Part Eleven: Poison To Cure
"Jaffa, kree!" The Goa'uld summoned the members of his escort. They lined up on the upper deck of the houseboat anchored in one of the larger canyon waterways of Lake Powell. The day was cold and clear as only a desert winter day can be. Not a cloud floated in the bright blue sky. The air was dry and sharp. One of the Jaffa had a nosebleed from the lack of humidity. He was the first to have his prim'tah checked for maturity. Dissatisfied, the Goa'uld methodically checked the other two. One symbiote in the Jaffa's pouch was nearly old enough. The Goa'uld removed it, examined it carefully, and replaced it.
"My lord, the female is dying. The ignorant savages have overdosed her with their drug. Her breathing grows more shallow and she cannot swallow even water. Her throat is so dry she can no longer speak. She just moans." The Goa'uld nodded sagely.
"If she dies, you all die. Find an antidote."
"My Lord, we have already consulted with some of the natives. They have tried caffeine, cold coffee, cold tea, vinegar, lemon juice, and a native substance, camphor. None of it has worked. She has too much in her system. They say it must pass through her and only then will she recover.
"Not acceptable." The Goa'uld looked at the lead Jaffa. "Kill the idiot who gave her so much." He saluted and moved off. "Bring the symbiote. We have no choice then. There must be a blending."
"But my lord, there is no replacement prim'tah. He will die."
"Then he will have my thanks in the Afterlife." The Goa'uld's eyes glowed to emphasize his authority. Then the Jaffa bowed and stood forward for the removal of his symbiote again.
The Goa'uld held it up over the woman. The other two Jaffa rolled her on her stomach. The snake crawled up her back and plunged in just at the juncture of the neck and the shoulders. The woman didn't even scream. And then her eyes glowed. But she still didn't move.
"It will take some time for the blending to work. Carry her to the bedroom and watch over her." The Goa'uld turned his back. The Jaffa bowed and retreated.
In the Shiprock police substation, Jack set up his headquarters again. All indications from local sources placed Ellie on a trail leading down to Rainbow Bridge in Lake Powell at the far north edge of the Reservation. But the site was sacred to the Navajo and traffic through there had to be carefully arranged. Walking under the world's largest natural sandstone arch was forbidden. The Navajo Police were adamant that the outsiders obey the rules. Jack detailed Daniel to deal with the situation and any other taboos and local sensibilities that could arise. Daniel gathered Teal'c and the SFs assigned to the tracking detail for a short briefing. Their destination was the trailhead to Rainbow Bridge. Captain Tsosie sent two of his officers along to guide the group and interface with the National Park Service at the bottom. The helicopters took off toward Navajo Mountain to land beneath Begay Mountain on the North Trail as close to the four-wheel drive route split to the trailhead. The trek down would take a few hours as they looked for clues. Waiting was not easy for Jack. He would rather lead the search on foot than sit behind the desk directing the effort. But he was a Colonel and so must let those under his command do their jobs. Now he needed Carter's report. She was still in Crownpoint at the police substation interfacing with the SGC, Kirtland AF Base, the FBI, BIA, State Police, and various local authorities. A few hours later, the phone rang.
"Sir, we did an analysis of the pictures from the UAVs and the Satellite images." Major Carter's voice in the telephone began another long explanation. Jack was in no mood. This was the fourth day that Ellie was missing. Teal'c was off with the locals to try and track the Goa'uld from the point where the Paiute bodies had been found. He hit a dead end at the water by Rainbow Bridge. Someone had left by boat from the docks in Forbidding Canyon. Rainbow Bridge is a natural sandstone arch formed from erosion. Most people access the site by boat from Lake Powell, hence the docks. But from there it was anyone's guess where they went. The best lead they had did not pan out so well or so he thought.
Lake Powell is a manmade lake over 150 miles long from tip to tip formed by the Glen Canyon Dam on the upper Colorado River. It is so big that there are 2500 miles of shoreline across two states. Finding someone there if they still were there would be impossible without overhead flights and help from the National Park Service Rangers who knew the lake well. Jack listened to Carter describe the overhead flights of the UAVs and the helicopters sent by the Air Force. Then she finally said something that perked up his curiosity.
"So, we checked the photos from the satellites for the past few months. As you know, sir, Lake Powell gets very few visitors at this time of year. So when we saw a very large houseboat continuously moored in a deep canyon we became suspicious. The Park Service says it is privately owned. A search of the title records indicates a millionaire owns it. We think he is connected to business interests that worked with the rogue N.I.D. And sir, since it left the dock in Wahweap, it has never been into any of the marinas on the lake for gas or supplies in the past two months. It just sits there in Dungeon Canyon near Dangling Rope Marina. It's too weird no one has ever gone in to charge things at the Marina store or get gas or even an ice cream in two months."
