Jack's Origin Chapter 3
by Lesleyp
Season: SG-1 Season Nine
Author Notes: Backgrounder for this series is Reality Bites series.
Special thanks to Simon D. Yates for Betaing.
Chapter 3
Pulling herself together, she tried to assess the damage done to her team. "Cam?" she asked.
"Ribs...cracked." he responded. "Well, at least we've added a little color to the room," he choked out a joke, as he saw red blood spatters on the floor.
"Teal'c?" Sam checked.
"I believe my legs are broken Colonel Carter," groaned Teal'c.
"Daniel?"
"Nuthin broken..." He finally answered and struggled to bring himself to a sitting position. "I don't think..."
Sam winced when she saw his face. It was black and blue, his right eye swollen almost shut and a nasty gash on his cheek.
Before any of the team could say anything else, they heard the intake of air indicating a door into the white room had opened.
Goldsword and Swordless entered. Swordless had fear on his beautiful face, while Goldsword wore a mask of rage.
Stopping at Sam, Goldsword stopped and looked at her more intently. He then glanced to Swordless with an angry glare. They began to communicate in their language. Swordless began to rock back and forth on his heels, looking decidedly worried.
Goldsword leaned down and sniffed the air close to Sam's hair.
"Did he just sniff her?" Daniel asked in a whisper to Teal'c. Mitchell, having overheard, could only nod, as he was still, painfully, trying to stand.
Goldsword indicated for Swordless to come over to where Sam was still sitting. He then also squatted and took one sniff in the air around her. Swordless stood tall again and looked over at Goldsword. He nodded.
Goldsword grabbed Sam by the neck of her torn shirt and hauled her to her feet.
"Who is your lover?" Goldsword yelled into her face. "More importantly, where is he!"
"What?" came her surprised and terrified response.
"Who...and ...where...is...your...lover?" he demanded again, this time in a lower, more malicious tone.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she choked out.
"Leave her alone," Daniel tried to help. "She's not seeing anyone."
"Liar!" Goldsword swung his glare to Daniel, who then went skidding into the white wall.
"Owwwww," moaned Daniel.
"I can smell the Arcnephil all over her. He has been with her recently. And if his mate is here, he will not be far away." Goldsword sneered.
Daniel struggled to stand. He was pretty sure now he had broken a rib. Neither Teal'c nor Mitchell were in any shape to help. They could only watch.
"I'll ask you again," he threatened, as he returned his look to Sam, "and if you don't answer, I will kill them one by one."
Sam held silent, then looked out of the corner of her eye to see Mitchell falling back to the floor from his kneeling position, struggling for breath. His face was turning a bluish red.
"Stop!" she yelled. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
Goldsword let go of her and Sam heard Mitchell take in a deep breath, then start to cough.
"Who, and where?" He asked her again menacingly.
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Jack arrived at the Mountain in record time. Striding into Landry's office he asked:
"Anything?"
"Nothing Jack. We've redialled four times now. No response and no sign of anyone. The M.A.L.P. and UAV are gone. I sent another one, but it ...disappeared."
"It what?"
"We were getting some pictures back...then it was just gone."
Jack ran his tongue over his top back molar. A nervous habit. Then sucked in a breath, and blew it slowly out. Another nervous habit.
"I'm going."
"You're what!" asked Landry, his face not hiding his shock.
"Going to gear up," Jack hesitated. "and then I'm going after them."
"I don't think so ole buddy."
"Look Hank, you're gonna have to trust me. I shouldn't have let them go," then hesitated before continuing, "I'll be fine...it's got something to do with this gene thing...trust me...I go...alone...or we won't get them back...at least not alive."
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"Let's start again, shall we," Goldsword intoned, standing threateningly over Sam. "Your lover?"
"His name is Jack," she started slowly. "He's not here...last time I spoke with him he was in Washington."
Daniel looked shocked, while Teal'c only nodded. Mitchell made no reaction as he was again trying to get to his feet and in his pain he'd missed the significance of what Sam had just revealed.
"If he was here he'd kick your ass," she defiantly looked the beautiful, malicious man square in the eye.
Goldsword laughed. "You're telling the truth. And yes, he probably could. Or at least give it a good try. Too bad for you he's not here. Nor will he be coming."
