Child of the Mind
By Ldynwaitin
Chapter One
I smell a Royal Rat
Colonel Cameron Mitchell stood on the edge of a thick jungle. The stargate on this planet was located in the center of a stone circle surrounded by the tropical forest. "Beautiful!" Cameron happily sighed.
"Beautiful, Cameron Mitchell?" Teal'c asked. His usual frown grew deeper. He shrugged his shoulders; his shirt was uncomfortably damp with his sweat. "It is a hot, sticky, discomforting jungle."
"Exactly, Teal'c. That's why I love this mission. Vala hates hot and sticky. Listen."
Teal'c listened carefully. "I do not hear anything, Cameron Mitchell."
"Yep, isn't it beautiful." Cameron looked back. He saw Doctor Daniel Jackson examining one of three carved stone dragons that sat in front of the stargate. "Jackson, I spy with my little eye, something that begins with the letter..."
"Green," Daniel said. He shoved his green hat off and used a brush to clean the dirt from one of the statues. "Cam, that's going to get really old fast."
Cameron spun around. "It's a jungle, we don't go on many planets with Jungles. It's always trees, trees, and wait, what's that?" Cameron squinted his eyes, "Another tree."
"Cam, a jungle has trees too," Colonel Samantha Carter pointed out.
"Yeah, Carter. But it's just not the same."
"Find anything, Daniel?" Sam asked him.
Daniel patted his brush on a stone dragon. "The carvings here definitely indicate Chinese ancestry."
Cameron looked up at a dragon. "Those are the weirdest dragons I've ever seen. A dragon body with human heads, that's high on the creep factor."
Daniel pointed his brush at the first dragon. "They're unique, Cam. The first dragon is two headed."
"Literally," Cam said.
Daniel continued. "There are Chinese characters etched below each head that designates the name of the carved head. The double dragon heads are Tai and Zhong Kang. They were the sons of Qi Zia."
Daniel moved to the second dragon. "This one is Qi Zia, he was the son of Yu." Daniel held his hand up. "Cam, don't even think of saying what you're going to say."
"Come on, Jackson," Cameron whined. "He was before my time. I never got the chance."
Daniel looked at Sam. She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
Daniel dropped his head and closed his eyes. "Go ahead."
Grinning, Cam said in a deep voice, "He's not my son."
Opening his eyes, Daniel shook his head as he moved to the third dragon. It was apparent that this one was much older than the other two. The stone was weathered and cracked. "This one is Lord," he impishly smiled at Cameron as he said, "Yu-Huang Shang Ti. It's a perfect likeness. So, I'm assuming the other two dragons are likenesses of his son and grandsons. Now that he's dead, his son Qi would succeed Yu to be the new Lord.
Each dragon represents the ruler or possible rulers of this world." Daniel stepped up to the first dragon. He studied the two heads. "They're identical twins. That could be a problem with determining the next Lord. First born is always the one to supplant their father." Daniel pointed to one of the heads. "Tai Kang has two horizontal lines carved on his left cheek. That's the Chinese symbol for two." Daniel stared at the second head. "They are identical in every way but the scar."
Cameron looked around. "How many tropical jungles are in China?"
"Nothing on the mainland," Daniel said. "Just on the Hainan Province. It's an island to the south. Yu-the great's reign as emperor of china ended 2025 BC. That was almost four thousand years ago. Anyone Yu-Huang brought to this planet from ancient China would have adapted by now."
"Daniel," Sam said. "We got this address from a Jaffa that was loyal to Yu. He said Yu hid this world from the other Goa'ulds. The people here may not even know what a Gould is."
Daniel stared at the dragons. "Why would he keep this world hidden from the other Goulds?"
Cameron clutched his gun. "That's why we're here, Jackson. To get some answers. As much as I enjoyed watching you dust dragons, love that wrist action by the way. I think it's time we do a little reconnaissance."
"I'm finished," Daniel said. "I just need to pack my brushes. I'll catch up." Sam followed Cameron and Teal'c as they walked down a small path cut into the jungle. It led away from the stargate.
Daniel quickly packed his brushes in his backpack. Clipping it to his vest, he was ready to go. He froze when he heard the stargate's chevrons locking in.
Daniel looked down the path. He saw that the others heard it too. They ran for cover in the jungle. Daniel hid behind some trees. Seconds later he saw a man exit the stargate. He appeared to be of Chinese origin. Daniel saw the symbol of Yu imprinted on his forehead. A hooded man followed him. They walked down the steps of the gate.
Stopping in front of the dragons, the hooded man pushed away his cowl. Daniel immediately recognized him. It was Tai Kang. He bore two horizontal scars on his cheek. Seeing his eyes glow, Daniel knew this man was a Gould. He heard them speaking Goa'uld.