"Maybe they pay cash, Carter. Maybe they brought enough with them. What difference does it make? Have the Park Service pay a routine call on the boat to make sure it is occupied, but tell them not to investigate on foot. Either they see activity or call out to someone outside, but they do not enter."
"Already did that, sir." Jack listened to the story, frowning. "And the man on the top deck waved and said everything was fine. So they are still there. Sir, the Tok'ra arrived during the night. I'm having them try and scan for a cloaked ship in orbit."
"Carter, why not use the Ring Transporter to find it? Maybe send a beacon of some kind over there."
"Well, sir, the Rings do seek out the closest Ring Platform and automatically go to it. I was waiting until we decide if she is on the boat or on the ship. If she's down here, we could just blow up the cloaked ship using the Rings to prevent their escape."
"Good thinking, Carter. Ok, I'll talk to Hammond. If she's down here, we send a bomb over. Stand by." Jack hung up and dialed the base. It took a few moments to explain the plan. Hammond promised to get a few bombs ready to check any sudden retreat into hyperspace. He would take care of contacting the Tok'ra to come and transport the ordnance up to their cargo ship. Then Jack called Carter back.
"Sir, I just had a thought that maybe we could use the rings on the cargo ship to transport down to the houseboat."
"Negative, Major. We could land on the edge of a cliff or in the water. We'll manage with our own devices. Get some Spec Ops guys into the canyon with infrared heat detectors to count persons on board. We need to know how many we are up against. And get the rescue teams standing by. I want the waterways sealed off to that canyon. And get a platoon of Green Berets deployed along the ridges and along the trails out of there. Have a few Navy Seals get together with the Park Service guys and be ready to approach from the water. Can we pick up Teal'c someplace?" Jack listened. "Ok, let him ride with the Park Service only as far as the canyon entrance. We don't need the presence of his symbiote giving us away. He can go in with the Spec Ops guys when we make our move." Then Jack finished giving his instructions and hung up. It felt better to be able to do something.
After Colonel O'Neill's phone call, Major Carter contacted Dr. Fraiser who was still at the Crownpoint Clinic. Based upon the location of that houseboat, the doctor had to change locations fast.
"Janet, I want you to pack up whatever you think you may need and take a chopper over to Page. That's right, Page, Arizona. We think we've found her. And that's the closest hospital to the site." Sam listened to the questions. "It's a small regional hospital with only 25 beds. No, we don't know her condition. But we believe she's in real trouble if she's still alive. And there may be some casualties. Send for any supplies you think you may need to meet you there."
"Sam, alert the hospital in Flagstaff that we may need the O.R. I don't want to be held up by the admittance folks. Listen it's so far from Page, we'll need some extra choppers to get to Flagstaff pronto. I'm on my way." Janet hung up and turned to her staff. "Okay people, we are changing location. Pack up and be in the parking lot in ten minutes." Her rapid-fire instructions to each person got the job done in eight. About that time, she could hear the helicopter landing in the parking lot behind the Crownpoint Clinic.
Silently, a platoon of Special Forces parachuted onto the top of Cummings Mesa. The flat-topped mountain overlooked the access to Dungeon Canyon and the sheep trail down to the water in it. On the descent the Captain saw the waterless desert extend for many miles. Below him, he discerned the old sheep corral and a dilapidated Hogan. The Navajo with his sheep were just descending the trail for a drink from the lake water at the bottom. Such a large herd could not be satisfied by the small spring at the top. Good, thought the Captain. The sheep would make an excellent cover to move over to the ridge and down toward the boat. Once on the mesa, the group stowed their parachutes and made for the talus below the rim. The captain contacted the base to report. "Colonel, we detect five life signs on the boat." The Green Beret captain from the SGC called over his headset. "And we see a bundle on the back deck which could be a body. No wait, somebody just walked out and, sir, he just disintegrated the body. Yes sir, it had to be a zat." The captain listened intently. "Copy that, sir. We'll wait for your signal."
Half of the platoon deployed on the east side of the canyon wall. The rest moved down with the flock of sheep. On the ridge above, the captain saw another platoon parachute down to the narrow grazing area just above the last point of water in the canyon. He noticed the boats arrive at the entrance to the canyon at mile marker 37 blocking the way out. This operation had the area secured.
