The claxons sounded. "Unscheduled off-world activation," announced the voice of Sergeant Harriman.
General George Hammond quickly made his way to the Stargate control area. Through the observation port, he could see the Stargate, covered by the interlocking grey panels of the iris. Lights danced on the wall behind it, indicating an active wormhole.
"Receiving an IDC, sir," said Sergeant Harriman. George's hopes flared. But then Sergeant Harriman went on to say, "It's Master Bra'tac."
George repressed a sigh. It had been twenty days since Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson had vanished. George had sent multiple search and rescue missions to Atrosia to look for them, but very little had been found.
The only real clue had come from Teal'c, who had located a trail. Teal'c said a party of nine persons with small feet – women, in his opinion – had passed from the Stargate to the point of the attack, and back again. The trail hadn't included his teammates' footprints, but since Dr. Jackson had been struck by a stun charge before Colonel O'Neill ordered Teal'c to flee, and neither man's body had been found, it could be assumed both were alive. It was clear they had been carried off through the Stargate by unidentified assailants, but the SGC had no way to guess where in the galaxy to even begin looking for them.
It was painfully reminiscent of how Major Samantha Carter had disappeared more than a year earlier. And if it was painful for him, how must it feel for Teal'c? Finding Major Carter had been the reason for visiting Atrosia; but that search, too, had proved fruitless. So, rather than locating a lost member of SG-1, they had lost two more.
Teal'c was now all that was left of SG-1. Though he remained as impassive as ever, that had to be very hard for him to bear. Every time an "unscheduled off-world activation" was announced, you could count on the big Jaffa to show up in the 'Gate Room shortly thereafter.
"Open the iris," said George. He wondered what sort of news Bra'tac had for them. He doubted it would be good.
The trinium plates scraped open, revealing the shimmering event horizon of the wormhole. Master Bra'tac stepped out of it. He wore Jaffa robes and a gleeful expression.
When Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson stepped out right behind him, George could feel his face breaking into a huge grin. Wasn't he always saying it was a bad bet to underestimate SG-1?
Then, another figure stepped out of the wormhole.
"Sir!" cried Sergeant Harriman.
George felt his grin freeze in astonishment. "My Lord," he breathed, and headed for the 'Gate Room. Soon, he was standing before all three missing members of SG-1. There weren't any words for what he felt, so he finally just said, "Welcome back."
Jack grinned at him. "Thank you, sir. It's nice to be home." Then Jack gave him a quick embrace. That was surprising, and not really in keeping with military protocol, but in the circumstances George wasn't about to find fault.
Teal'c arrived in the 'Gate Room. As he took in the unexpected arrivals, his usual expressionless mask cracked open, and joy shone out.
Jack beamed at him. "Hey, big guy! How's it hanging?" Jack gave Teal'c an embrace, too. Then he clapped the big Jaffa on the arm and said, "Still working out, I see. Excellent."
"I am gratified to see you again, O'Neill," said Teal'c. He turned his eyes to Daniel. "And you as well, Daniel Jackson."
"Same here," said Daniel, smiling.
Then Teal'c's gaze fell on Sam Carter. Her hair was long, and bound up in multiple braids. Like Jack and Daniel, she was wearing strange clothes. George reflected that he had quite a debrief coming, especially from Major Carter.
Come to think of it, Major Carter was behaving oddly. She wasn't radiating happiness and relief, like Jack and Dr. Jackson. She was looking around her with an intense, almost puzzled expression.
Now, she turned that expression on Teal'c. As her cobalt eyes searched the Jaffa's face, George realized something was wrong.
The other members of SG-1 apparently realized it, too. Jack's huge grin faded away. Dr. Jackson's brow furrowed. And the joy in Teal'c's face clouded over with concern. "Major Carter," he said, "I am very glad to see you once again. I missed you."
Sam Carter's expression crumpled. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry."
The mood in the room fell like a stone. Jack went to Sam and took her in his arms. The way he held her was definitely not in keeping with military protocol, but George was so worried about Sam's reactions that he barely paid attention. Major Carter was sobbing, and it wasn't like her to weep in such an uncontrolled manner.
"Colonel!" he said, coming toward them. "What wrong with Major Carter? Do we need to call Dr. Fraser?"
"Yeah," said Jack, his voice flat. "Guess we do."
Sam Carter took a deep breath and pulled away from Jack's shoulder, obviously trying to get herself under control. She looked at George.
And there was no recognition in her eyes.
###
"How are the negotiations going?" asked Dr. Janet Fraser.
Daniel knew the Keftuan negotiations were not what was really on Janet's mind. It wasn't what was on any of their minds right now. But Daniel was only too happy to interrupt the restless silence. When Jack had gotten up and left, brusquely announcing that he was going to find them some coffee, his special brand of fidgety tension seemed to have stayed behind to infect them all.
