~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." -Maya Angelou
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DAKARA - MASTER BRA'TAC'S HOME: 12 SEP 2006, 8:05 AM
"You will wait here," their Jaffa escort told them as he led Jon and Vega into the common room of the dwelling. "Master Bra'tac is with the Council right now."
"We will wait as long as needed," Jon replied with a small head bow. "Thank you, Jaffa."
The Jaffa didn't reply but he did bow his head respectfully before he left them alone in the dwelling.
Vega was finally starting to get over his shock. He was still overwhelmed, but he could definitely tell that this was another planet. The wormhole was worse than a roller coaster ride. He couldn't get his mind wrapped around the trip yet. How did I see my travel? I saw stars. I traveled around stars. It was mind boggling and his mind was boggled.
Jon made himself comfortable on the furniture while keeping an eye on the entrance. Vega copied his motions. They sat in quiet for a few moments before Vega decided that he needed to know more about the threats in the galaxy. He didn't doubt that Earth could travel off planet any more. But what were the threats?
"Sir," Vega started. "I need to know... what's out here."
"Alright," Jon replied. "Where do you want me to start? I could do the history thing, but mostly it's Earth history. No one cares out here."
"Start with allies, enemies, and equipment," Vega replied after contemplating or a moment. "Who are our friends? What equipment will we be using? Who are our enemies? How do we avoid them?" he asked calmly.
"Equipment. I can only think of two things we will be using in public. Possibly frequently. The Stargate and the zat. The rest will only be in private. Radio, med kit, survival gear," Jon started. "To start with... The Stargate. Chappa'ai. Get used to calling it a Chappa'ai. Even I forget. Only the Tau'ri call it a Stargate."
"Chap a i?" Vega tried to repeat the word.
"Cha. Pa. Ai," Jon repeated.
"Chappa'ai," Vega repeated again. He repeated it several more times in his head to fix the pronunciation.
"Good," Jon replied. "The word originates in Goa'uld. Chappa means gate. Ai means world. Essentially, a world gate."
"Chappa'ai," Vega said again.
"The chappa'ai is made up of the mineral naquadah. It is usually place upright on a stone pedestal.," Jon continued.
"Usually? So, it is not always upright?" Vega asked.
"No," Jon replied. "Sometimes it's flat on the ground. Sometimes it is buried. The horizontal ones are an issue for entry and exit."
"Ah," Vega responded. "Exit at the same velocity and direction as entry."
"Exactly," Jon replied. "Almost always there is a chappa'ko. This is the DHD mechanism that is usually not far from the chappa'ai."
"The what?" Vega asked.
"DHD. Dial Home Device. Chappa'ko. It is a large mushroom shaped device usually located off to the side of the Stargate... Damn it. Chappa'ai," Jon swore softly. "This is the device that is used to input the address for the planet you want."
"Like a telephone?" Vega asked.
"Exactly like a telephone," Jon replied with a smile. "Each address is six symbols and a point of origin. Each planet has a different point of origin. Each wormhole is one-way. The only thing that travels both ways is radiation and gravity. That's why radios and video are possible through an open wormhole."
"Is that the second lesson?" Vega asked with a grin.
"Yes," Jon smiled back. "Most of our information was learned the hard way."
"Understood," Vega replied in a more serious tone. "Wormholes are one way. But do allow radio and video communication. Each address is six symbols followed by a point of origin which will vary with each planet."
"The zat," Jon said next as he pulled out his zat. "We will not fire in here. But I do want to give you the basics. When you hold in here and here and squeeze, you activate the device," he said as he activated his zat. "To deactivate the device, stop squeezing or drop the device. Deactivation is an automatic function."
Vega pulled out his own zat and placed his hand in the grip. He squeezed and the device popped in the activated mode. He released his squeeze and the device automatically deactivated. "Okay," Vega said calmly. "I think I got that."
"Good," Jon replied. "These are pretty stable as far as weapons go. However, they leave a LOT to be desired for targeting. They are wildly inaccurate. You only need to hit some of your target to score a hit. You can even shoot the wall your target is hiding behind. The electricity will often transfer from the wall to your target."
"That..." Vega started. It was horrible for a weapon. It was indiscriminate. He glared down at his zat. "Why does it have no accuracy? I thought some of these races were more advanced than us humans? Shit! We have accurate weapons. Why create an inaccurate ray gun?" he asked.