Once Jack was advised all the assets were in place, he authorized the rescue. The various teams converged on the boat's landing site. From the water, Navy Seals made it to the boat undetected. Climbing up on the rear deck, one quickly entered the rear bedroom. The other sidled along the edge to the front outside staircase leading up to the fly bridge on the upper deck. The next took the rear stairs. At the top the two commandos used zats to take down the two men at the flywheel. The third man inside zatted the remaining two Jaffa. Calling over the headset, the commandos reported securing the vessel. The Green Berets just made it to the shore in time to greet the boarding party. A search of the houseboat turned up an unconscious woman in the lower berth of the downstairs bedroom.
Pulling out a snapshot of Ellie supplied by Dr. Svenson, the team identified her. Hearing the report from the Captain on the Mesa top, relief washed over O'Neill. Then he ordered the destruction of the cloaked ship. The Tok'ra used the Ring Transporter to seek out the rings on the cloaked vessel. Moments later, they saw a large explosion above the equator of the smaller continent in the western hemisphere.
Teal'c arrived to make a disposition of the stunned Jaffa and Goa'uld. The Spec Ops troops had secured them with double restraints. The Goa'uld revived to see Teal'c standing over him grinning.
"Sholvah!"
"Kree, you are a prisoner of the Tau'ri. If you are lucky, they may let you live. But maybe you are not so lucky." Teal'c stood back, smirking at the Goa'uld at his feet.
"Shak'ti'qua!" The Goa'uld spat out. "What do you think you are doing? I am your god."
Teal'c looked down in amusement. "Then free yourself." And walked away.
Inside a medic was bent over the still form of the woman. He looked up at Teal'c and shook his head. "It's bad. She's dying." Teal'c gathered her up and took her to the Park Service speedboat. The Ranger revved up the engine and sped off for Dangling Rope Marina Ranger Station where a chopper was standing by.
Teal'c disembarked at the docks and carried the woman all the way up to the landing pad on the mesa above the ranger's living area. The flight was short into Page. Landing behind the hospital, Teal'c hurried into the Emergency Room.
Jack rose and thanked Captain Tsosie, the commander of the Navajo Police force. In all humility, he offered his hand. The captain acknowledged the gesture and shook hands. Then Jack ordered his helicopter to get ready. The lieutenant sent from the SGC received his orders to pack up and coordinate with Major Carter by phone. Then Jack grabbed his jacket and ran for the landing site behind the police station. While in the air, the Colonel made several dispositions of the men detailed to secure the area and search the perimeter again for any more signs of Jaffa. Enroute, he received the report of the Tok'ra action against the cloaked ship. Jack directed another chopper to evacuate the prisoners to the SGC. Major Carter dealt with the mopping up campaign.
Upon arrival at the Page Hospital, Jack saluted the chopper pilot and ran head down towards the building. He loped through the corridors finding Teal'c just outside the Emergency Room. Dr. Fraiser was a whirlwind of determination. Jack walked in to get her report.
"Get me a Physostigmine Salicylate Injection, now airman!" Dr. Janet Fraiser barked. Her attention focused on the patient, Janet just held out her hand to the medic she brought to the regional hospital. Without more than a glance, Dr. Fraiser began her diagnosis. "Blood tests indicated Datura poisoning. She's got central and peripheral anticholinergia."
"Doctor, how bad?" Colonel O'Neill asked as they wheeled Ellie's gurney in and hooked her up.
"Bad, sir." Janet grabbed the injection and gave the initial dose to Ellie. "Peripheral toxicity is characterized by tachycardia, hyperpyrexia, mydriasis, vasodilation, urinary retention, diminution of gastrointestinal motility, decrease of secretion in salivary and sweat glands, and loss of secretions in the pharynx, bronchi, and nasal passages and..."
"In English, Doc."
"Peripheral toxicity means she's all dried out, retaining urine, can't digest anything, and her lungs are in trouble."
"Ah." Jack stood by helplessly at the door as the emergency team worked feverishly. Tubes ran out of Ellie in all directions. A nurse placed an oxygen mask over the patient's nose. He wished he could have gotten to her sooner. "Why would they poison her? Why wouldn't that snakehead just kill her?"
"Probably to subdue her and then interrogate her, sir. She probably hallucinated so badly she wouldn't know what she information she was giving up. It is easy to accidentally overdose. And that's what happened." Dr. Fraiser checked the pupils for dilation. Satisfied she supervised the hook up of the various monitors.
"Why wouldn't they use their own drugs, that Blood of Sokar crap?"
"Possibly because this was readily available. This Goa'uld may not have any Blood of Sokar." Daniel came to stand with Jack inside the doorway out of the way. "Is she going to make it?"
"Too early to tell, Daniel." Jack ruffled the hairs on the back of his neck. "At least we got that snakey bastard and his merry band of Jaffa."
"That's something."
"Yeah, something."
