Part 2
"Sam, you okay?" asked a concerned Dr. Jackson. Jack supported her for a second until she gently freed herself from his hold. Teal'c and Captain Harper, the fourth member of SG-1, drew close wanting to provide support if she needed it.
"I'm taking you to see Dr. Frasier, Sam. No argument." Her husband was alarmed that the woman he considered almost super-human had shown a moment of weakness.
The trip to the infirmary on level 21 was quiet. By the time Sam and the members of SG-1 walked into Dr. Frasier's domain, she was protesting the need for the visit, "Jack, this really isn't necessary. I'm just hungry. No breakfast this morning, remember?"
"Doc, Sam had a dizzy spell in the conference room just now. Would you check her out, please?" Sam rolled her eyes at Janet.
"Come with me, Dr. O'Neill. We'll take your vitals and do a few simple tests. You're probably right about it being a result of skipping breakfast, but let's be sure." Janet was in full doctor mode. SG-1 clustered around their leader's wife and their colleague as she endured the examination.
"Now, Sam. Is this the only dizzy spell you've had?" At Sam's nod, Janet continued, "Did you notice anything strange when it happened?"
Sam O'Neill reluctantly admitted, "Well, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I did see and smell things. It was almost like I was somewhere else for a second." No one noticed Daniel's look of alarm.
"Tell me about it," Janet ordered briskly.
"I…I was looking up at a white ceiling as though I was lying down. And there was a medicinal smell, like a hospital. That's all I remember."
"Was there a man there? A man in strange, formfitting clothes," interjected Daniel.
Sam thought through her experience. "Not that I saw. Why?"
"Um, I had a similar vision while I was home last week. Sha're said it was like I was gone for a few seconds," said Daniel.
"I, too, had a similar experience last week," intoned Teal'c. All five of his friends turned to gape at him. "The man was wearing white trousers and a black jacket with a high neck, and the air did smell medicinal."
"Yes! That's the man," shouted Daniel. "He was working at a computer of some sort." To this, Teal'c merely nodded his agreement.
"Well, as interesting as this is, I haven't found anything wrong with Dr. O'Neill. Sam, I agree with your diagnosis of low blood sugar. My prescription is a hearty lunch, low in simple carbohydrates and high in protein and fiber. Make sure she eats a good dinner too, Colonel."
"Yes, ma'am. Who's ready for lunch?" asked the Colonel of those assembled.
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"So, what did the doctor say about your eyes?" Sam asked Jack on their way home that night.
"Not a thing wrong with my eyes that being 15 years younger wouldn't fix. He couldn't find a thing wrong with them." Jack shook his head.
"Have you seen any more rippling people?" she teased.
"Uh…"
"Jack?"
"Well, I … the optometrist's office swam and I saw a wall of equipment, like in your lab," Jack revealed reluctantly.
"This is getting weird, Jack." She glanced out through the windshield and yelled, "Jack, look out!"
"I don't see anything but the road," Jack replied, feeling a distinct unease over the strange events that seemed to happen more and more frequently. "What do you see?"
"The world rippled, just like you said it did for you." Her voice was shaking. "The white ceiling was there and the strange man Daniel described was looking down at me as though I was lying down. He… he looked really concerned."
"You're right, this is getting too weird, Sam. What do you think is causing it all?"
"At this point, I don't have enough data to come up with a theory that fits all the facts," a worried Sam responded and then thought to herself, 'Unless I'm having hallucinations and you're a figment of my imagination.'
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A Possible Beta Site-
SG-1 gated to P4J-299 the next morning, coming out of the gate into a pristine world topped by a brilliant blue sky. The air was clear and crisp in the early morning, dew heavy on the ground making everything sparkle. The ever-present trees were a welcome sight, even to Colonel O'Neill. If their search for a beta site was to be successful, the world must be as similar to Earth as possible.
Colonel O'Neill, seeing no signs of natives, Goa'uld or wildlife, led his team southwest from the gate toward an escarpment the UAV had picked up. "The scans showed a spot where we should be able to see for miles. We'll stop every hour or so to take samples for the scientists to analyze. They want as much information as we can provide on this world. For once, I agree."
Daniel snorted his amusement. "What's the matter, Jack? Sam finally converting you?"
"Well, I have to say that my opinion of scientists has gotten a lot higher since meeting you two. But scoping out a possible beta site, a new home for humans, is a lot more important than your average mission," Jack replied soberly. "Who knows, I may want to bring my family here once it's up and running. Could be a nice place to retire, assuming the fishing's good." His grin was lighthearted at the prospect.
The six-hour trip to the escarpment and the long, meandering walk along the edge turned up no sign of human inhabitation or any visitation by the Goa'uld or the ancients. The night spent beside the cliff edge provided no signs of humanity – no fires or smoke, no lights of any kind below the stars that crowded the night sky. The Stargate was the only sign of intelligent life so far.
"O'Neill, this world is rich in wildlife and they are seemingly unafraid of us. It does not seem they are used to predators in human form," Teal'c reported the next morning at the end of his watch.
