Chapter 6: I find a Jackson who actually likes research (Annabeth)
It had taken a little while for the chaos of our initial briefing to blow over, but the little display of powers had gone a long way to convincing Landry and SG-1 we were telling the truth. In the end, Landry had agreed to help us, and wanted us to work together to help stop whatever the Ori had planned for their captive souls. Landry explained that they were reaching out to their allies across the galaxy, putting the word out to see if anyone caught wind of anything useful.
In the meantime, I asked Daniel if they had any type of library or archives so I could conduct research. His eyes lit up "uhhh, yeah, follow me,". He seemed genuinely excited, and I followed him out as the rest of our group were told where they were and weren't allowed within the base. I could tell by Daniel's demeanor that he must've come from a more scholarly and academic background than his teammates. That's not to say he was the only smart one, Sam for one seemed extremely intelligent, and Teal'c conveyed a certain wisdom beyond what his physique might suggest. But they both had the demeanor of soldiers, the discipline and restraint often demanded by military service. "So, what did you do before joining SG-1? I'm assuming you haven't been doing this your whole life,". Daniel smiled, "No, no I haven't. I ended up joining SG-1 about ten years ago when the whole program was just getting off the ground. Before that I was a scholar and historian who spent his days having his theories rejected by every prestigious academic institution and publication on the planet,". I was a little shocked, Daniel seemed to be the stargate command's resident historian, and he came across as someone who knows their stuff. "Why?" I asked. "Because the idea that aliens helped build the pyramids and guide ancient civilizations has never been especially popular in their circles,". I laughed a little, "If I didn't come from a world where the greek gods live above New York City I might've agreed with them,".
"Wait," Daniel replied, "in your reality the gods live in New York," I nodded. "Basically, in the time since Ancient Greece, the gods' seat of power has moved to follow whatever the center of human civilization was. They moved to Rome, then across a few different places in Europe, until they eventually settled in over NYC, the 'center' of western civilization, where they've been for the last few hundred years,". Daniel seemed a little surprised, but I could tell he had mentally noted that down somewhere. By this point we had arrived at Daniel's office. While not terribly large, it played host to books and documents on nearly every spare surface. "Sorry about the mess but the only person who usually dives into all this stuff is me so…," ,"I think I'll manage," I replied.
Studying books and reports may not seem like most people's idea of a good time, but starting to fill in all of the knowledge gaps I'd had since we arrived was immensely satisfying. I asked Daniel if I could borrow some of the books and reports and I headed back to the group's quarters. Now that we weren't in immediate danger of being killed or taken captive, my exhaustion caught up to me and I was out like a light. Sleep was good, and for once, blissfully free of typical demigod nightmares. When I finally woke, my eyes slowly opened and I saw one of Daniel's reports laying across my chest, and Percy just waking up next to me. He glanced at me, then the report, and giggled a little. "What?" I asked. "Day one in a new universe and the first thing you do is read?" He replied. "Percy, we need to know what we're dealing with, I can't plan anything without..." I trailed off as I noticed he had a giant grin on his face. I glared at him before giving him a kiss on the forehead.
Over the next few days, our little band of heroes ended up settling in as best we could at the SGC. As the one doing the most research, I ended up being the one answering questions and informing the group when a member of SG-1 wasn't around. Speaking of which, SG-1, and the stargate program in general had had quite a history. The whole thing started in 1994, when Daniel had helped activate the gate for the first time, leading to an expedition to another planet, and contact with Ra, one of these Goa'uld Teal'c had mentioned. After managing to defeat him, a few years later, another high ranking Goa'uld (they were called system lords) named Apophis managed to dial in and attack the base. In the process of fighting back, SG-1 was formed, composed then of Daniel, Sam, Teal'c, and a Colonel Jack O'Neill. Over the next decade, the team encountered all manner of enemy, ally, and weird space anomaly, while securing assets and technology to defend Earth from the Goa'uld. While I wasn't able to look at everything, it was clear that a bunch of demigods from another universe was probably only an 8/10 on their scale of weirdness. O'Neill was eventually promoted, and the team was temporarily disbanded before rumor of a secret of the Ancients led to the discovery of the Ori, and the team reforming with Colonel Mitchell and Vala.
I was reading through one of the more recent mission reports in the mess hall as we grabbed food as a group. When we managed to find a vacant table and sit down, Thalia took note of my concentration and decided to break it. "Find anything interesting about our new "friends" Annie?" she asked. I took a breath and put the report down. "Yes actually. Do you remember the Goa'uld, and how they had an army of slave warriors called Jaffa, who eventually gained freedom?" "Yeah," "Teal'c is one of them. And not just any Jaffa, he was Apophis' right hand before he switched sides". Everyone was a little surprised. "Wait, does that mean he's an alien?" Leo asked. "Technically, yes. They were originally human, but were genetically altered by the Goa'uld thousands of years ago," I replied. It was a weird feeling, that the closest thing to alien life I'd ever encountered seemed more human than any of the earthbound monsters we'd fought.
