Notes: This story is an AU written to answer two challenge requests from Area 52: Create a culture for the long-ignored Furlings, and Daniel is from another planet and is given to Jack as a gift. I have tried to combine both into one long story.
It's a WIP and when completed, will be posted as a one shot on various archives. The fic posted at will be edited for content to meet rating limitations on this site.
Prologue
This evening, the Dream was a peculiar mixture of sensual eroticism and the obscure. Visions flickered through the dreamer's unconscious mind, sired by unknown means and vital to the function of the dreamer's society. It didn't matter that some of the images were unrecognizable to current knowledge; all Dreams contained symbols needing interpretation, be it by dreamers themselves or by those trained to decipher Dreams.
This evening, the Dream was strong. Dan'i'el's eyes snapped open as he abruptly jerked into an awakened state. When his breath settled to a more manageable pace, Dan'i'el slid off his sleep-pad to immediately record his Dream in the journal always kept upon his padside table. Though every Dream was important, there was something startling and prophetic about this one. The remnants of it seemed to burn along Dan'i'el's blood and invigorate his heart with a newly kindled energy.
So complicated and intricate, It would take a member of the White caste to interpret the symbols of this Dream for Dan'i'el. For this Dream had the feel of something that could forever alter the secluded lifestyle of the Furlings.
Ch 1
The Doorway to Heaven disengaged as Colonel Jack O'Neill's team warily stepped onto the soil of a new world. Video from the standard MALP and UAV had revealed groves of forested areas, several ponds, and a karst-like topography. The preliminary data also revealed naquadah reserves unlike anything the Doorway Command had ever seen, which was why this mission had been bumped up on the schedule.
The clincher for Doorway Site 1492 was video clearly showing children playing in a meadow dotted with brightly colored tent structures. They'd been located several rolling hills away from the Doorway, but close enough for first contact.
"Fan out, and let's see if DS1492 lives up to Carter's promises." Jack squinted into the sunlight and performed a quick assessment of the surroundings. Good. No obvious hostiles or Goa'uld occupation, he noted to himself, but the hilly terrain and tree groves cast shadowy areas in the distance that might pose a problem.
"DHD looks fine," Sam said from somewhere to his right.
"Good. Why don't you snag those samples ASAP, Carter," Jack said. "Just in case the folks here aren't looking for company. There's something about this place...," his words trailed off and he turned to the remainder of his team. "Bra'tac? Anything look familiar? Kawalsky? Your little friend getting any bad vibes from this place?"
"This is not a world I am familiar with, Colonel O'Neill." Bra'tac's body radiated a tension Jack found nearly palpable. He kicked up his surveillance and nodded at his Jaffa team member.
"Well, I figured you would have mentioned it at the briefing. Kawalsky? Any heebie-jeebies?" He smiled half-heartedly at his old friend.
"No sir," Charlie said, offering a sloppy solute. "Jolinar's a little bit nervous, but I think that's because she's not too crazy about trees." He was silent for a moment, and then smiled wickedly. "She thinks that pond over there shows signs of some good fishing though."
"A Tok'ra after my own heart," Jack said with a casual air not reflected in his rigid stance. "The little bitty…tiny… microscopic chunk reserved for the Tok'ra," he corrected, earning a stuck-out tongue and a flash of glowing eyes that was most certainly not Major Charles Kawalsky's doing.
Bra'tac began descending the grassy slope where the Doorway was located. "There is nothing obviously disturbing about this planet," he said over his shoulder. "However, my symbiote appears to be agitated."
Sam tapped a palm sized instrument in her hand when she caught up to Jack and Charlie. "I've never seen some of these elements, but there's nothing registering that would indicate a danger to a Goa'uld or symbiote. Well, there's a trace of an unknown radiation. I'll keep an eye on it, but for now, I don't think it's harmful," she added as all three caught up with Bra'tac.
Bra'tac bowed his head in acceptance. "I believe what you say, Major Carter. Nevertheless, there is something unsettling."
