Chapter Ten
Jacob
I could not believe this is happening. Jack vanished. A little girl vanished and is Jack's daughter. She comes back to be sent into a comatose state with Sam. Baal snagged Daniel but Thor got him back. Some weird emotional wave of sorts is happening. And now, we see all four of the races from the original Alliance standing here, hopefully with an explanation.
"To help you understand this better," Parcae entreated. Her voice had a singsong quality to it, "let me explain our history a little."
"Long ago we were beings as you, exploring the universe and making allies. We needed to because of a threat from beings that stole from other worlds and destroy that which they cannot have. You call them parasites, or the Goa'uld. They were discovered on a planet after we established a gate. We did not know of the threat until several years later when we woke up the Unis colony, the first host, that had been hibernating. We still did not find out why they were in hibernation, only that we woke them. Things rapidly became out of control and the parasites within the Unis soon infested the Universe with their greed, hated, and evil control.
The Alliance was able to create the Claviger, the device to help stop the Goa'uld. There was one scientist that had created the first of these with the help of the Alliance and went on to develop the second. He is the only one that knows the true nature of the Claviger. Any one else that helped was not privy to the full extent of the device. We can only tell you what had happened with the first one.
You may know some of it by pieces here and there that you have gleaned through out our galaxy. The Ancients developed an illness that rapidly causes deterioration of the brain. They were unable to find a cure and most had died. Including the scientist that created the Claviger, but not before he finished with the second. He had hoped it would work better this time because it was a side effect from the first that caused the Ancient's demise on your plane of existence. It also was able to help into being the To'kra. Their queen Eigeria was the first and only to be transformed. She went on to breeding with the help from some Ancient genetics to give birth to the first Tok'ras."
"Mercurio," I had said. I, or Selmak rather, remembered the name of the father.
"Yes, Mercurio was the name of the donor of the genetic material. He is also the creator of the Claviger, and the Key."
"The what," asked Daniel?
"The Key, the Claviger creates the Key. It is genetically engineered to alter Goa'uld physiology. Mercurio also made sure that no one else became the Key. He did not believe that anyone else should take the risk or sacrifice other then himself."
"Whoa! If Mercurio was the first and he made the device to only use him for the Key, then why did it take Jack and Tilly," Daniel asked as he frowned at that thought. "Is Jack a descendant of Mercurio?"
"Tilly had been a mistake I believe. I am not sure, but the Key sent her back." She paused a bit before she continued, "Mercurio had eventually died in the physical sense, but not before the second Claviger was built and not before he and his followers went forth to re-establish the Ancient gene into the matrix of the second evolution of humans on Earth. He and the others were able to control the illness and isolate it within themselves, so as to not spread it through the populous. I do not know how they did this but it worked. Mercurio went on through the millenniums from one life to another, biding his time until it was right moment to activate the Claviger again. His followers traveled along the same path as he."
"SG-1?" I concluded.
"Yes, but they are not the only ones. There are many. Including you. There are, however, a part missing that Mercurio summoned to him a short time ago. Parts that may help complete the formation of the Key. A part of himself."
Daniel's face furrowed in concentration trying to figure out the part that could have been missing, then a light bulb appeared to go off as I looked at him. "Jon! He is the part that he needed."
"Who is Jon?" I asked.
"The clone of O'Neill," Teal'c informed.
"That's right. I had forgotten about him. I did not know he still lived."
"Yes. Thor was kind enough to repair the flaw in his DNA so he could live a normal life. Well, normal for Jack." Daniel stated. "Parcae, what could Jon provide that Jack did not already have? They are essentially the same, right?"
"Strength."
That was all she said. Then something caught her attention. She glided - that is the only word to describe it - over to the pod that Sam and Tilly were in. She stopped at the foot of the pods and proceeded to extend her wings out in an arched fashion towards their heads. Parcae's natural glow became brighter for a moment. It felt like an eternity before her glow diminished and she furled her wings. She turned to us and said, "They have been seized by an old enemy that will not die."
Daniel was the first to exlaim, "Abducted? Right? That is what you're telling us? That they've been kidnapped...but they are still here."
"Their essence has been stolen. It..." she stopped to close her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "...Appears to be the one you have vanquished before. The one that is not entirely of your world or...Oma's."
Everyone turned to look at Oma and Daniel sighed, "Anubus."
Oma smiled with sadness in her eyes and nodded in agreement.
I turned back to Parcae and asked, "Why?"
"In hope of stopping Mercurio."
Daniel
This has got to be the strangest yet. To top it all off we are standing here doing nothing to help. There has got to be something to help them.
"Parcae, you said Jack, or Mercurio, had followers when he went forth after the first Claviger and that we are apart of them?"
"Yes."
"Do you think that there might be something that Mercurio may have left for us with the Claviger? Something that could help him?" I had asked hoping we could do something, anything. Parcae and her fellow Alliance representatives looked at us for a moment and then at each other as if in a psychic conversation.
"Possible."
"May I look at the Claviger? There might be something there that could help us."
"You may look at the Claviger," Oma had answered.
"Oma, or who ever, when I was on Baal's ship the waves that hit us had incapacitated Baal and about half of the Jaffas. Is that how Jack or Mercurio will change the Goa'uld?" I inquired.
Lya moved forward and smiled with a tilt of her head and said, "Maybe. During the first healing of the Goa'uld it was with a touch by the hand of the Key," she said while holding out her hand, palm up. "But there were no waves such as these during the first time. So maybe this is the part of the alteration that Mercurio made. We cannot be positive.
