Rising from the Ashes of Ascension
Chapter 16
Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.
Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references
The next day at work Daniel was sitting in his office working on a translation brought back from PX5-258 while Jack was sitting on the couch, working on a long over due report (he had been kicked out of Sam's lab and Teal'c room earlier – apparently it was his turn to babysit the colonel). As he sat there lost in the task of trying to understand if the long dead writers of the tablet were trying to say 'care bears' or 'care of the bears,' he was doing his best to ignore his best friend. In reality, the translation really wasn't that important, it just served as a way of distracting himself from listening to Jack think out-loud.
As he sat there, he suddenly felt the familiar, yet powerful presence of another immortal. Methos, he thought absently, not bothering to look up to see if he was right. He knew it was the old guy; his Quickening was easily discernable from Siler's.
"You little shit," Methos snarled as he slammed the door open.
Daniel looked up in time to see a rock being hurled at his head. He instinctively held up his arms in front of his face, protecting it from harm. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, and the rock made its way through his defenses and hit him in the forehead, leaving him slightly dazed.
Daniel looked down, feeling a small trickle of blood ooze down his face and the familiar tingle of his speedy healing ability working its magic healing the wound. In his lap was a familiar object he had seen the other day on the planet dedicated to Priapus.
Methos had thrown a giant broken granite penis at him.
"You broke it?" Daniel asked, ignoring Jack's laughter. "Gods! How hard did you rub it?"
"I hate you, you know?" Methos snarled. "I had to touch the thing and as I was rubbing it, the damn thing broke off and all of that precious knowledge that the people spoke about was nothing more than the local version of the Kama Sutra. That's why they have so many kids! They're fucking like rabbits and in ways I never thought humanly possible. Believe me when I say the pictures would make a yoga master cringe in pain."
Jack started singing the "Detachable Penis" song.
"How do you even know that song?" Methos stared at the colonel. "That's a slacker song."
Jack just shrugged. "Back when I was married, a neighbor's kid played that song constantly at unbelievable levels in his bedroom, loud enough we could hear it outside. Sara got upset when Charlie heard the song and asked what a detachable penis was in front of her parents. She then told me to go next door and tell the kid to stop with the racket. It just kind of stuck with me."
"You're a sick bastard," Methos said, shaking his head.
Daniel picked the thing up off his lap and gingerly placed the penis, half the size of what it had been when he had first seen it, on his desk. Even at half of its original size, having a two-foot penis staring at him was a bit disturbing.
Jack, trying to sober up but not succeeding, spoke up. "But did you learn anything useful?"
"I'll tell you after my next date," Methos said snidely.
At hearing that, Jack completely lost it and howled in amusement.
Of course at that moment, with Jack on the floor gasping for breath, Methos glaring violently at two of the people responsible for his mortification, and Daniel staring at the giant, broken penis on his desk, General Hammond chose that moment to enter Daniel's office.
"Do I even want to know what is going on and I know I am going to regret asking, but is that a penis on your desk Dr. Jackson?" the general asked, gritting his teeth.
"It's Dr. Pierson's sir," Daniel said, with a completely straight face. "He found it on PX3-198 and felt compelled to show it to me. I think he is suffering from some sort of Gate travel induced hysteria."
"Somehow I don't think Dr. Pierson is the one suffering from hysteria," Hammond said, taking in the view of Colonel O'Neill laughing like a maniac.
"I'm sorry sir," Jack struggled to rise and stop his laughter. "What can we do for you?"
"If you three aren't too busy with whatever it is you do, I got a call from the Pentagon and they want to move the budget meeting up from next week to tomorrow. We will be leaving from Peterson tomorrow at 0600 hours. Make sure you are packed for several days. I don't know how long this should take and I will warn you Dr. Jackson that the Joint Chiefs and Senator Kinsey are really interested in hearing about your year among the Ancients. Kinsey, in particular, doesn't believe that you are telling the truth that you really can't remember what happened while you are gone. Prepare yourself for an interrogation. Jack and I will be there for that, but it will be difficult. For the record, I am sorry that you are going to have to deal with this," Hammond said, looking sorry and apologetic.
Daniel managed to smile slightly. "I understand sir. If I were them, I would want to know what happened also."
"Very well son," Hammond said, seeing irony in calling Dr. Jackson son. "I will see the both of you at Peterson tomorrow morning. Dr. Pierson, please don't make me remind you about the regulations concerning workplace etiquette and take your penis and put it somewhere that will not get us all slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit." Somehow the General managed to say that last bit with a completely straight face.
"Yes sir," Adam said doing his best to not roll his eyes (he actually respected the General and in a way the man reminded him fondly of Joe for some reason) and ignore Jack's renewed howling.
