Previously:
The unknown woman stepped forward and bowed slightly, giving us the most cordial greeting we'd encountered since arriving. "I am Ninovan. I found your friend. You must follow me quickly if you wish to see him. There isn't much time left." As Daniel translated for me, I felt my heart sink into my boots.
Part 5
TEAL'C
"With my master's approval, of course." The Ancient woman turned to the man as if asking permission and received a nod and wave of dismissal before her turned once again to his work. "Come quickly, this way."
The woman, Ninovan, pulled aside a curtain covering another doorway and preceded us through it. In the dimness beyond the curtain, I saw her retrieve a faintly glowing ball from a shelf to her right. She passed her hand over the orb and the light brightened a hundredfold, illuminating the short, cramped hallway. The ceiling was low and my shoulders brushed the walls to either side.
Ninovan strode rapidly to the end and pushed aside another curtain to reveal another dimly lit laboratory filled with machines of unknown purpose. She placed the ball in a wall sconce and suddenly similarly placed orbs around the room lit up as well. Before us, we saw leaning against the wall a row of tall tubes of a clear material that allowed us to see the contents. Only two held inhabitants – O'Neill and the dog – seemingly asleep.
A gasp from ColonelCarter drew my gaze. She displayed the first signs of deep despair I had seen since joining my friends on Eden yesterday.
SAM
I approached the tube holding my love, placed a hand on the clear surface separating us and asked, via Daniel, "Is he alive?" My voice began to crack, as did my control.
Ninovan stepped to what looked like a control panel and stared at it for a few seconds. "He lives for now in stasis, but is barely held in this time. If you wish him to live, we must find the ? which brought him here." Daniel, Teal'c and I stared at each other blankly. What did she need?
Daniel, never one to stand idle when needed, stepped closer to the woman and introduced us. At my name, Ninovan flinch and faced me. "You are his … what did he call you? Ah, wife to be. Yes?" I nodded after Daniel translated. "Yes, it is most sad."
"Can you save him?" I asked. My voice again betrayed my anxiety.
"If we can find the ?…" at our blank looks, she elaborated, "The device which brought him here. Perhaps, then we can save him. Otherwise, he will eventually disappear as his other companion did." I scrambled through my pack for the bag holding the disk that had transported us.
"Is this what you're looking for, Ninovan?" I held the device out to her and she needed no translation of my words.
Her face lit up and then she frowned slightly. "You are sure this is the exact same device? It must be the same one or his transportation to this time will not be complete. You see, each device has a memory of every trip it makes. He could not complete the transition because the device did not come with him to reintegrate him fully into this time. If we attempt to use another device, it will merely erase him or send him to another time. Our … our tests of this have been inconclusive." She looked away, seemingly embarrassed by her lack of knowledge or unwilling to tell of their failures.
Worry filling his voice, Daniel inquired, "Um, how can we tell if this is the same device?"
"If my master will agree, he can query the device's memory pod. It should have the data we seek. Come." She marched back the way we had come, taking the orb as she passed the doorway. Teal'c and Daniel followed her back through the cramped hallway to the first lab.
I stayed behind for just a moment to place my hand again on the surface of the tube holding Jack. "I will save you, my love. I swear it against everything I hold dear." I backed away from him and just caught the flick of another curtain to my right. Someone had just stepped away from the room holding Jack and Brutus. From the scent left behind, I guessed it was the woman Ama. I didn't know it but her motives would become quite clear very soon.
DANIEL
Degataga stood up this time as we entered the room. "Good, you're back, Ninovan. We must continue to prepare this sample device. It may help to stabilize the stranger. But, then again, it may not." He cackled like a slightly demented hen. Luckily for him, Sam wouldn't have understood his unfortunate statement had she been there to hear it. Teal'c looked angry enough for all of us at the scientist's callus words.
