Artifice Chapter 3
Jack stood at the end of the bed, Carter and Teal'c on either side, watching as the man lying on it began to stir towards wakefulness.
Eyelids fluttered and finally stayed open, but instead of familiar blue eyes staring back, these were green. Blinking, they glanced at Carter and Teal'c and then focused on him.
The man tried to move his arm, only to discover his limbs were all held fast by restraints. Jack saw a brief flare of panic in the green eyes as the man tested each of the tethers tying him to the bed, before giving up and turning his attention to Jack.
"What's going on?"
Jack shifted, uncrossing his arms and sticking his hands in his pockets. "You tell us."
The imposter looked down at his hands, examining them, flexing his fingers, before lifting his gaze back to Jack. He let out a deep sigh before speaking. "We were curious about you."
"Where is Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c said in his deepest, most menacing voice.
The man eyed the Jaffa nervously. "Still on our world—or at least, he was."
"Was?" Jack pressed.
"By now he is gone."
The three teammates all took a step closer to the bed, pressing in on the man as though trying to squeeze the information out of him.
"What does that mean?" Jack demanded. "Where would he go?"
The man looked away, saying nothing.
"Colonel, why didn't you tell me my patient was awake?" Fraiser slipped between him and Teal'c, taking up position next to the restrained man's head.
"Just having a little chat."
She flicked her stern gaze at him before turning back to her patient. "How are you feeling?"
The imposter eyed her warily. "I am… well."
"Want to tell me your name?" she prompted, flashing her penlight in his eyes.
He flinched and turned his head away, but answered her. "Oressa."
"Well, Oressa, you don't appear to have any injuries."
"Can you release me?" He tugged on the restraints on his wrists.
"No way," Jack said moving up next to Fraiser. "You're not going anywhere until we get some answers."
"I will tell you nothing." The man lifted his chin, his expression hardening.
"Teal'c, think you could convince Oreo here to tell us where Daniel is?"
"Indeed I can." Teal'c loomed at the foot of the bed, his dark eyes focused on the Minaran.
"Colonel, there will be no violence in my infirmary."
"Fine. We'll take him to an interrogation room."
"You will do no such thing. He may not have any injuries, but I didn't say he was healthy."
Oressa focused his full attention on the doctor. "What do you mean?"
Fraiser drew herself up to her full height, hands in her pockets. "You have a serious endocrine disorder." He bunched his eyebrows in confusion as she continued to explain. "Your adrenal glands are located above each kidney," she gestured to the approximate locations on his body. "They have the task of regulating every organ and tissue in your body. If these glands don't produce enough of certain hormones, they aren't able to keep your organs functioning properly."
Oressa's expression morphed from confusion to understanding and Jack was sure the man knew exactly what she was talking about. "You already know that, don't you?" he pressed.
The Minaran clammed up again, suddenly finding the bed sheet interesting.
"Is that true?" Fraiser asked. When he didn't reply, she laid her hand on his arm, drawing his gaze. "We can treat this disorder and help your body regain its normal function," she explained.
"How is that possible?" the man finally responded.
"We can replace the hormones your body is lacking."
"You remove these 'hormones' from other bodies and put them in mine?"
"No! No, we have the ability to make them synthetically. It doesn't require taking them from another person."
The man's brow furrowed again as he considered Fraiser's words. This was the most interest Jack had seen him exhibit since, well, since they'd returned to the SGC. There was something going on here that Jack couldn't quite put his finger on.
"How 'bout you answer some questions for us now?" He moved closer to Fraiser until he was leaning over the man's chest. "Starting with—where's Daniel?"
The Minaran looked up at him like he'd forgotten Jack was there. He opened his mouth as though he was going to answer, but instead clamped his lips together and looked down again.
Jack grabbed a fistful of Oressa's shirt and pulled him as close as the restraints would allow. "You're gonna tell us if I have to beat it out of you!"
"Colonel!" Fraiser laid a firm hand on his arm. "Let him go."
"Not until we get some answers." Jack continued to stare into Oressa's wide eyes, not releasing his hold.
"Sam, Teal'c, he shouldn't be doing this!" Fraiser pleaded with his teammates.
"It is necessary, Doctor Fraiser, if we hope to bring Daniel Jackson back safely."
"Sam?"
"Sorry, Janet. This is Daniel we're talking about—we don't have a choice."
Bolstered by the support of his team, Jack tightened his grip on Oressa's shirt, twisting until it was tight against the man's neck. "Tell us where he is."
~oOo~
Once again Daniel was hustled up the steps towards the rippling event horizon. Behind him, two more men, armed with spears and knives, took up position. Four Minarans—all they were willing to risk on his word.
"Which world have you opened for us?"
"Verdia. We have a treaty with them. They're a simple people with a small settlement not far from the 'gate."
"Very good." Urngarn turned to the guards. "Once you have appraised the situation, return here and report your findings," he instructed.