"Alright. Keep your heads up, people," Jack said. He gestured with the hand not clasping his weapon. "This terrain could hide anything, and I'd really like to get home in one piece tonight."
They walked in relative silence for the next hour and a half, making slow progress over hills and rocks. The team stopped several times to allow Sam a chance to pull a soil sample while Jack, Bra'tac, and Charlie checked out the area. The later two still looked vaguely upset, but Jack wasn't particularly sensing danger. For him, it was more of a tingle of expectation. He wasn't a poetic man by any means. Even so, he could only imagine the feeling as a subtle haze that had blanketed his bones with an aura of anticipation. Not that he'd ever allude to something quite that descriptive aloud.
Charlie's sudden dip of his head drew Jack from his musings. "We are being watched," Jolinar said in the eerily resonating version of Major Kawalsky's voice. It still never failed to creep Jack out, though this time, his attention immediately sharpened on his surroundings.
"There. In the shadow of that slope near the very large tree."
Both Jack and Sam swung their weapons in a defensive position. Bra'tac adjusted his staff weapon but made no further movement.
"O'Neill, Major Carter. I believe it is a child."
"I think he's right, Sir." Sam allowed her weapon to tip lower and glanced at Jack. "We know from the UAV that this world was inhabited. And these samples…um…well, they're incredible!"
"Which means you're gonna wanna dialog with them," Jack surmised. He relaxed his weapon enough to free one hand, swipe his cap from his sweaty head, and stow it in a pocket.
Sam nodded and smiled brilliantly. "Just these samples alone, with a preliminary analysis with the Tok'ra hand tech, are already showing amazing concentrations of naquadah and heavy traces of gold as well."
"The child moves closer," Bra'tac said abruptly. He placed one palm across his stomach in the area of his symbiote pouch.
"You okay?" Charlie asked. He adopted the blank look he wore when he was communicating with Jolinar. "Jolinar's still only feeling a little weird, but she thinks the discomfort is increasing."
Jack looked sharply at his teammates.
"It's not painful for us," Charlie added, just as Bra'tac said, "It is uncomfortable, but bearable."
Sam and Jack exchanged another glance. 'Watch them', he silently indicated with a narrowing o his eyes. Super-duper grade naquadah was all fine and dandy, but not at the cost of half his team.
Sam gave a tentative wave at the child, who returned it shyly. "If both Bra'tac and Jolinar are affected by something carried by this child, it could indicate that these people hold technology that works against the Goa'uld."
"Are we talking Thor's Hammer here?"
"I'm not sure, Sir. There wasn't any indication of obvious technology, but we've been duped before by the Nox," Sam said wryly. "We should probably take our cues from Bra'tac and Jolinar."
Bra'tac moved his staff weapon to a less threatening position. "I agree with Major Carter. The address of this word was provided by her computer program rather than off the lists both the Tok'ra and I provided. This world may not yet be tainted by the System Lords."
Charlie had taken control of himself again and had squatted down before the child. "Hey there," he said, offering a kind smile. "Do you understand me?"
The girl babbled something in a quick-paced language, and then pointed in the direction of the Doorway.
"I'm thinking she knows how we got here," Jack said. He scanned the area for threats again and turned to assess the girl. She seemed young, perhaps eight or ten years of age, and wore only a simple cloth dress and bits of beaded jewelry. Her hair was long and unbound and her feet were bare. She appeared healthy and very curious, and Jack had to bite down on a chuckle when she leaned close and poked Charlie in the nose.
The girl giggled and spoke in the odd language again.
"Anybody recognize that?"
Bra'tac and Charlie shook their heads. Sam though, was frowning at her hand-held gizmo. "Carter?" Jack tilted his head toward her while keeping his eyes glued to the little girl.
"I think she's emitting the low levels of that radiation," Sam said in wonder. "Or she has something on her that is." When her teammates glanced at her, she added, "Nothing lethal, I think, but also nothing I've ever seen before." She gestured at Bra'tac's abdomen. "Might be the cause of what's upsetting the symbiotes, Sir."