Goldsword turned to Swordless and barked "Destroy the Alteran travel gate. Now!"
Swordless turned and exited the room.
Turning his attention back to Sam he said "So you are the lover of an Arcnephil. How nice...for me...you must be an extraordinary female to garner such a being. It has been a long...long...time since I have been with a human female. I will enjoy you immensely."
Running his finger along her cheek, causing her to shudder with revulsion, he said softly "I must ensure my order has been carried out. But don't worry you pretty little monkey, I will be back for you." Then he turned and left.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Jack stepped through the event horizon and looked around. He was fully geared in green fatigues, his P-90 held close, finger on the trigger. There was no sign of the M.A.L.P.s or U.A.V.
He moved toward the DHD and saw a mass of footprints. They'd been here. The footprints then seemed to head off toward the ruins.
Jack saw a flash out of the corner of his eye, and turned toward it, P-90 raised and ready. He caught the glimpse of a tall man with black flowing hair dressed all in white, and then poof, he was gone. He noticed before it disappeared, the figure had a look of ...what?...shock?...fear?
He turned around slowly, gun at the ready, when another figure appeared in front of the gate. This guy looked the same as the other, but his hair was blonde, almost white. Tall too. Standing at roughly...crap! Almost 7 feet, Jack guessed. Jack had to look up to meet the new man's eyes.
"Hey..." said Jack, P-90 pointed.
"Hey yourself Jack. What are you doing here?" the guy in white returned.
"You know my name...well...isn't that nice...and your's would be?"
"It doesn't matter," the guy in white smiled, a bright dazzling smile. Looking at Jack's P-90 he said "that won't work here you know."
"Ya...well...sorta like my security blanket..." Jack retorted. "So...see any other people around here?"
"Other people? You mean humans?"
"Ah...take it you're not human?"
The white guy was still smiling and shook his head. "No...why do you think there are humans here?"
"Because we...meaning us humans...sent through a group...oh...a couple of days or so ago?"
"What?" the being lost his smile and began to look very concerned. "You need to come with me."
Before Jack found himself alone in a white room, he had time to notice that the planet's second sun had come around from the far side of the planet and was now dangerously close to the one on the gate side.
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Daniel made his way slowly to where Sam was now sitting on the white floor, arms hugged tightly around her knees, head resting on the top. His right side was killing him. Yup, a definite rib or two broken. It hurt like hell. She was crying softly. Slowly, sitting down beside her he gently put his arm around her shoulders and began to rub her arm. His other arm hugging his rib cage tightly.
"So...Jack...huh?"
Sam shrugged.
"You want to talk about it?" he offered quietly.
Sam lifted her head and looked at him, tears still in her eyes.
She was about to say no, but her heart was aching, so quietly she unburdened herself on her friend of many years.
Sam told him how she'd fallen for Jack years ago, but had never had the courage to act on it. Daniel told her he had sensed that the two of them had a mutual attraction, but admitted he couldn't quite understand what she saw in Jack. Sam only smiled and shook her head. She enlightened him on what happened her last night at the SGC when the team was splitting up, and then Jack's visit to area 51.
"Boy...you two really know how to hurt each other don't ya?" Daniel quietly teased. "It'd make a good soap opera don't ya think?"
Sam finally smiled and agreed. She continued then by telling him that her and Jack had almost gotten together, and then she was recalled back to the SGC. Her sorrowful sigh spoke volumes, and Daniel hugged her a little closer. Resting her head on his shoulder, she then told him about the phone calls, the emails, the flirting, but that the plan was to wait until he retired a year from now.
Daniel was a little shocked to hear about Jack retiring, but said nothing, just kept soothingly rubbing her arm. And then, she explained, came the plague. She had almost been ready to let Jack go, but he had turned up at her house. She had come to the realization that, like her, he felt if they kept waiting, they'd never be together and so he came to her.
"I really love him Daniel. I wish I could make you see him the way I do. He only plays the dumbass you know. He makes me feel... I don't know...safe. Warm. At home. I feel like I'm always home with him, like as long as we're together everything will be alright. It sounds stupid I know," she cried into his shoulder.