Leo then spoke up, "I've been trying to get a closer look at some of the alien tech around here, but the security here don't seem to like that very much,". Piper retorted "wow, I'm so surprised that the top secret government program doesn't let one of the teenagers they met 2 days ago go poking around all of the alien tech?". Nico added "just because they have cool stuff doesn't mean you have to dissect it all,".
Leo replied "Ugh! Look, this is all new territory for us right? How am I supposed to find a way to deal with the stuff this universe might throw at us if I don't know how their tech works?"
"So this is strictly for research purposes, not ADHD, not Hephaestus tendencies right?" Reyna questioned.
"Yep," Leo replied.
"Are you sure?" Reyna asked, now glaring at him.
"Yep, no tendencies at all, just research," Leo replied
"You know I can summon my dogs and ask you again," Reyna suggested.
Leo shifted a little, "uhh, maybe just a smidge of engineer's curiosity,".
I smiled, and saw the rest of the group doing the same. Leo looked embarrassed for a moment, but after thinking for a second he smiled back. As we went back to our (decidedly mediocre) food, I spotted SG-1 grabbing a table across the hall with food in hand. "Hey Leo, you could always just ask," I suggested, gesturing to the team. "From what I've picked up, Sam seems to have had a hand in a lot of the understanding and reverse engineering of that tech, she'd probably be the one to ask,". Leo looked at me, then the team, then his food, then back and forth from his plate to SG-1, and then got up. Piper went with him, and after a moment so did Percy and I.
When we reached the table, Sam was the first to greet us. "Hi there, how are you guys settling in?". Leo replied "Uhhh, good, pretty good actually. You know, as cool as living in an old missile command bunker is, I was wondering if I could get a look at some of the alien tech you guys have, for research purposes,". Sam looked uneasily at her teammates. Mitchell explained "You know that stuff is what we would deem highly classified right,". "Yeah I know, but c'mon! If we're going to go back out there, wouldn't it be good to have a better idea what we're dealing with,". The team considered this for a moment, but Leo continues "Besides, there's a chance I might be able to produce a few snazzy new upgrades for you guys,". Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and Sam looked genuinely surprised, asking "You think you could make upgrades for equipment you've never seen before?". Leo quickly replied "don't underestimate the Valdez touch Colonel, I bribed Apollo with one of my inventions,". The team continued to consider this. Teal'c looked mildly amused, and Sam exchanged glances with Mitchell before replying. "I'll make you a counter offer. If the Ori really are trying to turn people like you into super-priors, it could be helpful to have an idea how you all get your powers,". This made me feel a little uneasy, on one hand, it seemed pragmatic, and I could tell Sam had been trying to piece together how it all worked since she found out. On the other hand, the idea of being tested and examined has never been pleasant, for any of us. Mitchell then elaborated "a little while after we encountered the priors for the first time, we developed a device that stopped them from focusing their powers, made 'em basically harmless,". Teal'c then continued "it is reasonable to assume that your powers operate on different principles, meaning it is possible these new recruits may be partially immune to the effects of the device,".
I looked at the rest of the group. Nobody looked particularly happy, but I could tell they understood SG-1's logic. I gestured to them so we could talk privately for a moment. Leo was the first to speak, "what do you guys think?".
"I don't like it, but I understand," Reyna replied.
"As long as it doesn't lay us up for too long, it's not like there's much else for us to do," Piper added.
"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Nico asked
"What could it hurt, besides, I doubt we'd test positive for godly heritage on a mortal blood test," Percy answered.
Percy looked at me, slightly unsure of himself, I shrugged. We're in uncharted territory, how would I know what's going to happen. With that, we turned back to SG-1, "What would you need?" I asked. Sam quickly replied "I can probably get by with a blood sample, and I'd like to see if the anti-prior device has any effect on you, just in case,". Before I could answer, Percy replied "I'll do it,". Damn it Seaweed Brain! I wanted to thank him and slap him at the same time. His heart's in the right place, but could he be a little less impulsive?
Sam quickly finished her food, and we followed her and the rest of SG-1 in a big blob to the infirmary. Doctor Lam was clearly experienced, and she had a usable sample before Percy could complain (none of us really like needles). From there we went to Sam's lab, where she retrieved a black, dome shaped device around a foot in diameter. Leo was very curious, but Sam held him back for a moment. "This is what we call a prior disruptor, it uses special frequencies of EM radiation to stop the Ori Priors from focusing their powers,". Sam hit a switch and the blue lights on the device began blinking periodically. After an awkward moment of silence, she gestured to a glass of water on the lab table. Percy looked at it, and the water easily floated out of the glass and began swirling through the air. The team looked at the rest of our group. Leo lit his hand on fire, Thalia arced electricity between her fingers, and Piper told Leo to cut it out, which he was charmed to do instantly. "Well that settles that," Mitchell noted. With that, the blob of people seemed to disperse. Leo quickly began asking Sam how the device worked, and Thalia asked if the SGC had any type of gym facility. Daniel gave us quick directions, and the rest of us nearly bolted out of the room. Being cooped up underground like this was starting to drive us a little stir crazy, so an opportunity to move around or spar was a godsend.