Charlie was bemusedly allowing the girl to paw at his vest. "If I knew how often we'd make first contact with kids, I would have taken that baby-sitting class way back when."
Jack quirked a smile absently, but his attention was truly on assessing his team before deciding on their next move. Sam was obviously curious, but not very concerned, while Charlie appeared to be handling his and Jolinar's discomfort well. Bra'tac looked like he was valiantly trying to hide a case of bad gas. The girl seemed non-threatening though, and the fact that she might be in possession of something Goa'uld-repellant made contact more of a priority.
"Let's see if we can score an invite back to her village," Jack said. As if she'd understood him, she turned and headed back though the shallow valley she'd appeared from, beckoning them to follow.
"Well then," Jack muttered under his breath.
"We should watch her to see if she can actually understand English. She wouldn't be the first person to play us that way," Charlie said.
"Feigning ignorance is a tested and reliable tactic," Bra'tac added. He grimaced again before disguising the indication of pain, but Jack caught it.
"And pretending you don't hurt when you're in pain can be a stupid tactic when you're not in the middle of being tortured." Jack reached out to put one hand on Bra'tac's shoulder. "Just say the word. You too, Kawalsky. If either of you feel wiggy, I want you back though the Doorway. If Carters right, and these people have something we can use to fight the Goa'uld, we don't need you guys as casualties. Now let's follow little Heidi here and see if we can make any headway with her people. Keep sharp. Carter, take point."
When he had received nods of acknowledgement from everyone, he waited until both Bra'tac and Charlie began following before taking up the rear. After five years together, he trusted the Jaffa rebel and the Tok'ra in Kawalsky with his life. He didn't particularly trust them with their own health though, and vowed to watch them along with the perimeter.
The hike to their village added another hour onto their journey. Jack split his attention between the lush scenery and his ailing friend. Charlie didn't seem too awful, perhaps a little sluggish on uphill climbs, but Bra'tac appeared distinctly ill.
The young girl had latched onto Sam's hand a while back and now pulled her along enthusiastically. There was still no communication between the girl and DC1 though; not for the first time did Jack wish the D.C. would allow one of the military linguists through the Doorway.
"Hear that?" Charlie wondered as they ascended a moderately steep slope. Jack concentrated but could only hear the same birds and insects that had accompanied them on their hike.
"No, but the path we're on now sees a lot of traffic." He scuffed a boot across the chipped rock. "Enough that these guys had to build up a better surface so it doesn't become a mud pit."
"I too hear music," Bra'tac said. "We may be reaching the village viewed on the briefing video." And not soon enough, Jack added silently. Bra'tac was too damn stoic and should have asked to rest by now. Not that he wouldn't have pulled the same thing, but that didn't count.
Jack picked up his pace and caught up with Sam. The girl appeared to be chattering happily and tugged on Sam's hand.
Sam looked a little bewildered. "I've got nothing, Sir." She said. She flashed a quick smile at the girl, who continued to babble. "She's very sweet. But whatever she's saying, it sounds like…"
"A bunch of squirrels fighting over the last peanut?" Jack suggested.
Sam flushed a little. "Sorry, but yes. I don't think she's leading us into anything dangerous, if that helps. And how's Bra'tac?"
"Oh, you know how it is," he drawled with a flamboyant wave of his hand. "A little bit of eyebrow, a dash of denial. I'm ordering a break if this village isn't over the next hill."
The girl looked over her shoulder at Jack, grinned, and said something while pointing off into the distance.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fresh out of acorns, sorry kid."
Not long after, Jack could hear the music too. Plus he could smell evidence of open cookfires, and he'd bet his left nut that he'd caught a whiff of something like marijuana as well. The path curled through a valley that opened up into meadow wider than any they'd seen so far.
He blinked and nearly missed his next step. Not much had thrown Jack off his stride since they'd embraced Door travel. Before him, though, looked like a scene right out of Woodstock.