"Fine," Hammond said and quickly retreated. He slammed the door quickly before he totally lost it in front of the others. Once the door was shut, he let loose and laugh until his eyes started to tear up. He couldn't help it; there was a giant penis sitting on Dr. Jackson's desk that supposedly belonged to Dr. Pierson. He knew that it had something to do with the mission that SG-12 had went on yesterday, but when it came down to it, he really did not want to know all of the details. Certain things were better left unsaid. This was definitely a case of don't ask, don't tell if there ever was one.
SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1
The next morning, General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill, and Dr. Jackson were aboard a C-20A Gulfstream III, headed off towards Washington DC (though in reality their final destination was Arlington, Virginia – for some reason the Pentagon had to have the same zip code as DC's) to face budgetary meetings and (in Daniel's case) an interrogation by the JCS and the bane of the entire SGC: Senator Robert Kinsey.
Over the course of the flight, the three of them managed to find things to do to occupy themselves. Each of them had briefings to prepare for, to justify the expense of running the SGC. It was a hefty budget and each and every expense had to be justified. From the latest naquadah generator to the bullets for P-90s to the amount of paperclips used had to be justified to someone. Hopefully, with the idea that there was an Ancient weapon out there somewhere that could defend Earth from the Goa'uld that would lean the bean counters more towards allowing the SGC to keep (or even expand) its yearly budget.
An hour before they were to land at Andrews Air Force base, where a car was waiting to take them to their hotel to drop off their stuff and then on to the Pentagon, Jack managed to casually bring up the subject of whether or not Daniel had his sword with him.
"Yes mom, I have my sword with me," Daniel said quietly, exasperated at Jack's insistence that despite his centuries of experience, that Daniel needed to be reminded to have his sword on him.
"I'm just wondering how you are going to be able to get it into the Pentagon. They have things called metal detectors you know," Jack asked.
"Oh really? That fascinating bit of technology totally slipped my mind. When did they ever invent those marvelous things?" Daniel bit out; sarcasm lacing his every word. "I'm going to leave it at the hotel."
"But what if you run into someone?"
"What, in the Pentagon? In front of all of those witnesses?" he said, feigning shock. "Please Jack, we might really go at it while fighting, ignoring everything else, as a general rule we know how to be discrete, especially in a building full of military personnel. We're Immortal, not stupid – well, most of us anyway. It's not like someone is going to challenge me in the middle of Ground Zero."
"I'm just wondering," Jack asked. "Can't a friend show some measure of concern?"
"I'm fine Jack. I'm a big boy and I have a good majority of my memory back. I know how to take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time. You know, I managed to survive World War II without a sword for the majority of the time, I think I will manage to survive a few days at the Pentagon unarmed."
"Don't count on that," General Hammond muttered, not bothering to look up from his paperwork. "If I thought I could get away with it, I'd have a Zat with me."
The rest of the trip lapsed in to a comfortable silence. Soon they arrived at Andrews and were met by a car that was to take them to their hotel. They were staying at the Comfort Inn at the Pentagon (not actually at the Pentagon, just near-by). Hammond, being a general, rated his own room, while Jack and Daniel got to share a room.
Once their bags were stowed and Daniel had removed his sword (this time he wasn't carrying his Jian, but a Greek sword - it was slightly shorter, a bit stronger, and easier to hide) from his jacket and placed it under his bed, they headed out to the Pentagon for rounds upon rounds of meetings in the basement of the DOD building, discussing funding, scientific research, acquired weapons and technology, and eventually Daniel's year among the Ascended.
"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up in a meeting on the Hill," a familiar and irritating voice called out from the doorway to the room where the ultra-secret meeting was taking place. "I didn't want to miss Dr. Jackson's fantastical story about life with the Ancients."
"Senator Kinsey, how nice of it is of you to arrive," General Post called out, not even bothering to hide the eye roll.
General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill both bit back scathing comments while Daniel momentarily sighed and stared at the oak table in front of him.
Suddenly Daniel stiffened; a familiar pounding at the base of his skull alerted him to the presence of another Immortal. Oh please, Daniel thought wildly, praying to whatever true god was out there listening, don't let it be Kinsey. I will find a way to take my own head with my pen if he's an Immortal too, I swear it.
Following Kinsey was a man of slightly below average height, no more than five-seven, probably around one hundred, sixty pounds. The stranger was dressed impeccably in a dark suit, white shirt, and muted tie, like any government drone. His dark curly hair was cropped short and his warm brown eyes darted around, searching for the other Immortal in the room. His slightly olive, darker skin tone, familiar stance, the way he carried himself brought back ancient memories and ill-intents.
Daniel's eyes widened fractionally when he finally recognized the man that was literally standing in Kinsey's shadow.
