time passed Osiris learned everything Sarah knew. Daniel didn't know how, but Osiris was adapting far fast than he would have liked. Daniel was frightened by the thought of something so powerful in his friend's body, accessing her brilliant mind. Now Osiris knew too much, and he was using that knowledge to the best of his ability.
Who would have thought a being previously thought to be a myth and thousands of years old could learn how to use a credit card in forty-five minutes?
Worse, Osiris seemed to have tapped into Sarah's emotional feelings. As Daniel drove them to the airport Osiris baited him with Sarah's memories. Osiris was very aware he and Sarah had been lovers, and this seemed to please him even more towards the idea of him as Isis' host.
"Why?" Daniel finally managed to ask Osiris, hours into their flight. "Why did you cause the explosion in Doctor Jordan's lab? What did you do to Steven?"
Osiris's long slender hands--Sarah's hands lifted a small bottle to his mouth. "The Host's mind was panicked when I assumed control." Osiris tipped the bottle of alcohol backwards letting the content run down his throat. "Intriguing."
"You were saying?"
Osiris slammed a hand down over Daniel's wrist, over the hand that had been resting on the shared armrest, hard enough to bruise. "Do not speak with such insolence to your King, slave." The crushing grip caused a grimace to form over Daniel's face, but he said nothing. "I will tolerate you now," Osiris continued, "Only because my Host's thoughts of you are of the highest degree. My patience grows thin the longer I am confined to this world. If you anger me again, I will break you."
Oh, boy.
Daniel slouched down in his seat as Osiris removed the hand, leaving an angry, red mark.
"She thought of your Doctor Jordan as I pushed her into submission. She thought of him as a friend and father, and as true competition. She believe he would stop me, and that could not be allowed."
"Steven?" Daniel cradled his wrist to his chest.
Osiris froze, searching Sarah's memories. "He was not present when I claimed this body."
Sweet joy swept over Daniel. Steven was the only other person who knew what they had been working on. He was fairly sure Osiris had destroyed his own jar and Isis' was tucked safely in the overhead compartment. Steven was the only one who knew about the jars and the writing. The Air Force would come looking for the missing artifacts and Steven was Daniel's best hope for some sort of rescue.
Daniel paused in his thoughts. A rescue? What type of rescue was he expecting? He was sitting next to a God, or at least something that perceived himself as one. Could Osiris die, maybe from bullet fire? If Osiris had remained alive this long, was he truly immortal? More importantly, would Osiris break his neck the moment he suspected an ambush of any sort?
"What are we going to Cairo for?" Daniel asked in a hushed tone, careful of the people around him. The last thing he needed was for Osiris to feel threatened and attempt to eliminate the threat the people around them might pose.
"Before my imprisonment, my Queen and I were worshiped by thousands of slaves and had many great monuments built to honor us. One such temple is located in the city you call Cairo. There it houses what we will need."
Daniel didn't like the sound of that, not that he liked much of what was happening in general.
"What do we need?"
"My ship, and the location of the Chappa'ai. I have no doubt it has been moved or buried since the days before my imprisonment."
"There's a ship?" Daniel raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "A ship in the desert? And what's a Chappa'ai?"
"Quite, slave," Osiris commanded.
With displeasure Daniel leaned towards a window. "Just that if I'm to be Isis' host, don't you think I deserve to know?"
Osiris' eyes flashed and Daniel was learning that was when he was less than pleased. "You will know when you are a Host. You will know when you are worthy of that knowledge, slave." Then Osiris' hand was grasping the back of his neck, hard and painfully enough to know she could break it without a second thought. He was important, but expendable.
'Come on, Sam.' Daniel urged his big sister silently. 'This is one mess I don't think I can get out of on my own.'
(Stargate SG-1)
"Sir!" Sam called, waving at her CO from the campus security room doorway. "Sir, we have something!"
Jack gave her a quick nod and patted Teal'c on the shoulder. They took off towards her.
"All the cameras in or around the fire were destroyed by the heat, but previous to that there were no unidentified personnel in the building. However, there is something you might want to see." She leaned forward over the shoulder of a technician who was reviewing the tape. "Back it up to five minutes before the fire," She told him.
Jack watched the somewhat statically picture fly backwards before settling to minutes prior to the end of the feed.
"Here." Sam tapped the screen. "This is Doctor Sarah Gardner. She enters Doctor Jordan's office, spends a minute and a half in there, then exits towards Daniel's office."
"Cameras in the offices?" Jack asked.
"No. Used to be, but privacy issues forced the University to take them out a year ago."
"So no pudding?"
Sam smiled. "Not exactly, sir."
"I got it, Sam!" Lou announced, slipping around Teal'c and Jack.
"Got what?" Jack watched Lou hand a black VHS tape to Sam. "The pudding?"
"Pudding, sir?" Lou questioned.
Jack shrugged.
Sam reached forward to pop the tape into place. "It was just a hunch." And image of Daniel and his female companion appeared. "One that apparently paid off."
"It's a parking lot, sir," Lou supplied. "Where Sam figured most of the staff parked. It has pretty high grade cameras."
Jack leaned closer to the screen. "That's Daniel?" His eyes took in the sight of strong looking male.
"Yes," Sam confirmed. "Just a few minutes after the explosion."
"They were not seen?" Teal'c asked.
Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "Understandably. If your building was on fire you'd bet your bottom dollar you'd be running for the exit."
"Hey, Sam." Lou peered at the picture. "The kid doesn't look exceptionally happy."
"Zoom in and play the tape slowly," Sam told the technician.