"That starts to get into the psychology of our enemies," Jon replied. "The zat is a weapon of terror. Just like the staff weapon or ma'tok. The Goa'uld want to strike fear into the people they dominate. They don't care about accuracy. The good thing about the zat is that one shot does not kill. It stuns. It knocks most people out for a few minutes."
"That's why we have them then," Vega replied with a nod.
"Yes," Jon agreed. "The zat has many useful properties. I think the brains at Area 51 are working on creating a more accurate version for the SG Teams. Something like pistols."
"Yeah," Vega replied. "That would be more useful for the teams. But we need to use the original because of our mission."
"Yes," Jon agreed with a grin. "I'm sure that we will come across more off world weapons. But I know this one. One shot, like I said, stuns. But two shots in rapid succession kill. Two shots separated by several minutes may or may not kill. An hour is safe. But three shots in rapid succession atomize the target. Separate the third shot by several minutes and you will not atomize the target, but you may kill them."
"Atomize?" Vega said with stunned disbelief.
"Disintegrate. Vaporize. Atomize," Jon replied. "If we have to destroy evidence of our presence, three shots. I try not to use three on a living being. Even the dead need to be mourned."
"Holy crap!" Vega said as he suddenly placed the zat on the table in front of his chair. He seemed reluctant to touch it.
"Yeah," Jon replied. "That is why they are a controlled item on Earth."
"You weren't kidding about the weapon of terror part," Vega replied with his eyes wide with shock.
"No," Jon said softly. "I often wish I was. Granted, it's not as bad at the staff weapon. You should be able to see some of the Jaffa sparring with them while we're on Dakara."
"Okay," Vega replied absently.
"Now, Allies," Jon said as he changed the subject. "Since we are here, we will start with the Jaffa. But to really start with the Jaffa, we need to start with the Goa'uld."
"Why?" Vega asked. "Aren't the Goa'uld an enemy?"
"They are," Jon replied. "But they created the Jaffa."
"What! How did they create a species?" Vega demanded. "How advance are the Goa'uld?"
"Again, that is why we need to start with the Goa'uld to understand the Jaffa," Jon tried to placate Vega. "The Goa'uld are a parasitic race. They were originally aquatic and swam in the lakes and steams of their homeworld. But they evolved to take over the dominate land species of their planet. The Unas. Eventually, they were able to salvage technology of another ancient advanced race and they took to the stars."
"Parasite. Salvage," Vega repeated. "They don't create?" he asked.
"To the best of my knowledge, no. They don't create," Jon replied. "Anyway, here on Dakara, the Goa'uld salvaged DNA splicing and manipulation technology. They eventually learned to use it. They decided that they needed a loyal attack dog. They created the Jaffa."
"Why?" Vega asked.
"I'm getting to that," Jon replied. "The Goa'uld already controlled human populations. But humans in general were uncontrollable. So they took humans and eliminated their immune systems... or reduced it or something. Regardless, the modified humans were controllable as long as they carry a baby Goa'uld symbiote. A prim'tah. As long as they were dependent on the Goa'uld, the Jaffa would remain loyal to them. If they rebelled or became disloyal, they would die in a few years, the rebellion over."
"But that didn't happen this time," Vega said. He knew that the Free Jaffa had created a nation of Jaffa. That none of them were loyal to their Goa'uld any more.
"Exactly," Jon replied with a smile. "Because during Teal'c's rebellion, we discovered a drug called tretonin. This drug will replace a Goa'uld symbiote without the loss of health. The Jaffa will now be dependent on the drug, but not the Goa'uld. Earth has been teaching the Jaffa how to synthesize their own stock of the drug so they will not be dependent on Earth."
"Really?" Vega asked surprised. "I would think that the Earth politicians would want more control."
"Oh, they do," Jon replied. "Most Earth politicians are just as bad as the Goa'uld. Jack likes to point out their behavior quite often when comparing it to the various Goa'uld. That has helped to keep the worst ones in check."
"Can I start calling them that?" Vega asked.
"Who? What?" Jon asked with a smile.
"Earth politicians," Vega asked with a sly grin. "Earth Goa'uld."
Jon let out a burst of laughter. "The false gods of Earth," he countered. "I like it."
"I was told that Tau'ri had no false gods," a new voice sounded. Master Bra'tac walked into the room and stared at the two men.
Jon instantly sobered up and snapped to Attention. "Master Bra'tac," he greeted. "It's good to see you well. I'm Colonel O'Neill and this is Master Sergeant Vega. We have come to ask for your assistance."