"She's coming around, ma'am." The nurse stood back to let Dr. Fraiser take her place. She checked the pulse and the heartbeat monitor.
"It's only good for maybe an hour. Let's get her on an I.V. to hydrate her. Get another I.V. ready to put in some more antidote, slowly as this dose wears off. Let's get a catheter in her to drain her bladder." Doctor Fraiser ordered the patient rolled over for a thorough evaluation. "Oh no!"
"Aw crap." Jack saw the scar even from the doorway. He couldn't look and he couldn't tear his eyes away. There on the back of her neck was the telltale entry mark of a Goa'uld symbiote. He felt sick. Ellie was a Goa'uld.
"Colonel, we need a security detail ASAP. And we have to get her to a better facility."
"On it." Jack called to the SF's in the hallway. "Form a perimeter inside and out. You!" Jack pointed at the sergeant, "Get some restraints in here. Make sure she's double restrained. And clear out any civilians to five hundred feet from this facility." Jack was already talking to Carter about a medical evacuation by chopper. For a few minutes, Jack continued to direct the flurry of activity as the clinic was evacuated.
"Area secured, sir," reported the SF. Jack nodded and turned his attention back to the table. Ellie seemed to be going into convulsions. Or maybe it was the Goa'uld personality asserting itself. He kicked himself again for leaving her on the train platform that night. He should have postponed that stupid meeting at Nellis. Half a dozen recriminations passed through his mind. Jack frowned, watching the doctor try to save his former friend. Former, the word tasted bitter in his mind.
"Is that I.V. ready yet? She's convulsing." Doctor Fraiser stood at the head of the table while the big orderly tried to hold the woman down. Jack joined him to keep her immobile. At that point, the heart rate monitor went flat. "I need that I.V. to go in at a rate of 0.5 milligrams per minute. Get the paddles ready. Hold it." Fraiser heard the monitor start up again. "She's arrhythmic."
"Won't the snake fix her, Doc?" Jack was still keeping her feet down while the extra restraints were fitted around her ankles. Dr. Fraiser looked uncertain.
"Something's wrong. I don't get two heart beats, sir." Janet checked the monitor. "I don't see two brain waves either."
"Which one is it?"
"The symbiote is dead, sir." Doctor Fraiser checked the I.V. for the correct dosage and was satisfied. "Sir, the symbiote did not release its poison. I don't know why."
"But you're sure its dead?"
"Oh, very dead, sir. She's still in trouble, but she's responding to the antidote for the Datura."
Jack stood up and moved back from the table. An SF came up to him to report the medical Evac unit had arrived.
"Can she be moved, now?"
"Yes, everyone, let's move it. We're on the clock here." Dr. Fraiser and the medic handled the I.V. stands and the orderly moved the bed out to the back parking lot. A few minutes later, the chopper took off for the larger hospital in Flagstaff, Arizona.
"Ok folks, shows over. Daniel stay and get this place cleaned out." Into his cell phone, Jack dialed the Crownpoint police station. "Carter, we're clear here. I'm on my way to the Flagstaff hospital. Let Dr. Svenson know we have her. And then send him to the SGC to debrief. Is he there? Put him on. Oh we got her Lars. Now you have some questions to answer, pal." Jack listened to the thanks impatiently. "Yeah, and we are going into that house, too. So Carter's sending you on a little road trip. I would cooperate. But it's your choice. Put Carter back on." Jack waited. "He goes one way or another."
"Copy that, sir."
The news reports declared the emergency over. The escaped convicts had been killed trying to escape across Lake Powell. News crews swarmed Wahweap Marina trying to rent power boats to visit the crime scene. But the Park Service had removed the houseboat, so there was nothing to look at. The Governor of Utah announced the capture of the criminals and vowed to institute more forceful law and order efforts to secure the average citizen in his home. The other Governors went on the nightly talking heads programs to say their piece and the whole thing died off a day later.
Later that night, two men approached the Flagstaff hospital wearing black suits. Another man was in uniform with two stars on the jacket. The fourth man opening the front door sported a major's oak leaf. They flashed their I.D. badges at the hospital administrator. She was sufficiently awed to show them to new patient's room. But the two very large SFs weren't budging. The man the general's uniform pulled rank. The SFs saluted and parted the way for the three to enter. One of the nurses went running for Dr. Fraiser. She was stopped half way down the hall. The two serious looking men opened the satchel. Raising the needle and flicking the tube of liquid against air bubbles, they inserted it into the I.V. Then they did it again with another shot. The woman became conscious. She was disoriented. And the interrogation began.
"Why were you observing Colonel O'Neill?"
"He's handsome. He's so, so, so beautiful."