Lou pointed to a woman accompanying Daniel on the screen. "Look, she's holding him in front of him like a shield. Now if your building was on fire, and specifically the area where your office was, would you be walking like that out into the parking lot?"
"Is that not the previously mentioned Sarah Garndner?" Teal'c directed his question to Sam.
She leaned back in her chair. "She was the last person we have confirmed entering and then leaving Doctor Jordan's office only minutes before it exploded. I don't think it's a coincidence she's leaving the campus rather quickly."
"Carter?" Jack asked in an unbelievable tone. "You want me to believe that woman forced your brother, who has a lot more than just weight on her, to go with him? You think she over powered him?"
Sam shrugged. "Don't know, sir, maybe she has something on him."
"Literally?" Lou asked, indicating to a weapon. "She is blocking most of herself with him. We can't see if she's holding something against his back."
Sam was less then eased at the thought of her brother being held at gunpoint. "All I know is that Daniel can't be a suspect in the explosion that killed Doctor Jordan and destroyed whatever he was working on, as evident by the tape. However he is recorded leaving with Sarah Gardner, looking less than cooperative, but not fighting. We need to find out where they went an why." Sam reached over for a piece of paper next to her. She read it quickly and said, "And we have to find a Doctor Steven Rayner. He's currently unaccounted for and our only possible witness."
"Carter, get on tracking down Gardner and the kid. Even if they're being slick as all hell, they've bound to slipped up somewhere. Find them," Jack ordered, then turned to Lou. "Ferretti, you and Teal'c go back to the fire. See if you can't find Rayner and check for any of the missing artifacts."
Jack flipped out his cell phone. "I," He said with a sour expression. "Will inform the General."
While Sam flipped her own phone open, fingers flying over the buttons, Teal'c and Lou headed out towards the building on the other side of the campus.
They came upon the scene, seeing for the first time that the fire had spread thought nearly the whole building, flames being fed by flammable materials within. Most of the firefighters had cleared the scene and aside from a few onlookers, the sight was pretty deserted.
Lou lifted his sunglasses off his eyes to redt on his head. "I doubt getting in there is going to happen anytime soon." He pointed out the structural damage to Teal'c. "This building was pretty old from the looks of it, and crumbled under the fire and heat. The parts that haven't come down yet, are looking to pretty soon."
Teal'c nodded in agreement.
"Any evidence to anything we might need is ash now," Lou said. "Which also leave us with a large problem."
"Indeed. Were the jars of Isis and Osiris inside or where they removed prior to the fire?"
"Good question, T, got an answer to go with it?"
"I can endeavor to find one for you."
"Good, Jaffa. Rayner isn't here. If he was, I bet he'd be crying over all his lost work. He's more than likely spotted us and is long gone. Lets head back to the Colonel. There isn't anything we can get from here."
"Got them!" Sam announced when they entered, the Colonel already present. "I was just about to call you two."
Lou took a seat next to her. "Got what?"
"Got our pudding, that's what," Jack said.
Sam handed Lou a piece of paper she had been scribbling on when he entered.
"Egyptian Airlines, flight 78," Lou read. "They're on this flight?"
"Two tickets were character under the name Sarah Gardner. They boarded two hours ago and are on route for Cairo."
Lou reread the line of information, then asked, "Any chance of stopping the flight or holding it at Cairo? We're gonna be behind them quite a bit, and even with them being held up on a civilian airline, we won't get there in time without a little help."
Sam wasn't optimistic. "I'll see what I can do and contact Egyptian authorities, but I doubt they'd hold the plane, and we have no jurisdiction over their actions."
"Okay," Jack said, pulling his sunglasses out of his uniform's pocket. "Just talked to Hammond a couple minutes ago. We're out of here in fifteen minutes. There's a plane on standby at Chicago International. Ferretti, Teal'c, you get anything out of the building?"
"What was left of it, sir?" Lou asked, then elaborated, "The fire trashed most everything, and the firefighters wiped out any traces of anything else with the water . We couldn't see much, but it didn't look like anything survived."
Jack shrugged. "Just as well. Let's get out of here," He raised an eyebrow at Sam. "I'm sure you have a theory or two about how Gardner was able to force Daniel into doing what she wanted."
Sam gathered her jacket up. "One or two, but you aren't going to like either."
"I didn't think so."
(Stargate SG-1)
Osiris and Daniel passed through the Cairo checkpoint without any problems, unfortunately for Daniel. As he and Sarah had originally been scheduled to be in Egypt for that portion of their Middle East archeological expedition, their passports were still authentic and verified. Though Daniel thought maybe it was good and healthy for him that they weren't held up, as Osiris had become overly agitated towards the end of the long flight.
They rented a vehicle suited for the intended terrain and headed out into the desert.
"How do you know where we're going?" Daniel asked him, seemingly lost a mere mile in.
Osiris didn't answer and Daniel didn't ask again.
When the small entrance to the temple became visible, Daniel heard Osiris exercise a distinct sound of approval. They were apparently at their destination, which spelled back news for Daniel.
Osiris jerked him out of the terrain jeep. "Come," He demanded. "We are soon to depart this world."
Daniel allowed himself to be jerked towards the entrance. It was better to reserve his energy at the moment and let Osiris think he was cooperative. Daniel still wasn't completely sure anyone was wise to the Sarah/Osiris issue, or even that he was missing. He couldn't just sit back and wait for someone to notice. He was used to depending on himself, he could handle Osiris if he struck at the right time--at the most advantageous time. He figured he'd only get one chance, but he sure as hell was going to take it. Daniel refused to go down without a fight, refused.