TW: anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts.
Barbara was lost. She was sure she walked down that corridor at least several times. She probably took some wrong turns. Her ability to navigate was in shambles (not that she could navigate a printed map on a good day). And her ability to think apparently as well.
Why didn't I tell Thor the details? Thor could have helped me get back to my reality… He had the more advanced technology. I could help them deal with their Replicator problem and then they could have helped me get back! (Do I even want to get back home? Back to my mundane life? No adventures? Only the four walls and online lessons, on which I can't focus? And the tense meals with mom…)
Barbara felt herself shiver and a brush with her palms over the forearms showed goosebumps. The palms were wet and she frantically began to wipe them on her thighs.
I was the calmest here… But they don't really need me here, in this universe. They could deal with all the problems they had up until now without me… And I only give them more trouble! Maybourne! He is coming to the base as if it was his job…
At the last thought she stopped. It was his job. It was not his native base though… Bustard. And the SGC has to constantly deal with him… He was not coming that often to the base in the series… Maybe it was not important for the plot… But I don't think he did it anyways…
The shivers were not letting up. The corridor was also slightly getting darker. And the air seemed to be thinner. Her chest was getting uncomfortably compressed and Barbara rubbed her chest with knuckles of her fist to try and elevate the feeling. It helped a bit, but the feeling moved to her throat. She started rubbing her neck.
Here I am causing trouble. At home I am causing trouble. Anywhere I am, I am causing trouble and problems for the people around me. And they have to put up with me. They have to plan around me. I am at fault.
The SGC don't really need me… They can deal with everything by themselves. Why was I even brought here? Would they be better off without me? They had to plan additional events just to take me from the base… They should have been preparing for Major Carter's promotion… Instead they took Teal'c and I on that trip… It was nice.. But they lost their time on me..they could have done something better with their time than try and entertain me… Mom would probably be better without me as well. All I am doing is sitting in front of that computer and staring at it… I bring nothing good.
Barbara leaned on one of the walls before sliding down and settling on the floor. The corridor was getting darker.
For sure would have been easier if I was... I am just a kid! Yes, with information. Which I can't even muster the courage to use… do they even need it? Do they even read it? For sure would not have to make that decision to give information if I was dead. Would not have to watch the face of disappointment on my mom's face as well.
Confused the mind out of Thor with all the testing he did… Don't even know what he is going to do… Not human enough? Not Ancient enough… He just did the tests and then relocated me to that room. Why did he even do that? Out of the way? Or out of eye, out of mind…
Barbara didn't notice the darkness creeping up on her, but she definitely noticed the white spots just out of her sight.
Did he remove me from the Earth because I was not human enough? But I am. I am human. Am I not?
I must have just fallen asleep with my phone. That's what I am having… A very realistic dream… From which I cannot wake up… Everything should be fine.
.
Oh, I am having an attack.
The bright flash of light right in front of her managed to illuminate her vision, but that was the last thing Barbara saw as she fell sideways to the floor.
Thor was observing the video feed following the movement of Barbara.
She was peculiar. She was completely human. Yet she spoke the language of their allies, long vanished from this side of the universe. She didn't have the knowledge that their allies were so proud of, but what she did have was the information of possible development of the universe. Maybe she had information about their current problem. That would be the best-case scenario.
He remembered her eyeing the control panel when he just teleported her with him after he left instructions for the SGC and to be frank, he was curious what she would make from the Asgardian technology. She seemed to be young for a human, prone to mistakes. The Asgardians had lost their young since they started to clone themselves. He barely remembered how it was when there were young Asgardians. He was curious.
She was banging on one of the walls and shouting something. He turned on the microphones to hear what was said.
"…move the knowledge of the language from my head. It didn't work! Let me out!"
He was curious.
Thor pressed a button on his control panel, built-in in the armrest of his throne. On the video the girl jumped a bit at the suddenness of the opening door before quickly vacating the room.
