"Mens Mentis"
A/N: A short chapter, but hopefully a good read none-the-less. Thank you as always for all of the great reviews, you guys keep me writing.
Also, I've gotten my forum up and running, so if you want to talk, or ask questions, that's the place to go.
-Chapter 9-
The triangular device sat in the middle of a table in one of the Isolation Rooms. A million different wires and cables connected it to various blinking machines.
Several scientists in white lab coats bustled from one screen to another, scribbling data on their clipboards.
Amongst all of this stood Jack and Teal'c, watching Dr. Lee as he inspected the device without laying a finger on it.
"So," Jack prodded impatiently, "can you do this, or not?"
Dr. Lee turned to Jack. He noticed that the Colonel was in obvious need of a long night's sleep, but he wasn't stupid enough to point that out. After the next few days he was sure he'll be spending in the lab, he'll probably look like Colonel O'Neill too.
The doctor opened his mouth to explain the dilemma when Daniel Jackson came stumbling through the door, startling a nearby scientist. His face was similar to Jack's, even though he'd been unconscious for several hours previous. Not only that, but his face was unnaturally pale.
His eyes opened wide when he spotted the device sitting in the middle of the room.
"I thought I said that nobody could touch it!" His voice was surprisingly strong for his outward appearance.
"Easy Daniel!" Jack said, raising a hand. "Nobody actually touched it. It took a while, but we managed to move it without any physical contact."
"It was still risky," Daniel replied indignantly.
"Wait a minute!" Jack exclaimed. "Didn't you just have a seizure? Why did Janet even let you out of the Infirmary? She did let you out, right?"
"Yes she let me out. How else would I have known you were here? She let me go because Sam thinks she knows a way to fix this, and I'm the only one who can talk to her." Daniel paused and turned to Dr. Lee. "Sam said that if the device works by an energy wave, you should be able to create an opposite wave to reverse the effects." He looked at Dr. Lee, hoping he'd said that right.
"I already thought of that."
Daniel turned to Jack. "You did?"
"Don't look so surprised."
"Yes, as easy as that does sound, it's not." Dr. Lee said before the two could go any further. "Before I can do anything like that, I need the actual wave signature."
"And how do we get that?" Jack asked.
"The device has to be activated."
"We can't do that!" Daniel cut in quickly.
'Can't Daniel just do it again? He's already been affected, it wouldn't hurt him.' Jack thought.
"Thanks Jack, as much as I'd love to get knocked unconscious again, the device doesn't respond to me anymore." He demonstrated by reaching out and touching the non-reactive device.
'What was that about?' Dr. Lee looked at Daniel in confusion.
"Sorry, Jack though… never mind."
"So, basically we can't do this unless someone gets zapped by that thing?" Jack queried.
Dr. Lee nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"I'll do it." "I will do it." Jack and Teal'c offered at the same time.
Daniel and Lee were quick to push the idea away with exclamations of "No way!" "Don't be stupid!" Daniel of course being the latter.
"There's no other way, you said it yourself." Jack stated. He had obviously already made up his mind.
"Even if either of you do, I can't promise that it will help. You could end up being stuck just like Daniel." Dr. Lee explained.
"Believe me Jack, this really isn't what you want to do." Daniel was listening intently to Jack's thoughts, and knew what he was planning to do.
"General Hammond and Dr. Fraiser would never approve it anyway," Dr. Lee said.
But Jack was already reaching for the device.
"Jack!" Daniel yelled, drawing everybody's attention to the wayward colonel.
The device snapped open, revealing the small, red dome on the inside of the base.
"I'm doing this, Daniel. You can read my thoughts."
Daniel knew that nothing would stop jack except perhaps a well placed bullet. His mind was full of determination to help Daniel and Sam, uncaring of what happened to himself in the process.
"Bill," Daniel said to Dr. Lee. "Set up whatever you need to record the device."
"You can't be serious!"
"He is," Jack said. "Everybody clear the room!"
The gapping scientists looked at each other before filing out of the room. Dr. Lee began setting up the computer. He gave Jack one last glare before leaving himself.
"I wish you well, O'Neill." Teal'c bowed his head to his friend, and left the room.
"I'll watch from the observation room." Daniel said. "You'd better hope that this works or Hammond'll kill you." Daniel turned and left without another word. The door slid shut behind him and he headed to the room next door.
As he reached the window, Jack was holding his fingers uncertainly above the dome. His eyes met Daniel and the uncertainty was replaced with determination. He firmly pressed his fingers to the dome.
It lit up, but from Daniel's position he heard no sound. Moments later, with no outward sign from the device, Jack suddenly collapsed on the floor, the device falling from his hand.
The dome light faded, and it snapped shut again, lying innocently on the floor.
Daniel closed his eyes, sighing in resignation. He collapsed onto the chair behind him.
It was a never-ending nightmare.
A/N: Happy New Year to everyone!