"What were you doing to him in your house?"
"Having sex."
"What else were you doing?"
"Kissing."
"And what else?"
"Eating."
"Did you put something in his food to make him talk?"
"No. He talked anyway."
"What did he talk about?"
"Curling and the Simpsons."
"What else did he do?"
"Took me to the movies."
"Where else did he take you?"
"On the table, on the floor, on the sofa..."
"Why are you here?"
"Why is anyone here?"
"No, why did you come to this planet?"
"To study Earth."
"What did you learn?"
"That Jack is a great lover. The best."
"No, I mean what did you discover about Earth?"
"Jack lives on Earth."
"No, what did you want to find here on Earth?"
"Sex."
"Not you personally. Name a specific thing."
"A really large..."
"No. How many of you are there?"
"Just me and Jack. It's enough!"
"How many people from your world are there here?"
"A lot."
"Give me a number."
"69." The men looked at each other and back at the woman.
"What do they want here?"
"They want their stuff back. The stuff you stole."
"Besides that. What do they want?"
"Nothing."
"What is your mission?"
"To study Earth."
"Why did the Goa'uld want to find you?"
"Poison."
"What does the poison do?"
"Kills them."
"The poison kills the Goa'uld?"
"Yes."
At that moment, a very angry Colonel O'Neill walked into the room with another man trying to keep him out. Dr. Fraiser entered as well. He took one look at the situation and ordered Dr. Fraiser to call General Hammond. Then he turned on Major General Bauer.
"I have complete authority over this situation, sir. I must ask you to leave, sir." Jack's voice was icy.
"I believe Colonel that I out rank you. Notice the TWO STARS here?" The General sarcastically pointed to his epaulets.
"Not about this, sir. I have it directly from the President. I am in charge as the White House's Special Investigator and am deputized by every single federal agency in existence. You will have to take it up with him." Jack stood to the side and gestured the way out. Major General Bauer wasn't having it.
"You are way out of line, you insubordinate sonofabitch. When this is over, I assure you that you will be drummed out of the service. And having relations with an alien is no badge of honor." Bauer pointed down at the woman. "Now stand down, Colonel."
Jack would have hit him if Dr. Fraiser didn't return to get in between them. Bauer's cell phone rang. Dr. Fraiser started to tell him cell phones were not allowed in hospitals. He ignored her. And then his face turned beet red.
"Yes, sir." He hung up, gestured to the other men, and spun on his heels. He nearly ran Jack down trying to exit the room.
"Say hi to the President for me. Don't let the door hit you in the ass." Then mumbling, "you sorry sack of..." but the group was already entering the elevators.
Once Dr. Lars Svenson reached the SGC, he was whisked away for a medical exam and then a meeting with General Hammond. The tension in the Briefing Room could be cut with a knife. Three men were already seated waiting for him. They all had grim expressions. Ok, this was going to be obnoxious, thought Lars.
"Dr. Svenson, I'm General Hammond, commander of this facility. Please have a seat." The older man gestured to the chairs lined up along the Briefing Room table. "Dr. Lars Svenson, this is Colonel Reynolds and Colonel Simmons. They will hear your statements. But first I want to say that we are none too pleased to have been put at risk by your people's unauthorized presence on this planet."
"That's an understatement." Colonel Simmons caught General Hammond's glare and added, "sir."
"This rescue operation cost this government a fortune to recover your operative and capture that Goa'uld, who, I might add would not have come were it not for your incursion here." Hammond glared at Simmons who gave him an innocent look but just waved his hands.
"I couldn't have said it better, General."
"But, the President believes that if you can establish you are from a society that could be our ally in the fight against the Goa'uld, we can discuss opening diplomatic relations. But you must have some proofs that can be offered. And we require a gesture of goodwill."
"Actually, we want several acts of goodwill." Simmons turned to General Hammond. "We have to have a look inside that house. If they don't want us in there, we have to know why. Just makes us oh, so curious."
"I told Colonel O'Neill why. The house is as you say booby-trapped to catch the ashrak who was after Ellie. You will need one of us to deactivate the traps. After that, it is just as I said. It is a typical American house aside from her computer console."
"And we want that computer console and access to all its information. Don't we General?" Simmons tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully, then added, "and we want those booby-traps and their diagrams so we can build some ourselves. Along with the Gate address to your world and a note introducing us to your leadership. We can discuss their apology later."
"That will be enough, Colonel. The diplomacy will be handled by the SGC diplomatic teams, not by the N.I.D." Hammond turned his attention back to the alien visitor. "Dr. Svenson, we also require the rest of the expedition to give themselves up and return through the Stargate until we have established diplomatic relations. Is that clear?"