Ninovan hurried up to her master to take his hand, perhaps to keep his attention focused on her. "Master Degataga, these strangers bring a time device that may be the one we need. If you will agree to read the device's memory, we can ascertain if it is in truth the correct device." Her voice was pleading, but displayed an undercurrent of excitement. She really wanted to save Jack, or, at least, figure out the puzzle he presented them.
Degataga muttered, annoyed at the interruption, "Why do you bother me with this Ninovan?"
She sighed in the manner of one long suffering, "Master, this," she held out the puck at his eye level, "is most likely the disk which brought the man and beast here. If you can read the memory pod, it may have the data you seek."
He appeared to ponder her words for several seconds. "My dear…" he began, but the entrance of his wife cut off his words. Ama haughtily stared at Ninovan, who still held Degataga's hand. The Ancient woman reluctantly let go of her employer, her jaw clenched and nostrils flared in resentment.
"Come husband, it is time for you to rest. There is time enough for this tomorrow," Ama's voice oozed as she lead the elderly man gently from the room. Her parting gaze toward Ninovan and the three of us was venomous.
I glanced at Sam, who was obviously frustrated with her inability to understand the conversation. Turning to our friend, I asked, "Ninovan, so you have any type of translation device that Colonel Carter can use? As our leader, it's not right that she is left out of the discussions; besides, she is a brilliant scientist."
Exclaiming at her lack of courtesy, Ninovan rushed to a wall of niches and searched for a specific one. Exclaiming again, this time in triumph, she grabbed a container of button-sized disks and stepped over to face Sam. She smiled, lifted her hair to show one of the same buttons behind her own ear and silently asked for permission to touch Sam. My friend returned the grin and nodded her consent.
"What is that you have there, Ninovan?" Teal'c inquired.
"It is the translation device that we use when first contacting a new species or living on a planet not our own. We all wear them on Vesca." She took one from the container and placed the tiny button on Sam's neck behind her right ear. It stuck as if Ninovan had glued it there, but didn't seem to cause Sam the same pain as the Tok'ra memory device. "It will take some time to collect enough information before she will hear my speech as her own."
"Can you do any work tonight without Degataga?" Sam asked through me.
"No, I am afraid my knowledge is not sufficient to transfer the data. Please accept my apologies." She lowered her head in shame.
I hurried to reassure her, "No! Ninovan, please don't say that. You've been more than generous and helpful. We really appreciate your efforts on our behalf." Her smile was brilliant and somehow I doubted she received thanks very often with the combination of personalities living in this place.
SAM
Ninovan fed us local dishes that seemed based on a combination of fresh fish and vegetables I recognized from our time on Eden, but the spicing made everything taste exotic.
I'd missed much of the conversation over dinner because the device she'd put on my neck grabbed all of my attention. Within minutes, it had begun placing single words in my mind. The first few startled the heck out of me. I flinched several times, gaining Teal'c's attention. I grinned at the Jaffa, tapped the button on my neck and received a raised eyebrow that told me of his amusement at my antics.
Later, she guided us to a small guest room where we could sleep. We spent the night in the dormitory-style room and rose early. Before we left to share another meal with Ninovan, I re-checked Teal'c's wrist and was pleased to find the swelling down slightly. The translator had almost fully integrated English and, to my delight, I was able to understand ninety-five percent of the exchange over breakfast. She explained that Ama and Degataga ate their morning meal separately, so the first time we saw them that day was in the lab. Ninovan began laying out the instruments necessary for the day's tasks and we situated ourselves off to the side where we were out of her way.
Ama and Degataga entered the lab at his slower pace, her face a picture of self-satisfaction. Ninovan stood from her stool and bowed slightly toward the pair. "Good morning, Mistress Ama. Master, we are ready to assist you."
Haughtily, Ama addressed her mate's assistant, "There has been a slight change of plans, Technician Ninovan. My dear husband has decided that this Earth is the ideal place for our next joint project. Therefore, all of his attention and mine will be devoted to locating their world and creating the necessary genetic matrices." She paused for affect and passed her gaze around to each of us. "That is, unless we had the coordinates and some genetic samples from which to work; just an insignificant measure of the seeds of life."
