Chapter 9
Jack tidied his desk up and finished the last of his coffee. He had one more meeting and then bed. He would sleep well tonight of that he was certain. He stood up and put his jacket on and slipped his cap under his arm. A light flashed and Jack walked at a brisk pace down the corridor of the Apollo following the raised voices, he could swear he'd heard even as he was being beamed up.
"Dr Jackson!" cried a distressed female, as Jack rounded the corner into the infirmary, "I am allowing you to attend the briefing on two conditions, one you take your medication, and two you allow the airman to escort you in the wheelchair," Jack entered the infirmary at a stroll that belied his brisk trot up the corridor. He saw Daniel and smiled. Daniel was sat scowling on the bed above the covers dressed in blue scrubs and a blue bathrobe.
"Daniel be a good boy and take your medicine," said Jack grinning. Daniel scowled deeper, but grabbed the paper cups the doctor held out to him, he chugged one then the other and glared at Jack. "I can see a week on the lamb hasn't changed your sweet disposition much," said Jack.
"I'm fine," said Daniel through gritted teeth as a medic rolled up with a wheelchair.
"Well I'm not," said Jack, "I was worried sick. Do you know what happens after you turn a person's hair white?" Daniel's eyes flicked to Jack's head and back down to his face, Jack glared at him, "Trust me, you don't want to know," Daniel rolled his eyes and with help from Jack and the core-man managed get off the bed and into the chair without falling on his face.
Daniel remained silent as he was wheeled out of the infirmary by Jack. "Are you really okay?" asked Jack once they'd gotten a good distance from the doctor and her minions.
"I was beaten drugged and shot Jack, then I spent three days wandering around a very scary place, trying to avoid being experimented upon."
"Business as usual then, "said Jack.
"It's not something I expect to have to deal with on earth," said Daniel, "I mean you should have seen what they did to Charlie! Let alone what Bryant hinted was in store for me," he shuddered, "I'm so tired."
"I'll get you back to the infirmary, as soon as possible," said Jack, wheeling them into the conference room.
"That's not what I mean," said Daniel, quietly, "and you know it."
Sam rushed up as the two men enter the conference room, "Daniel," she hugged him close, "I'm so glad you're alright." Daniel cringed a little and sucked in a breath, "Oh, oh I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" asked Sam easing back.
"I'm fine, Sam," said Daniel forcing a smile, "Just a bit sore that's all." Sam stepped back and allowed Don to come forward.
"Don Eppes," he said putting out his hand, "I want to thank you for saving my brother, Charlie."
Daniel took his hand and shook it. "I didn't do anything anyone else in my position wouldn't have done," he said, "and Charlie really saved me, I couldn't have avoided the security as well as I did without him to figure out the camera angles for me."
"Daniel learn to take credit where's credit's due," said Charlie from his seat across the briefing room table, "You saved my life, I'll always be grateful to you for that," Jack rolled a blushing Daniel up to the table and took a seat next to him.
"If you hadn't helped me in the cell then I might have bled to death," said Daniel looking at Charlie.
"I couldn't just leave you like that, not when I could help you," said Charlie.
"Neither could I," said Daniel smirking.
"Let's get this debriefing started," said Jack, the others moved to the table and took their seats.
The two men began their story each detailing their capture and how they came to be in the cell together for the first time.
"Shortly after Daniel passed out," said Charlie, "one of Bryant's men came and stuck a needle in my arm. Things get kind of fuzzy after that."
"Just tell us what you remember," said Jack gently.
"I was floating," said Charlie, "floating in the numbers and it was great. I could see the equations and I could manipulate them just by thinking about it. It wasn't right. I got caught up in the math and," he looked over at Don sheepishly, "part of me kept screaming that it wasn't right. But I couldn't let go of the numbers," Don reached over and squeezed his brother's shoulder comfortingly.
"We all get caught up," said Daniel.
"Besides you were being fed that drug the whole time," said Sam, "that's some nasty stuff. I wish I knew what equation they wanted you to work out." Charlie handed her over a sheet of paper covered with equations.
"I'm afraid it doesn't make much sense without my amazing super math-sense," Charlie grinned abashed. Sam scanned the page.
"This is amazing," she said.
"What is it?" asked Daniel.
"This is base eight math," said Sam. Daniel raised his eye-brows.
"As in…."
"As in really old kind of math," said Sam.
"Used by those really old guys," said Daniel, "Amazing," he shook his head, "can you tell what it's from?"
"If I had to guess, I'd say it's an algorithm for deciding something," said Sam.
"Deciding something?" asked Daniel and then froze, "Like maybe what the truth is?"
"Maybe," said Sam. Daniel let out a brief slew of violent incomprehensible curses, "I can't be certain," said Sam.
"Near enough," said Jack, "I'd have to check, but it's probably just another asset that's been relocated." He shook his head in disgust.
"So that's how they got it passed you," said Daniel, and then continued when he saw the puzzled expressions, "This was too big for them not to have wrangled a way to sanction some of the resources they had."
"The fact they had enough clout to stone wall my access to the GD facility has me a little concerned," Jack scowled, "And I'm having my reports include a key for all serial numbers and code names used."