One of the spear-holders gave the leader a quick bow and turned back towards the 'gate. Daniel's hands were re-tied and with another nod from Urngarn, he found himself propelled into the wormhole.
He stumbled as he exited the 'gate on the other side, the chill of the wormhole making him shiver—or maybe it was just trepidation. He really never thought he'd be visiting this world again. His escort kept a secure hold on him while scanning the surrounding area, and it dawned on him that these men had come through not knowing if they would survive once they were here. The Minarans were indeed a desperate people.
"Where is the village?" one of the men demanded.
"This way," Daniel gestured with his bound hands.
"Move."
~oOo~
"T—wanna give me a hand?" Jack called over his shoulder.
Oressa squirmed under his grasp, his movements limited by the restraints holding his limbs to the bed.
"I would be most happy to assist you, O'Neill," Teal'c rumbled as he stepped closer to Oressa.
Beads of sweat appeared on the Minaran's face, but he closed his eyes and Jack felt the tension ease underneath his hand. Barely a second passed before the man's face morphed into that of their missing teammate. Eyelids fluttered open, and Jack found himself looking into blue eyes—so similar to Daniel's, but these held a hint of green that his teammate's didn't have.
"You would not harm your friend," Oressa stated with confidence.
Shaking off the unsettling feeling the man gave him, Jack replied, "Oh, you don't know how many times I've wanted an excuse to beat the crap out of Daniel. This is gonna be satisfying on two levels."
Oressa's eyes widened in shock, obviously not expecting that answer. "You... you would not—"
"Oh yes, he would," Carter jumped in, providing a united front. Jack was glad to know his team was on the same wavelength.
He hadn't heard a peep out of Fraiser, which meant she'd either gone for reinforcements, or had decided she couldn't watch.
"Colonel O'Neill! What is the meaning of this?" a voice rang out from the doorway.
That answered his question. She'd gone all the way to the top, which was why Hammond was shouting at him.
"Well, sir, we're just trying to convince Oressa here to tell us where Daniel is. He seems to think he's no longer on Minara."
Jack glanced back to see Hammond arrive at the end of the bed, face red and eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" the general responded.
"We are concerned for the safety of Daniel Jackson," Teal'c explained. "We must determine his location immediately."
"Has he said why he thinks Doctor Jackson is no longer on the planet, or where he's gone?"
"We were just getting to that, sir."
Jack looked directly into his CO's eyes as he spoke. Something in them told Jack, even before the general spoke, that he understood what they were doing.
"Very well, Colonel. Proceed."
Oressa began struggling with earnest. "No, wait! I'll tell you!"
"Hold him still for me, Teal'c."
"With pleasure."
"I said I'd tell you!" Oressa turned his head away, obviously expecting a blow.
"Then start talking!" Jack said leaning closer. "You've got exactly two minutes to tell us everything we need to know."
~oOo~
The ever-present hands on his arms pulled him forward and down the steps and Daniel absently thought that his arms were going to be sore for a very long time.
The dirt path led through alternating areas of dense, pine-like trees and small open meadows full of brightly colored flowers. Beautiful under any other circumstances. He found another knot forming in his stomach, growing with each step they took.
"How far?" the same man asked.
Daniel had no idea how they measured time. "About as long as it takes to eat a meal. You'll see smoke from the village before you actually see the village itself."
"Will they greet you as a friend?"
That was the $64,000 question. God, he hoped so. "Yes, they'll remember me from previous... visits." He'd sure as hell remember them.
"That is good." Holding up a hand to his men, he ordered, "Stop here."
Before he could ask why they were stopping, the man pulled out a cloth and forced it into Daniel's mouth, tying it behind his head. Making sure I don't give them away before they're ready. He tried to ignore the unpleasant taste of the cloth—a mixture of oil and dirt—and focus on something else, like what his chances were of making it through this alive.
Their march resumed and soon smoke could be seen drifting above the trees. Here they left the path and trekked through the woods; Daniel tried to fend off the leafy branches whipping his face, but a few struck him hard and he felt the trickle of blood on his cheek. He winced as his bare feet stepped on pebbles and sticks that were strewn across the path.
Climbing to a rocky outcropping, the group hunched low to the ground and peered down at the village below them. It appeared just as Daniel remembered it—a jumble of neat wooden structures filled with people going about their daily routines, occasionally calling a greeting that mingled with the sounds of dogs barking and children playing. Simple, pleasant—and very deceptive. An involuntary shiver rippled through him as he remembered his last visit to this world.
After fifteen or twenty minutes of observation, the leader signaled for them to fall back. Once at the bottom of the outcropping, they made their way back to the path. Upon reaching it, he was surprised when they headed back towards the Stargate.