"That's good. Let's hope they're edible, too," Jack retorted.
On the way back to the gate, Will Harper caught two rabbit-like animals and a small fat bird using his sling shot. Holding them up for the others to admire, Harper bragged, "Am I good or what?"
"Sure, Dan'el Boone. Bag 'em up and let's get going," Colonel O'Neill ordered with a grin. "We have one more day on this planet to complete our survey."
"This planet is very promising, O'Neill," Teal'c commented as they walked through the wooded valley on their roundabout loop toward the Stargate. "Dr. O'Neill will be most pleased."
"Yeah, but that means I get to live without her for several weeks while she and the rest of SG-7 pick this world apart. We'll probably be on milk runs and short missions until she's back," Jack grumbled to his friend. He smiled ruefully at the Jaffa and added, "Plus, it's funny, but after only five years of marriage, I don't sleep well when she's not there. Never had this problem with Sara."
Teal'c nodded his understanding and commented, "I too never rest well when not with Drey'ac. My people believe it is one of the adjustments we make when married to our ideal mate. We are never completely whole when apart from them."
Jack was quiet for several miles, digesting his friend's words. His years with Sam had been idyllic. The initial physical attraction matured into a friendship based on common experiences and backgrounds. The friendship had blossomed into love after only a few months of working together. Because she was no longer military and had her own SG team composed of scientists to command there was nothing to keep them from becoming involved. The rest was history.
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Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch -
"SG-1, do you read? Respond if you can. Colonel O'Neill, are you there?" repeated General Hammond for the third time that day. They'd been trying for two days to reach the overdue team. SG-1 still hadn't checked in five days after receiving permission to spend time on P4X-987, also known as the World of Dreaming.
Turning toward Lt. Simmons, Hammond ordered, "Page SG-6 and Dr. Frasier to the briefing room immediately." The General spun on his heel and strode from the control room.
Ten minutes later, SG-6, Dr. Frasier and General Hammond sat around the conference table, "Colonel Arnold, your mission will be to determine why SG-1 is overdue and, if possible, retrieve them. Assuming it takes that long, you will report back to the SGC every 8 hours with a report on the status of your search. If you cannot find them within two days, I will have to re-evaluate the viability of your mission. Find them, SG-6."
"Sir, surely you wouldn't think of giving up on them so quickly," asked an alarmed Dr. Frasier.
"Doctor, I may not have a choice. If they have been compromised, I cannot risk another foothold situation," replied the General sadly. She nodded her head in reluctant agreement and rose to leave as the members of SG-6 exited on their way to the gate room.
Suited up and ready to go within 30 minutes, SG-6 walked up the ramp and turned to face the control room. General Hammond, leaned down to the microphone and said, "SG-6 you have a go. Good luck, people. Please bring them back alive and well."
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Exiting the gate, Daniel stumbled and fell to his knees. O'Neill and Teal'c rushed to his side. Jack started to make a smart remark about Daniel's need to spend time in the infirmary, when he saw Daniel's blank expression.
"Medical team to the gate room. Medical team to the gate room," boomed the loudspeaker.
"DanielJackson, are you well?" Teal'c asked, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. There was no response, no sign of any awareness of anything around him. The medical staff raced into the gate room and lifted his unresisting form onto a gurney. As they began to cover him for the short trip to the infirmary, the young archaeologist gasped and shook his head.
"What happened? Why am I on a gurney?" he whispered hoarsely, still trying to clear the memories of another life from his mind; a life where they'd never rescued Sha're from Apophis, where she was dead.
The corpsman taking his pulse as they hurried him to the infirmary answered, "You passed out after coming through the gate, Dr. Jackson."
The team deposited the archeologist on a bed in the infirmary and began hooking him up to monitoring equipment. "Stop that, I'm fine," he protested.
"You're fine when I say you are, Dr. Jackson," declared Dr. Frasier, walking up to his bed with a stern expression. "I'm told you passed out after exiting the gate, so we're just going to do a few tests. Not too many more than we would have done after a mission anyway, so you're in luck."
Groaning at "just a few more" than the usual torture session she put them through, Daniel begged, "I need to talk with my team and Dr. O'Neill right away. Do you know when they'll be here for their exams?"
"They should be here any time. You know none of SG-1 is ever in the infirmary alone. General Hammond must have delayed them," suggested the physician. Turning at the sound of footsteps rushing toward the door, Dr. Frasier saw the Colonel, Teal'c and Captain Harper round the doorframe. Seconds later, Dr. O'Neill joined them at Daniel's bedside.
"How is he, Doc?" asked Colonel O'Neill, concerned for his friend and teammate. "Hey, Daniel, you're awake. What happened?"
"I had another vision, but it wasn't of the lab. My life was different. I had no family except all of you. Sha're was dead; I was empty," Daniel told them, confused, troubled.