"Groovy, man," Charlie said softly at Jack's side. A quick scan of the gently sloping valley and clearing revealed the tents they'd seen on the UAV tape. Children still played in the open spaces between the draped cloth, but so much more was going on beneath. From the ground, Jack noticed that the tents were open sided canopies decorated with multicolored fringes. Villagers were gathered in various pursuits beneath these tents. He appreciated the design- a clear sightline was always a plus- but acknowledged that it made DC1 more visible as well.
As they drew near the first grouping of tents, their young guide released Sam's hand and ran toward one that was constructed of bright, yellow cloth.
"I guess we're on our own." Jack scanned the surroundings once again.
Often, activity stopped and the inhabitants stared when a DC team Doorway-traveled to an inhabited planet. Here, no one else seemed to have noticed or cared about their arrival. Several adults edged the tent the girl had disappeared beneath, but they all faced within. Some were playing instruments and others were clapping along with the music. Both genders were in a variety of states of dress, all wearing clothing that appeared homespun. All of them had long hair like the girl, though it appeared the adults wore colored ribbons woven into braids.
"This is different," Sam said. She had regained her grip on her weapon and was watching the adults at the tent fringe as DC1 passed by.
Charlie pointed at a small group of young women that were sharing a jar of brown liquid. "They way their acting, I don't think they have to worry about the bad guys coming to visit. Kind of reminds me a little of Argos, hey Colonel?" Jack just grunted in response.
They followed a half-hazard aisle between tents until Sam froze. Jack nearly waked into her and Charlie actually did bump into his side.
"Carter?" Jack followed Sam's gaze and realized she was staring wide-eyed at several villagers whom were rather blatantly enjoying carnal acts together. "Well, then. Not something you see every day."
Charlie's eyes flashed. "It appears they are an affectionate people," Jolinar said dryly while they were treated to a knot of bare skin.
"They certainly are," Jack murmured. He was more interested in the thin, pink lines of an abdominal pouch he thought he'd seen one of the orgy participants, something that distinctly resembled the Jaffa symbiote pouch he was unfortunately familiar with. Another reason to keep alert.
Sam shook her head as if her ears were clogged. "Maybe we should avert our eyes. We don't actually know if it's rude to…uh," she gave a wane grin, "um…to watch?"
They walked further and passed a couple engaged in the same sort of activity, this time beneath a red tent sporting threadlike fringes.
"These guys definitely know how to have a good time," Charlie said, smirking.
Jack glanced around. "I don't think we're gonna find any boy scouts here." He felt a light brush on his shoulder and turned to Bra'tac, who'd been silent all this time. "Not looking so hot there, Bra'tac."
Bra'tac's pallor had sharply deteriorated since Jack had last looked closely. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he looked ready to drop.
"I am unwell," he said, his voice hoarse. "I believe my symbiote is suffering greatly."
"Carter? Kawalsky? Hold up." Jack waved them back and jerked his head toward their Jaffa team member. "Bra'tac looks like crap. How's Jolinar doing?" he added, avoiding Bra'tac's narrowed eyes.
Charlie's head dipped. "I am ill as well. It is not completely intolerable."
"Ever have about five chili dogs and a super sized Coke and then ride a Tilt-A-Whril?" Charlie said when he regained control.
"That bad, huh?" Jack frowned and felt the tension in his jaw. He shielded his eyes from the midday sun in order to assess his team. Bra'tac was leaning heavily on his staff weapon. Charlie's eyes were creased in the way Jack knew meant he was hiding a migraine. "We may need to call this a bust and head back to the Door. Maybe come back with a snake-less team; no offense Jolinar, Bra'tac."
"There's definitely something here that's anti-Goa'uld," Sam said, gesturing around them. "I really think we need to find a way to communicate with these people; maybe see if we can locate the girl again. If I had more time to analyze—Sir!" She broke off when Bra'tac crumpled to the grass.
Feedback is appriciated! This story is extensively outlined, but the writing is in progress so updates will be irregular. Any insights could be helpful in smoothing things out. Thank you!