"O'Neill..." Bra'tac repeated as he stared at him. "My student has told me much about you, young O'Neill."
"He did?" Jon asked in surprise.
"He did," Bra'tac said with an appraising look. "He was quite taken with our recent training. He is looking for ways to incorporate this learning in the young chal'tii."
"Really?" Jon replied. "Then you both may want to talk further about this subject with Vega. He was in charge of the training for my squadron. He can relay that information to you."
Bra'tac turned an appraising eye on Vega. "Is this true?" he asked.
"Yes," Vega replied. He was more surprised that this was new information to the Jaffa. Earth called it 'Basic Training' for a reason. It was basic. He was further surprised that he had valuable knowledge to the Jaffa.
"Then I welcome you to my home, Master Vega," Bra'tac replied with a head nod towards Vega." Bra'tac placed his staff weapon in its place near the door and gently sat in a chair. "Now, what assistance may I provide you, young O'Neill?" he asked as he intently watched Jon.
Jon leaned forward. "You are aware of the new threat from the Ori?" he asked Bra'tac carefully.
"I am," Bra'tac replied. "They are the deceptive priests that are trying to convert worlds to their false gods. Killing all those who oppose them."
"They are," Jon replied. "The Tau'ri are too recognizable. But this galaxy is littered with humans and Jaffa. I ask you to teach Vega and myself to blend in with the humans in this galaxy. We can collect intelligence on the Ori and bring it to the Jaffa and the SGC."
"Hum," Bra'tac said as he considered the request. "You are not trying to convince these Ori to change gods, are you?" he asked.
"No," Jon replied. "Earth has enough religious fanatics on it. We know how futile that conversation would become. I want to be able to disguise us while we are on other worlds... Perhaps convince the Jaffa we do not know... But we need to remove the taint of Tau'ri from us. Most humans will accept that strange humans have come to trade through the chappa'ai. They will only care that they are trustworthy to trade. Tau'ri are too well known. Too easily identified. They can't stay hidden long."
"What will the Jaffa benefit from this arrangement?" Bra'tac asked as he regarded Jon.
"Intel," Jon replied. "I will provide you and the SGC the same intel. Between the two of you, you can decide who will act and who will remain out of it."
"There are more enemies in the galaxy than just the Ori," Bra'tac replied sagely.
"I know," Jon said. "The SGC is most concerned with the Ori, but Vega and I will be posing as traders. We will hear the gossip on every planet. We can relay those rumors to the Jaffa. We can even investigate those rumors for more vital intelligence. I would think that most Jaffa could not do covert or undercover work."
"You would be correct," Bra'tac replied. "Perhaps in a few generations, the young chal'tii will be unmarked. But for now, they are all marked as Jaffa."
"Marked? How are they marked as Jaffa?" Vega asked in confusion.
Bra'tac looked at Vega and then to Jon. "How does he not know about Jaffa marks?" he asked.
"I was telling him about the Jaffa before you arrived," Jon told Bra'tac. "I had not gotten to how the Goa'uld would brand their mark on your foreheads yet."
"The slave mark," Bra'tac agreed. He turned to Vega and pointed to the symbol of the First Prime of Apophis on his forehead. "This is a slave mark. Every child was branded with a slave mark. It was a point of pride for the Jaffa until they realized how our people had been used. Mine is from the sect of Apophis. It is gold to mark me as a First Prime. Silver marks the Kin'dra. Most marks are black. The priests are also marked in gold, but it is more subtle."
"Children are branded?" Vega asked in horror.
"They used to be. They are no more," Bra'tac replied. "All Jaffa will carry a mark of some kind. This denotes their sect. Only those Jaffa still loyal to their Goa'uld continue to serve them. The Free Jaffa Nation is working to eliminate the remaining Goa'uld. Most have gone into hiding. That is where your information will come in handy. These Ori are annoying, but they do not pose the same risk as the false gods. They are priests of false gods. Not armies."
Jon looked over to Vega. "We can do that. If we see a new mark, we will send it to Dakara. You can tell us if we need to discover more about that Goa'uld," Jon replied.
"Good," Bra'tac replied. "I can assist you with this instruction. But I am not the best teacher for you. I know of a human. He will assist you. Do you want him to know you are Tau'ri?" he asked.
"I prefer that he have no knowledge," Jon replied. "He cannot relate what he does not know."
