Chapter 5-finally SG1 takes the stage!

Chapter 5

"Welcome back General O'Neill!" Walter rushed past him to the Gate Room. He didn't seem to notice his reluctant companions following.

They trudged down the long gray hallway to Daniel's study. Daniel sat in a stool at the island in the middle of the room. His brow creased in concentration as he studied the text in front of him. Artifacts lined the walls and a computer fit snuggly in the corner.

The alarm sounded over the speakers. "Identified off world activation.

Daniel didn't even flinch. He was so used to it after twelve years.

"Ahem." General O'Neill cleared his throat.

Daniel glanced up from his work. Jack hid his hands behind his back. Cassie slid into the room and Daniel's eyes softened.

"Cassie! How have you been? I heard you were interning near by!" Daniel pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Hey. I've been all right. Some strange things have been happening lately."

"I can understand that. Now where is that artifact you wanted to show me?"

Both jacks gazed guiltily to the floor.

"What? What did you do?" Daniel crossed his arms across his chest.

Older Jack pulled out a plastic bag with broken shards of metal in it and set it on the table. "It broke."

"Broke! What did you do run it over with your car!" Daniel picked up one of the shattered pieces.

"Hey, it was his fault!" Jack pointed at his younger self.

"Was not!" You started it!" He turned beet red.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

Did …"

"Shut up! For crying out loud!" Cassie but in.

"Thank you." Daniel whispered.

"Why do all these bloody alarms go off at all hours of the night!" There was shouting from the corridor.

"Oh no…" Daniel rubbed his forehead gingerly.

Vala marched into his study. Her long black hair pulled into a messy bun and a cooling jelly mask pushed onto her forehead. Baby blue slippers covered each foot with a matching robe draped over her shoulders. "Can you please tell someone in charge to stop sounding that bloody alarm? I just want one night of peace and quiet!"

"Vala."

"And another thing. I've been staying at this base three years now and I think I should have my own place and…"

"Vala!"

"What!" She spun around to face General Jack O'Neill. "Oh… Hi General." She glanced behind him. "Who are your friends?"

"This is mini-me and this is Cassie Fraiser." He introduced them.

"Mini-me … that's a interesting name."

"Oh my God! She has been here for what, three years now and she has never seen Austin Powers!" Jack stared at Daniel in amazement.

Vala looked confused and turned to Cassie. "I'm glad we can finally meet. Daniel has told me so much about you. Vala Mal Doran." She took hold of Cassie's hand and shook it graciously.

Cassie nodded in response.

Vala looked over at the broken artifact. ""Oh what's that? It's shiny! I wanna touch it!"

Daniel caught her hand as she reached for the bag. "Oh no you don't!"

"But Daniel, you know how I am with shiny things!" Vala pouted.

Daniel brought the shard of artifact to his face and studied it. "Well it is definitely ancient."

"Yes. Yes, we already know that." Jack waved his hands in frustration.

"Well have you tried turning it on?"

"No… We didn't get a chance to, but we know someone who did." Younger Jack stepped forward.

"Okay… Who is he?" Daniel rested his hands against the table.

"She is a teenage girl who stumbled onto it." Cassie explained.

"Come again." Daniel raised his eyebrow in a surprisingly good impression of Teal'c.

"Her name is Terra. Jack here brought her to the hospital. Later that night she escaped by jumping out of a window on the fifth story. Jack can tell you the rest." Cassie motioned to the tall figure beside her.

"Well, I was at home enjoying an amazing movie called Serenity when there was an annoying knock on my door. So I had to pause the movie and had to waste a perfectly good five minutes of my life to answer the door." Jack complained.

"Alright enough! Just tell me how she opened it!" Daniel was frustrated.

"Fine, fine, fine. She was in my living room with a trancelike look on her face. The symbols on the artifact began to glow blue and she started twisting and pressing buttons along the sides. The top half of the sphere opened and the blue light shone everywhere. It felt like all the air was being drained from the room. I thought I was going to die!"

Cassie rolled her eyes as Jack continued with his story.

"My vision was blurry but I think I saw her pull something, like maybe a necklace or something, out of the orb. Then she ran out of my house and that is when Cassie appeared." He purposefully left out his incident with the tree.

Daniel grabbed a large leather bound book from his shelf and began flipping through the pages. Vala peered over his shoulder. "Whatcha doin?"

Daniel waved her off. "I am searching for ancient references to legends on mystical orbs or 'magical' people who have used them."

"Oh… okay… Have fun with that." Vala began fiddling with one of Daniel's very expensive scrolls. She placed two in one hand and one in the other and began trying to juggle.

"Vala put that down!" Daniel caught the scrolls as she threw them into the air and placed them carefully on his desk.

Vala threw her hands up defensively. "Fine! Don't have a Zigagog!"

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"What…"

"Never mind." Daniel stated.

"Okay stop it! I am the General and I am ordering you to concentrate on the orb!" Jack ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair.

"Okay I need everyone to leave my study. I work better when I am by myself. Why don't you focus on finding the ancient girl while I find out where this came from." Daniel slowly herded everyone towards the door.

Vala turned to the group. "Nice to meet you. Good night." She walked back down the long corridor to her bedroom.

Jack turned toward the group. "I am going to go catch up with Teal'c.," he pointed to his younger counterpart. "You! Do not touch anything!" and he walked down the hallway.

