"Mens Mentis"
Spoilers: "Children of the Gods", "Forever in a Day", and "Death Knell"
Author's Note: Just a reminder that this story takes place before they learn about the Ancient Gene and ATA (Ancient Technology Activation).
Thanks once again for all of the reviews, you guys are great! There's more talking again in this one, but something actually happens in the last half, so hang in there ;-) Enjoy!
-Chapter Six-
"Wait a minute, Dr. Jackson," General Hammond interrupted him. "You said that this device gives people the ability to read thoughts?"
"Yes…" Daniel replied cautiously.
"And it has some sort of safe guard so that the Goa'uld can not use it."
"That's correct."
"Well, it seems that this device doesn't work properly, unless of course there's something you forgot to tell me." Hammond looked sternly at the archaeologist.
"You mean, I didn't tell you that I can hear people's thoughts? Must've slipped my mind." Daniel chuckled nervously.
"Daniel Jackson, this is serious! You know the rules!"
"Sir, If I may," Jack leaned forward in his chair, interrupting them with a raised index finger. "Daniel came to-"
"Colonel O'Neill! Do not tell me that you knew about all of this!" Hammond yelled at his 2IC.
"Ok, Sir." Jack shut his mouth and leaned back. Hammond was practically fuming.
"I'm sorry, Sir, I knew that if I told anyone, I'd be stuck in the Infirmary, and I wouldn't be able to help Sam." Daniel explained. "I feel fine, honestly."
"I'd like to be the judge of that," Dr. Fraiser replied.
"Ok, I promise to get checked out as soon as we're done here."
Although he still looked livid, Hammond nodded. "Very well, but this isn't over." He looked directly at Daniel, and then to Jack. "Now, what else have you found?"
"Well, with Dr. Ryan's help, I managed to translate everything that we could find on the object. He created it, and presented it to the council, and they approved it for testing. The device was tested on two males and two females. After the initial reaction wore off, it worked, all four of them were hearing what everyone around them was thinking. It seemed that the device didn't make them hear every thought, just occasional ones. Janis, this man, believed that the mind could be trained to control when they, uh, when they could hear the thoughts.
"There were some side affects which the council grew worried about, and they soon pulled the plug on the research. It was decided that people's thoughts are personal, and after so any problems arose, they believed it would be better to leave the project alone. Janis abandoned the project, and began on a new idea about activating technology with the mind."
"Side affects?" Jack questioned when Daniel had finished.
"It didn't say exactly what they were. I'm guessing the headaches probably. It didn't seem like something the council was too worried about."
"Still, I'd like to run some tests." Said Dr. Fraiser.
Hammond nodded. "What about the four people who were testing the device? Did it mention anything about fixing them?"
"They were just left alone, after a moon the effects wore off. Although, they were shunned because they knew everybody's secrets and nobody would talk to them anymore."
"What of the affects on the Goa'uld?" Teal'c asked. "Was the device not tested on one?"
Daniel replied, "No, they never had the chance."
"So, this thing should wear off on Carter too then?" Jack asked hopefully.
"To be honest," Daniel looked at him. "I have no idea."
"Well, she's still got a high fever, which means her body's fighting a disease." Janet explained. "We're doing more test work now, but my guess is that whatever the device did to her is attacking the naquadah in her blood, and her antigens are working hard to fight it. Only time can tell us how it will turn out."
"Is she in pain?" Hammond asked.
Janet shook her head. "No, I don't think so, Sir. But, I think we should try contacting the Tok'ra, they may be able to help."
Hammond nodded. "We'll also try to get in contact with Thor." He looked around the room. "Does anyone have anything else to add?" After he was met with silence, he rose from his chair. "Doctor Jackson, I'm ordering you to go with Dr. Fraiser to the Infirmary."
"Yes, Sir." Daniel replied subordinately, rising from his chair also.
"Colonel O'Neill, my office, now."
'I'm so dead!'
"Ok, we'll have to wait a while for the results to come in," Janet said, looking at Daniel perched on the side of the gurney. "Until then, I want you to rest. No 'buts'. I'll give you something to help you rest if you need it. I had Heather set another bed up in with Sam. I thought you wouldn't object to that."
Daniel grinned slightly at the mention of the Nurse, and he held back a laugh. "Thanks Janet." He jumped down from the bed, and headed off to the Isolation room.