"They used our serial numbers," said Daniel understanding dawning, "The secret nature of what we do meant that the memo circumnavigated all the normal channels that would have caught that."
"That's what we figure," said Sam.
"Let's put that aside for now," said Jack, "it's being dealt with and I want to finish this debriefing. Daniel why don't you pick up from the next thing you remember."
"Well, I woke up in a cage, being watched by the Sheriff…"
"…I managed to steal the laptop, Charlie sent the message and that's all she wrote." Daniel took a deep breath and then reached to the middle of the table where a pitcher of water and glasses had been set, he poured himself a glass, took a swig and sat back clearly finished speaking. He was exhausted and it showed, in the pale pallor of his skin and the deep bruises under his eyes.
"Okay," said Jack, "I think that's good enough, time for certain patients to be returned to the infirmary," it was a testament to his condition that Daniel didn't protest when an orderly came to push his chair back to the medical bay.
Once Daniel had been taken, Jack turned to his two other guests. "As for you two," Charlie flinched slightly, and Jack's expression softened, "you have the sincerest apologies from both me and the President. He's told me that your security clearance has been reinstated and raised," he told Charlie, "and he's given assurances that you won't be pulled for any super secret math projects without advance notice and your express permission," Jack smiled kindly if a little sadly, "I can't thank you enough for helping Daniel back there, I don't know what I'd do if he died again."
"But, it was all him I didn't do…" Charlie frowned, "again?"
"Don't think about it too much," said Sam smiling too.
"I've arranged to beam you back down, just outside of LA, I've got a motorcade set to take you to the local hospital for a quick check up and then you're done," Jack stood up, "you'll have to have your cover stories memorized by then."
"Cover stories?" asked Don suspiciously, moving closer to Charlie.
"Relax you're going to be heroes," said Jack, "You, Dr Eppes, were kidnapped, by terrorists, who erroneously thought that the formulas you sent to Pakistan really were plans for biological warfare and they want to try it. You, Agents Eppes, got a tip off that something had gone south and traced it back to Charlie's disappearance. You get a call from an old friend, Carter," he pointed at Sam.
"Old friend?" asked Don.
"The only way to sell my involvement is that we had a prior acquaintance and discovered Charlie's involvement in a group of scientists the Air Force is investigating. I contact you and we work the case together, find Charlie drugged out in some out of the way place, we discover not only has he resisted interrogation, but he's sent his captors on a wild goose chase. You'll take Charlie to the hospital get him checked out give a statement to the press and go home."
"It's that simple," said Jack as he left the room.
"But that's not fair," said Charlie distressed, "What about Daniel? He did everything! He fought off his attackers, he escaped he freed me, and managed to evade capture in one of the most heavily secure facilities in the world. He saved me, he's the hero."
"Charlie, Daniel is a pariah and an outcast and a laughing stock, at least as far as the world is concerned," said Sam.
"But…" said Charlie.
"You and I both know that's he's none of those things. His theories have all been vindicated several times over, he's a brilliant amazing person, a genius and a hero in the truest sense of the word and no one but a few people know about what a truly extraordinary person he is. Yet he was still kidnapped, still coveted by those who would use his gifts for their own gains. If the world knew who Daniel was, if they realized that the whole planet owed its existence to him more than once, what do you think would happen?"
"He'd be honored, revered," said Charlie.
"He'd be targeted," said Don.
Sam nodded, "Daniel lives as normal a life as someone who does what we do can, but if the world truly knew the gift that Daniel was, he wouldn't be able to go outside again. Keeping Daniel out of this is our way of protecting our assets."
"He's a grown man who's able to take care of himself," said Charlie, "Not a small child you need to shield from the world."
"You're right," said Sam, "and you're wrong. Daniel is the best of us, always has been and he's survived more than anyone has a right to have survived, and he'll keep doing it. But just because you can survive being shot in the arm doesn't mean I should take out my side arm and do it. He's one of my best friends, Charlie I'd trust him with my life and with the lives of everyone on the planet below, and I have several times. Daniel would be the first to lay down his life to save someone else, but what he doesn't understand and you don't know is that everyone who knows him would do the same for him in a heartbeat."
"I don't get it, why show us this place?" asked Don, "You could have run this story without us, you could have drugged Charlie, and beamed him down to the hospital and left me there with no answers, and a National Security line."
"Two reasons," said Sam, "it's a whole lot easier to spin this with your help than without it, and," she paused flicking a glance at Charlie.
"You wanted me," said Charlie.
"Yes," said Sam, "the one thing they got right when they targeted you was that your expertise is too valuable to lose. You'll always have a choice with us, but just so you know all this," she gestured around the ship, "is just a small fraction of what we do." Charlie's eyes widened in surprise, Don shook his head.
"So this is a free taste, to learn more he has to sign up," said Don.
"It's a choice," said Sam, "and it's not one you have to make today."
She slid two folders over the table to the two men, "Your cover stories, read it, learn it, leave it, you have two hours until beam-out." She stood up nodded to them and left.
Ahh, it's been a wonderful journey and it's almost over. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have. Later Cynic