Dead Language
"We need a med team in here now!" Sam shouted over the radio as she looked down at Jack's motionless body. Daniel knelt down to take a closer look at Teal'c.
"They've been shot, but I don't think it looks fatal. I've been shot enough times to know the difference." Daniel rose to his full height when the med team entered the room. Elizabeth approached him.
"Has anything like this ever happened before? It seems so…impossible." Daniel crossed his arms and watched as the med team carefully placed Jack and Teal'c on stretchers.
"I know. It happened so suddenly."
"Who do you think this Janus is? A Goa'uld?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Judging by his self important introduction and obvious taste for the dramatic—I'd say there's a good chance he's Goa'uld."
"What concerns me even more is his interest in Atlantis." Weir said somberly. Daniel turned to her.
"Don't worry about Atlantis. There is no way we're letting him have that information." Elizabeth felt slightly relieved. The two watched as Jack and Teal'c were carted from the gate room. "Maybe Jack and Teal'c will be able to tell us something". Elizabeth nodded. "Right now I need to do some research on Janus. Maybe I can find out what he's up to." Sam interrupted the conversation.
"Daniel, I'm going to check with the security team and make sure Janus didn't leave behind any surprises. The last thing we need is a team of highly trained killer soldiers on the loose in Colorado." Teyla approached the group.
"I'd like to assist you Colonel Carter. It would be the least I could do." Sam hesitated to respond.
"Don't worry colonel; Teyla is a more than reliable soldier." Elizabeth added. Sam turned to Teyla and smiled. She was not completely sure brining a complete stranger on a dangerous mission was a good plan.
"I'd be glad to have your help." Sam said in a tone revealing her apprehension.
"Sam," Daniel said as he lightly held her arm, "be careful. We really don't know what we're up against."
"I will Daniel." She replied and left the room with Teyla following. Elizabeth turned to Daniel.
"Well, Janus said we have eight hours, so we better start hitting the books."
"Oh, right. Care to join me?" Daniel said with mock enthusiasm.
"I'd be much obliged—lead the way."
Once in his office, Daniel started pulling books off the shelves.
"I know that Janus was a Roman god," Elizabeth began, "of 'beginnings' and 'endings', if I remember correctly." Daniel turned to her with a slightly surprised look on his face.
"Yes, that's correct." He said with a hint of astonishment.
"You seemed surprised." Elizabeth responded.
"No, just impressed." Daniel turned back to his shelf.
"Nice save." She stepped a littler closer to the bookcase, "So, it's more than likely that we're dealing with a Goa'uld deity impersonator here."
"It would seem that way." Daniel pulled a dusty, leather bound book from the shelf. He turned to Elizabeth.
"How's your Latin?"
"Non mal," Weir said as she pondered the matter, "but it does leave a little something to be desired." Weir finished as she broke back into English.
"Sounds good enough." Daniel tossed the dusty volume to Elizabeth. She set it on Daniel's desk and carefully paged through it. Daniel pulled a considerably smaller tome from the shelf. Elizabeth looked up.
"Can we trade?" She asked, noticing the smaller book. Daniel moved to his seat.
"Not unless you're well versed in Goa'uld hagiographies." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.
"I see you gave me the fun assignment."
"Yeah, if you see anything referencing Janus in there, let me know." Elizabeth nodded and began to examine the book. It had an elaborately designed cover with what appeared to be an ancient symbol inscribed above the Latin title. Elizabeth felt compelled to find out more.
"Daniel, what exactly is this book?"
"Oh, that. It's a book of Roman history from Dr. Langford's collection. There's an Ancient inscription on the cover meaning 'history'." Weir looked at the cover. "So I figured it would be more germane than Bulfinch's Mythology."
"Fascinating, where did she—" Daniel interrupted Weir's question.
"Elizabeth, I'd really love to discuss this further, but we don't have much time."
"Right."
The two returned to their respective tasks. As he scanned the long passages of self-congratulating Goa'uld history, Daniel's mind began to wander. Just an hour ago he had been fast asleep in the same seat he now occupied. He briefly looked up from his notes. He watched Elizabeth busily translate the Latin volume. His former questions about the Atlanteans presence returned to him, but he banished the thought. Right now he and Elizabeth needed to find a solution and he was very thankful for her help—questions could come later. They worked in complete silence for another forty-five minutes before Elizabeth finally spoke.
"Daniel, I think I've found something."
"Really?" Daniel turned his full on attention on Dr. Weir.
"Yes. In some of the early pages the only reference to the god 'Ianus' call him 'two-faced', in a negative way, but later it starts referring to 'Ianus' as the god of 'beginnings' and 'endings' in a positive way."
"An inconsistency?"
"Yes, quite a significant one. Do you have anything that dates back earlier?" Daniel considered Weir's question. He suddenly jumped up form his chair.
"I can't believe I overlooked this." He walked towards the shelf and starting searching.
"Overlooked what?"