"They were going quite well," said Daniel. "Better than you'd expect, since the Keftuans have little to gain from an alliance with Earth. Their technology is even more advanced than Ashora's, because it's been three-hundred years since the Founders left Keftu, and the Ashorans haven't had a lot of resources to devote to scientific research. Keftuan technology is now considerably ahead of the Goa'uld's, as they proved when the Goa'uld attacked one of their colonies about fifty years ago. But they're fascinated with Earth, because it's the world of their ancestors. As Jack said, the Keftuans may be just the high-tech ally we've been looking for."
"Are the negotiations no longer going well?" asked Teal'c.
"Let's just say they've hit a snag. The Keftuans have found out how some of Earth's societies treat women. I could only respond that none of those nations know about the Stargate, so they aren't part of the proposed alliance."
"Keftu is wonderful," said Lagash. "They worship the Goddess here, too, but everything is very different. They don't look down on males. They believe that men and women are equal." He and Ifefal smiled at one another. They had settled on Keftu, and seemed very happy. Their wedding was in two weeks.
"We've found a wonderful Keftuan priestess," added Ifefal. "She's the one who's going to marry us. And she's been instructing us in the true faith of the Goddess. She says the Book of Ashora is all garbled."
"All that stuff about women ruling over men doesn't apply anymore," said Lagash. "It was like that a long, long time ago, but that doesn't mean the Goddess doesn't love her Sons just as much as her Daughters."
"Actually," said Daniel, "many Keftuans believe that true matriarchy never existed, even in the distant past. They say that's just a legend. And I think they're right. It's clear that women had a lot of prestige among the Ancient Minoans, especially in religious matters. And Minoan family structure was matrilineal, of course. But that's not the same thing as women ruling over men. The evidence suggests that in Minoan society, both men and women enjoyed a degree of individual freedom and dignity that was quite unusual for the ancient world. And Keftuan society fully reflects that. These people are the Ancient Minoans' true heirs.
"The Founders of Ashora, on the other hand, were just a tiny, extremist cult. They barely register in the Keftuan history books, and might not be remembered at all if it weren't for the mystery of their disappearance from Keftu. Ashora was their misguided attempt to recreate the legendary matriarchal Golden Age."
"Well," said Nara, "now that Keftu and Ashora know about each other, the whole misbegotten Ashoran experiment won't go on much longer. The Keftuans are putting a lot of pressure on the Ashoran Government to get rid of all the Collars, both Golden and Black." Nara frowned. "Though some Sons of Ashora are insisting they don't want their Collars removed. Including my brother!"
"Such profound social change can't happen overnight," said Daniel, "but I think it's going to happen quite rapidly. Finding out that the Founders lied has sent huge shock waves through Ashoran society. The Foundationists have lost all credibility. They've already been voted out, and a Charitist Government voted in."
Nara shifted position on the couch beside Daniel, putting her arm through his and snuggling closer. Nara was wearing Keftuan clothes, and Keftuan fashion was similar to Ashoran. Since Daniel was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, he got to enjoy the sensation of her bare breasts against his arm.
Just one more reason for Nara and himself to settle down on this world. Keftu was a gender-equal society, so living here would fulfill Nara's desire to get away from her matriarchal Ashoran upbringing just as much as living on Earth. But Keftuan culture felt much more familiar to her – and it was a technological step up rather than a huge step down, too. As for Daniel, he found Keftuan culture both fascinating and very appealing. And just because he lived on Keftu didn't mean he couldn't continue to work for the SGC. The Stargate made interstellar commuting a snap.
Nara had asked Daniel to marry her, and he'd said yes, of course. She wanted a traditional Keftuan ceremony, which was similar to the Ashoran version except that it did not imply the bride was superior to the groom. Daniel thought a Keftuan ceremony would be cool.
He looked down into his fiancée's passionate green eyes, and she smiled up at him. She'd told him that having a Collarless man for a lover was a lot easier to get used to than she'd expected. He was still trying to get used to the wonder, the incredible blessing, of having found love for a second time.
"I've heard there's talk of giving you a role as a permanent liaison between Earth and Keftu. Providing the negotiations succeed, of course," said Janet.
"I've heard that, too," said Daniel. "And I wouldn't be averse. But don't imagine that means you'll be rid of me." Daniel shifted his gaze from Janet to Teal'c, and let it stay there.
Teal'c gave one of his strangely sweet little smiles and nodded slightly toward Daniel, acknowledging his intent. "Nor should you expect to be rid of me, Daniel Jackson. Even though SG-1 as we knew it no longer exists."