"No Sam, it doesn't. I felt that with Shar'e," he gently reassured and kissed the top of her head. "For some reason, whoever these guys are, they're afraid he'll show up...and knowing Jack...I wouldn't put it past him."
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Jack had circled the white room five times looking for some exit point. This was weird, there was no crease where the walls met the floor or ceiling, just sorta blended in. And no sign of a door. How the hell did he get in here? Come on Jack, there's always a way out, think, think, he told himself. His usual male bravado aside, something in him wondered why he wasn't afraid.
He heard a whoosh of air, then saw two figures appear in the room. The first guy was the one he'd met on the planet, the second was, if you could believe it, slightly taller. He wore a gold belt with a Goldsword dangling from his left side. Nice hair. Collar length and blondish white. Again, all dressed in white. What was it with these guys, Jack thought to himself, never heard of a color palette?
But it was the man's face that really gave Jack a start. It was almost like looking into a mirror. Although the other guys eyes were a little lighter brown than Jack's. Almost a luminescent hue to them, and they seemed very gentle.
"Hello Jack," the guy with the sword spoke, a deep gentle soothing tone.
Jack couldn't help but to feel at ease. This guy was no threat, he was sure of it.
"Hey...you notice...you look like me," Jack stuttered, pointing between them.
"It's more like you look like me, Jack."
"Ah...so...you guys are Ancients?"
"No," the man smiled. "They are ascended from a corporeal form. My kind has never been corporeal. We have always been."
"You look pretty ...what's the word...corporeal?...to me."
"I know. Do you really want to get into this kind of conversation Jack? The wonders of the universe were never your forte."
"Ok...got me there...so what are you?"
"Doesn't matter. But to answer your unspoken nagging question, yes."
"Yes?"
"We are related. I would be your ..." he looked over at the first guy as though looking for the right words, then looking back to Jack "your great, great, and many more greats...grandfather."
"Uh Huh...sure you are..." Jack snorted.
"Yes, I am," the man smiled gently, looking at Jack as though looking at a child.
"So...what do I call you...gramps...?" Jack sarcastically responded.
"That won't be necessary. Although you would not be able to pronounce my name, we can settle for..." The man with the Sword thought for a moment, then "Mick. You can call me Mick," he offered.
"Ok...Mick," Jack stared at him in disbelief. "Now what?"
"This is all really quite enjoyable for me Jack, seeing you that is, I have been intermittently monitoring your progress. But this family reunion may have to wait. My Ageseraph tells me you said there were other humans sent through the Alteran gate? How many?"
Jack was now serious. "Ya, one of my teams, four. They came looking for..."
The man cut him off "We can discuss the purpose of their visit later. I'm sorry Jack that I did not act sooner. We did not sense their arrival. Because you are of us, we sensed you the moment you stepped over the threshold. I just hope I'm not too late."
With that the two guys in white left the room. Jack attempted to follow, but the passage had closed.
"Hey...wait!" he yelled after them. "What about me?" he finished barely audible, looking around the now empty room.
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Teal'c had finally managed to drag himself over to the white wall and had propped himself into a sitting position. He slowly looked around trying to find something that would trigger a door opening.
"Well boys and girl, this is not looking too good for the home team," Mitchell cracked, managing to a sitting kneel, arms hugged tightly around his rib cage. Damn, it was hard to breathe.
"Indeed it is not," responded Teal'c
Daniel looked at Sam. She wasn't doing so good, he was worried.
"So, snagged yourself a General eh Sam?" Mitchell joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Sorry, couldn't help but overhear." He grimaced in pain.
"Leave her alone," responded Daniel as he felt the shudder that passed through her.
"Ah, don't worry about me, Sam. Look, I'm sorry. I won't rat you out. Honest. None of my business," Cam told her as he held up a hand. For the first time he realized how deeply shaken she was. And she had reason to be, apparently Goldsword had designs on her.
Mitchell thought about trying to say something brave, like they wouldn't let the guy come near her, but he knew the promise would likely be empty. SG1 had been chewed up like doggie toys by those kids. He knew he wouldn't be able to protect himself, let alone her, if it started again. And she would know it too.
The sound of huge blast, then a massive shudder beneath them, knocked Mitchell back to the floor. "Ouch!" came his groan.