Ninovan behaved as if appalled at her superior's words. "Mistress Ama, surely you cannot ask that of these, who came to ask our help."
Her face set in a mask of innocence, the Vescan woman replied, "But we must, Technician. If we are to devote the resources necessary to rescue their comrade, an exchange is only reasonable. Our time here is very limited and we must make of it what we can."
"But my dear …" Degataga began, only to have his spouse interrupt him.
"Yes, Degataga, I, more than anyone, realize the gravity of our request, but it is only just that they assist as they can since you are sacrificing so much of your valuable time," she replied firmly overriding his unspoken objection.
For the first time, I spoke up. "What is it you're asking from us?" Their translators gave them the meaning of my words.
"A reasonable question. In order to circumvent the need for months of manual work, I require the seeds of life from your body."
Daniel interjected, aghast, "Do I understand that you want Sam to give you some of her ova?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I … we need to preclude the work required to create the genetic substance from raw materials."
"If that's what it takes to get Jack back safely, I'll do it. You can have some of them," I stated, trying to keep my voice from shaking at the very thought.
"All of them," Ama resolutely stated. Cold fear stabbed my heart and wormed its way into my gut. I gaped at her.
"Wh-what are you going to do with the 'genetic substance' once you get it?" Daniel demanded.
Surprised, she answered, "Why, we will use it to populate your benighted planet. My husband will place a star portal there. I will take the ova and use it to create the genetic foundation of a race worthy of inhabiting a planet graced with a portal."
"Could you not use sperm instead of ColonelCarter's ova?" Teal'c asked, some emotion I couldn't identify thickening his voice.
She shook her head, "No, my procedures require the structures inside her … ova, as you call them. You must choose soon. We leave this world in one, maybe two, days. It will soon be too late to rescue your friend."
"Mitochondrial DNA? You need her Mitochondrial DNA to make the changes to the proto humans…" Daniel muttered as of to himself.
While they spoke, my numbed brain had pondered her "offer." What will he think when he knows what I've given up to save him? Will he still want me? What's my alternative - let Jack die? That's not acceptable. I'd rather sacrifice all hope of children than give him up.
"I'll do it," I blurted to stop the wrangling. "Daniel, Teal'c, give Degataga the coordinates to Earth." Of course, they both protested, but I overrode them as Ama had done before. "We know there was a Stargate on Earth at least three-million years ago. Daniel, what were our ancestors at this time? Barely walking upright? It seems this was meant to be." I paused and pulled in a ragged breath. "Let's get it over with."
I strode toward a very smug Ama and gestured for her to proceed me from the room. They followed me, arguing vehemently. I ignored them and followed the mad doctor to her lab.
TEAL'C
We quickly determined that ColonelCarter's resolve to make this sacrifice for O'Neill was firm, regardless of any arguments we raised. She would save him, no matter the cost to herself. I offered to stay with her during the procedure. Her expression of profound gratitude was very humbling. At a condescending command from Mistress Ama, DanielJackson excused himself from the room, explaining that he went to assist Degataga and Ninovan.
While I faced away from her, my friend removed her garments and lay down on the table indicated by Mistress Ama. When I once again faced her, Ama had draped her in shimmering cloths, exposing only her lower abdomen. I took my friend's wilted hand in mine.
The woman Ama finally spoke, her tone cold and uncaring. "I am ready. The procedure will be quite painful. I will administer a sedative, but can do no more without more knowledge of your physiology." Ama touched a small pen-like device to the area of ColonelCarter's jugular and my friend's eyes fluttered closed.
"May I administer some of the analgesics we carry with us?"
"No. I do not know the affect this would have on my procedures or the ova." Ama busied herself with various instruments and what I assumed were monitoring devices, oblivious to my concern for her subject.
"How will you remove the ova? Will you be required to cut her?"
