Disclaimer: I don't own the concepts, I don't own the characters, I make no money, I make no sense and I get no sleep, though on a positive note I absolutely love feedback (in other words, please review).

Warning: this story is a sequel to Under Alien Skies - Propagation, if you've read that story you know what this is about, if you haven't this probably won't make much sense. You should also be warned that this story deals with adult issues including rape.

Rating: M

Timeline: this takes place roughly two weeks after Propagation.

Under Alien Skies - Book of Knowledge
Chapter 1: A Painful Read
(Hammond's POV)

Okay, so this is not exactly what I had been expecting to find when I sat down to review the first draft of the guidelines Dr. Jackson and Captain Carter have put together. Sure, I had been expecting some unpleasantness --that was pretty much a given considering the subject matter-- but somehow they've managed to exceed my expectations... and they've also made me realize that I really have to have a little chat with Dr. Fraiser.

The thing is that just as I was beginning to think we were ready to move past this whole Simarka business --as I was getting ready to send SG-1 back out there where they belong-- a new dimension has been added to this mess and that means I'm back to square one. Right now I find myself facing the need to fill Jack in on some of the details that were deliberately kept from me and I know he is not going to be a happy camper. This time around, though, I think I'll leave him to deal with Captain Carter on his own, especially because I'm going to have my hands full with Dr. Fraiser. I mean, what could that woman possibly have been thinking, keeping something like this from me in the first place?

For a moment I try to tell myself that maybe it wasn't deliberate, that maybe it was just a misunderstanding --even if I can't quite imagine how something of this magnitude could possibly have fallen through the cracks-- but it only takes me half a minute to replay our conversation in my mind and before I know it I'm seeing red... again.

Back when this whole thing first came out I asked her point blank how the hell do you circumcise a woman and she told me I didn't want to know.

Well, maybe she was right about that, maybe I didn't want to know --heck, even now I'd be a lot happier not knowing-- but the fact remains that I needed to know... and even if I didn't need to know, reading the very thorough description Captain Carter and Dr. Jackson have provided was not the best way for me to find out about it. Right now I'm struggling to keep my breakfast down and I'm pretty damned close to losing that fight. What can I say, this whole thing would have been difficult enough for me to swallow without a name and a face that came too close for comfort to being associated with this monstrosity.

In fact right now I could really use a drink to try to get rid of some of the mental images, unfortunately I know that's not an option. That means I have no choice but to face this one sober and maybe that's a good thing seeing how --if I'm going to figure out a way to keep Jack from doing something stupid here-- I'm going to need a clear head.

What can I say? That is yet another conversation I'm not looking forward to.

Sure, I know that, as Captain Carter's CO, Jack needs to know --and I know it is my responsibility to tell him-- but I also know he will feel more than a little betrayed. In addition to that there's also the fact that he is going to have no choice but to confront her somehow and that is not going to be pretty ... unfortunately it can't really be avoided. If SG-1 is going to survive as a team then they are going to have to overcome this. It is as 'simple' as that.

The problem is that I know my 2IC and I know how he is likely to react. He may not have been particularly thrilled when I first assigned Captain Carter to his team but a lot has changed since then and, even if it hadn't, Jack has a protective streak a mile wide. I saw it when Col. Kennedy wanted to 'study' Teal'c and that was long before the team had had a chance to bond. That means that things are bound to be much worse this time around and the rest of us will have no choice but to deal with the fallout.

Of course, as if that weren't enough, there's also the fact that Sam is not going to put up with that kind of treatment, not if she can possibly avoid it. For her it is a matter of principle --especially now-- and that can only mean trouble... lots and lots of trouble. Simply put, having an overprotective team leader acting like a good, old-fashioned mother hen who is desperately trying to protect a 2IC who is determined to prove that she doesn't have to be protected is a recipe for disaster and --oh joy-- that's exactly what we have here.

Well, I guess the good news --if I can even call it that-- is that solving that particular situation is not going to be up to me. I just have to deal with Dr. Fraiser and that is going to be more than enough... especially because I don't really know what am I supposed to do about any of this.

The simple fact is that she deliberately misled me and that is something that can't be overlooked. Sure, I know part of it was my fault, after all, if I hadn't allowed Dr. Fraiser to brush aside my questions this whole thing would have been dealt with two weeks ago, but that does nothing to change the fact that this delay has only made matters worse.

Well, there's nothing I can do about it now so I send word for Colonel O'Neill to report to my office as I steel myself to face what is likely to be a very long day.

Author's notes: Hi guys, okay first of all I want to apologize for the delay, I meant to post this last week but real life (and the flu) got in the way. I'll try to do better next week but I must confess that right now I'm playing catch up in terms of my writing.

Anyway, I hope you'll stick with me (and if you feed me some reviews I'll really appreciate it),

Alec