Previously:
"He could switch identities, become someone new. Or old. He dismissed the current host's former name at once. There was no music to it. He ran through all of the previous incarnations he had had.. Then he remembered…
"'You may call me Loki.'"
It took a while for a Goa'uld to acclimate himself to a new host. That was one of the reasons that most Goa'uld rarely changed bodies. But Loki liked change. He could be anyone he wanted to be. It was so much more fun. It was always amusing to dominate a tribe or village or a world and strike terror en masse, but there was an equal thrill of taking over a simple human and just destroying one family. Or just one single loved one. Throughout his time, Loki had done much of both. Every time he picked a new body, he learned the speech patterns, the mannerisms. He became the new host in many ways. There had been times that he stayed hidden for months, pulling little pranks, showing his innate and masterful cruelty only when it suited him. Sometimes only revealing himself to be a monster when the damage was done. It was just more fun that way.
Loki surveyed his surroundings. He was unimpressed. Four white walls, a table and chairs, and three humans each staring at him with varying degrees of apprehension and fear on their faces. He smiled. All of the knowledge his host possessed was pouring into him. He would know everything he needed to know soon enough.
"Do you have a mirror?" he inquired.
"What?" The gray haired human (Dr. Gillson, the name surfaced) replied.
"A mirror. Something reflective. That is the correct word, isn't it? I would like to know what I look like."
The humans looked at each other, stupefied. They did not have a mirror. They also seemed to have no idea what to do with the full sized god that now stood before them. Loki decided to be gentle, for now. "You're wondering about me, aren't you? Have you dealt with other Goa'uld before me?"
The man who was holding what appeared to be a weapon (a gun, Loki realized) spoke. "I was on security detail for one a few years ago."
"I seem different than he, don't I?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you know who I was when you found me?"
Dr. Gillson found his voice once more. "No. You were found and brought to me. You were in some sort of stasis until recently."
"And this is…Earth…isn't it?" When the humans nodded, Loki was ecstatic. "I love this planet! I was exiled from here, did you know that? Yes, by the Asgard." Loki sat down at the chair and kicked his heels up to the table. "Of course, if they were as smart as they think they are, they would have destroyed me. For you see...I am both a god and a monster." His voice dropped to a whisper and he winked at the men.
The gray haired doctor slipped into the chair across the table from him. "My name is Dr. Quinn Gillson -"
"I know who you are Doctor," Loki interrupted. "I know so much about you. This one -" he gestured to his body – "carried a great deal of love for you at one time. You were his mentor and his teacher. And now you are his murderer. I like the way you work old man." If it was possible, Loki's smile grew as he watched the human try not to squirm under the scrutiny. "So, tell me Quinn, did you find it?"
Dr. Gillson's guarded expression gave him his answer. "Find what?" he hedged.
"I think you know. You found my Laughter, didn't you?"
With a slight tremor in his hand, the doctor pulled a piece of paper from his breast pocket. "Is this your laughter?"
Delicately, Loki smoothed out the paper in front of him. His hands lingered on the line drawing, remembering his triumph. It was such an elegant design. So beautiful. So violent. "Sometimes they choose their God and sometimes their God chooses them." He looked back at the man, eyes glowing. "Where is it?"
"The weapon? It exists?" Dr. Gillson spluttered.
"Of course it exists! Please tell me how, did you manage to find me with such low intellilect and lack of imagination? Are you saying that I wasn't with it? Damn! Those little, gray bastards. Well, I know where we can find another." He steepled his fingers and tapped his thumbs together, a habit he knew he was picking up from the host. "Do you have a Stargate?" Slowly, the older human shook his head. "Do you at least have a ship?"
"Yes, Lord Loki, we have a ship that can take us anywhere you want."
Loki enjoyed hearing the groveling tone in Gillson's voice but he wasn't fooled. "I know what you want, Quinn. You want the Laughter all for yourself and you think I will be your key to it. And once I have led you to it? What is your plan then? Do you think you can just remove me from this body and I will go without a fight? Because I promise you, that will not happen."
The human had paled in fear. "No, Lord Loki. Whatever you want. The host is yours. Whatever I can give you is yours. All I want is the weapon – the - the Laughter."
"Truly? All you want is the weapon?" The Goa'uld stood and leaned over the desk to the quaking man. "And if I asked for a new host? One of your men, perhaps? Or you?" Quicker than a human could react, Loki's hands shot out and grasped the doctors head, pulling him up from his seat. From this angle, Loki could easily snap the man's neck or take him as a host.
After a few tense seconds where the human guards where unsure what to do, Loki laughed. He kissed the old man's forehead. "Relax. I like this body you have procured for me. He is a fighter. You are too old and soft." He released the man. Gillson fell back into his chair, gasping for breath. "But allow me to clarify one more thing. I don't work for humans. Humans work for me. If you want the Laughter, I can find it and might even share it. But there will be a cost and it will be high. I set the price, not you. You are not dealing with just some snake in a tank of water. You are dealing with a god. Is that clear, human?"