Thor opened some of the latest messages he got from the outpost. They were loosing the war against the Replicators. They won the last battle, but at a very high cost. The next fights will be hard. They had to win.
As Thor worked on the bane of all the universe – paperwork, he kept the sensors of the ship activated and trained on the passenger he had kidnapped from the Earth. The system was set to give an alarm when certain physiological parameters were to exceed the recommended values for her species. And it did. The heart rate was steadily rising along with the breathing rate. The Asgardian pulled up the video feed to the front. Barbara was experiencing an anxiety attack.
The alien teleported the girl to the med bay before also teleporting there. The girl had fainted just before he teleported her. No matter.
It didn't take long for the girl to wake up. He did increase slightly the concentration of oxygen in the room to allow her to correct the hypoxia she induced on herself.
"Wha.. where?" came the groggy voice of the girl. She did seem disoriented.
"You fainted," came the helpful response.
"That doesn't help," grumbled Barbara just as she took in the room she woke up. She looked around, before nodding and setting her eyes on the Asgardian. "Thor…"
"Your heart rate and breathing may have returned to the norm of your species, but you can still fall back into the anxiety you were experiencing previously."
"Eh, if it happens it happens," waved it off Barbara. Not that I can help it. "I need you to make the decision. I can find information on the Replicators. But you need to make the decision if you need the information."
"Of course, we need…"
"You take the information – you alter the flow of the events. You don't take the info – the SG-1 will deal with the Replicators. But at a later time," interrupted him Barbara, looking straight into Thor's big black eyes.
The alien looked at the girl.
"We could save so many more, if we had had the information."
They maintained the eye contact for some time before the girl slumped.
"Okay. I will give you the information."
"Thor, am I human? At least according to your scanners?" Barbara hesitantly questioned the Asgardian as she took a small break from typing the information on Thor's computer. She was at it for some time and her hands were becoming numb, especially the ring finger and the pinky.
"Yes you are human," the Asgardian replied. He was working on his panel, continuing with the bane of existence (paperwork). He heard the relived exhale from the girl, but if he was looking at her, he would have seen a small devious smile spread on Barbara's face.
"So, I am eligible to be on the planet during the negotiations…"
"Yes."
"Thor, the System Lords will demand complete cessation of the SGC. We will have to surrender the Gate. Both of them. And then Nirrti will attack both Cronus and Teal'c to force the Tau'ri's hand," Barbara turned completely to face the Asgardian. "You want to prevent bloodshed. I want to prevent the bloodshed as well. Even though they are Goa'uld. Nirrti will try to do it to gain Cronus territory. The SG-1 and SGC are aware of the plot but they might have trouble preventing the events from repeating.
"Don't you want to also show the middle finger to the System Lords? To let out some steam? From the bureaucracy, from the war in Ida galaxy?
"Please, help me protect this Earth, until the moment I return home."
"So the moment I hear these words I press this button and I will be transported?" Barbara pointed at the biggest button on the panel. It was already set so that the girl will appear next to Thor when she would press the button.
"Yes, that is so," Thor nodded, preparing to teleport himself for the beginning of the negotiations.
"You are an enabler, just so you know that."
Thor only smiled before disappearing in a flash of light. Soon the ship was filled with the transmission of the negotiations.
"The Asgard High Council wishes you all greetings and thanks for this opportunity to negotiate for peace."
"The Goa'uld System Lords are prepared to hear the Asgard proposal."
Barbara was ready to press the button to teleport but the ship was suddenly filled with angry Goa'uld, shouting at each other. Barbara raised her fist to rub the knuckles on her chest to ease the sudden feeling of compression there. It is now or never.
Barbara left Thor's ship in a flash of light. She left behind information on the Replicators and the clone problem that the Asgardians were having for the last several centuries. But she gained a grain of resolve. That grain of resolve will grow more in the following days. The resolve to do, instead of playing the damsel in distress.
"Hi guys."