"Nothing so crude is necessary to remove the seeds. Watch and you will see." Mistress Ama bent over and placed two white, half-spheres the size of a chicken's egg on the colonel's exposed skin. A wave of her hand over them produced a low, pulsing glow that increased gradually in frequency and intensity.
After a few seconds of this behavior, the glow suddenly increased dramatically and the pulses abruptly stopped. With no warning, ColonelCarter's eyes flew open and a piercing scream of agony escaped her, followed by another and another. She gripped my hand with all of her strength and thrashed about. I demanded, "End this now!"
"You need not worry yourself, warrior. I am finished." She removed the "eggs," revealing reddened, bruised skin, and turned away. My friend's screams trailed away into soft moans and she appeared to be unconscious. Ama continued, "You may let her rest here for a short time, but you must leave now so I may continue my work."
Astounded and more than a little apprehensive, I used more cloths to cover the shuddering form of ColonelCarter, and then stepped through the doorway to obtain pain relievers from the colonel's pack.
DANIEL
As soon as I walked back through the curtained lab doorway, Ninovan swung into action. While her hands pried open the disk, she fired question after question at me. "What symptoms did you notice while making the transition?" "When you arrived here, did you fall any significant distance to the ground?" "How much does each of you weight?" What are the portal coordinates of your world?"
Jack had told her about his experiences and I answered her as best as I could while she tinkered with the mechanism. After some minutes, she gingerly removed a marble-sized sphere and placed it in a tiny berth that seemed made for it.
"The memory pod is ready for you, Master Degataga." Ninovan hovered by the old man until he laid down the tool he'd been using. The Ancient man shuffled along the bench and cupped his hands over the memory "pod." He stood stock still, eyes glazed, for perhaps five minutes until I thought he'd fallen asleep standing up.
Finally, his eyes focused again and he mumbled, "It is the one. You may use it."
I glanced at Ninovan and raised my eyebrows asking for an interpretation. She smiled faintly and replied, "He says that this is the correct device. It contains the memory of O'Neill's trip here and will integrate him into this time." I breathed a huge sigh of relief. "And, with luck, it may return you all to your own time." My relief turned to joy.
"How long will it take to revive and reintegrate Jack?"
"Removing the beast from stasis and reintegrating it will take approximately 30 of your minutes. If it suffers no ill affects, we can do likewise with your comrade."
"Let's go now," I prompted. She grinned indulgently at my enthusiasm as she replaced the memory core and closed the "puck" with a sharp snap.
We made our way to the back room and the stasis containers. Ninovan spent some time adjusting several controls on the container holding Brutus until a grayish mist pumped into the interior where he lay. Almost immediately, the dog began to move and tremble. Within ten minutes, he was scratching at the clear cover for us to let him out.
After glancing at Ninovan for permission, I popped the top. The dog erupted from the box and, yipping happily, attacked me with his tongue as I crouched before him. While I held him still using his collar, Ninovan placed the puck on his back for a few seconds, during which Brutus flickered in an out of focus. She passed another device over him as though scanning, then smiled and announced, "He is well and fully one with this time. We may now awaken your friend."
SAM
As soon as she touched the pen to my neck, I started to experience hallucinations. I could tell they were hallucinations because the jewel-toned flowers growing on the ceiling told me so. They were chatty little things, but not very interesting. I tried to ignore them and concentrate on what Ama was doing to me, but due to their off-key singing and a sudden intense weariness, my concentration wasn't what it should have been.
Ama certainly hadn't been kidding when she said the procedure would be painful. I'd been injured many times in sports or combat, even undergone torture on occasion, but nothing had ever prepared me for that agony. My insides felt like my tormentor was ripping them out through my belly button. Thank god for Teal'c. I clutched his hand like a lifeline. Much later, I guessed that the drug coursing through my veins made the experience more extreme.
I must have passed out once the hurting stopped. Awareness returned slowly, but the flowers, in clashing strident colors, were talking again in overlapping singsong sound tracks. One of them dropped to my side and performed a quick soft-shoe on my aching belly.