"Welcome home, Lord Tai Kang," the taller man said, with a bow at his waist.
Tai Kang took in a deep breath. "It is good to be back, Zhan Shi. I have been exiled from my home for far too long."
Tai's eyes flashed. He absently touched his scar. "From now on, we will speak my father's language. I must keep up appearances."
Daniel heard them now speaking ancient Chinese.
Zhan Shi bowed his head. "Yes, my Lord. Your father, Lord Qi's mind is nearly as broken as your grandfathers. Your wait will not be long."
"Are you sure my brother does not suspect anything?"
Zhan slyly grinned, "Zhong is unaware of you coming."
"Good," Tai said. Bringing his hand up, he touched an amulet that hung on his neck. Daniel saw the scar on his face disappear. "Can you see the scar?"
Zhan widely grinned, "No, my lord. The device hides your scar perfectly, your father will never know it is you."
"Excellent, Zhan. If all goes well, then you will receive what you also have been waiting for, for so long."
Zhan touched his forehead. "Yes, Lord Tai. I await the day I have your symbol in gold branded upon my head. The day I will become your first prime."
"Come, Zhan. We have much to do."
They walked behind the stargate and into the jungle.
Once they were gone, Daniel stepped out. Cameron, Sam and Teal'c ran to him.
"What did you see, Jackson?" Cameron asked him. "I thought this planet was off the radar."
"Two men came through the stargate. One of them was Tai Kang. He was identical to the carved head. He even had two horizontal scars on his cheek. A Jaffa was with him, his name was Zhan Shi. He had Yu's symbol on his forehead.
Tai was a Gould. They were speaking Goa'uld, then ancient Chinese." Daniel looked at the dragons. "This confirms our suspicions that this planet was ruled by Lord Yu. The Tok'ra may have killed off the last system lord, but I can't imagine how many system lord wannabes are out there."
"What did they say, Daniel?" Sam asked him.
"They didn't say much. Zhan Shi welcomed Tai Kang home. He said Qi was getting weak, like his father. Tai said he had been in exile to long. Apparently his brother is not aware of him coming. He used a device to hide his scar."
"I smell a rat," Cameron said.
"A royal rat, Cam" Daniel said. "Many an emperor took their throne by killing anyone that stood in their way. Even a father or a twin brother."
Daniel shook his head with disappointment. "Billions of miles away, and thousands of years on this planet and it appears that sibling rivalry has managed to survive."
"Cameron," Sam said. "They went that way." She pointed behind them. "Is the mission still a go? It's your call."
Cameron pointed in the other direction. "The UAV spotted a town that way. Opposite of the royal rat. So yes, I guess the mission is still a go. We just have to keep an eye out for rodents with glowing eyes."
Cameron took the lead with Teal'c. Daniel and Sam followed. They walked down the path that was cut through the jungle. Ten minutes later the path led them to the top of a steep hill. They walked along the edge of the hill. A thick jungle grew to their right, the steep hillside was to their left. Teal'c kept his staff armed. He could hear animals in the jungle. He had no idea what type of creatures lived on this world, but he would be ready for any attack.
Suddenly the sky seemed to open up. A heavy rain poured down on them. Daniel and Sam put their hats on. Teal'c ignored the rain. Cameron pulled out a long stalk of grass and whipped it back and forth in the rain drops. "Jackson, so you understood what they said?"
"They spoke Sino-Tibetan Chinese. It's where the modern Chinese language started. I understood every word they said. I just hope the village we're going to hasn't created their own unique dialect."
"Jackson," Cameron said. "You're a walking encyclopedia."
Further down, on the hilltop they saw hundreds of white flowers that was growing near the edge. Daniel stopped. Squatting down, he stared at a blossom. The rain dripped down the brim on his hat onto the flower. Sam looked down at the bloom.
"Looks like a gardenia," Sam said.
A gentle smile grew, as Daniel recalled a wonderful memory. "Yes, it does. My mother loved them. My father would buy them for her on her birthday. I'll never forget their scent."
He pulled a blossom and smelled it. The sweet scent was identical to a gardenia. Memories of his parents flooded his thoughts.
Realizing part of their team was missing, Cameron stopped walking and looked back. He saw Daniel and Sam lagging behind.
"Come on, Jackson," Cameron shouted. "You can pick flowers on the way back, they'll still be there."
Sam ran to catch up with Cameron and Teal'c. Standing, Daniel tucked the flower in his vest. Happily grinning, he was about to take a step when he heard a thudding sound coming from the jungle to his right. It sounded like someone banging on a drum. He now heard an animal's roar that drowned out the drumming. Because of the heavy rainfall, he faintly saw two huge four-legged creatures burst out of the thick jungle growth. They were moving fast and headed his way. He quickly pulled out his Beretta.