"Some anthropologists believe Roman mythology, while undoubtedly structured on the Greek, is also influenced by the indigenous Etruscans." He pulled a book with a cover that betrayed its 70's origins. "Yes, right here this anthropologist notes that the Etruscan god of the sky, 'Ani', is directly related to the later Roman Janus." He shut the book and continued to look for a primary source.
"Yes, and?" She asked as Daniel pulled another antique book from the shelf.
"And, you're going to be doing a little more reading." He handed the book to Elizabeth and returned to his desk. She began to read ; quickly scanning the opening chapters.
"Here's something. The text refers top the duplicitous god, 'Iani'." She continued to read, "it goes on to say that the other gods banished him." She became slightly more animated. "Maybe," she began again, "the Romans converted 'Iani'into 'Ianus', but ascribed the qualities of 'Ani' to the duplicitous 'Iani' by mistake. That would explain the inconsistency in the early text." Daniel furrowed his brow and considered her remarks.
"I think we've found our guy." He said at last. "This Goa'uld history states that the all seeing Aries, now deceased I might add, banished 'the insignificant and sniveling maggot who only managed to dominate a very small number of Tau'ri.'." Daniel stood up and started speeding through more information. "Now, the fact that Aries had control of this 'maggot's' punishment suggests to me that the banished Goa'uld was in the Mediterranean area where—"
"'Iani' would have been." Elizabeth finished his thought.
"Precisely. It also explains why he wants to go to Atlantis. Like any Goa'uld, if he wants power he needs—"
"Technology. But why has he waited almost three thousand years to make his move?"
"My guess is that he broke out of," Daniel halted expecting Elizabeth to finish his sentence again. She stared back at him waiting for the conclusion. "Prison. And here I thought that would be the easiest one for you to pick up on." Elizabeth smiled slightly.
"Well, I didn't want to steal your thunder."
"He probably escaped after Aries was killed." Suddenly a voice crackled over Elizabeth's radio.
"Dr. Weir. This is Teyla. General O'neill and Teal'c are out of surgery and ready to see you." Elizabeth looked to Daniel.
"We'll be right there." She responded as she rose form the desk. Daniel walked towards the door. "Hopefully they can tell us more." Daniel nodded. They traveled down the corridors leading to the med bay in silence each considering their discoveries. When they reached the entrance, Daniel stood aside allowing Elizabeth to enter first. She stood next to Teyla in-between Jack and Teal'c's cots. Sam stood to the left of Jack. Daniel stood at the foot of the general's bed.
Jack pushed himself into a sitting position to better survey the room. Teal'c still lay still. Sam was concerned, but the med staff assured the team that Teal'c was doing well. The group briefly stood in silence; the subtle hum of technology surrounded them. Elizabeth spoke first.
"How are you feeling general?"
"Well, I've been better…and worse I guess." The wounded Jack replied. Daniel stepped closer to the cot.
"Jack, what could you tell about the troops who attacked? Were they Jaffa?" Jack pondered the question as an increasingly confused expression occupied his face.
"Well, actually, I'm not sure. It happened so fast that I couldn't really get a good look at 'em."
"They were Jaffa," came a baritone voice. The group turned to face Teal'c. "They were equipped with Tau'rii weaponry, but they were Jaffa." Daniel and Elizabeth glanced at one another.
"Then Janus is a Goa'uld." Elizabeth finally said.
"Janus?" Jack began, "Oh yeah, Sam explained that whole bit to me."
"Yes. Elizabeth and I have been researching him. We believe he was banished by the other Goa'uld and imprisoned by Aries." Daniel adjusted his glasses.
"I have heard stories not unlike the one you mention/" Teal'c added.
"Aries, the one who's pickin' turnips with a ladder now?" Jack inquired.
"Yes. It looks like Aries' death gave Janus the opportunity he was looking for." Elizabeth noted. Jack sighed and leaned back against his pillows.
"Well, this loon gave you a gate address right?"
"Right." Sam affirmed.
"Then you should get geared up and head out. Daniel, you'll be leading this mission." Daniel looked up with distress in his eyes.
"Me? Shouldn't Sam—"
"Daniel, Sam will be busy enough figuring out how to get that puddle jumper back online." Jack looked towards Teyla and Elizabeth. "Ladies, if you don't mind, I'd like you to accompany Dr. Jackson." Weir and Teyla nodded to each other.
"We'd love to help." Elizabeth said. Daniel was still in a state of shock.
"Sam, why don't you find some gear for these two ladies." Jack suggested.
"Yes, sir." The dutiful Sam replied. The Atlanteans followed Carter out of the room. Daniel approached Jack.
"I don't know if this is such a good idea."
"I know what I'm doing doc, you'll do a great job. And if I were you, I'd jump at the chance to lead three beautiful women on a potentially dangerous mission." Jack closed his eyes and leaned back into the pillow.
"Daniel Jackson, you will do a superior job."
"Thanks, Teal'c." Suddenly, the day had gone from strange to absurd. "I better go suit up." He said to himself and exited the room. He was about to find out where Janus was leading them.