When we arrived, we found 2 adjacent rooms. 1 held numerous workout machines and free weights, and the second housed punching bags, pads, and a boxing ring. "2 drachma says you can't take me down, Seaweed Brain," Thalia challenged. "You're on, Pinecone Face," Percy replied. Thalia still cringed a little at Percy's nickname for her, but they were padded up and in the ring within minutes. Before they started, I pulled both of them aside. "Listen you two, please be careful. We lucked out the last time you sparked off each other. If you blow up their ring they may not be too happy,". Thalia replies "c'mon Annie it'll be fine, we've just got to blow off some steam,". Percy chuckled and I glared at him. He quickly responded "I promise I won't throw water at her, intentionally,". I sighed and sat down nearby. I looked over to Piper briefly and made sure she was ready just in case.
Since we demigods have a weapon of some sort 90% of the time, we tend to focus on training with a specific weapon or weapons. Also, since we can heal so much faster than mortals (with the help of Ambrosia as needed) we aren't the most careful sparring partners. Once they were both ready, Percy and Thalia didn't waste much time. You could tell they weren't trying to kill each other, but they weren't exactly being gentle either. They really do feel like brother and sister sometimes I thought. It didn't help that they were basically evenly matched. Once we were reasonably sure they weren't going to end up blasting each other around the room, the rest of the group dispersed to do their own things. Nico trained with Reyna, Piper went to work on a punching bag, and I dove back into my research.
Some time later, I heard the doors open and saw SG-1 sans Carter walking in. Most looked ready for a workout, but they stopped to watch him fight for a moment. Speaking of which, Percy and Thalia were still going! They looked a bit winded, but apparently neither had gone down yet. They taunted each other a bit before launching back into fisticuffs. They exchanged blows for a bit before Percy got bound up in a joint lock. He managed to work his way out, but Thalia side kicked him and sent him into the ropes. Percy recovered quickly, and used the rebound from the ropes to launch himself into a superman punch. Thalia staggered, and Percy used the opportunity to go for a head lock. Thalia frantically struggled and eventually managed to work her way out, catching his arm and trying to flip him forward, but Percy was fast, and he managed to knock her off balance, sending them both tumbling to the ground at the same time. As they stumbled back to their feet, Thalia shouted "that's 2 drachmas Percy, a deal's a deal,".
"Uhh what? I clearly hit the ground second, those coins are mine," Percy replied.
"No no no! That's… wait, Annabeth, who won?". Thalia asked.
I threw my hands up "it looked like the same time to me,".
Percy shot me a pleading look, but I shook my head and smiled. Awesome boyfriend or not, I wasn't going to give him a win he didn't actually achieve. I turned to SG-1 who looked mostly impressed. "Nice moves," Mitchell complimented. "Thanks," Percy and Thalia said at the same time. Teal'c then asked "I imagine you are proficient with the weapons you were wielding when we found you?". I nodded. "Then who among you possess the most skill with a staff?". I thought for a moment. None of us really used a staff of any kind, the closest were probably Thalia and Reyna, who both used spears. I caught the others exchanging glances, and sure enough, Reyna stepped forward "I guess that's probably me," she acknowledged. Teal'c calmly gestured to the ring, and to a set of training staffs with soft padding on the ends. Mitchell and Daniel then had a quick exchange, and Mitchell asked "swords?". Percy raised his hand, and paired off with the Colonel. "Where's Colonel Carter?" I asked. "Still dealing with your friend Leo I think," Vala replied "he's quite the inquisitive one,". I chucked a little, and it looked like Vala was going to continue, but she started scanning the room and darted over to Piper. Daniel, now alone, gestured toward the weight room, and I (along with Nico and Thalia, followed).
The rest of the day was fairly relaxed. Vala, being an ex-con-artist, was very interested in Piper's abilities, and seemed disappointed that Piper didn't use her charmspeak to, for example, never pay for anything. Mitchell's interest in swordfighting had apparently come from 2 separate incidents where he had to fight off an Ancient guardian who was immune to bullets. While he wasn't exactly a natural, Percy is a good teacher (don't tell him I said that). Teal'c, meanwhile, lived up to his reputation, and was equal parts powerful and effortless in his movements. He and Reyna fought for a good while, but the Jaffa was clearly more experienced with staff weapons. He did make sure to compliment Reyna after the fight though, and she returned the favor. A few hours later, when the rest of us were ready to go to sleep, Leo popped back into the room with cannibalized versions of the prior disruptor and other SGC gadgets. He noisily set everything down and climbed into his bunk, drawing annoyed glances from most of the group (me included). Leo simply shrugged in response, a slightly guilty grin on his face.