The Decision

Jacob wandered back over to their table. "Well, that was … interesting. Don't hold back or anything, Jack."

"What was I gonna do?" Jack demanded, letting out just a bit of frustration with a whack of the table. "I couldn't lie, could I? And there was no point dancing around it, when Anubis knew damn well what he was going for the whole time. I though I'd just save everyone some time by saying it straight out."

"You certainly did," Charlie agreed. "But you were honest and that should count for something."

"Yeah, so you'd think, but I don't know. With those people?" Jack waved a hand in the general direction of the jury seats. "I'm not holding my breath."

"You're not actually breathing at all," Janet offered cheerfully, trying to lighten things up. "Since you're on another plane of existence."

He winced. "Save all that for Carter, will you? It makes my head hurt." She just gave him a 'not buying it' look, but she let it slide, for which he was grateful. He stood up and stretched out his back and cracked his neck. All that defiantly refusing to back off from Anubis had tightened him up something fierce. "Okay. Let's say for a second that there's a miracle and the verdict's in my favor. Then what?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Weren't you listening? You get to choose what happens next. You can go back to your body and let the docs take care of you, wake up, and go off to Washington."

Jack grimaced in distaste. Oh yes, the promotion, the desk, the Pentagon... Wasn't that going to be fun with a capital "F"? "And behind door number two?"

Janet and Charlie exchanged a look, and Charlie said, turning very serious eyes on Jack, "You die, Jack."

He'd thought as much but it was still unbelievable. "That's it? That's my big choice?"

"And you get to Ascend," Jacob put in, with a frustrated look at Charlie.

"Ooh, really, I get to be glowy too?" Jack asked, barely able to muster fake enthusiasm for the prospect. Yeah, sitting around on his ass and watching the galaxy like it was just one big television show for the rest of eternity sounded fun. Not.

"It's not so bad," Jacob said, but not with heaps of enthusiasm either. He must have realized his selling technique needed work, because he added, "Look, Jack, most people don't get offered the opportunity at all."

That still wasn't all that impressive from where Jack was sitting. "Yeah, well, most people don't get pain-in-the-mik'ta Goa'uld Glowing Jellyfish Wannabe's screwing around in their life, either."

"Point," Jacob agreed, with a glum nod and gave up on the joys of Ascendedness.

So Jack decided to find out what was really going on with him. "So, Jake, what's up with Selmak? And Lantash too, I gather."

Janet reached across the table and patted Jacob's arm.

Jacob answered after a moment, "We all ascended separately and we're not allowed to find each other, at least not yet. Some bull about having to grow as individuals first."

"Sounds like the busybody Ascended we all know," Jack agreed. He was going to ask more, but Jacob stiffened up in that odd way that seemed to mean he was communicating with the Others somehow.

"They're done," he said.

"That was fast," Jack tried for nonchalance and knew he'd failed when Janet took his hand and squeezed.

"There is no time here," she reminded him gently. "No fast or slow. Only as much as they needed."

Which still sounded to him like the jury hadn't been gone very long, but this was some other dimension so what the hell did he know?

Anubis appeared, then the jury, and lastly Judge Jack. Jack's clone had a decided poker face as he looked at the jury, and Jack couldn't tell if he knew the verdict already or was preparing himself to hear it. He said, "The members of the jury are decided. One by one, you must stand and give your decision. First, Omoc of Tollana."

The Tollan who'd gotten killed by his own people for questioning some shady dealings with Tanith stood up. "Not guilty. Though my people abhor violence, we do not question the need for defense against a stronger enemy. Would that my people had defenders of O'Neill's caliber -- Tollana might still exist."

He gave a very polite nod of his head to Jack, who returned it, and he disappeared.

The next to stand was Alar of Euronda. He refused to look at Jack, fixing his eyes on Anubis. His elegantly spare form and voice were just as Jack remembered, as was the hypocrisy. "Guilty. I heard no remorse, only the arrogant assurance that his way was the only true and right way. Those deaths, and many more, lie on his head and should be punished."

He disappeared and Reese stood up. In contrast to Alar, she looked fixedly at Jack, "You killed my toys," she said with a petulant child's voice. "They're all dead, because of you. You and the Goa'uld deserve each other -- you should have all died! Guilty!"

The two Unas stood up in turn, and each grunted only one word in their language and vanished. When there was no translation forthcoming from anyone, Jack leaned into Charlie and whispered, "What?"

"Innocent," Charlie whispered back.

That made it 3-2 in his favor. Jack was on the edge of his seat as Morem the Aschen stood up. He looked down his nose at Jack, who felt another niggling of conscience. Yes, the Aschen had conquered their neighbors no less ruthlessly than the Goa'uld and planned to do the same to Earth, but still, had they deserved getting their homeworld sucked into a black hole?

"Guilty," he said, not surprising Jack at all. He didn't explain why, but no doubt everyone there knew anyway.

