Stargate SG-1: Broken

by mirwalker

Chapter 6

Carter and Jackson sat outside the Broken house, sipping from mugs of hot floral water, as the eerie green twilight of Menagerie faded to darkness.

"What do you think's going to happen?" asked Sam, meaning both the village vote, and the any moment update from Stargate Command, now that O'Neill had finally been able to peel General Hammond away from the rogue team fallout.

"I don't know," bemoaned Daniel, seeking some solace in the steam rising up across his face. "Britain says that Anjal will likely prevail in his claim to Rors' place in charge, that the gang will likely go along unless one of them tries to make a push for it."

"What about Britain himself?"

He harrumphed, and sat back on the roughhewn bench, "They won't even let the Broken into the meeting. No rights to protect, I guess; so no voice or vote. He's stuck standing outside and listening."

"This place gets crueler by the minute…"

"And I have even less idea what Hammond's reaction will be—if he even lets Jack return…"

Having to admit that she didn't either, as complicated as things had quickly become, Carter tried to consider their commanding officer's largest concerns— interplanetary security, which one mystery on this planet impacted directly. "And then what of the Zookeepers? I haven't been able to determine anything about the technology or source of the towers, other than that they're very advanced. But, if they are watching all this…"

On the reminder of yet another unknown party who might enter the muddle, Daniel ran his hand over his face, as if that might wipe away some lack of clarity. "Britain says there's no history of their ever getting involved directly, no interventions. I don't think he's convinced anyone is paying any attention. And I trust his instincts. He is one sharp, if sightless, cookie as Jack might say."

Sam watched her friend struggle, knowing how personally he took their responsibility to the peoples they came across in their travels. And perhaps how his passions might be at play in this particular situation. She opened her mouth to speak several times, before finally just blurting it out, "Speaking of sweets, Daniel: Britain adores you, you know?"

"I'm flattered, Sam; really," he dismissed. "But I'm a lot more concerned about how the others treat him and the other 'Broken', and how they're all going to react now."

She leaned in, asking, not insisting, "I think we'd all agree with you on that one. But your focusing on Britain won't change that in itself. Are you sure there's not something else?"

He stood and paced, as her casual pressure did seem to hit a nerve regarding their host. "What do you want me to say, Sam? He's amazing! He's a linguistic prodigy, a de facto first contact diplomat, and has organized the worst off in his community into its most efficient and supportive working group. If it weren't for his vision loss, he probably would be leading the colony instead of being subjugated by it…" He pointed off toward the gathering where that was likely not coming to pass.

"Daniel…, are you attracted to him?" she asked with clear, non-judgmental curiosity and concern.

He turned toward her, with his own mouth now open. He closed it, and blinked repeatedly, before protesting, "What? No! I mean, yes, in that he's intelligent, observant, has an incredible integrity and sense of service. What's not to like?"

Her look indicated that he'd confirmed her point precisely.

"But… He's attractive, Sam; but I'm not attracted to him. Grief over Sha're's death aside, he's just not my… type."(1)

"You know, as a civilian, you're not bound by the…"

"Sam, I don't love him! I don't like him! I don't care for him!" he cut her off, before dropping his voice, as if in consolation. "Not in that way."

"Daniel, I know it's not my place to nose in; but from what I've seen of the way he behaves around you, I think you might want to let him know that."

He looked up toward, and then beyond her, with a rapidly regret-filled look. "I think I just did."

Carter turned to see a crestfallen Britain standing silently in the darkened doorway. He had returned, perhaps with news, or at least to refill their mugs. Instead, he turned abruptly and darted quickly through the open town gate.

"Oh Daniel, I'm sorry," Sam tried to whisper, as Daniel called and ran after, "Britain!"

Britain kicked at the stone near his customary place, on the rocky pedestal just in front of the Ring, where inattention to its opening would be most costly to the Watcher on duty. In the still night, he heard quiet footsteps approaching from the ravine's open end, interrupted suddenly by a thud, stumble and "whoa!"

Even with a borrowed lantern, Daniel still had to explain that "It's really dark on the way up here."

"I'd not noticed," Britain reminded flatly, wiping his cheek as he turned away.

"You disappeared pretty quickly. Then Utuvien pointed out the watchwoman you relieved; so I came up…," Daniel explained, as he walked nearer, but not too close. It was still close enough. "You're crying."

"Only my sight is broken."

"Fair enough," he conceded, deciding that he too needed to be to-the-point. "Britain, I am sorry if it hurts you to hear it, and I'm very sorry I didn't say it more gingerly before. But that doesn't change the fact that… that I don't love you."

"Your heart is already full with another," he wondered.

Daniel set the lantern down, committing to talk through the pain he'd not meant to add to Britain's more than fair share. "I am a widower, Britain, as we discussed; and Sha're's death is still difficult for me. But that's not the reason…"

"It's because I'm Broken, isn't it?! How can you judge me on that? You of all people, telling us to take more pride in ourselves. And your eyes need spectacles; you are also broken! We have that in common."

"No, it has nothing to do with your blindness or my glasses," Daniel sighed. "Besides, vision issues are not the basis for a relationship."

Britain persisted, "You treated me with respect from the moment you arrived, like a person. We have talked, and laughed, and shared. You could have gone back through the Ring with your leader; but twice you have chosen to stay. Is that not concern and interest…?"

"As a friend! Britain, you're making me out as some sort of knight in shining armor…," when he felt like anything but in this moment. "I am really sorry that you've been treated as you have by everyone; you certainly deserve better. But I've been nice, nothing more. You're a great person. You serve your people despite their indignities to you. You are incredibly insightful and intelligent. And through our talks, I have grown fond of you. But that is not love, and it won't ever be. Not like it seems you'd like it to be."