Sam pushed to his side and said quietly to the group, "I had another vision, too. Last night, I was eating dinner with the kids and Darcy, when I was suddenly alone in a strange apartment. Somehow, I knew that I didn't have any children and…" she looked at her husband, stricken, "and we weren't married. A few seconds later, I was back at the dinner table with Darcy asking me if I was okay." She reached her hand toward Jack and he pulled her into a powerful hug.
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SG-6 walked along the trail toward the resort they had seen on their last trip to this world. Lt. Colonel Arnold said, "Meyers, Peterson, you two head around back and see what you can find. Talk to any guests you see. Ask if they've seen SG-1. Simpson and I will go talk to the manager." Lts. Meyers and Peterson nodded crisply and jogged in the direction they believed the guest quarters to be.
As they walked into the rather sparse lobby, Arnold and Simpson were greeted by a thin, austerely dressed young woman. She bowed graciously and introduced herself, "I am Greeter Wilsa. How may I help you? Have you come for your fantasies to be fulfilled?"
Taken aback, Arnold replied, "We're searching for four friends who came here five days back. They should have returned home two days ago. Can you help us find them?"
Wilsa calmly stated, "Four dressed such as yourselves came here some days ago and were admitted as our guests. Their deepest desires are being fulfilled, just as yours will be, if you so wish. May I show you to a room?"
"No, uh, thanks. We'd just like to get our friends and go. Will you please take us to them, or have them brought here?"
"It is my sorrow that I cannot do either. They are deep within their dreams and cannot be awakened safely until it has run its course. Likewise, their room is sealed to all but our technicians for the safety of our guests," Wilsa said without emotion.
Unperturbed, Arnold shifted his P-90 to his other arm eloquently and said, "I'd like to see the manager, please."
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What's Real Got to Do with It -
Teal'c should have been deep within Kel'no'reem, but instead was watching the strangely dressed man adjust controls on the beds of his teammates. "What are you doing to them? Desist this minute or I shall be forced to stop you," Teal'c shouted from his own bed where he was strapped down. Straining against his bonds, the Jaffa watched as Fros walked to his side and turned two dials on his bed. The lab faded from sight and Teal'c was back in his quarters surrounded by the candles he lit for meditation.
Quickly standing to reach for the telephone on his worktable, Teal'c dialed an outside number and waited for an answer.
"Hello." Sam O'Neill's voice was sleepy. She glanced at the clock. 0200?
"DoctorO'Neill, something is very wrong. I have seen the lab again. I believe that what we see now is not the truth, that we are in reality being held in the lab," Teal'c reported.
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Let My People Go -
Manager Verall asserted for the fifth time, "I cannot allow them to be awakened, Colonel Arnold. It would be most harmful to their mental health to leave their fantasy. They must be allowed to follow it through to its conclusion."
"And just how long would that take?" demanded an extremely annoyed Lt Colonel.
"It should take no more than six to seven months to complete their chosen lives." Verall was as cool as ever. "I assure you, they are in no danger unless awakened prematurely."
"I see. We must report this to our commander. Thank you for your time, Manager Verall." With that he smartly turned and left, both hands clenched at his sides in anger.
After walking back to the Stargate and opening the wormhole to Earth, Lt. Col. Arnold reported to Hammond. "Sir, I think we've found them, although the natives haven't allowed us to see them."
"Are they all right?" Hammond did not like where this was leading.
Arnold sighed loudly. "Verall, the manager, claims that they're living out their deepest desires and will be fine so long as they're not awakened prematurely. He says it may take six months or more for them to finish naturally."
"Well, I'm not willing to wait half a year for SG-1 to wake up. Dr. Frasier will be joining you shortly. Bring them back, Colonel."
Forty minutes passed before Dr. Frasier arrived, dressed for field work and trailing a FRED which held her equipment in case SG-1 needed medical attention after their rescue. "General Hammond sent some ordinance and orders to get them out no matter what it takes."
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Waking is Such Sweet Sorrow -
The diner they picked to meet at was small, scrupulously clean and comfortable, the vinyl tablecloths worn and faded, the jukebox played nothing newer than 1979 and the employees were all over forty. Jack loved it.
Sam and Jack sat on one side of the booth, facing Teal'c and Daniel. Harper hadn't been included since he hadn't been in any of their visions of the lab; just the four of them had been stretched out on the beds, strapped, bound and attached to a multitude of electronic devices. Sam held Jack's hand tightly between their cooling cups of coffee.
"Why do you think that our visions are of the real world and this is a dream?" asked Jack.
"Each time I return to the lab, it becomes more real and this world less so," intoned Teal'c.
"This whole thing doesn't make sense. Sam, you're not a member of SG-1," Daniel lowered his voice, "so if we're being held on an off-world mission why isn't Harper part of this?"
"I have no idea Daniel. You know I left SG-1 after the first few missions, when General Hammond formed a scientific team."
"You mean when Hammond figured out you two were a lot more than friends," Daniel grinned crookedly at the memory of their courtship.
Just as he was about to jump to his wife's defense, Jack cried out in pain and grabbed his forehead, and then simply wasn't there. "Jack!" Sam shouted, her hand suddenly empty of his warmth.
Continued in Part 3