AN: Hello again!
I'm so excited how many people read this story! You seem to like it and I like that you like it ;-)
And of course a big thank you for the reviews! It always makes me smile when my emails tell me there's a new review or even a new follower!
But maybe some of the "silent" readers also tell me what you think about it?! I really would like to hear your opinion.
Okay, this were enough words... Now I wish you some fun with the next chapter! :-))
Back on the Tok'ra planet Anise immediately wanted to know which decision General Hammond has made about the experiment. She really was impatient, in fact another typical scientist. Jack just knew this behavior too well, because he had two special examples of them in his team. And sometimes it was really exhausting. After he had informed Anise and Jacob about Hammond's decision and under which circumstances they were allowed to participate in the experiment, Anise wanted to start with the first test immediately. Daniel was a bit surprised that Hammond has given his okay to the idea and also Teal'c looked kind of surprised – but, in his case, it couldn't be said for sure.
"So, with whom we should start?", Anise asked the others in a provoking tone. And while she said it she looked to Jack full of expectation. But he wouldn't be the one to start with, of this he was absolutely sure.
„Come on, volunteers first", Jack prompted his team. All of them looked at each other, but it seemed no one wanted to be the first. "Oh, come on guys! Daniel, you're always keen on making new experiences!"
„Yeah, but… But I would prefer to keep my thoughts and memories to myself", the archeologist explained.
„I will do it", Teal'c intervened and the rest of them looked at him with surprise.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked. "You could, if it is - differently than expected ...", he looked at Anise, "... - not going so well, lose all your memories."
"I am aware of that, O'Neill. But I am ready to take this risk."
„Thank you, Teal'c", Anise said. She had hoped for more volunteers. She led Teal'c to her lab and closed the door behind her. The rest of SG-1, Dr Fraiser and Jacob stayed outside and waited. Jacob watched at Sam and asked her, if everything was alright. She seemed to be in a different mood then yesterday evening. He wasn't even sure about what the difference was. But that there was something different was obviously to him.
„Yeah, sure. Why you're asking?", Sam replied to his question.
„Well, just wanted to know."
"Okay…", she smiled and cocked her head a little to the side. Now he was even more convinced that something was going on with Sam. And he would find out what that something was.
After an hour or so Teal'c and Anise came out of her lab.
"Teal'c buddy, how are you?"
„Everything is all right, O'Neill", the jaffa replied.
„Who is the next?", Anise asked with a look in the round. And again she looked expectant at Jack. He knew that she liked him. He knew it since the zatarc testing thing. And since she had kissed him, twice. And it still was embarrassing for him. So, he really wasn't keen on being alone with her in a room.
Sam also noticed the way Anise looked at Jack and she didn't like it. She frowned and her gaze turned from Anise to Jack. Jack also looked to Sam and shrugged his shoulders. But no one besides Jacob noticed this wordless conversation between the two of them. And Jacob also frowned again. What was going on here?
„Fine, if it has to be… I'll do it…", Jack mumbled.
"What?" It was Daniel who asked this question with obvious surprise in his voice.
"Sir, are you sure?" asked Sam with concern, but also with the professional distance of her rank.
„No. But Daniel has already said that he doesn't want to do it and Hammond has said that we won't force someone to participate in the experiment. And if you would lose your memories it would cause a planetary problem. So, there's only me", Jack explained. So, he accepted his fate and followed Anise to her lab.
„So, what do I have to do?", he asked Anise after she had connected all the cables. She had tucked one of those thingies into his head to call out his memories and then she had connected it with some kind of computer. The whole situation remembered him of the zatarc test and that made him nervously slip around in the chair.
"Try to relax", Anise asked.
"You say that so easily ..." he grumbled.
"Colonel, please. You have to try and relax, otherwise it won't work", Anise admonished.
Jack took a deep breath and tried to relax a little, just like she had told him. But this was more easy said then done.
„Good, then we can begin. We will start with something simple. Please think of something that helps you to relax. Maybe it also helps you continue to engage with this experiment."
"Okay, that's easy", Jack said and on the screen, which visualized his thoughts, showed up a lake. It was the lake at his cabin in Minnesota. Blue skies, a calm lake, no fish, and he himself, as he sits with a fishing rod in his deckchair on the dock.
„What are you doing there?", Anise wanted to know.
"Fishing."
"And this is relaxing?", Anise asked nosy. She had never heard about that before.
„Oh, yeah", Jack grinned saying this. But Anise had no imagination of what fishing was.
"What is the purpose of fishing?", she asked further.
"Well… You try to catch a fish", Jack explained.
„And do you catch many fish?"
„Nope, not really…"
„And why not?"
„There's no fish in this lake."
Anise watched him confused, because she didn't understand it. "But why do you fish when it is impossible to catch a fish?"
„'Cause it's relaxing. And fishing also goes without annoying fish."
„I understand." Of course she didn't understand it, but she wanted to see more of the colonel's thoughts.
"Good. Now please think of a situation that makes you feel joy."
And again Jack nervously slipped around on his chair. He didn't knew exactly what would show up on the screen, because there were so many thoughts flowing through his head.
„Colonel, please try to relax", Anise admonished him once more.
A picture of Sam appeared on the screen which caused Anise to stop short. The projection showed Major Carter as she worked in her lab. Obviously she was working with full concentration on the device in front of her. Anise didn't understand what this could have to do with joy. So, she asked Jack.
He stammered around not quite knowing what he could say about that. He actually had no real desire to discuss this matter with Anise in more detail. The whole situation was already unpleasant enough.
Nevertheless, he tried to explain that he was pleased when Carter was satisfied. And it was mostly the case when she worked and when she could disassemble something. Anise still didn't really understand, but she didn't continue to ask.
„Good, Colonel. Now please think of a situation that was particularly bad for you."
Jack swallowed, because he knew what would come. He looked at the screen and he saw Charlie who was lying on the floor, heavily injured, with a bullet wound in his head, which was caused by his weapon. Anise asked him who the boy was and Jack explained it to her.
„Can we go on, please?" Jack's voice was quiet. He didn't want to be reminded longer than necessary at this terrible, this worst day of his life.
"Of course, Colonel. Now, please think of a situation in which you were happy."
He really tried not to think of Sam or of the things that had happened in the last few hours that the device, with which he was connected, only projected a lot of strange and blurred things to the screen.
"Colonel, you need to relax, please!", Anise exclaimed into Jack's direction. But it was already too late. Jack began to twitch uncontrollably and the projected image collapsed.