"What the hell was that?" asked Daniel quietly, not really expecting a reply. He'd almost been knocked over, and he and Sam would've tumbled back as well had he not put his arm out to brace them. He'd forgotten how much broken bones hurt.
Then another blast rocked the room. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over, and SG1 again found themselves in the desert. This time in the midst of the ruins they had been seeking.
Mitchell struggled and finally managed to rise to his feet, albeit a little hunched over. Breathing was becoming increasingly painful and difficult. Slowly he turned around to get a look at their surroundings.
Teal'c was lying flat on his back. The wall now no longer a prop. He wore a grimace of pain but said nothing.
Stopping in mid turn Mitchell exclaimed, "Hey gang...we got company." They all turned their attention to where Mitchell was looking.
There, in front of a low intact brown clay structure were two of the men dressed in white. They were eerily similar with the exception of their hair. One had long black hair, the other long blonde hair. The eyes were slightly different too. The blonde guy's appeared to be soft light brown.
"Um guys...?" said Sam, looking up. "I think you guys should see this."
The three men turned their attention skyward and all three gaped at what they saw. The two suns were now side by side, and dangerously close.
"Well...that can't be good," remarked Mitchell in a hushed tone.
"I don't think they're suns," explained Sam in awe, the two men in white temporarily forgotten. "If they were, the gravitational pull would have them falling into one another. And even if for some freak reason that didn't happen, we'd be scorched by now."
Teal'c broke his attention away to look at Sam, propping himself up on his elbows. "Do you believe them to be some sort of space ship then Colonel Carter? If so, I have never encountered any like it before."
"If they are..." Sam didn't finish.
"Hey guys..." yelled Mitchell toward the men in white "Those your ships?"
The man with the black hair snorted and laughed, the blonde looked at him kindly and shrugged.
"You need to come inside and rest," the blonde finally spoke in a soothing tone, indicating for them to enter the structure. "It may not be safe for you to stay out here," he finished, looking up at the two suns.
"I have a feeling we won't be safe anywhere on this planet," Daniel whispered.
"Well in case it escaped your notice, we have a man down here. And the rest of us aren't doing all that good either," Mitchell quipped in the direction of the two guys in white. "And since it was your doing, the least you could do is help."
Upon hearing this the blonde haired man turned to the dark haired one. A ferocious expression on his face as he spoke that ocean wave thing they did. The dark haired one only shrugged impassively.
"I can help!" came a boyish voice.
Mitchell made a half turn to see another one of those teenaged boys. This one with short blonde hair. "No thanks...you did enough."
"No, that wasn't us...it was them," the boy replied calmly, pointing at the dark haired man. "Please, I want to help. I've never seen a human before."
Mitchell looked at Daniel who gave a little nod and flip of his eyebrows that indicated worth a try'.
"Fine, but one wrong move and..." Mitchell was cut off.
"You'll what?" came a retort from the dark haired man. "As it has escaped your little pea brain, I'll inform you that there's nothing you could do to harm us. Or stop us. Any of us."
"Shut up. Do not speak to them again. You've interfered enough," the blonde lashed out to the dark."
"Well what are you doing?" the dark haired angrily pointed toward the boy.
"Fixing what you've done." The blonde then turned to the boy "Go ahead."
The boy went to Teal'c first and knelt beside him. Teal'c looked on with distrust but did nothing. The boy placed his hand on first one leg, then the other. Instantly they were healed. With disbelief Teal'c tried first one, then the other. Not taking his eyes off the boy, he slowly stood. There was no pain. The blonde haired boy looked up at him and smiled gently, then stood himself.
The last time Teal'c had witnessed such a healing was when O'Neill had healed Bra'tac after he'd been stabbed by a traitor. That was during their mission to Proklarush, trying to find the lost city, and a weapon to save Earth from Anubis' fleet.
Next the boy walked over to Mitchell and touched him on his hunched over back. Immediately the pain disappeared and he could breathe again. Standing erect now, he too looked on in awe as the boy headed to Daniel.
"It's ok, I'm fine," said Daniel, removing his arm from Sam and struggling to his feet.
"Yes you are," the boy said touching Daniel's arm. As with the others, the pain was gone, the broken rib instantly healed.
