CHAPTER 2
The journey to Bryan's apartment was extremely brisk. Jenny had made her way home and now Sam and Shayla were walking in silence. Eventually Sam decided to ask the question that had been bothering her for a while.
"Shayla, excuse me but, did you know that Colonel O'Neill and I were not married on Earth?" she tilted her head curiously in the other woman's direction.
"Shh!" came the hastened response and Shayla glanced furtively around despite their silent surroundings, "We should not speak of this here!"
Sam began to frown even further and quickened her step to keep pace with her escort.
"You didn't have time to speak with Bryan, so when could he have told you this?" the Major continued without pause.
The other woman sighed heavily, looking harassed and suddenly skidded to a halt, facing Sam closely, "I will tell you this briefly, but please do not ask anymore questions at this moment."
"Okay…"
Shayla hissed so quietly that Sam had to lean closely to hear, "Our culture can utilise the human mind, but for certain uses it is forbidden and is punishable by law. A long time ago something amazing was discovered by a scientist in my laboratory," she paused, looking agitated as she glanced around, "He was only young, but very clever. He found a way for people to communicate using only their minds," Sam gasped, but Shayla ignored her, "Do not ask me how it works, only very few members of society are privy to the ability. Bryan and myself are one of those. Now, we really must move quickly!"
Sam sighed heavily in frustration and dutifully tried to ignore the bombardment of many silent scientific questions. Slowly, though a little brusquely, the scientist in her mind was pushed aside and the soldier emerged. If these people could read each other's minds, SG1 could be in extreme danger.
Ignoring her promise to Shayla, Major Carter broke into a run and grasped her companion by the arm.
Shayla spun around in shock, her mouth agape in preparation for verbal assault, but Sam stalled her.
"I really do apologise, but you have to understand, Shayla, that as a soldier, I must know if my team are in any danger from this technology," her voice was firm and harsh and she maintained a secure grip on the woman's arm.
Shayla stared at Sam in anger and for a moment Sam worried that she would be stubborn and refuse to say anything. Eventually Shayla replied, though it was through gritted teeth.
"I do understand, Major Carter," she said shortly, not bothering to curtail her anger through a furious glare, "And rest assured that a private mind cannot be invaded. Your team members are quite safe. Communication is only possible between certain individuals, for example a couple such as Bryan and I. Now please, can this wait until we arrive at the apartment?"
Major Carter tried not to be thrown off by Shayla's obvious anger and squashed the guilty feeling. It was her duty to assess the risks, despite upsetting others.
"Thank you Shayla. Please, lead the way."
Shayla said nothing and spun on heel, striding purposefully down an alleyway. Sam let out a wavering breath as she followed her.
"Quite a sweet little apartment you've got yourself here, Bryan," yawned Colonel O'Neill as he lay lengthwise across an armchair and his legs draped over one of the arm rests.
"Thank you Jack," Bryan beamed with pride, "It was my home before I married Shayla."
The males of SG-1 and Bryan were lounging around the main room of Bryan's apartment, recovering from a huge meal. Despite the wedding the following morning, Jack, Daniel and Bryan saw no reason why they shouldn't have a mild alcoholic drink. As usual, Teal'c drank only mineral water.
"So, how many people do you reckon will attend the service tomorrow?" asked Daniel as he stretched out on Bryan's blue carpeted floor.
"Oh, well since you are not known here, I should think not a great number. But plenty to act as witnesses all the same."
"Are there anymore traditions that we should be aware of?" inquired Teal'c.
"Er, no, I do not think so. However, as you may have guessed, in order to convince my people, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter must act as if they really were husband and wife," muttered Bryan, carefully staring at the drink in his hands.
"Yes we got that," said Jack with a bitter tongue.
Bryan though, seemed slightly nervous and hastened to add, "And that means no more 'majors' or 'colonels' or anything else which may reflect your background. You must refer to one another by Christian name only now."
"Aw. That's a shame. That means I can't call her snookums!" snapped Jack sardonically.
"I was also wondering where Teal'c and I would live during our stay…" Daniel interrupted Jack's staring competition.
"Daniel?" interrupted Jack with a confused glare.
"Well, if you are acting as a married couple, then it would make sense for you to live together. Without Teal'c or I."
Jack's eyes widened and his mouth dropped in revelation.
"Oh come on Jack, surely you thought about that one!" chirruped Daniel, a sly grin playing across his face.
"I, er…um, well, no I guess I didn't actually…" retorted Jack rather sheepishly.
