Chapter 59

Vala was able to hide her condition from Terik until dinner, when she was struck by another one of her bouts. This time around, it happened surrounded by Terik and his colleagues, and was twice as draining as her last. She had to confess to Terik her past bouts and how awful she was feeling.

"I was afraid of this," he whispered looking to the group of worried onlookers.

"Afraid of what?" Vala asked, the panic rising in your voice.

Terik took a seat next to Vala, "I'm afraid your heart is in no condition for us to continue."

"I have to get off this planet and find Daniel."

"You are in a vary dangerous situation. These bouts you have been suffering are merely a precusor of something far more serious and on the inevitable horizon."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning that what you explained to me about what happened to your friend, Daniel, may very well happen to you if you continue any further."

"So you're saying that if I could have a heart attack?"

"Its looking more and more likely."

Vala sat momentarily lost in thought before she responded. "I don't care. I don't care what happends to me. I have to find Daniel. I have to, or die trying."

oooooo

"It is good to finally look upon you with my own eyes," Anubis said as he walked closer to Daniel. "I had spent far too long hiding behind masks."

Daniel looked at Anubis uneasy, "What is this place?"

"Part of our genetic memory."

"Our?"

Anubis smiled, "The nanites within in you contain trace amounts of my genetic matierial, therefore you have access to my genetic memories, and to the memories of all the Goa'uld that came before me. Now thanks in part to your time in the Ancient chair, you can access them as readily as you can your own."

"Why? So you could take me over? Control me like you did that day you possessed me?"

"No, Daniel Jackson. There is not enough of my genetic matierial to make the memories you possess of me or my brethren have any type of physical control over you."

"Then what's the point?"

"You had two doors to choose from. You chose door number two. A wise decision, my friend. That first door, that would have put you down the same path as Orion, and Arthur before you. And that is what Indra and the Ancients wanted you to do. To choose their path for you. To do their bidding. To become their Prophet. But you didn't. You made your own choice. One based on love. And that has led you here."

"What would you know about love?" Daniel scoffed sarcastically.

"I know everything!" Anubis shouted taking Daniel slightly aback. "Everything I did, I did for my wife and my children. My intentions in the beginning were noble ones, Daniel. But like it is with ultimate power, it corrupts and soon, destruction of those who murdered my family just wasn't enough. If I couldn't live with my family, nothing else could live."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are walking the dark path, Daniel. Dark doesn't necessarily mean evil. But it can go that way if you don't put it in check. It is important that you do so, for the path you are walking is one of your own making. You have chosen to create your own destiny. What you do with it, is ultimately yours. Be careful where you step."

"So I'm not the Prophet?"

"That destiny was never set in stone. It was merely a possibility for you. But you chose not to take the easy route. To let the Ancients and Ori turn you into their puppet. You choose a path laid with thorns. But a path that is and will always be entirely yours."

"What Shifu showed me. That place. My traveling this path will lead me there."

"You and Vala. You will unite the galaxy, Daniel Jackson, but in a different way. One that is more lasting. A fitting legacy."

"And what Shifu said about Adria, was that true as well."

"Yes. She is and always will be bound to the Ori. There is nothing that can be done."

Daniel hung his head in despair.

"Fear not, Daniel. There will be others."

"Others? As in more children?"

"Yes. And how far down the dark path you tread will determine their fates. It is important that you remain true to who you are, no matter who that happens to be when this is all said and done."

"What is happening to me?"

"You're becoming a different being. One of your own making. What that ultimately means is up to you. But know that I am now a part of you. Just as much as Orion. Just as much as Arthur."

"And I'm supposed to find that comforting?"

"You know as well as I do that all Goa'uld, no matter how buried deep it may be, possess a spark of humanity. A needle of good in a haystack of evil. The genetic matierial I am gave to you was the only good thing that remained within me."

"Again, why would you do that?"

"Because you remind me of me. Of who I was before circumstances changed me into the mosnter that I became. Our lives are very similar, Daniel Jackson. Oma knew it. Now you do as well. Time is running short Daniel. Vala survived the birth of Adria, and she is fighting will all her strength to get to you. But you must find her before it is too late."

"Too late?"

"You're not the only one with a bad ticker. And given Vala's current location and lack of proper medical treatment, I would say you are probably fairing a lot better than her at the moment."

"I'm the reason she's sick, I just can't stand by and do nothing."

"Well your definately in no condition to help her now, are you?"

"I can't just let her die!"

"I know you can't. That is where I come in."

"What are you planning on doing?"

Anubis only smiled, "Just leave it to me."

ooooo

Nightfall had come to Atlantis and Dr. Carolyn Lam was awoken from a restful sleep by the sound of alarm bells. Taking a nap in a nearby bunk, she raced into the infirmary. Netan, who had been improving way beyond expectation had been moved to a private room near her office. Dr. Beckett, who was still in a coma, was rapidly improving. That only left one of two patients. Turning the corner to where their beds lay, she was shocked at what she saw.

Kebechet had a pillow over her face, her heart monitors were flatlined.

"I need help!" Lam cried as her nursing staff, following by Netan and Sam followed suit.

"What happened," Netan asked just as Lam was taking the pillow off of her face.

"Someone was trying to kill her."

Sam and Netan watched for several agonizing minutes as Lam worked on Kebechet, breathing a sigh of relief when her heart started beating.

"I need to run an EEG stat!" Lam barked at one of the frazzled nurses, who ran quickly do as she asked.

"Carolyn, what's going on?" Sam asked walking over to a frightened and frazzled Lam.

"I don't know."

"Why would someone try to kill her? Don't we need her alive for Dr. Jackson's transplant."

"I don't think someone was trying to kill her. Just trying to cut off the oxygen to her brain. There's no telling how long she was without it before her heart stopped."

"Meaning what?"

Sam turned to Netan with a pained look, "Meaning there is a possibility that if she was deprived of oxygen long enough - she could be brain dead."

The three looked at Kebechet as the nursing staff ran in the with the EEG monitor. Everyone unaware of the large, crooked, menacing grin that was plastered across Daniel Jackson's face.