"What about Ellie? She must receive proper medical care from us."
"You are in no position to make demands, sir." Hammond leaned back and glared at him.
"Actually, I am." Lars paused for dramatic effect. "We posses the weapon that will destroy the Goa'uld symbiotes. If you want access to that information and to other knowledge, you will have to treat us with respect, according to your laws and customs as you would any citizen of this world. You will offer us the same protections and apply the rule of law. We require demonstrations of good faith as well." Dr. Svenson was accustomed to dealing with primitives and their military. His motto was never let yourself give up the moral high ground, because it would just be down hill from there. "Since we are a more advanced society, you gain more by not alienating the aliens, as it were."
"You learned to play hardball, Doctor. Do they teach that to all anthropologists on your world? Or maybe you aren't an anthropologist at all?" Colonel Simmons shot a glance at Hammond who nodded for him to continue. Sometimes Simmons did know his business.
Lars didn't bother to smirk. "Maybe you should offer that course to your scientists. We could help you with the curriculum."
"That doesn't answer the question. What are you really doing here? And what is your position? Political officer? Spy? Military? Oh we'll figure it out."
"That's, oh," counting on his fingers slowly, Lars said extremely politely, "five questions. Go on, I'm curious, can you think of any more?" Both men stared at each other. No one blinked.
"That's enough. Dr. Svenson, here's a pad and a pen. I suggest you start by writing down your Gate address." An aide placed the writing materials before Lars, who didn't bother to look at it.
Simmons spoke affably. "We can wait as long as you can. Just don't wait too long."
"Until and unless you decide to behave towards us in a civilized manner, you can wait until hell freezes over." Dr. Lars Svenson stood up and replaced his chair. "As we speak, a medical team is ready to enter the hospital. If you don't let us treat her to our standards of care, peacefully, we'll take her one way or another."
"SIT DOWN." General Hammond barked and gestured to the SFs who approached menacingly. More softly, Hammond said, "Sit, down and we can discuss how to care for Dr. Thorsdaughter. I assure you, we have a good team already there."
"Good team, Humph." Lars shook his head ruefully. "You can't begin to imagine what we can offer. I suggest you call the officer in charge and tell him to let our people pass." Lars considered, hesitating. He turned expectantly toward General Hammond. "Unless you want to expose the Stargate Program in the most dramatic way, General."
"That won't be necessary. The officer in charge is Colonel O'Neill. She's in good hands, Doctor." Hammond signaled to his aide to call Jack and let him know who was coming. "I wouldn't make threats to Colonel O'Neill today. Just let us handle this. Your people can take a look to see she is being treated well. But then they have to surrender to us."
"No, General. They don't. In fact, it would be a good idea to arrange for the hospital to let our doctors in and not interfere." Dr. Svenson smiled affably. "Unless you think the nurses will enjoy that bright flash of light as the patient and the doctors all disappear."
After the alien doctors left, Colonel O'Neill sat by Ellie's bedside waiting for her to wake up. He couldn't concentrate long enough to even read his favorite comic, M.A.D. Magazine. Several elaborate flower arrangements filled the room. Jack couldn't forgive himself for what happened. He shoved that thought away. The visit from the aliens had been professional and courteous. They expressed their gratitude to him and barely so to Dr. Fraiser. They patronizingly treated her like some medicine man. Jack shook his head thinking about it. According to Dr. Frasier, Ellie's symbiote died nearly instantaneously when it blended with her. Since she was so thoroughly full of Datura and caffeine, the combination worked swiftly to poison the symbiote. It never had time to release its own poison as it died. Datura plants are found widely all over the Earth. But the ones in that region had something special. Bless good ole Doc Fraiser. She had tried to explain it. But all he really cared about was that the Goa'uld's own plan backfired on him. And now the Tok'ra were working on refining the formula.
Jack gazed down at the sleeping form. The morning sunshine lit the room with pale yellow sunshine. The high desert air was cold and dry outside. Jack stood to stretch and look out the windows for the umpteenth time. He kept blaming himself for letting this all happen. On the other hand, she had lied to him. But it wasn't the first time a woman had deceived a man. And she did have a good reason, he supposed. A way to kill the Goa'uld was a good reason in his book. Turning around he saw she was awake, looking at him.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Jack sat down on the bed next to her. Her fingers reached to touch him. He took her hand. Most of the tubes were gone. The alien medicines had worked very quickly. But the I.V. drip of glucose was still attached to keep her fed and hydrated. Ellie looked around and got confused.
"Yeah, well, you had a little adventure. Do you remember any of it?"
"No." Ellie croaked out. She was still dry. Jack handed her a glass of water with a straw. She drank gratefully.