What they had to say was vile, cruel, and powerfully disturbing: Now that my ability to procreate was gone, Jack would find me disgusting and, sooner or later, discard me like a piece of old fish; I was maimed and no longer fit for the company of any decent man; I was better off dead than living like I was. It went on and on, repeating the same terrible refrain. Only when Teal'c returned with some Ibuprophen and I was hustled out of the lab clutching my boots and vest, did the voices recede.
"Are you well, ColonelCarter?" the Jaffa asked, his voice soft as I crouched in the hallway to Degataga's lab to tug on and lace up my boots.
I pondered the question through brain cells saturated in Ama's medication. My flowering friends followed us, skipping gaily like creatures from a Merry Melodies cartoon. My heart ached as much as my body. Rather than trusting my voice, I merely nodded curtly and turned to follow Teal'c into the next room.
A sudden wave of nausea and dizziness caused me to stumble. Teal'c was immediately there to support me to the guest room. He laid me down gently and I barely remember his pulling a blanket over me before my eyes closed.
JACK
I crumpled weakly to my knees as the stasis field released its hold. Brutus licked my face ecstatically and a familiar hand appeared in front of my face to help me up. Gasping from the effort of breathing for the first time in who knew how long, I grasped the hand like a lifeline and it pulled me to my feet and into a hug that threatened to squeeze out my hard-won breathe. Hands pounded my back, making breathing even harder.
"Whoa! Guys! Let me breathe," I wheezed happily, as I glanced around at Daniel and Teal'c, searching for someone. "Where's Sam? I know if you're here, she will be." An uncomfortable silence met my question. A stab of fear sliced my heart.
"She's resting, but should be here any minute. Uh, I'll go see if I can roust her," Daniel mumbled, avoiding my eyes. I thought it strange that she wouldn't be there when they revived me.
"Teal'c," I said sharply to get his attention away from a seemingly fascinating piece of equipment. "What the hell is going on here? How did you guys get here, and what's up with Daniel and Sam? Is she hurt?"
"She is not injured, O'Neill. You must ask her to determine if she is well. I can not speak for her." Curiouser and curiouser; Teal'c being evasive was not something I had expected.
"Well, at least tell me where we are and what the heck brought us here," I asked grumpily. Teal'c, succinct as ever, updated me on the events I'd missed in a few short sentences. My head was spinning from the enormity of the situation in which we found ourselves - typical SG-1 luck.
"Jack!" I millisecond after I heard her voice she was in my arms, barely controlled shudders wracking her body. I held her close and awkwardly stroked her hair, not knowing what else to do.
Ninovan stepped through a curtained doorway and smiled warmly to see us together. "It is time for you and your friends to depart, Jack O'Neill. Degataga has expressed his interest in monitoring your departure. However, our transport off this world will arrive in two days; we must have all of our equipment dismantled and packed by then."
Sam shyly pulled away from my embrace. I missed her presence already. She and Ninovan began discussing the minutia of our upcoming hockey-puck-powered trip through time.
Degataga shuffled into the room with the puck nestled in a clear box, muttering orders and Ninovan leapt to begin the monitoring process. He mumbled something at her again and she eagerly turned to us. "Please move together; we're almost ready."
I gathered up Brutus' leash and my pack; Sam hefted hers to her shoulders and SG-1 huddled into a circle. My hand slipped around Sam's. Unexpectedly, she flinched at the contact and turned haunted eyes toward me. Before I could ask what was wrong, Ninovan paced toward us, the puck carefully balanced in her hands. She placed it nervously in Daniel's hands.
"You must all be touching the device or each other," Ninovan instructed. Sam's hand slipped out of mine as she reached for the disk. I placed my hand on Brutus' head and the other on the disk next to Sam's. Teal'c reached for the device last and we were all in place, ready or not, for the next step.
"There's no place like home. There's no place like home," I muttered as the scene around us faded.
Continued in Part 6