"He lives remotely," Bra'tac replied. "But he can assist you with learning trade. He was in the business of trade for many years before he went into hiding." He sighed as he turned back to Jon. "You will make one of your covert stops here on Dakara. None will question the need to trade. Therefore your visits to me will be unremarked."
"Yes," Jon replied. "That is my intention. I would also like to inform a small group of your most trusted Jaffa about our true identities as well. That way if you are not present, we can still pass the intelligence to a trusted Jaffa."
"Ah," Bra'tac nodded. "That is even better. You will not always visit with me every time you come to Dakara. I will think on who to include and how you will need to address the guards at the chappa'ai."
"Thank you, Master Bra'tac," Jon said as he stood. "This will be a very fruitful endeavor for both of us."
"I agree," Bra'tac replied. "I have much to prepare for our journey. You will need to remove all traces of your Tau'ri past. I will find clothing. Now come, I will show you to your room. You will stay here until we depart in a few days." Bra'tac sent Jon an exasperated look. "The Council is required to meet later today and again tomorrow. We will leave after."
"Yes, Sir," Jon replied as he followed Bra'tac deeper into the dwelling with Vega right behind him.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
ASHTAROT (P3G-117) - SOUTH STONE VILLAGE: 16 SEP 2006, MORNING
Jon and Vega walked slowly through the forest surrounding the village of South Stone. Bra'tac had introduced them to Edvin. He told Edvin that they wanted to become interplanetary merchants. That they had some skills in this area, but they wanted to learn more about trade. Edvin had consented to teach them. Their cover was in place.
They had told Edvin that they were from another world. One destroyed by Apophis. It was a small lie, but Apophis had tried to destroy Earth. So parts of it were true. Edvin had gravitated towards Vega. He was making assumptions about Vega being in charge because of his age. Jon just played the part of Vega's apprentice. It was working so far. Edvin had bought their cover story and focused on teaching Vega while Jon stood at Vega's side.
But today they were collecting firewood. It was not a hard chore. Just a repetitive one. It was a need brought about by living without electricity and central heat. It also a chore that provided privacy. That was really why Jon had so eagerly volunteered for the duty.
Jon wanted to build this team on a foundation of trust from the start. Jack didn't have that with SG-1. Reviewing his memories, Jon found that all of his previous SpecOps teams worked better from the start with that foundation. SG-1 worked well together, but most of that was more by accident then design.
Carter was a genius. She would do well in any environment. Daniel was a genius as well, but he specialized in anthropology and archaeology. New cultures were his thing. SG-1 was a new culture to him. Teal'c was a First Prime. An intergalactic general. He understood Jack on a subconscious level. And he had his own regrets and secrets and refused to pry into Jack's secrets. But SG-1 could have worked even better... If Jack had not been so broken when it was founded.
But Jon wasn't that broken man. He was ready and eager to start his new life. He was more than willing to ensure that he didn't make the same mistakes. He knew better now. He knew what worked with SG-1 and what failed. He knew that he would make new mistakes. But he also had a unique skill. One that Vega didn't know about. The problem was that Jon was afraid. Not of someone finding out about his telepathy. His empathy. But that Vega would refuse to work with him because of it. He didn't want to face that rejection. But he needed to face it.
Only Jack knew about Jon's telepathy and empathy. Jack understood because he was in the exact same position. To reveal these abilities could cause everyone around them to doubt them. To fear them. To assume the worst of both of them. No matter how hard they had worked to already prove themselves to the world. To their friends.
But...
But Jon's abilities could assist them. It could ensure another layer of security on their communications. They would be alone out here in the galaxy. They needed to trust each other implicitly. They needed to build trust. Jon needed to know that someone besides Jack could know about his abilities. It was better to reveal then now then have them suddenly become vital and destroy their trust. Jon needed him to know now. Not later. He just hoped that Vega was the man he needed.
After walking into the forest for ten minutes, Jon finally turned to Vega. "Hey," Jon started. "Getting wood isn't the only reason I volunteered us for this duty."
"I figured that out," Vega replied giving him a grin. "It has to do with letting go of our former lives. Teaching us not to take our comforts casually."
"I hadn't thought of that," Jon replied. Then he nodded. "But it works too. Heat, shelter, food, comfort. We both take them for granted. But... I've been in the field for years... Or my memories have... Regardless, I KNOW they can be taken away far too easily. Injury can easily knock down that house of cards. A mission gone wrong. Yeah... Been there and done that. That's one of the reasons I hate Antarctica."