"You are in the hospital. You're going to be fine. But, the Grand Canyon has to wait." He smiled at his little joke. She smiled back at him.
"How long?"
"Oh, probably a day or two more. You have to take it easy."
"Were you hurt?"
"No, no." Jack scowled. He didn't know how to begin.
"Good." Ellie looked at the tube in her arm and got alarmed. "It hurts." She tried to remove it.
"No, you need that for a little while longer. Just until you can eat and keep it down."
"Accident?"
"Sort of. But it's over. I'll tell you all about it when you are better. Right now, you get," Jack moved off the bed. "Hospital food." The nurse's aide placed the tray on the movable table and raised the head of the bed for Ellie to eat sitting up. Jack gently opened the lid off the plate and poked the straw through the juice container. She tried some.
"Ugh, that's awful."
"Like I said, it's hospital food. It's always awful. Here, drink." Jack grinned at her. Then he held the cup for her and kept her company until she fell asleep again. Jack exited the room and accepted the salutes of the two SFs guarding her room. Now that she had awakened and had seen him, he could go.
Back at the SGC, the discussion began in earnest. Both sides knew they had to test the other's resolve. In the end, Dr. Svenson agreed to show the house to General Hammond and to contact his government through the Stargate with his transmitter. His government agreed to accept a visit from a diplomatic SG team. General Hammond agreed to refrain from entering the house without Dr. Svenson present. Dr. Svenson agreed to show the workings of the computer to Major Carter. General Hammond agreed not to disturb the contents until a diplomatic exchange could be made. Once that exchange happened, Dr. Svenson's team agreed to come to the SGC. The President approved a new procedure to give them visas so they would no longer be illegal aliens. And they agreed to check in on a schedule. In addition, the President granted the aliens a new embassy in Washington. And the Earth Ambassador got his own embassy in their capital. Colonel Simmons went back to the Pentagon to plot and plan how to get at all that lovely new technology for his own uses. General Hammond made sure someone was watching Simmons. But Jack was really creeped out about the house across the street from his. He demanded that it had to be sold to regular Earth folks. And General Bauer retired. All in all, it turned out to be a good thing.
A lot had happened that week. The exchange of diplomatic emissaries was a success. Ellie's folk did know the Tollan and had enough to prove it beyond a doubt. They had a more advanced but relatively peaceful society. Like the Tollan, they were unwilling to share much technology. But they didn't say no outright. They made it clear they needed to get to know the folks in charge and establish a relationship first.
Ellie's people had serious apprehensions about dealing with Earth authorities. According to their explanations, they operated in secret because of fears of persecution by the N.I.D. The Tollan had told them about their experience with Colonel Maybourne on the first visit. General Bauer's interrogation of Ellie by sodium pentothal was viewed dimly. So the Pentagon ordered extra efforts to entertain their representatives and make a good impression. At a formal dinner, Dr. Svenson convinced General Hammond that it would be a significant gesture of good will to let Ellie continue her vacation under the Colonel's supervision. If SGC personnel wanted to be received as graciously on Ellie's world, well, they just had to deal in-kind. Besides, the two were already friends and she needed some time to recover.
Since Earth could not stop the aliens from wandering around, General Hammond got permission from the President to let the aliens out among the population. They could move about relatively freely on the proviso that they kept the Stargate Program secret and agreed to let the SGC take care of any problems. SGC personnel would be accorded the same privileges on the Other Side. As the first test case, Hammond detailed O'Neill to show Ellie the Grand Canyon as he had promised her. If that went well, then he could take her to Las Vegas, too. But this time, the trip was business. The government was picking up the tab. It was a new way of thinking about alien visitors. The day had come for extra-terrestrial eco-tourists.
"I don't want this place turned into the terminal from the "Men In Black" movie." Hammond admitted to O'Neill in his office. "But, they have a point. I'm looking into setting up a customs and immigration area at Area 51 for those who arrive by ship. We have to face it. There are going to be visitors and we might as well prepare for them. Ellie's people are giving us a set of warning beacons to alert approaching craft to advise us before they land. And hopefully, some of them will. They can then be directed to Nellis AF Base and the Area 51 landing strip there. The Gate travelers we just have to handle at the Alpha Site. I don't want aliens to come here without authorization. We are a military organization, not Grand Central Station." Hammond handed Ellie's papers to Jack.
"Yes, sir." Jack sighed. "The Grand Canyon and Las Vegas then back." Then he took off for Peterson AF Base for his hop to Flagstaff. Diplomacy was not his strong suit. But he could handle one woman. Jack decided he wasn't letting her out of his sight this time.