As usual, Teal'c had cut straight to the chase. Though the members of SG-1 had been reunited, nothing was the same. Daniel had Nara and the Keftuan mission. Jack had retired from the Air Force. And Sam's memories were still buried.
They had all hoped that continuing to expose Sam to the people and environments of her past would eventually bring her memories to the surface. But even seeing her father again hadn't done the trick. Jacob had been thrilled to get his daughter back, memory or no memory, but Sam had been devastated at not being able to remember her own father.
They'd tried hypnotherapy, but that had only triggered a few more "memory dreams," as Sam called them. Her past remained inaccessible to her conscious mind. And Janet frankly declared herself out of her depth. Sam's condition was way beyond the competence of Earth medicine.
That was what had brought them all here, to the visitor's lounge of a highly regarded neurological clinic on Keftu.
"I'm surprised Jack's not back yet," said Daniel.
"I'm glad the Colonel's not back yet," said Janet. "Last time he asked the receptionist how much longer it would be, she said at least forty minutes, and that was twenty minutes ago. Maybe he's taking her at her word for once, and using the time to walk off some of that nervous energy."
Daniel leaned toward Janet in a conspiratorial manner and said, "What do you think of the new Jack O'Neill?"
"There's a new Jack O'Neill?" said Janet. "I must have missed the memo."
"Well, not that new. Don't get me wrong, Jack is still Jack. Especially today. But don't you think he's more…" Daniel's face scrunched up, and his hands churned slowly. "I don't know. Reachable?"
Janet's lips quirked. "Actually, yes. I know exactly what you mean. Considering his experiences on Ashora, I recommended that the Colonel be given at least a month's medical leave, and be required to undergo psychotherapy. General Hammond agreed. But then Jack retired, which put him beyond the reach of Air Force discipline. And I thought, so much for that. One more unresolved trauma for Jack to lug around for the rest of his life. So when he came to me, and asked me to recommend a therapist who 'won't waste my time,' as he put it, I nearly fainted."
"O'Neill has not truly changed," said Teal'c, "except to become more completely O'Neill."
God, the man is so deep, thought Daniel. "You're right, Teal'c. That's it exactly."
"My ears are burning," said a familiar voice. Jack had re-entered the visitors lounge, carrying a tray loaded with cups. "Sorry, guys. They don't have any coffee. They don't even know what coffee is. All they have is this orange stuff." He gave the cups a dubious look, but set the tray down on a low table in the center of the group. Then he retook his seat between Daniel and Teal'c.
Ifefal, Lagash, Nara, and Daniel all reached eagerly for a cup of zifwa. Janet took one, sniffed at it, and sipped cautiously. Jack and Teal'c abstained.
Three minutes after having sat down, Jack popped back up and directed his gaze toward the long-suffering Keftuan receptionist. "Jack," said Daniel, "the minute the doctors give her any news, I'm sure she'll announce it. She's already told you that a dozen times." Jack gave him a resentful glance, but plopped into his seat again. He propped his chin in one hand and stared into the middle distance, while his other hand tapped a restless rhythm on the opposite arm of the chair.
Everyone sat and waited in glum silence along with him. It was awful to think that Sam might never regain the missing forty-odd years of her life. After all, if Sam couldn't remember the greater part of her life, was she really still the same person? Daniel knew that Sam asked herself that question. She'd been struggling with uncertainty about her identity for a year, ever since waking up as an amnesiac in an Ashoran hospital. It really sucked that even now, after having made it back home to Earth against all odds, her struggle still wasn't over.
Without her memories, Sam's identity remained incomplete. And her life remained on hold. The Air Force had her on indefinite medical leave. And, though General Hammond and the staff of the SGC were one-hundred percent supportive, there seemed to be some in the Government who now questioned her loyalty. The professional paranoiacs in the NID apparently reasoned that if Major Samantha Carter couldn't remember being an Air Force officer, or an American, or even an Earth woman, she couldn't be depended upon to feel any obligation to those groups. The fact that Sam had gained a great deal of advanced scientific knowledge on Ashora only made them more schizoid. On the one hand, they drooled over the possible advantages for Earth; on the other, they seemed to feel it made Sam a greater security risk. They really were insane.
Then there was the issue of her relationship with Jack. Though Sam and Jack had, in effect, become engaged on Ashora, they hadn't made any plans for their wedding. Nor had they decided much else about the shape of their future life together – at Jack's insistence. Jack said it wasn't right for Sam to make those decisions now, since she might make them differently when she had all her memories to draw upon. So Jack's life was on hold, too.
Jack had confided to Daniel that he worried how the return of Sam's memories might affect their relationship. It was Jamora/Sam who was his lover; Major Samantha Carter had been his strictly-regulation military subordinate. Daniel kept telling him their relationship would surely only change for the better, but Jack remained anxious.