Thor came forward to inform Jacob that he had a message coming through from the Tok'ra.
As Jacob was occupied I looked at the Claviger. The four sides of the cube were covered with the different marking from the four races, but the top had diverse markings. They seem familiar but I could not place them. All five sides had what appeared to be inscriptions surrounding each of the jewels. If they say the same thing then this would help as a Rosette Stone of sorts. God I wish I had my books. I turned to Lya first and asked her to translate the Nox side first. Then asked Oma for her translation of the Ancient's side. Both had given the same response...'The Past, Present, and Future is the Key to humanity'.
That is strange. The inflections are showing that 'The Key' is the object, not the subject or the verb. Since the Ancient language is similar to Latin that would mean that Jack, being the Key, is the culmination of the Past, Present, and Future to bring about Humanity.
So how is that supposed to help us? I could not think. That is when I noticed the symbols on the four corners of the top around the amulet. Each symbol was different and unknown to me. But one symbol drew my attention. It was like a magnet. I reached out with a forefinger to trace the design. That is when I felt a jolt shoot through me. I with drew my finger and stared at it. Flashes of images began to play in my head, a long dead memory of a past that I no longer lived.
-Flashback-
"Mercurio! How can you do this again? We bearly survived the first attempt. Please tell me. What are the odds that you will be able to get it right the second time and what about our race?" Deucalion asked him. Deucalion was standing next to the bed with a young lady at his side, his wife Pyrrhae.
Mercurio was lying on a bed with a cover up to his chest. His wife Caelestis was at his side wiping his forehead with a cooling cloth. She is a vision of loveliness with a white flowing robe and hair to match. The sadness in her eyes is not hidden as she looked upon her husbands face. "Why, my love, do you not allow another? We are all willing to take your place." She had always given him the strength to carry on. The power to over come all odds.
As Mercurio looked at her he reached out a weak hand and said, "this I understand, but I will not accept any other to do my 'dirty' work."
Deucalion, a young man of thirty spoke up and said, "We realize you do not want anyone else to take on what you perceive as your responsibility, but allow us..." as he raised is arms and spread them out to indicate the people in the room, "...to at least help in your next attempt."
Mercurio looked at him for a few moments. Deucalion was a tall, well built man. He had the ability to talk anyone into an agreement and he can interpret thousands of languages across the galaxy. Then Mecurio moved his gaze to the young lady next to him. He had to smile for Pyrrhae was talented as well. She had the ability to keep us working as a unit. She stands only 5'3" but she can be taller than life when the time warrants. Her soft auburn hair flows in waves down to her shoulders and her amber eyes give off the warmth of flames. She linked her arms around her husband as she noticed Mecurio's eyes on her. He smiled at her before moved his gaze to the next occupant in the room, Tutoris.
Tutoris can be the tall silent type, but also speaks his mind when the need arises. He has always been by Mercurio's side since childhood. He is like a big brother to him. Always protecting Mercurio from all threats of harm that might come his way. He is the shield.
Mercurio looked at his closest friends he saw the answer he needed in their faces. "Yes! You can help. In fact, that will be perfect," he said nothing else and proceeded to get out of bed.
"No! You need to lie down. You are not strong enough to leave your bed." Caelestis urged as she tried to block his way.
"My love," he said looking at her as he beseeched her, "I am dead already. Please, this will solve a problem I had with the Claviger and you all can help," he stated as he looked at everyone in turn. "We will need Parcae's help as well. Deucalion, please contact her and meet us in my laboratory.
Mercurio's laboratory was just as spartan as his living quarters. In the center was a table with the Claviger sitting in the center. Mercurio was sitting in a chair and leaning on the table for support. Caelestis was beside him lending her support as well. On his other side was Tutoris, who kept a close eye on his friend. Deucalion and Pyrrhae were opposite Mercurio. Parcae had sat in a backless chair next to Tutoris.
"Parcae, thank you for coming so quickly. I believe I figured out a solution to a problem I have with the Claviger, but I need you to help our path when the time comes. I know about the no interference rule the Firlings have about the future thing, but I need to know if we take the road of 'novus ortus' (rebirth) that we all will be there when the time comes for the activation of the Claviger."
Parcae stood up and nod her head and spread her wings to their full extent and reached up to the celling with them. Her glow intensified. She placed a hand on the Claviger and one on Mercurio's head, and then closed her eyes. The room started to vibrate, the occupants began to shimmer, and small balls of light emerged from each to rise to the center of the table and hover above the Claviger. Each light was a different color. A white ball touched one corner of the top panel, which was generated from Caelestis. An amber light found another corner, which was from Pyrrhae. Deucalion was green and settled opposite corner from Pyrrhae's. Tutoris found the last corner with a red ball. The final light was an aquamarine blue and berthed upon the center jewel. When all of the glows subsided and Parcae were once again sitting in her chair, Mercurio spoke again with the rasp of his fading life. "Thank you." He sat back and looked at Caelestis. "Go out and follow me on the path of 'novus ortus'." His breathing became more labored. He reached out blindly for Caelestis hand. "Our son needs to continue the line."
"Our son? How did you know?" she breathed. "I was going to tell you before you..." she could not finish the last, for she knew that this was the end. She looked into his eyes with a tear in hers then leaned forward to place her last kiss on his lips when he gave his last breath.