Teal'c saw two large beasts barreling towards Daniel. Raising his staff, he shot at them. His blast hit one in its side. It let off a bellow but continued bolting towards Daniel. Sam turned around as Cameron began using his P-90. She saw two huge beasts galloping to Daniel.
The creatures were so fast Daniel only managed to fire off two shots before they reached him. He held his arms up to cover his face, as one of the animals rammed into him. They both fell on the ground. The grass was so slippery from the rain they slid over the edge and rolled down the steep hill. The other creature turned and fled down the path.
"Daniel!" Sam screamed.
They all ran to the edge of the hill. They saw Daniel and the animal disappear into the jungle below. The hill was too steep to safely follow him. They searched for a better way down.
"He's okay," Cameron said. "Don't worry, that's Daniel, he's like a cat, he'll be okay."
Sam had seen him recover from so many other things before. But this looked grave. She had to clear the bad thoughts from her mind. It was like Cameron said, he'll be fine.
Daniel didn't stop rolling until he hit a large tree at the bottom of the hill. He lay unconscious on the ground. The animal squirmed around, the gunfire fatally injured him. It stood up and took a few steps before releasing its last breath and fall next to Daniel.
Finding a less steep section of the hill, Cameron led them down to the bottom. They rushed through the thick jungle. It took them precious time finding Daniel. They each held their breath when they found the creature laying on the floor of the jungle. It was covered in blood.
Teal'c reached it first. He saw Daniel lying unconscious next to the creature.
"He is here," Teal'c shouted.
Jumping over the creature, Teal'c touched Daniel's neck, he released a relieved sigh. "He is alive." He examined Daniel's head and saw blood on the side. "It appears he hit something hard with his head."
Cameron laughed with relief. "Then he should be all right."
Spying something on the ground, Sam stooped down and picked up Daniel's glasses. She held them to her chest. The rain seemed to have grown worse. They were soaked to the skin.
They all froze when they heard the distant sound of drumming. Teal'c picked his staff up. "Cameron Mitchell, someone is coming."
Teal'c and Cameron each took one of Daniel's arms. Draping it on their shoulders they carried him deeper into the jungle. Sam watched for anyone ahead of them. They didn't go far before they heard the drumming. This time it was in front of them.
Finding a giant tree with large roots, they hid between two roots. Several men dressed in green ran past them. They all appeared to be Chinese. Some carried a weapon similar to a Jaffa staff. Others held what looked like a drum. As they banged on the drum, they realized this was what made the noise.
Sam tightly held Daniel to her chest while Cameron and Teal'c kept an eye on the men in green. They had no idea if the green men were friendly. With Daniel injured they didn't want to take the chance. They saw the men excited about finding the dead beast. Taking out their knives they began cutting it up. One man drummed a different beat. Several more hunters showed up. They noticed one of them was dressed in white. When he joined the hunters, he stood guard as the others continued to cut up the creature.
For a second Cameron could swear the man in white was looking right at him. He held his breath as he stared at the tree they hid behind. Cameron started breathing when the man in white turned and walked to the other side of the beast. With their attention now on the beast, Cameron decided they should leave.
"Let's go," Cameron whispered.
Cameron and Teal'c carried Daniel. Sam led the way. They didn't stop until they were sure they were far enough away not to be heard.
"I saw that in a movie," Cameron said. "They had beaters scare their prey to the hunters." Cam sadly looked at Daniel, "Jackson got in their way."
"Cam," Sam said. "We need to find a place to hide until Daniel recovers. We don't know how many of them are out there. Without Daniel, we won't be able to communicate with them."
"You're right, Carter," Cameron said. "I know mandarin, but I couldn't make head or tails of what the hunters were saying." He spied a large grove of trees growing at the top of a small hill. Several of them had fallen, creating a natural hide.
"That should be a good place to take cover. We'll be high enough to keep an eye out for anyone coming."
Climbing up the hill, they brought Daniel into a small break in the fallen trees. Teal'c gently lay him on the ground. Cameron cut off large branches from the tropical trees and placed them around the fallen trees, creating a natural looking cover. Sam took off Daniel's backpack. She examined his wound. She gently touched his head. "I don't like this, I hope he's not bleeding inside."
"Bleeding inside?" Cameron said. "That's dangerous, isn't it."
"Maybe," Sam said. "We'll know how bad it is when he wakes up."
Peeking through the leaves, Teal'c searched ahead for any sign of the hunters. Cameron kept watch behind them.
Sam pulled out some gauze from her backpack. She cleaned the blood off Daniel's wound and wrapped the gauze around his head. "I have no idea how long he'll be unconscious."
"Then we'll wait." Cameron said. He stared at Daniel, leaving was not an option. "For now, we hunker in and wait."