Josiah.
This has to be some joke. He can't be here, still alive, working for Kinsey, Daniel thought frantically.
"Gentlemen, this is my aid Joseph Sherman. He has been fully briefed about the Stargate program. He will be sitting in on this briefing," Kinsey announced, ignoring any protests made by the military personnel in the room as he took a seat on the platform that loomed over the three at the lower table.
Sherman, for his part, spied Dr. Jackson sitting at one of the front tables, flanked by a general and a colonel. His eyes went even wider; never in his wildest imagination did he expect to see his old teacher again, especially at the Pentagon.
Oh sweet Lord, he is going to want my head on a platter, Josiah thought wildly, and I don't blame him in the least.
"Very well," General Post said his voice clearly tinged with disdain. "Please join us Senator. Dr. Jackson, you were about to tell us about your time among the Ascended."
Daniel gave Josiah/Joseph a long, scathing look, watching the man take a seat near the door, pulling out a legal pad, ready to take notes, before returning his attention to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"I can't tell you what I don't remember. My memories of my time with the Ascended have been stripped from my mind," Daniel replied.
Kinsey started laughing. "Oh come on Doctor! Do you really expect us to believe that? You remembered seeing the Jaffa's son on some slave planet and helped to lead a rescue effort to free a bunch of Jaffa. If you could remember something that insignificant, surely you can remember something a bit more important that will benefit America."
Daniel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I hardly think freeing Teal'c's son and Master Bray'tac, along with dozens of enslaved Jaffa is something to be considered insignificant. I don't know why I was allowed to remember seeing them there, but I did. Everything else is a complete blank. If I knew where some super weapon was that could defend Earth from a Goa'uld invasion, I would say so, but I don't."
"According to reports, during the attack on Abydos you said that a certain tablet would lead us to finding Atlantis, an Ancient outpost that would be able to defend the United States, yet somehow the tablet led SG1 not to the mythical city, but a bunch of ruins, unintelligent nomads, and yourself. Forgive me if I don't exactly believe you Dr. Jackson," Kinsey spat at one of his greatest stumbling blocks to controlling the SGC.
"I read the report and all I know about that is from the report. I do not remember the destruction of Abydos nor anything I might have said while there," Daniel virtually seethed.
"Considering some of your past behavior and certain incidents, your word is far from being trustworthy," Kinsey shot back.
Daniel's hand twitched slightly, as if it was unconsciously searching for a weapon that he could use on the Senator.
Jack, noticing Daniel's ire, placed a hand on his friend, mentally willing him to remain calm; killing the Senator was not the best option right then.
"I have given everything to this program," Daniel hissed. "I have died how many times in the line of duty? I have lost my wife, my in-laws, an ex-girlfriend, and have forgone any chance at redeeming myself in the academic world by keeping silent about the truth. How dare you tell me that I am not trustworthy Mr. Senator? I sacrificed myself over a year ago to prevent a world from self destructing. I died a horrible and agonizing death to prevent millions, if not billions, of ungrateful people from dying – not to mention my teammates, which unfortunately I remember very clearly. Why don't you try dying of radiation poisoning and tell me what it's like before you start accusing me of not being trustworthy!"
"Gentlemen," Hammond broke in, knowing that this was going nowhere and all Kinsey wanted was a chance to see how far he could push Dr. Jackson from saying or doing something rash. "Dr. Jackson has repeatedly said that he does not remember his time among the Ancients and I can assure you that if he suddenly has a flash of insight, he will tell us immediately. There is no one Dr. Jackson would rather see destroyed than the Goa'uld. He has proven himself time and time again that his loyalty is to the United States, the SGC, and planet Earth."
Kinsey looked as if he were about to say something, but Admiral Winslow broke in before the exchange between Kinsey and Jackson could turn into a real pissing match. Granted he would have loved to have seen Jackson verbally eviscerate the Senator, but it would not have helped matters in the long run. Kinsey would only make everyone's lives a living hell and seeing the doctor take him down a step would not really help anything, especially when certain projects came before the Armed Services Committee that Kinsey headed.
"If Dr. Jackson says he does not remember anything," said the chairman of the JCS, "then that is that. I am sure that Dr. Jackson is not holding anything back from us and if something does pop up, he will let us know. For now, let's call it a day and reconvene tomorrow at 1000 hours. Thank you very much for your time."
As the military generals and admirals filed out of the room, Kinsey hung back, more than willing to not let his displeasure dropped from discussion.
"You may have fooled everyone in this room wearing a uniform, but not me Jackson. If I had my way, you would never have been allowed back into the program. You'd be out at Area 51, being thoroughly examined to see how it is you were able to ascend," Kinsey snarled, stepping closer to Hammond, O'Neill, and Jackson.