I'm going to show Daniel there was more than one diplomat on SG-1.
It was the day of Ellie's release from the hospital in Flagstaff. Ellie was surprised that Jack unexpectedly showed up. He volunteered to collect Ellie from the Flagstaff hospital instead of sending for her by a military transport. He didn't want to force her to fly. She deserved to hear about her abduction and rescue from him. And then there was the matter of getting an apology from her for all the trouble and for lying to him. So there he was in Flagstaff with Ellie's new 'Alien Visa,' which looked like a passport. It felt weird.
The trip to the Grand Canyon went well. And so, Jack received permission to take Ellie to Las Vegas. All the activity, the noise, the lights, delighted her. She still stayed close to him. Even though Ellie was physically fine, mentally she was still fearful. The story of her abduction unsettled her profoundly. So, Jack hovered a little as she perused the famous gambling casinos.
Jack let Ellie watch some of the action on the casino floor. The roulette wheel fascinated her. He explained how it was done. She watched for a few moments and then sat down to try it. She won. Ellie looked at the wheel carefully. Then she pressed her bet on one number. She won. With a big smile at Jack, Ellie said, "this is so simple. Is this all it takes to gamble here?" He nodded grinning back at her. For the next several turns of the wheel, Ellie pressed her bets and won. All in all she was up over $50,000.
"Well, don't get cocky. The house has a big advantage in roulette. If you aren't careful, you'll lose it all just as fast as you made it." He rested a hand on her shoulder. She examined the wheel again and made her bet. She won again. The pit boss closed the table.
"Okay, let's try something else. This is too easy." Ellie picked up her chips and moved off with Jack to the Blackjack tables. At one, Jack asked her if she would like to play. He explained the rules to Blackjack. They watched for a while. Then she decided to try it.
Ellie was a natural. It seemed as though she couldn't lose. Hand after hand went to her. Jack explained about doubling down, taking insurance, and pressing a bet. Pretty soon she had quite a pile of chips in front of her. Jack explained about tipping the dealer. She was generous.
"I want to thank you, Jack. I really needed an outing like this. I needed something completely different. This is fun." She piled up the chips into stacks.
"No, you shouldn't do that. Counting your chips is bad luck." Jack smiled at her as the dealer nodded to his supervisor and began dealing again. Ellie won again. Another pit boss came by to observe. A crowd had gathered around watching her split a pair of eights. She received two more eights on the split pair and split them again, increasing her bet. Then she was dealt eights again. The shoe had six decks in it and was nearly at the shuffling point. Ellie split the eights again, increasing her bet.
"This is such a nice game. But it's too simple, Jack. Don't the owners know that it's too easy to make money this way?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, I'll win all these hands and make a lot of money. Watch."
The next several cards were either face cards or aces. She beat the dealer on every hand. The crowd was cheering and hollering. Jack was laughing. Ellie was smiling. That is until a security man pointed out something blinking in Jack's inside jacket pocket. More security appeared to detain him. The crowd moved back murmuring angrily. The police arrived. Ellie's winnings were confiscated. The police removed Jack's Tok'ra communicator from his inside jacket pocket. When they couldn't identify it and he couldn't tell them what it was, the police arrested him for fixing the roulette table. And they arrested her for card counting, which is very illegal in Nevada. If you can count the cards in your head, it's one thing. The casinos don't like it and can ask you to leave. But having a suspicious device on hand that could help was enough to get them arrested.
How bad could it be, he asked himself? We're friends. And she wasn't even feeling her best so she would be subdued. At least this alien would behave herself, once she understood the trouble she had caused.
And that's what he was remembering thinking as the S.W.A.T. Team assembled outside his cell at the Clark County Jail in North Las Vegas that evening. Ellie had managed a jailbreak by transporter.
So much for his career in interstellar diplomacy.
The End.
Sequel is done: The Decline Of Rome
DISCLAIMER: "Stargate SG-1" and its characters are the property of Sony Pictures MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.
http/ Chants to Cure:anthro4n6dotnet/navajosandpainting/table2.html
http/ Pictures of the Sacred Mountains and Lands of the Navajo:
lapahiedotcom/SacredMtsdotcfm http/ Navajo Rug designs:iadotessortmentdotcom/navajoindianknrlscdothtm Search words:Navajo SandpaintingandShiprock: lapahiedotcom/ShiprockPeakdotcfm
http/www.geologydotwiscdotedu/maher/air/air03dothtm (Note: Scroll to bottom, then up)
Sacred Mountains of the Navajo: lapahiedotcom/SacredMtsdotcfm Datura: Search Wikipedia Kayenta Township, search the words kayentatownshipdotcom/december04dotpdf