"Oh, I had forgotten about that also!" exclaimed Bryan.
"Surprise, surprise…" muttered Jack. Thankfully, no one reacted as if they had heard.
"Daniel is correct," continued Bryan, "You and Samantha will live here. There is plenty of food and clothing for you; contacting your planet will be unnecessary. Daniel and Teal'c will have an apartment not far from here. I shall have to sort that out tomorrow."
"D'ya want someone to remind you?"
"What? Oh, yes that would be a good idea. Thank you, Jack."
"Anytime," a scathing tone rung through the air.
Bryan continued on for sometime about arrangements for the wedding and how Jack and Sam would be expected to behave (much to Jack's annoyance). Bryan also went through instructions for operating many of the devices that were in the building. Daniel and Teal'c were assured that their residence would be of an equally high quality, full of clothing, food and other essentials, which would last the team many weeks. At this point, Jack pointed out that if they were intending to stay for that long, General Hammond would have to be informed.
"That will have to wait until the day after tomorrow," instructed Bryan sternly, "I doubt whether even Major Carter could master our technology within a single week. It will take two weeks at least."
"Hammond ain't gonna be pleased," mumbled Jack.
Suddenly, Bryan rose himself from his chair and pulled back a drape over the window.
"It is time we were asleep. It is less than twelve hours until your wedding, Jack," he announced with his nose pressed against the window.
Across the room, Teal'c raised a puzzled eyebrow, "On earth, a full day lasts twenty-four hours, Bryan Walter. Is not twelve hours a long time to be at rest?"
The country Captain backed away from the window and burled around to face Teal'c, his eyes wide, "Your day lasts twenty-four hours? That is amazing! A day on Torrina lasts twenty-eight hours! Shayla will be excited to hear this!"
"So will Carter-"
Bryan shot a glare at Jack who looked blank for a moment before he saw Daniel mouthing something behind Bryan's back.
"Oh, sorry. I meant Sam would be excited too."
"That is better. Still, we must rest. It is to be a long day tomorrow!"
"In more ways than one!" added Daniel.
"Er, Bryan…" began Jack.
"Yes?"
"Our, packs that we brought. You wouldn't happen to have them here, would you?"
"Oh dear. It seems I have left them at my other home," muttered Bryan gloomily,
"Not to worry, I shall retrieve them tonight. I shall not be gone long."
And with that, he scampered out of the door and along the street, leaving everyone dazed.
"You know something? That guy is really starting to bug me! At the rate he's going he's gonna forget why we're here!" yelled Jack in a disgruntled tone.
"Yep. He is quite absentminded."
"I concur."
OOO
As the women were nearing the street on which Bryan's apartment was located, said owner could be seen walking rapidly in their direction.
"Bryan!" called Shayla in shock as he approached her, "Where are you going?"
Bryan's brow furrowed when he saw his wife and Major Carter, "I may ask you the same question."
Shayla sighed heavily and explained quietly, "We may have a problem with the marriage between Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. Did it not occur to you that they would be screened before the ceremony?"
The small man looked shocked then horrified. It was clear to Sam that Bryan had, yet again, forgotten something of extreme importance. Sam glanced to her left as she heard a slight growl escape from Shayla; indeed, she looked distinctly unimpressed.
"It slipped my memory," he said simply, staring at Shayla and Major Carter, "What is to be done?"
"We're on our way to inform Colonel O'Neill of the situation and hopefully come up with a plan," said Sam in hushed tones.
"Yes, yes, of course! Please, continue, I shall return shortly!" he patted Shayla on the arm and fumbled on his way.
"Bryan!" called his wife sharply, causing him to turn, "Where are you going?"
The man looked puzzled for a moment until an expression of dawning appeared, "Oh! I had forgotten about Colonel O'Neill's belongings that we stored at our home. I am retrieving them."
Sam watched as his sheepish smile wavered under Shayla's glare, "Very well then," she snapped and spun around. Sam followed the sharp pace with a grin.
OOO
Shayla gently knocked on the door before slowly pushing it open. All three of Sam's team members gazed curiously at them from the seating area.
"What are you two doing here?" Colonel O'Neill was the first to speak. He sat up in surprise and shuffled around to sit in the chair normally.
"It is nice to see you too, Colonel O'Neill," replied Shayla stiffly as she closed the door smartly. Sam smiled inwardly as the Colonel's raised eyebrows; she supposed Shayla was still smarting from her encounter with Bryan.