The though alone of being held prisoner by the government, being experimented upon like a lab rat made both Immortals pale slightly (though since Kinsey had his back to his aide, he never saw Joseph's reaction). They lived with the fear that the government would someday find out about Immortals and turn their lives in to one giant science fair, ala Mengels.
"Too bad it's not up to you Senator," O'Neill said, stepping right up to Kinsey, not letting him any closer to his best friend. "Daniel has given his life for this program and world. You'd do best to remember that."
"Don't you dare threaten me Colonel," Kinsey snarled.
"I don't make threats Kinsey. Why don't you go crawl back under the rock you slithered out of and leave us the hell alone," O'Neill threw back at the man.
"Colonel! That will be enough," Hammond interceded, not wanting this exchange to go any further. He agreed one hundred percent with his second-in-command, but he did not want Jack doing something that would destroy his career completely. "Good day Senator," the general said, glaring at the taller man.
"We'll see how good of a day it is when the President hears about all of this," Kinsey said. "Sherman!" he barked, not realizing that his aide was now standing directly behind him.
"Yes sir?" Sherman asked his voice soft.
"Get my car, we are leaving," he bellowed.
Daniel, in the meantime, was staring directly at the other Immortal, sizing him up, wondering what in the hell the little bastard was doing with Kinsey, what he had been up to for the past three thousand years. Why in the fuck did he have to show up now, he thought to himself.
As soon as Kinsey strode out the door, leaving Josiah behind, Daniel called out to his old student, speaking in Aramaic, knowing that the chances of anyone understanding what he was saying was slim to none.
"I'm staying at the Comfort Inn off I-395. You and I need to have a discussion that is centuries overdue," Danil said dispassionately, though there was a hard and chilling edge to his voice. "If you don't stop by, I'll only come looking for you. Do you really want me looking for you?"
Josiah didn't say anything, but just nodded and hurried after the senator.
Jack, however was not a fool, and knew immediately that the little guy that was Kinsey's errand boy was not a regular human, judging my Daniel's reaction to him. "Danny, do you want to explain yourself?"
"That was Josiah," was all he would say and clammed up immediately after that. He did not want to go into a detailed discussion about Immortality in the bowels of the Pentagon. It was not the place or time for that kind of discussion.
"Oh," was all Jack could say, knowing that now was not the time for an in depth discussion, but mentally promised that he would speak to Daniel later and then clue in the general why Daniel had suddenly gone stone cold in the presence of Kinsey's aid and was speaking in a weird, foreign language. Jack knew immediately that this person was the former student that had almost killed him, killed his wife, and had served as a catalyst for Daniel joining back up with his old buddies the Horsemen.
Goddamn, can't we go somewhere without Daniel worrying about other Immortals or crazy natives wanting his head on a platter, Jack groused to himself, not realizing that Daniel was thinking almost the same thing.
Obviously not, they came to the same conclusion and followed Hammond out the door.
A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know your thoughts.
Okay, I have had the worst luck with computers lately. Apparently mine at home is possessed by the devil and has decided to rebel against me. I am seriously considering calling in a young priest and an old priest and letting them have a go at the machine. However, with a lot of patience, two snow days, and a great cheerleader by the name of Lorilei, this chapter finally got done. I hope it met with your approval and I hope that the next chapter will also meet your expectations. Thank you for reading, leaving reviews, and putting the story on lists. I truly appreciate it.
I am assuming that Kinsey is still a senator and hasn't become the vice-president yet. I am basing this off a time line that had Daniel being found in February, well before the national elections that would have taken place in November and that The Lost City, parts 1 and 2, took place about a year from Homecoming. I love how our national elections seem to last longer and longer each and every time they pop up, so I figured that this time frame would fit into the story somehow. I am also assuming that Kinsey is on the Armed Services Committee (I think that is the name of the oversight committee) and would be included in a SGC budgetary meeting at the Pentagon as a senior senator. Finally, just so you know, Ground Zero is the name of the inner courtyard of the Pentagon and is not a reference to 9-11; it was given that name back in the Cold War because people figured that the Pentagon would be one of the first sites attacked by the Soviets.
And in case you don't know, there is a song called "Detachable Penis" by King Missal. It came out in 1993 I believe and somehow I thought it would be appropriate to use somehow (though not as a song fic because I generally don't go for those and I think they are banned by when Methos threw the broken penis at his old friend. I heard it on the radio this afternoon during the 90s at Noon segment whose theme today in honor of all of the idiots out on the road was morons and losers. I think I have the song on my IPod come to think of it. Anyway, I thought it fit the moment and I can't get the damn thing out of my head right now.
Cheers!