That left the Reetou, the weird alien, and Fifth.

The Reetou didn't have to stand up since it wasn't actually sitting in a chair at all. It warbled something in its language and instead of flashing out of the room, sort of shimmered out of sight and was gone.

Charlie translated again, "'Not guilty. The Goa'uld once hunted us; it is proper that they in turn be hunted.'"

Jack wasn't sure that was a ringing endorsement, since it sounded more like the Reetou thought he'd done it, but didn't feel it was a crime.

The other alien unfolded itself from the chair and a very disconcerting pair of eyes landed on Jack. It was like looking into a chasm with no bottom. The alien clicked and hissed for what seemed like forever, and Jack had no idea what it was saying.

Except that in his head he "heard" the translation -- "Of these things we know: Jack O'Neill meant well. He believed in necessity. He believed in defense. He believed truly. Belief is not truth. Truth is not correct. Correct-action is no action." And it disappeared.

Jack frowned, trying to figure it out. But he was feeling very 'huh?' at the moment. What did the alien mean? He hadn't said guilty or not guilty. So what was his vote?

Janet glanced at him and took pity on his obvious confusion. She shook her head in rueful negative.

Jack felt it like a blow. The alien had voted against him? But why?

His eyes settled on Fifth - he of the curly hair and the once-open and eager face on a young man's body, even if that body was made up of gazillion tiny Replicators . Jack's entire insides froze up. The votes were now tied, four to four, and that gave Fifth the deciding vote.

And Fifth hated him.

Fifth slowly got to his feet. He hesitated, head hanging and gaze directed at Anubis' table. He spoke quietly, but with the intensity that Jack remembered from when they'd met.

"Once I was innocent. I was a child. And I trusted in Jack O'Neill and Samantha. They betrayed me." With that he lifted his head and fixed Jack with a cold, but also very hurt glare. Ouch.

"From that I learned hatred and vengeance," Fifth continued. "I created a child of my own, who was tainted with what I had learned. She betrayed me too, and killed me. I thought I could hate nothing more than I hated the Tau'ri in that moment."

Jack swallowed hard. This was sounding worse and worse.

Fifth's gaze now moved to Anubis. "But then I watched the Goa'uld. I watched you. I watched your lieutenant betray you. He allied with his enemy O'Neill to stop your plan of conquest and destruction of all life in this galaxy. From that action I learned that doing the right and necessary thing may sometimes be a betrayal of someone else. I realized that O'Neill and Samantha's betrayal of me was because they needed to protect their people from mine."

He looked at Jack again and there was something like a smile in his eyes, or at least forgiveness. "After some thought, I have decided that O'Neill is guilty of many things, but he deserves the chance to continue to protect his people. That's what he does best." He nodded once to Jack and disappeared.

"All right!" Judge Jack shouted, pumping a fist in triumph and apparently released from any obligation to pretend neutrality. "You win, Jack. Now click your heels three times and say there's no place like home, and it's all over. Congratulations." And he was gone too.

Anubis said nothing, just glared at him, and winked out of the room.

For a moment, Jack just sat there, trying to absorb it all. Then he let out a long breath and collapsed back into his chair. "Well… thank God. I was a little worried there for a second."

"We told you it would work out," Janet said, folding her arms in a huff, but Jack caught the smile she couldn't quite suppress.

Charlie shook his head and chuckled ruefully. "You do realize that he changed his mind because Baal turned on Anubis to work with you?"

"Yeah, I'll be sure to send the snakehead a thank you card when I get back," Jack grumped at him, but his heart wasn't in it. He was still trying to process that Fifth had actually voted for him. Maybe the kid wasn't such a bad guy after all.

But it wasn't really Fifth he had to thank for this, he knew. He stood and reached out to put a hand on Charlie and Janet's shoulders. "Thank you both. All of you," he added quickly with a glance at Jacob, "You were amazing."

"No problem," Charlie answered flippantly, but he reached across and grasped Jack's shoulder and squeezed, saying with the gesture all that he wasn't going to say out loud.

Jacob joined them at the table, shaking his head at Jack again in amazement. "You have more luck than any three people deserve, Jack. I thought for sure the Replicator was going against you."

Jack put a hand over his heart, "You mean ascension doesn't mean knowing everything? Well, damn, now I'm all shocked."

Charlie snickered, and Janet bit her lip, so she wouldn't grin.

Jacob just sighed. "Very funny. But you still have to make the choice, Jack. Do you want to go back or stay here?"

Jack let the levity dwindle away, since he wanted Jacob to understand that he was serious. "I told Daniel no when he offered to help. I meant it then, Jacob, and I mean it now. I don't want this." He looked around the fake courtroom and shook his head. "I couldn't stand around and just watch. It didn't work for Daniel, and it sure as hell wouldn't work for me."

Charlie and Janet shared a rueful and disappointed look. "We thought as much," she said to Jack. "But we were hoping anyway."