"You hate a whole continent?" Vega asked with skepticism.
"Pretty much," Jon replied. "A bad mission threw Carter and I through the Gate. I broke my leg and ribs. I think I even had a punctured lung. Carter was bruised, but I'm pretty sure she landed on me."
"There was a Stargate... Chappa'ai in Antarctica?" Vega asked. "If you came through it, it wasn't the first we found. How did you find the first one?" he asked.
"Long story short, Ra brought one to Earth. He planted in in Egypt. They rebelled and buried the Gate. Archaeologists found it and the US took control of it," Jon summarized.
"Then you didn't know about the one in Antarctica?" he asked.
"Nope," Jon replied. "Thought we were on another planet. An ice planet. We were geared for a temperate planet."
"Without all the gear you would have brought if you knew it was an ice planet," Vega commented. "Yeah, I can see that causing massive difficulties right away."
"Definitely. Injured, ill-equipped... Then the chappa'ai wouldn't dial Earth," Jon replied. "In fact, Hammond changed the protocols after that incident. We have to dial two different planets before assuming that our chappa'ai is broken."
"You couldn't dial the other Stargate... Damn. Chappa'ai?" Vega asked.
"Not really," Jon replied. "We had a DHD and it would dial the gate, but... It refused to lock Earth's address. Have you ever tried to call your phone number while you are calling from that phone number?" he asked.
"Busy signal?" Vega replied. "I would think Stargates didn't operate like cell phones."
"Generally, they don't," Jon replied. "But concept is the same. You can have multiple Chappa'ai on a planet, but only one can operate at a time and they can't dial each other." His thoughts briefly went to how the Russians operated their own Stargate Program for a time.
Vega nodded as he picked up another branch and added it to the small, two-wheeled cart they had brought along. "Interesting. That's more of that information that was in those briefings, isn't it?" he asked as he looked for more deadfall.
Jon took a deep breath. "Yeah," he replied. "Let's make a note of it for future training on this kind of mission."
"Definitely," Vega replied. "I would provide a small briefing before sending them through the Stargate. One that touches on the basics of Stargate use and limitations. That and weapons. That zat briefing freaked me out."
"Noted," Jon replied as he pulled on another branch while screwing up his courage. "I'm not sure exactly how to tell you this next part," he replied. "I changed a year ago... At least, that's when I noticed I changed."
"Changed? A year?" Vega asked. "Was this after...?" he made a vague hand wave at Jon.
"After I was cloned? Yes," Jon replied.
"Then it's to be expected," Vega replied. "Your circumstances had changed. Everything you knew felt wrong."
"It's more than that... I don't know how much SGC history Bosworth gave you... But just before Jack was promoted to Brigadier General, he stuck his head in an Ancient Repository."
"A what?" Vega asked. He was confused. What did that have to do with Jon changing after he was cloned? They were different people then. Right?
"An Ancient Repository is like... A memory storage drive for the Ancients," Jon said with a hint of confusion. "The ultimate separate hard drive. The interface... It plugs directly into your brain."
"Wow!" Vega replied. Some alien tech can plug directly into your brain? Okay. Evaluate the facts. "Okay, who are these aliens? Why would they create such a device?" Vega asked.
"The Ancients... Shit. Maybe I should have waited a few days before taking you here," Jon moaned in frustration. "Brief history. The Ancients are the race of aliens who built the Stargate network. They lived on Earth from about ten million years ago to about two million years ago. Then they left the galaxy," Jon conveyed as he screwed up his eyes. He was trying to glean his memory for pertinent details.
"Ten million years ago?" Vega whispered in awe.
"They eventually came back to Earth just over ten thousand years ago. They hung out with our ancestors a bit and then left again," Jon summarized.
"Where did they go this time?" Vega asked. A race of aliens millions of years old. Holy crap!
"A higher plane of existence?" Jon answered as a question.
"A what? What does that mean?" Vega asked in confusion.
Jon took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't really know. The most I got out of that whole process is that they became energy jellyfish..."
Vega stared hard at him. Is he joking?
"But that's not really important. The galaxy is littered with their crap. The Ancients in mortal form had huge... very significant... Mental abilities. We met one. A mortal one. She had been frozen in Antarctica for two million years. She had to relearn all her higher brain functions. She was speaking within hours of waking up a blank slate." Jon paused. "All Ancient technology requires that mental component to turn it on and off," he relayed. "Well, most of it."