It had just been a reconnaissance mission—to make sure he was telling the truth and check out the locals before sending anyone else through the 'gate. He wondered what the chances were that his team had figured things out and gated back to Minara. Glancing up at the sky, he realized dusk was starting to fall, making his more urgent question—what were their own chances of even making it back to the 'gate at all? Given what he knew about the local inhabitants… not good, especially if he had no way to communicate with them.
~oOo~
The 'gate was already open and waiting when Jack strode purposefully into the room, adjusting his cap snugly on his head. He grabbed the P-90 that was offered him and clipped it to his vest. Beside him, Carter and Teal'c were doing the same. No one spoke, the seriousness of the situation cutting short any snarky comments he might normally have made.
The shape-shifter had spilled his guts when faced with the combined threat Jack and Teal'c presented. Jack was still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that the Minarans needed human adrenal hormones to survive, and that they 'harvested' them from other humans. According to Oressa, their people had traveled from planet to planet, insinuating themselves into the native population and then gradually sucking it dry. Their ability to take on the appearance of the natives made it that much easier when one of them died.
And now they had Daniel. Daniel and his big mouth—going on and on about the worlds and peoples SG-1 had visited. The Minarans were thrilled—all they had to do was take Daniel and he could lead them to all the humans they could possibly want. He knew he should have listened to his crap detector and checked things out more thoroughly when they were still on Minara. Now they were about to rectify that, though. If Daniel wasn't still on Minara, they'd just have to convince the locals to tell them where he'd been taken, provided the entire population hadn't left through the 'gate.
"Chevron Seven, locked!" Walter's voice brought his attention back to the 'gate.
As the wormhole kawooshed, Jack mentally prepared himself for what he'd find on the other side. Daniel would be alive—the Minarans needed him too much for them to kill him. No, that would be something Jack would have the pleasure of doing when they found the man—right after he lectured him on not giving out too much information to people they'd just met.
First things first, though. He turned to face Carter, Teal'c, and SGs 5 and 18. They'd all had a quick briefing on their mission and Jack wasn't going to delay it by saying anything else except, "Move out!"
Turning, he plunged forward into the wormhole, silently sending a message to his friend. Hang on, Daniel, we're coming.
~oOo~
Daniel watched the rippling wormhole as the leader of their group, Tharis he'd heard someone call him, stepped to the top of the dais and tossed something through. The 'gate shut down and Tharis descended the steps and led the group a short way into the dense brush. Daniel was pressed to sit down, the gag remaining firmly in place.
Several minutes later, the 'gate opened again and Daniel watched with anticipation, fervently hoping it was his team coming through. As the wormhole settled into a shimmering blue pool, it rippled and two men with spears stepped through, followed by Jack. Hope flared briefly at the thought his team may have found him, but then six more people followed Jack—they were all Minaran: three men and three women. And he knew this wasn't his friend—it was Urngarn.
Tharis rose from his hiding place and approached the leader; Daniel was yanked to his feet and pushed towards the bottom of the dais where he was brought to a halt in front of Urngarn.
The corner of Urngarn's mouth quirked up in a familiar expression. "You have done well, Daniel Jackson." Descending several steps, he stopped directly in front of Daniel. "I think you will not need this," he said, untying and removing the sour-tasting cloth.
Daniel ran his tongue around his dry lips and coughed, trying to pull some moisture into his parched mouth. "Don't you think they'll be suspicious when I walk into their village with my hands tied?"
"I believe that will be unnecessary, also." At a nod from Urngarn, one of his escorts untied his hands. "And in case you are thinking of telling these people anything we do not wish them to know, let me warn you—do not attempt it."
Daniel was about to protest, but Urngarn moved quickly, wrapping a hand around his throat. He didn't squeeze, but Daniel could feel a tingling sensation in his throat. Before Daniel could pull away, Urngarn removed his hand and smiled. "That will take care of the problem temporarily."
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Panic flared in his chest as he realized he wouldn't be able to communicate.
"Do not worry, as I said, it is only temporary. However, if you do not cooperate, it can be made permanent."
Temporary. That made him feel only slightly better; he still had no way to talk with the people of Verdia, which could be very dangerous for all of them. One of the women handed him his t-shirt and he put it on, then sat down when someone else handed him his socks and boots. He hissed—silently—as he slid the boots over his abused feet, tying the laces before standing up again.
"Now, let us go and meet the good people of this world," Unrgarn continued. Daniel watched as the familiar features of Jack's face morphed into that of the Minaran leader. "We will explain that you have lost your voice, but were kind enough to guide us here to meet them in hopes of establishing trade."
The sun hovered above the horizon as the group made their way down the path towards the village, Urngarn keeping a firm grip on his arm.
Yep, they were in serious trouble. The rules concerning contact with the Verdians had been made on SG-1's previous visit, and this would break just about every one of them. But he'd known the risk he was taking when he'd chosen this world to bring them to. And he'd accepted that the price of stopping the Minarans might be his own life.
TBC