"Yea well I am gonna grab some grub. Wanna come?"

"No I am going to have a look around. See what's changed, you know." Cassie began walking in the opposite direction towards the infirmary.

Cassie trudged down the bustling gray hallway. She recognized the way, even after all these years. Nothing seemed to have changed, except her feelings toward the people. Her feet seemed to know where she was going and led her to the all to familiar infirmary. She hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to remember what happened here so many years ago. Taking a deep breath she entered the room. It wasn't busy today and only one woman occupied the room filing papers at what used to be Janet's desk.

The woman was so deep in thought that she didn't notice as Cassie roamed throughout the room. Cassie stopped when she saw the picture on the wall. It was a picture of Janet, Sam and the other female officers on the base. Attached to the bottom was a plaque engraved with 'In memory of Janet Fraiser.' Cassie leaned back onto one of the carts, causing IV packs to fall to the ground.

The woman jumped and brushed a strand of dark brown hair from her face. "Oh I'm sorry. Can I help you with something?"

"Oh um… no. I was just looking around."

"I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?"

"No I just came here with Jack… uh General O'Neill."

"Oh the General is here. How is he?"

"He's fine. You know probably catching up with the gang."

"Yea SG-1 was really close. So what's your name?"

"I'm Cassie… Fraiser. Who are you?" Cassie asked suspiciously.

"Dr. Caroline Lam. Did you say Fraiser as in Janet Fraiser, are you related to her?"

Cassie's body went rigid. She was reluctant to answer. "Yea kind of." Cassie began inching towards the door. "Um.. Nice to meet you I… I've got to go." She ran out of the room and hit something solid. She fell backwards and hit the ground with a thud.

"Woah. Watch where you're going there, kiddo." Lt. Cornel Cameron Mitchell extended his hand towards Cassie and helped her to her feet. "Where are you headed to?"

Cassie started stuttering incoherently. "I was… uh… um… what?"

"You okay? You look a little pale."

"No. I'm fine."

"Well okay. It's breakfast time. Would you like to get something to eat?" Cameron motioned towards the direction of the cafeteria.

Cassie felt the strong grumble of her stomach at the mention of food and nodded in response.

General Jack O'Neill heard the sound of staff weapons clashing together. He turned into the training room to see Teal'c sparring with one of the younger recruits. Upon seeing Jack he bowed and dismissed his partner.

"O'Neill."

"Teal'c, buddy! How's it going?" Jack opened his arms wide to hug the large Jaffa.

"I am doing well."

"Oh yea me too! So how's the new team?" Jack picked up one of the staffs and stood in the fighting stance.

Teal'c twirled his staff around his body and held it at the ready. They began sparring like old times. Teal'c wacked Jack over the head and Jack staggered backwards, rubbing his head to drive away the pain.

"Ow… That hurt."

"You have not been practicing."

"I… have… too…"

Teal'c raised his eyebrow suspiciously, "Even the youngest Jaffa warrior know the basics."

Jack glared at his friends and quickly grabbed his staff and tried to hit Teal'c over the head. Teal'c simply sidestepped the swing, causing General O'Neill to fall flat on his face.

"Your swing was too wide." He lifted Jack to his feet.

"It's not my fault the stick is too heavy." Jack complained.

"Do not blame the weapon." Teal'c twirled the staff in front of him.

"Stop showing off!" Jack scolded him.

Jack heard a muffled laugh behind him and turned to see Louis Ferretti clearing his throat. He held back a laugh, each time pretending it was a cough.

"Oh you think that's funny do ya?" Jack placed his hands on his hips.

"No sir!" Ferretti straightened his posture.

"Ah never mind. Teal'c what do you say you and I get some food. I'm starving!"

Teal'c bowed his head in agreement and they strolled out of the room.

Cassie sat at one on the tables with Jack and Mitchell slurping down the remains of a cup full of blue Jell-O. Mitchell pilled scrambled eggs and bacon into his mouth, while Jack watched in amazement to the amount of food this man could digest in one sitting. Cassie looked up as Teal'c and General O'Neill strolled into the room.

Mitchell swallowed a large mouthful of eggs and pointed to Cassie's Jell-O with his fork. "You know that is Sam's favorite Jell-O."

Cassie paused mid spoonful and slowly lowered it back into the bowl. "I am not that hungry." She stared uncomfortably at the table.

Jack, sensing her uneasiness, changed the subject. "Hey Cassie don't you have work you need to get back to."

She stood up from her chair. "Oh yes. I have to finish filing some very important paper work before this afternoon. Do you mind giving me a ride back to my car."?

"No of course not. Come on." He grabbed onto younger Jack's sleeve and pulled him behind them. "We're gonna get going."

"But… Hey… I was just going to eat my pie!" Jack reached back and snagged the untouched pie from the table and took it with him.

Teal'c, seeing no reason to stay sitting left the table and started walking back towards the training room. Mitchell looked up from his food and gazed wildly from side to side. "Hey! Where did everybody go?"

He felt someone sit down beside him and turned to come face to face with Vala Mal Doran. "Well I couldn't get back to sleep and decided to… hey where are you going?" Mitchell stood up from his chair and carried his tray with him leaving Vala sitting all alone.

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