"Okay. That's a good security measure. Anyone without the mental ability would not be able to access their technology. They wouldn't be unable to operate it. It would keep their tech safe from those who wanted to steal it," Vega nodded.
"Yeah," Jon replied. "The Stargates were not protected that way." Then he let out a huff. "They also left behind people. Families. Children."
"Children?" Vega asked. "Wouldn't they want to take them to... where ever?" he asked.
"I guess that not all of them left for that higher plane," Jon replied. "This was over ten thousand years ago on Earth. Some of them stayed on Earth and had families. Interbred with the humans."
"Whoa. They were genetically compatible with humans? People like us?" Vega asked. "There are hybrids walking around on Earth. Do they have tails or antenna or something?" he asked wondering how to identify these hybrids.
Jon sighed. "No. Nothing like that," he replied. "From what I can figure, they are just long lived and have a penchant for weird mental abilities."
"We've found some?" Vega asked in surprise. Of course they found them. They were the only ones looking for them. What kind of risk to they present? "What kind of abilities?" he asked.
"Based on family history, I think that most of their abilities were dismissed as a con. Precognition. Telepathy. Empathy. Self-healing... Hence the long-lived part," Jon replied as he thought through all the weird family traits that he heard about from his parents.
"Precognition? That would be very useful." Vega replied. "Have we recruited any?" he asked.
"Yes," Jon replied. "Most of them were sent to Atlantis."
"Atlantis?" Vega asked. "Isn't that where those space vampires live?" he clarified. He vaguely remembered Lou talking about Atlantis and space vampires.
Jon smiled. "From the reports we have received, yes. That is where the Wraith prey on that galaxy," he replied. "And the precog is less defined. More of a feeling of bad and good. Like this mission is going to go wrong... Not how. You probably have the same thing. Intuition. Gut instinct."
"But that has more to do with experience," Vega replied as he thought about it. "I can see how it would be dismissed. But quite a few civilian cops are known to follow their feelings on cases." Then he turned a look at Jon. "Are they hybrids too?" he asked with his eyes wide.
"Not likely," Jon reassured him. "The traits are not as rare as the genetics. Humans are developing some of those same abilities."
Vega nodded in agreement as he started searching for another branch. "Wait," Vega said suddenly as he came to a complete stop. "You said that General O'Neill activated one of those Ancient things."
"Yes," Jon replied as he turned to look a Vega. He's figured it that I'm a hybrid. I dread the next part.
"But the devices the Ancient's left require a mental component to activate," Vega continued as he laid out his evidence.
"Yes," Jon replied again. His dread building.
Vega was staring at him now. "That makes General O'Neill one of these hybrids... You are one of these hybrids," Vega declared his conclusion.
"Technically, we are," Jon replied. "We prefer to say that we have an active ATA gene. Hybrid has a bit of stigma. The ATA is the part of our DNA that allows us to activated the Ancient Tech. But the O'Neill family can trace its roots far back into history. It does bring new insight into some of our family tree and family rumors."
"But you look totally human," Vega stated.
"Yeah, no convenient tails to mark me," Jon sighed. "Though that does make finding more ATA positive people harder."
Vega eyed him carefully before continuing. "This tech, you just have to think about it to turn it on?" Vega asked.
Jon sighed. "Unfortunately," Jon replied. "Carter loves to make me and Jack play 'on switch' for her doohickeys. But its more complex than that... I haven't even tried to explain it to Carter..." He shook his head to dismiss the thought. "But that's not where I am going with this...
"After Jack stuck his head in the Ancient Repository, he was changed. It did something to his DNA. It made the ATA part of him much stronger. The Asgard stopped the information from overwriting his brain, but they became fascinated with him. That's how I came into being. Renegade Asgard scientist who wanted to play with my DNA." Jon scowled. "Stupid sloppy scientist.
"Anyway, when Jack did it again... the second time... it changed him even more," Jon relayed. "I was already in existence by then... but I knew something was wrong... I knew that something had happened to him. Turns out... My latent mental abilities were finally making themselves known. Finally kicking in."
"Latent. You have mental abilities? What did you get?" Vega asked out of curiosity.