The women made their way into the seating area and Sam chose a footstool while Shayla sat on the two seater next to Teal'c.
"Did you encounter, Bryan Walter?" asked Teal'c.
"Yes, we did," said Shayla shortly.
"Did he tell you he had forgotten our packs?" said the Colonel with a smirk. Sam hid a smile.
"Yes," muttered Shayla once again. The Colonel grinned at her tone.
"So, why are you here?" he asked again, "Isn't it bad luck for me to see the bride before the wedding?" he glanced at Sam and her cheeks coloured.
"Actually sir, we may have a problem," admitted Carter as she recovered.
Colonel O'Neill raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "A problem?"
"Yes. Regarding our 'marriage'," she lifted one hand to indicate quotation marks.
"Ah. Care to explain?"
"I think Shayla would be better at that…" Carter glanced at Shayla in encouragement. Everyone else looked at her in expectation. The woman shifted slightly in her chair.
"Of course. Please do not be alarmed, I shall endeavour to assist your team in any way I can." She paused and Sam chose this moment to glance at O'Neill. His expression hid his concern excepting those who knew him well.
"As I have mentioned to Major Carter, here on Torrina we have technology which can utilise the human brain." Shayla ignored the outraged look upon Daniel's face and continued, "However, where many uses are so correctly prohibited, others are not. These technologies serve law enforcement and military purposes."
"Okay… Now this is starting to get scary…" muttered Colonel O'Neill with a frown. Carter absentmindedly nodded in agreement.
"Isn't such an invasive technology in violation of your populations' right to privacy?" asked Teal'c calmly.
"In certain cases, no," answered Shayla, "I can understand why you may think this is strange, but you must comprehend that privacy is not necessarily a right which we hold as highly as your people. This has been part of our society for generations. The relatively recent implication of such technology did not shock people."
"What about freedom as a right?" said Carter sharply, "Women here are literally being imprisoned."
O'Neill glanced briefly at her. He knew she had a strong feminist voice, but she would not overstep the boundaries.
"As I have explained, Major Carter, many groups are fighting those laws, but to much of the population it poses no interference with a woman's right to a career. Actually, in cases it encourages a desire to be academic."
"A case of rebellion and proving themselves?" put in Daniel.
"Almost," frowned Shayla; "There are no gender inequalities – strict laws adhere to this. Our marriage encouragement stems from previous generations worship of love. Our ancestors believed us to be stronger and spiritually worthy in a loving couple, than apart."
Daniel appeared enlightened by this concept. Carter still looked distasteful.
"Right, so your society is a loving one…how does this become a problem to us?" O'Neill indicated himself and Carter while staring intently at Shayla.
Shayla, however, looked thrown off by his strong gaze and dipped her head nervously. There was silence around the room and each person appeared thoughtful. Except Colonel O'Neill, "Now I know I'm missing something here…"
He glanced at each of his teammates. Carter appeared rather bewildered, Daniel worried and Teal'c raised an eyebrow in a concerned fashion that clearly said, 'well what are you going to do now?'
"I am saying that we have a way of detecting love frequencies between individuals."
"Love frequencies?" asked Carter immediately, seemingly oblivious to everyone else's stunned silence, "You can measure love?"
"Yes," said Shayla simply, "It is difficult to explain, but essentially every individual emits a…wavelength…of sorts. These are picked up by another persons' brain and wavelengths can match. They can mould together like a puzzle."
"They 'click'!" Carter exclaimed.
"Yes."
Daniel and Carter exchanged excited scientist looks.
"That's what we call such a thing back on Earth," jumped in Daniel.
"Or chemistry," suggested Carter.
Shayla smiled warmly for the first time since she had arrived.
"You have a detector for this?" supplied the Colonel and everyone glanced at him as if the had forgotten he was there.
"Yes."
"Hang on, hang on…You said that when you and Bryan married you were best friends – not a romantic couple. How-"
Shayla cut Sam off with a quick nod and a smile, "I did. Frequencies are not as simple to suggest one is in a loving relationship. Friends, especially close friends can click at a different level. This level can sometimes increase to a higher level."
Both Daniel and Sam smiled warmly at Shayla. The term 'connected on so many levels' suddenly had a whole new meaning.
O'Neill watched as Carter's smile faded and her eyes narrowed; she had thought of something else, "Shayla, you told me before that the authorities would be able to tell if I and the Colonel were married. How is that possible?"