"Yes, Lord Loki, yes. Whatever you ask," Gillson continued to grovel before the alien deity.
Loki smiled and his eyes started to glow. "That's so good to hear." Loki reached behind him and ripped the gun from one of the guard's hands. Before anyone could react, two bloody holes appeared in Quinn Gillson's forehead. The back of his skull and much of his brain tissue now decorated the wall and floor. Loki gave the smoking gun in his hand a critical once over. "I thought that was how this would work." He glanced at the man who had been standing close to the doctor and was now wearing some of the dead man. "Put your gun down, boy, unless you wish to join him." The guard lowered his gun arm until it was pointed to the floor. "Good choice. Trust me, Quinn there would have given me either or both of you to save his own hide. He is not worth your loyalty and his life was the first price. It was only fair after what he did to my host. So tell me," he swung his gun in a lazy arc between the two men, "who do you serve?"
The unarmed guard responded, "We don't 'serve' anyone."
"Well then, now you serve me. Are there others?"
"Others?" questioned the blood-splattered one.
"Others who will serve me. Oh, spare me that look. I know that you don't want to 'serve' me. Do you think that this Alex person wanted to? But I need him, and I need you and I need your friends. Come, I can offer you far more than anyone on this little world can. I'm a god, after all. Besides, it'll be fun." Loki's eyes began to glow once more."We can take over your world."
Loki knew humans fairly well. They always wanted more power.He could promise these two small minded humans that. At least until he was done with them.
The humans exchanged glances and considered the "offer." Finally, the unarmed one shrugged. "There are two others. They are out on assignment at the moment. But we can call them in."
"Good." Loki's smile dropped away and he turned very serious. "There is something else I need. My Laughter is broken and it will not be easy to fix. Bring me someone who can assist me. And find me the woman who belonged to this host. She has something of mine."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
It was rare that Daniel Jackson was the first one to make it to a meeting, yet here he was, 0750, sipping a cup of coffee while he leafed through some notes. It was also rare that he managed eight hours of sleep when there was an active crisis, but last night, his body simply shut down on him. Ella had called him once she reached Sam's house. She sounded exhausted, but much less crazed than she had yesterday afternoon. Daniel was able to sleep knowing she was safe.
Jack O'Neill was the next to enter the room. He was surprised to see his friend sitting so quietly. "Well, good morning, Daniel. Have we heard from Thor yet?"
"Yes. According to his message, he'll be here in about two hours."
"He must be pretty far away."
"I'm just glad that he got the message at all," Daniel replied. "At this point, I don't know if anything he has to say will help us, but it's the only lead we have."
Jack sat at the head of the table, looking very uncomfortable. "What is it, Jack," Daniel finally asked, watching the older man fidget.
"Look, um, you never told me before how bad that vision thing was that Shifu sent you."
Daniel looked down at the notes in front of him. It was his turn to feel uncomfortable. "Jack…everything was so different then. You and I were barely speaking most of the time. And I was so scared that someone would make the weapon. It just made sense to keep it to myself. And I have spent a lot of time since then trying not to remember any of it."
"You could never be the person you described to us yesterday."
Daniel looked in his friend's eyes. "I know that now…but I wasn't sure then…it felt so good. I had respect and power and all of the stupid revenge I ever wanted in my life. It wasn't me, but it was. But when I ascended, I had all of that power and more and I chose to walk away from it. So now I know."
The two men smiled at each other. They were friends now. Equals. The strains of the past were dim memories. For that, they were both very grateful.
Daniel cleared his throat. "So, how did you find out about Alex before I had a chance to call you? Where did all of your information come from, anyway?"
"Agent Barret, don't'cha know? On his never-ending quest to humanize the face of the NID and atone for the sins of the past." Jack rolled his eyes. Despite all that Barret had done, Jack was never going to trust that him completely. For one thing, the agent was entirely too idealistic about the NID. For another, well, it was still the NID.
Tension began its daily crawl up Daniel's neck. "So do you think the Trust has Alex?"
"I don't know," Jack shook his head slowly. "I wish I did. I like that guy. And Ella really likes him."
"Yeah," Daniel chuckled at a favorite memory. "Hey, do you remember Alex and Ella's wedding? Poor Teal'c. I don't think he had ever heard Christina Aquilera before Ella asked him to dance with her."
Jack hooted with laughter as the object of their amusement entered the room accompanied by Col. Mitchell. Gen. Landry was in his office, on the phone, which left only one member unaccounted for.
"All right, where's Carter?" Jack asked the room in general. "It's 0803 and I know for a fact that that woman has never been late for a meeting in her life."
At that moment, General Landry stepped into the conference room. One look at his face and Daniel knew something had gone very wrong.
"Hank, what's happened?" Jack asked. Daniel's throat was too dry for words.
"I just got off the phone with the day shift guards at Col. Carter's house," General Landry explained. "The night guards are both dead. Col. Carter and Ella McPherson are missing."
TBC