Janet shook her head and sighed.
Daniel spotted Jack coming down the hallway from the other direction. "Geez, you weren't in Hammond's office that whole time, were you?" Daniel asked in disbelief as they met up outside of the door to the room.
"You think you have headaches, try having the good ole' general yelling in your ear for god knows how long."
Daniel winced. "Sorry."
"It wasn't really that bad. He only yelled for the first five minutes, and proceeded to lecture me for the next twenty. The rest of the time he was asking me how I felt and if I needed someone to talk to." Jack grimaced and walked into the room. "So, what's the doc's prognosis?"
"I've been ordered to sleep," Daniel paused by Sam's bedside. A yawn suddenly escaped him. "She said it will be a while before the results come in."
Jack noticed the empty bed next to Sam, and also didn't fail to notice Daniel's attempt at stifling another yawn. "So, maybe you should get right on that sleeping order."
"Yeah," Daniel yawned again. "Sounds like a plan."
The sunlight broke through the leaves of the trees, dancing on the ground as a cool wind blew the leaves around.
Daniel spotted a trail of blood in the dirt below his feet, and began to follow it. He spotted a figure in green fatigues leaning against a tree. As he got closer, he noticed a huge gash in the person's left leg, and, as the head came into view, he realized that it was Sam.
"Sam."
Her eyes flew open, and she looked up at him in confusion. "Daniel?" Placing one arm on the tree, and the other on the ground for support, she began to stand up. She winced as an agonizing pain ripped up her leg.
Daniel quickly stepped forward, and slipped and arm around her waist, helping her to stand.
She wavered a little, once on her feet, and leaned into him for support. When she gained her balance, and the ground had stopped spinning around her, Sam let go of Daniel.
"Are you ok?" Daniel asked in concern.
Sam nodded slowly. "I don't understand, why do you keep appearing?"
"You're really you?" Daniel asked, ignoring her question. Sam merely looked back at him in confusion. "It's really me, you're not dreaming, well, I think you are dreaming, but I'm really me."
Suddenly, everything around them disappeared, and just as suddenly, they found themselves somewhere else. They were standing underneath a Stargate in a large chamber, at the top of some stairs.
Daniel looked at Sam who was standing next to him. She still wore her torn green fatigues, but her leg no longer seemed to bother her. Her attention wasn't focused on him anymore, but on the room that lay before them.
"This is what was missing from the dig in Giza! This is how they controlled it. It took us 15 years, and 3 superconductors to MacGyver a system for the gate on Earth."
Daniel turned around at the sound of Sam's voice, and realized that they were within the main chamber of the Abydos pyramid. The room was filled with they Abydonian boys, and several SGC members, including Jack and Sam. Daniel then spotted himself standing by them. His hair was longer, and he was dressed in his full Abydonian attire. Draped under one of his arms, was Sha're. He realized what he was seeing, as he remembered this day all too well.
"Captain?" Jack's voice interrupted Sam's excitement.
"Look how small it is!"
"Captain!"
Daniel's eyes were glued on Sha're, and he barely noticed as Sam introduced herself to him.
"Dr. Jackson, I presume. I'm Dr. Samantha Carter."
"I thought you wanted to be called 'Captain'." Jack interrupted smartly.
Sam had noticed Daniel stiffen beside her, and she turned to look at him once more. Noticing that he was staring at Sha're, Sam's heart constricted in pain for him.
Again, everything fell from around them, and was replaced by sandy dunes. They were standing amongst a forlorn crowd surrounding a grave. Kasuf was in the midst; speaking of his lost daughter in a language that Sam couldn't understand.
The people around them disappeared, this time; they were back by the river where Daniel had first run into Sam during his dreams.
They were now both wearing Jeans. Sam's cuts and bruises were gone, and she wore a white T-shirt, while Daniel wore a loose fitting blue shirt.
Sam looked at Daniel apologetically. "Sorry, I was just thinking about when we first met, and then about Sha're…"
Daniel shook his head, smiling sadly. "You can't help what you're thinking."
"I'm still confused," Sam said, sitting down on a log. "You're really here, but how? What's going on?"
Daniel sat down next to her. "It's a long story."
A/N: thanks once again for reading everyone! I hope that the end of this one got a little more exciting. There's still lots more to come, so let me know what you think.