"She has nothing broken," the boy turned to the others looking concerned, "but she is injured. I don't know how to help."
"Her pain comes from within. The Arcnephil will come soon, then she will be fine," the blonde haired man spoke. "Now get them inside."
Led by the boy, SG1 entered the structure. As Daniel passed by the men dressed in white, the black haired one whispered to him "You got one thing right, Monkey, there's no where here that's safe for you."
The blonde haired man pushed the black haired one away from Daniel and spoke angrily in the wave language. The black haired one shrugged and dusted off his sleeve where he'd been pushed.
Once the team had entered the hut, the two men garbed in white took up sentry inside the door way. Squaring off they faced each other with impassive gazes, however, they effectively barred any exit.
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"O...K..." Jack breathed slowly out. "Time for plan B," he said aloud.
A door opened and the blonde man with the Goldsword and his face walked back in.
"Ah...there you are," Jack said, clasping his hands together in front of him. "So...you gonna tell me what's going on out there...Mick...is it?"
Jack had heard the loud blasts as well.
"We're negotiating."
"Negotiating?" Jack asked, his face indicating he expected more information.
"Negotiating. For now your friends are safe and are now on the planet below. Neutral territory, so to speak. I'm trying to negotiate their release. It won't be easy as my... counterpart...for lack of a better term... has claimed them."
Jack maintained his expression. As nothing further was forth coming he said, "and..."
"There's a few things I need to explain to you Jack, because you need to prepare yourself that I might not win this one."
Jack ran his tongue over his top molar and blew out a slow breath, trying to think of a strategy to help his friends...and his lover...out of this mess.
"You will see them soon Jack," the man read his thoughts. "Now sit."
With that, two white chairs appeared as though they were part of the floor itself. Jack took one, and adjusting his sword, the man in white took the other. At the door entered another man, equally as tall, wearing the same boring white. He too had a gold belt and sword. But this one's hair was jet black, which seemed to match his eyes. He leaned against the wall, arms folded over his massive chest, and silently watched. A sickening feeling started to overtake Jack. Now this guy was a threat.
Mick began to explain that the planet below had once been a gathering place many millennia ago for various races to come and negotiate disputes in order to avoid wars. The Ancients having been one the founders of the idea, and thus why a stargate was placed there.
The address was to an unknown galaxy which Mick would not reveal, and there were no other gates within this galaxy. The planet itself had been arranged by Mick's kind as there were no indigent living species in this galaxy that could be affected. And it was Mick's kind who arranged transport of the gate.
Mick went on to explain that earth was considered a favoured place by his kind, and it's inhabitants cherished. This caused a snort by the man at the door, who'd made a derogatory remark about apes and humans. Ignoring him, Mick continued on. Mick revealed that he had been to Earth himself roughly 10,000 earth years ago, and that is how his progeny came to be. He stopped for a moment and gave Jack a fatherly look.
He then continued. Because of the favoured status of humans, some of his kind had become...there was no human word so jealous would have to do. A fierce war resulted within the ranks of his kind. The results of this war were devastating on the corporeal plains, with 5 whole galaxies being extinguished from existence. The planet below had been ground zero, so to speak.
A tear flowed down Mick's face, but he continued on. The war ended just over 2,500 earth years ago, with Mick's side being the ultimate victor, although there had been heavy losses to both sides. The outcome was that his kind could no longer directly, or indirectly interfere with the development of any corporeal species. They would maintain a balance and keep watch.
As he and the dark haired being were the equivalent of what Jack would understand to be general's on opposite sides, they stayed here, circling this planet, keeping watch on each other. Maintaining the balance.
"Sorta like the light side and dark side of the force?" Jack asked.
The dark haired man laughed, while Mick smiled and answered "Something like that."
"So...exactly what is your kind?" Jack asked.
"It's your kind too Jack," the blonde answered gently.
"Ya...half ape...half.." the dark haired man started.
"Enough!" he was cut off sharply by the blonde. "We do this my way! He is mine, you have no claim on him. You will hold your tongue." The blonde and the black haired man glared at each other and Jack saw their lips move, but only something like ocean waves could be heard. Whatever they were sayin, gramps was pissed.
TBC
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