"I follow you, Major Carter," the other woman nodded, "When a married couple are truly in love and are asked to describe a pivotal moment in their relationship…they would corroborate a description of a wedding, engagement or another important moment…" her cheeks coloured slightly.
Carter looked shocked and Daniel raised his eyebrows. The Colonel suppressed the urge to chuckle – this wasn't actually the time for hilarity.
"So if the descriptions do not match, then the testimonies are false?" asked Teal'c.
"That is correct."
Carter glanced at the Colonel then back to the floor. This machine sounded scarily similar to a Za'tarc detector.
"Excellent!" Colonel O'Neill clapped his hands loudly, making everyone glare at him in surprise, "All we have to do is think up a false wedding, get all the details straight and…I now pronounce you husband and wife!"
Carter wasn't shocked when Shayla promptly vetoed his idea.
Shayla smiled mildly at him, not unlike one would look at a young child, "Alone, that is unlikely to work, but could be incorporated with a larger plan. The love frequency is also measured and that cannot be faked."
Sam closed her eyes briefly and brought a hand to her temple. She should have known this planet would cause her a headache.
"Wait a minute… If I'm understanding this correctly, maybe it could work…" muttered Daniel as he leant forward from his seat, "Sam and I are very close friends, so we would click on a lower level, right?"
Shayla nodded briefly, "Yes," then she began to shake her head, "But if you change your story to say that you are now married with Major Carter, the authorities will not-"
"Yes, yes, yes – I know that," interrupted Daniel impatiently. O'Neill recognised the blazing look in his eyes and had a sudden sense of foreboding, "I'm not suggesting Sam and I, what I'm saying is…" he paused and took a deep breath, "Maybe Sam and Jack will connect but on a…higher level," he finished quickly.
The room was submerged in silence.
Sam stared at the floor as many emotions dashed through her. She suddenly didn't want to be here – this topic was far too close to her hidden feelings. Anger at Daniel erupted, but she knew he was just stating the obvious and trying to get them out of this situation.
Shayla glanced between Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill and knew things would not be simple here. She had a sixth sense for such feelings and these two aliens had been no exception. She had noticed how Sam's eyes glistened when she spoke of the Colonel and it represented more than just respect.
"Here's an idea," announced the Colonel gruffly and standing suddenly, "We screw this mission and head home – it is so not worth this…"
"Jack!" Daniel stood before his companion, ready to argue, but Sam jumped up and gently pushed Daniel aside.
"Sir," she said loudly as she stared at him, "This technology is very important. Shayla has just given us a prime example of the mind technology and it is obvious they are scientifically ahead of us. This could have potential implications at practical military level. Sir, we can't let this go!"
The Colonel sighed heavily. He knew what Carter was saying was true.
"And you can't send me back sir; I'm needed here," she continued quietly, easily reading his thoughts.
"I know that too," he muttered bitterly, catching her eye. It was easy to see this was hurting her. He pulled his eyes away and paced the room. Daniel was still on his feet and Jack knew he had more to say.
"Jack…I know I'm naïve when it comes to things like this, but wouldn't General Hammond understand the circumstances and importance of the technology?"
Jack lifted a hand through his hair and sighed again, "Yes, you are naïve when it comes to situations like these, Daniel. And it's not General Hammond that concerns me here. He would understand. It's the burden it would cause him if he were to keep this secret and the potential ramifications if it ever got out!" he whipped round to glare at Daniel, "I shouldn't need to remind you that there are many people on Earth that would use this to dismantle SG-1, the SGC and throw all of us behind bars!"
Daniel held his gaze and nodded sublimely. Jack stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over to stare out the window.
"O'Neill," rumbled Teal'c, "I believe we are in what you call a catch twenty-four situation."
"Catch twenty-two, Teal'c," Jack replied flatly, without facing his friend.
Teal'c dipped his head slowly, "Indeed. It appears that if we do return how without completion of the mission. General Hammond will wish to know why we could not fulfil it. By telling him the true reason, we will be creating a similar burden for him."
All three other members of SG-1 sighed.
"Teal'c's right, sir."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Shayla glanced at Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter once again. She knew this would be difficult for both and neither seemed particularly enticed to speak.
"Perhaps we should leave you alone to talk. We shall help Bryan; he appears to have lost his way."
Daniel nodded at Shayla while Teal'c bowed his head. As Daniel followed her to the door, he placed a brief comforting hand on Sam's arm. She glanced at him and smiled her thanks. In a similar fashion, Teal'c laid a hand on O'Neill's shoulder as they left the apartment.