Despite that, it was Jack who had suggested that Sam seek treatment at this clinic. He'd been extremely impressed by what they'd done for the man formerly know as "Squealer." The brain-damaged man was now functioning at an almost-normal level. And since Keftuan science was basically a more advanced version of Ashoran science, the Keftuans might be just the right people to reverse what the Ashorans had done to Sam.
"Jack O'Neill?"
Jack sprang to his feet. The Keftuan receptionist gave him a sympathetic look. Clearly, she didn't hold his pestering against him. "The doctors are ready for you," she said.
Everyone started to get up, but the receptionist said, "I'm sorry, it's just Mr. O'Neill for now. Mr. O'Neill: follow me, please."
###
As Jack trailed the medical receptionist down a hallway, he tried to get his heartbeat under control. What had happened to his ability to wait calmly when necessary, even in the worst of circumstances? That was just one of the mental disciplines that had deserted him lately. He also seemed to have lost the knack for completely suppressing his emotions. His therapist claimed that was a good thing; but, so far, he didn't see it.
Jack tried to ask the Keftuan receptionist how the procedure had gone, but she said he would have to speak to Sam's doctors about that. Apparently, that annoying rule was enforced at hospitals all over the universe.
Thoughts and feelings thrashed around inside Jack's head. He desperately wanted Sam to regain her memories. He knew how much it hurt her that she couldn't remember. But how would she react when she recovered everything she knew about him? Major Sam Carter had understood things about him that Jamora/Sam didn't. On their missions together, she had seen him make mistakes and bad decisions that jeopardized them all. And she knew how ruthless he could be. She knew he had even been willing to kill her. Sure, Major Carter had accepted him anyway – but only as a commanding officer, not as a husband. Back in the old days, he had always wondered if regulations were really all that kept them apart.
The receptionist led him into a small, bare room. One wall was transparent, and on the other side he could see Sam. But it was apparently a one-way transparency, because Sam was unaware of their presence. She was lying on a bed, wearing a loose shift. Around her were a number of strange machines with incomprehensible displays. Another doctor was in the room with her, using a small device to touch various points on Sam's arms and legs. He was asking her to describe whether the device felt hot or cold. Sam answered listlessly.
Jack's throat closed up at the sadness in Sam's voice. "It didn't work, did it?" he said.
"That remains to be seen," said one of Sam's doctors. She was a very short woman, and she reminded him of Dr. Fraser in other ways, too. "We've never had a case quite like this before. There was a chance that memory retrieval would occur spontaneously, as soon as the patient regained consciousness. That hasn't happened. So, the process may require a triggering stimulus, which is where you come in. Your face has very strong emotional resonances for the patient, both within her current, conscious memories and within her buried, unconscious memories. We feel you might be just the stimulus needed to awaken those sleeping memories."
"I don't know," said Jack. "I'm no Prince Charming."
"I'm afraid I don't understand that reference," said the other doctor, who was a real stick-in-the-mud. "All we require is that you step into the room and present yourself to the patient. Are you willing to do that?"
"Of course."
The doctor who was in with Sam finished with the device, and told Sam he was going to leave her alone for just a moment. Then he entered the small observation room through a side door. "Sam is ready for you," he told Jack.
Or so I hope. Trying not to think about how much was riding on this, Jack walked purposefully through the side door, and into Sam's presence.
When Sam saw him, she froze. Her body went completely still, and her great eyes turned glassy. Jack watched her worriedly. He wanted to ask if she was all right, but was afraid to interrupt whatever might be happening inside her brain.
Sam sat up abruptly, and let out a strange wail.
"Sam!" he cried. He rushed to her, putting his hands on her arms.
Sam began to cry. The Keftuan doctors came back in, checking the readings on the instruments around Sam's bed. Jack blinked tears from his own eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said.
She looked at him, and took his face between her hands. "No!" She shook her head. "No, you don't understand! I remember. Everything!"
"That bad, huh?" said Jack.
Sam started giggling through her tears. "Oh, God, Jack. Oh, God. There's just so much! I was missing so much!"
She took a deep breath. Then she scooted closer to him, to the edge of the bed, and wrapped her arms tightly around him, so that her breasts were pressed against him. And not only that. She put one leg on either side of his body and wrapped her legs around him, too. She was pressing her groin against his. And the short shift she was wearing didn't present much of a barrier.
"Then again," she said, "there's so much I've gained, too. It's wonderful having my old memories back. But there's no way in hell I could go back to my old life."
The stick-in-the-mud Keftuan doctor started trying to ask questions, but Jack didn't really hear them. He was too lost in the feel of Sam's body against his, and in the love shining from her eyes.
THE END