Behind them, the Gate began to activate, and Britain pushed past Daniel to take up his spot behind the puddle.

Stepping through to join him, Daniel tried to continue offering Britain what positive assurances he could. "That'll be Jack and Teal'c coming back with an update on how we have to proceed… Britain, we've known each other just a few days. How can you love me from that?"

"I am not some lovestruck, backwater blind boy," Britain retorted, the suggestion seeming to have angered him out of his sadness. "With three tens of years, I'm among the oldest in this long-forsaken village. I have witnessed again and again that life here is too hard and too short to dally, and not to take advantage of whatever time is available… Well, I would like to do a little more than just survive. Your team's arrival could give that opportunity to us all; I hoped you might mean so for me." The last sentence was uttered almost with regret, shame at the selfishness it seemed to suggest, even before it turned out to be futile.

Britain turned back to the formed puddle, speaking to its consistency in the unfair existence he knew, "Hope against hope and strong, fast relationships are how we all have survived here. It obviously will not serve me now, with you."

They could hear the sound of two exits from the wormhole, prompting Britain to raise his staff in preparation to greet the arrivals, as Jackson moved closer to him, still trying to make him understand before whatever came next in their adventure together. "Britain…"

"Hearts aside, Daniel," Britain reminded, as he waited for the Ring to close. "You've killed our leader, with consequences no one can yet see. In the mean, I have a people to care for; and a duty to provide now."

A low, gurgling growl rumbled through the ravine from around the Ring.

"That doesn't sound like Jack or Teal'c…," Jackson started to point out, as the Gate snapped shut, and darkness fell again. He turned his lantern into the box end of the canyon, illuminating two large, snarling and shimmering bear-like creatures pacing unhappily.

"Step aside, Daniel, I have a duty… Welcome, newcomers!" Britain began his scripted speech.

Drawing and cocking his own sidearm, for the first time on this planet, Daniel began backing Britain up the ravine. "I don't think these are the talking types."

Understanding that something unpleasant had arrived, Britain raised his staff defensively, and howled up into the high walls above them, "Aaaaah-oooooooooooooooo!"

His shout echoed away down the ravine, but not before catching the ears of the creatures, as their eyes caught the light of Daniel's lantern.

Realizing how they were announcing their presence and location, Daniel hurled the lantern into an opposite corner, and turned Britain to flee toward the village.

Proving more feline than ursine, the creatures bounded up and off the steep sides, and quickly overtook the humans, herding them back into the dead-end. Clearly hunting the local fauna of their new location, the creatures lunged and paced on the Gate pedestal, kept at bay by a few staff strikes and gunshots, but also keeping their prey from escaping.

Knowing neither he nor Britain could run past or scale the walls faster than the beasts, Daniel was relieved to see the Gate beginning to dial again. Surely this was Jack and Teal'c!

Counting chevrons and hoping his timing was better than the creature's reflexes, Jackson fired a shot at the nearer beast, and then pretended to stumble, luring it to pounce at him. As planned, the vortex streamed forth at that moment, annihilating a large portion of the beast, as the remainder of the carcass dropped to the ground.

Initially surprised by the unexpected attack from nowhere, and then enraged by the loss of its hunting partner, the remaining bearcat bellowed behind the Gate, but apparently sensed better than to leap through the new obstacle.

Jackson hurriedly reloaded his gun, as the second creature leapt onto and over one side of Gate, and then toward him. Staff swinging, Britain threw himself in front of Daniel; but was unable not to be landed upon instead, as villagers' voices echoed up the canyon, and the expected remainder of SG-1 stepped cautiously through the Gate.

It took neither O'Neill nor Teal'c long to recognize the alarm in Jackson's eyes, or the danger of the creature between them. Having already been unsure what welcome Menagerie might give them, their weapons were already raised.

Sensing more new prey, the bearcat turned and lunged back toward them.

Daniel, like the others, was briefly overcome by the combination of energy blasts, automatic gunfire, snarls, shouts and the blinking shut of the Gate.

As eyes adjusted, ears rang, and smoke and the smell of singed flesh cleared, O'Neill and Teal'c quickly found Jackson beyond the lead-ridden body, where he'd already found the badly injured Britain.

"Daniel, what happened?" O'Neill asked, leaving out the obvious profane descriptors.

Ignoring the request for intel, Teal'c began pulling first aid materials from his pack. "These wounds are serious, Daniel Jackson."

Cradling the bloodied, limp and perfectly still local, Daniel tried desperately to get some sign from him. "Britain? Britain! Look at me!" Suddenly realizing the futility of what he's said, and anguished at the lack of response regardless, he scooped Britain into his arms, and stumbled to the DHD, dialing madly. Arms full, blood soaked and addled, he struggled to tap any, much less the correct sequence of symbols.

Following immediately, O'Neill tried to explain, "Daniel, he doesn't have time for…"

"Then help me, dammit!" Jackson shouted at him, eyes frantic.

His friends' desperation clear, and despite his orders, Jack finished the sequence, and stepped aside as Jackson bolted into the Gate the instant it stabilized, as Teal'c tapped his IDC transmitter.

With villagers still arriving, and looking on, O'Neill picked up Britain's smashed staff, which immediately fell into two shattered pieces.

"Broken…," he shrugged to Teal'c.

NOTES

1. Episode SGC 3.10, Forever in a Day, in which Teal'c kills Sha're to save Daniel from her Goa'uld symbiote.