"We should get going," Jacob said, apologetically. "We're not supposed to linger after you decide to go."

Jack awkwardly faced Janet, not knowing what else to say. But she knew what to do, giving him a fierce hug. "Remember, we're not gone," she reminded him. "As long as you remember us, we're still watching over you. We'll help as much as we can, even if you won't know it, I promise."

"Janet?" he pulled back to try to look in her face, worried by what she was not saying.

Jacob stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Trouble's coming, Jack. And all of us up here, who still care about down there, will be doing what we can. It isn't much, you're right about that, but you're not alone. Okay? Try to remember."

"You'll be needed, Jack," Janet added. For just a moment, she wasn't the Janet Frasier he had known, but someone beyond her, with knowledge in her brown eyes that shouldn't be there. "The Goa'uld are not the only evil in the universe."

Jack looked from Janet to Jacob, who nodded once, to Charlie, who held up a hand to stop any questions. "No, don't ask. If we leave it at that, the Others might let you remember it. Just… remember, Jack. You're needed."

"And when the time comes," Janet smiled at him, warm and human once again as she let go of his hand with one last squeeze, "we'll be waiting for you. Give Cassandra my love, and tell Sam she better take good care of my daughter."

"I will," he promised.

"Take care of yourself, old buddy," Charlie said, clapping him on the shoulder and then standing away. He and Janet both disappeared in flares of light.

Jack looked into the former General Carter's face, trying to read it. He wanted to ask about the cryptic warnings, but it was pretty obvious that was all he was going to get. "So. Back to the Waffle House of Glowing Jellyfish?"

Jacob shook his head once, half-smiling. "No, straight home for you this time."

"Oh, then, this is it then?" Jack asked, suddenly feeling awkward. There were so many things he wanted to say and questions he wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come. He settled on a weak effort, "I hope you find Selmak, Jacob."

"Me, too. Thanks." Jacob cast an appraising eye over him, making Jack feel very much like a lieutenant again. "You're a good man, Jack. I don't think being at the Pentagon will change that."

"You're not sure? You've gone glowy and you're still such a pessimist?"

Jacob cast his eyes up to the non-existent ceiling to beg the Others for more patience. "Shut up, Jack. Let's get you home before Fifth remembers how aggravating you are and changes his vote"

As the bright light seemed to fold itself around him, Jack heard Jacob laugh, "Oh, before I forget, the answer to your question is no."

But then there was nothing but light, and as it faded to darkness, Jack's mind went with it, following it into the silent stillness of his body.

Annoying beeping. Check.

Chemical smell of antiseptic. Check.

Tug of an i.v. in his arm. Check.

Infirmary.

Jack heaved an inward sigh and opened his eyes. Yep, infirmary.

He moved his head, which objected to the motion by pounding at least two nails in his brain. There was Daniel, reading something which he laid aside the instant he realized Jack was awake.

Daniel leaned close and asked in a considerate murmur, "Hey, there. How are you feeling?"

"I didn't authorize construction on this floor, so the pounding must be in my head," Jack said by way of an answer and groaned. "What the hell happened?"

"Concussion," Daniel explained. "Your packing box fell on your head. You've been unconscious for almost two days."

"Oh, that explains it. For a moment I felt I'd been on a trip or something. Weird. I think I was dreaming," Jack said, frowning. He had strange wisps of memory drifting in his mind. But they were slipping away from him, dissolving like snowflakes in the sun. "Something about Jacob, I think. And Anubis. Cronus was there, too, of all people." Looking up at the infirmary ceiling reminded him, and he added softly, "And the doc, too. They were all trying to tell me something. Something important."

"Tell you what?" Daniel asked, as if he was genuinely curious, not just humoring Jack's strange, incoherent dream.

"I don't know." Jack shook his head a little, but whatever it was, was gone. But it left him with a very unsettled feeling that he hoped was the product of his concussion, but which he feared was not.

Yet there was another feeling in there as well, a new sense of anticipation for his promotion that hadn't been there before. Like he'd let go of some things, and he was ready to move on.

He smiled up at his friend. "But I think they were telling me that life is for the living, Daniel. And it's still a pretty good life to have."

fin.

I hope you enjoyed the story! Feedback is the coin of the realm...

My original plot bunny assignment for anyone curious:

Time frame: S8 after "Threads"

Pairings: No overt ship, no slash.

Plot: While hovering on the verge of death, a comatose Jack is visited

by a glowy Jacob/Selmak and informed he is to be put on trial to answer for

all the dead false gods he & his team have sent to the Great Beyond. His

defense team: Charlie Kowalsky and Janet Fraiser. The judge: Jack's duplicate

from 'Tin Man'. The jury: Any deceased being from the series who wasn't from

the SGC or a Goa'uld (i.e. any of the Tollan, anyone from Abydos, Alar or

any of his people (The Other Side), Reece (Menace), any of the replicators

(First, Fifth, etc.), an Unas, etc.