"It started as shared dreams," Jon told him with anxiety. "I would dream about his stressful missions... And later his issues with being 'the man'. One of my dreams... the strongest one... was about one of his last missions. The one to save Earth from a fleet of spacecraft. That's when the SGC was keyed into the genetics aspect of Ancient Tech. After the international community freaked out about the Antarctic weapon, I went back to school. Then things snow balled. At first, I could only hear or talk to Jack when he came back. Then... It got worse."
"Talk? Does that mean you started to develop telepathy?" Vega asked.
"It stated as empathy. Telepathy was added not long after we started experimenting," Jon replied with a sadness in his voice. "I was still in High School. I was surrounded by hundreds of overly dramatic teenagers. They would shoved their emotions in my face constantly."
"Shoved them in your face? What do you mean?" Vega asked cautiously.
"Well, these abilities... They are like our other senses. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch... It's just another sense. For example, in this forest right now, you can see the soft light in the forest, feel the slight breeze, smell the trees and growth, taste the humidity, and touch the plants and trees," Jon said as he gestured around him. "I can also tell you about the feeling of tranquility and calm...
"If you don't want to see, you close your eyes. If you don't want to touch, you hold back your hand, but you still feel the breeze on your skin. You can't not hear, smell, or taste. The best you can do is to reduce your ability to hear, smell, or taste. Clothing acts like your shield against touch. Your eyelids are your shield against sight," Jon tried to explain.
"Alright, I get the analogy," Vega replied.
"I'm not done," Jon replied. "That is the normal HUMAN level of mental abilities. I would not be surprised if you can even sense the calm. The tranquility. But you likely attribute it to the combination of your other senses."
"Now you have lost me, how is this a normal human mental ability?" Vega asked as he tried to sense the calm. I can feel the calm. But... The forest is providing that input. Not some unnamed sense.
"Because humans are the second evolution of Ancients," Jon replied evenly. "Every human has the ability to develop these mental abilities. Human intuition. Your gut instinct. You get those while trying to access those parts of your brain that are sleeping right now. Your precog. You claim to 'read' someone's facial expression to know how they are feeling, but you KNOW. Empathy. And a few individuals seem to share a mind. Not quite telepathy, but they communicate on a level even they can't identify."
Vega started to nod. He had seen similar examples. "How does this relate to your abilities?" Vega asked.
"Because while most humans are developing them, they aren't that strong yet. In fact, I have found that most humans have taken to... Screaming their feelings and thoughts to ensure that others can sense them. They WANT to be heard," Jon replied as he tried to define what he was feeling. "Jack and I were gifted with more sensitive receptors. We got tossed from a nice calm, quiet forest to standing naked in a hurricane," Jon replied as he tried to explain the change.
"All humans have developed some level of mental ability. They constantly transmit those emotions and thoughts. Screaming them at each other to be heard. The problem is that their receivers are broken. Muted. Your intuition... Your gut... That is you receiving the mental screams around you."
"Mental screams?" Vega asked quietly. The scenario did explain the sense.
Jon nodded. "I was tossed with my receivers fully open into a churning sea of emotion and thought," he replied. "It has never been about privacy or intrusion. I don't want to see most of that stuff. I struggled to learn to build mental shields. To protect myself. To keep others out. To make the screaming become a dull roar. And teenagers... Oh my god... Everything is a huge undisciplined drama. Jack had fewer problems, but his problems were with the organized mind. While I was drowning in a sea, Jack was being shot with arrows," he relayed softly.
"BMT didn't help then," Vega replied as he thought through all of his interactions with Jon in BMT. "That's how you knew what the TIs were going to ask."
"No. By then I had built a shield wall so strong, I couldn't tell if someone was standing a few feet away. It felt weird to be alone in my head," Jon replied.
"You didn't... But how did you do all that stuff in BMT?" Vega asked.
"Sneakiness," Jon replied. "I was sneaky long before I developed mental abilities. I swore to myself not to read anyone in BMT. The training works. I didn't want to mess with the system. I was more worried about the other trainees picking up on my anxieties. My nightmares. BMT is hard enough without my demons making their lives harder."
"Okay," Vega replied absently. "I need to digest this. But why are you telling me? Why now?" he asked.
Jon let out a sigh. "Because I want you to trust me. I need you to trust me," Jon replied. "You are my team mate. We will depend on each other for our lives. Out here, we are basically alone. This... This is too big to keep from you. That's why I'm telling you now... We have months of training. If you don't want to work with me... We can stop now and I can send you home."
"No," Vega replied. "I need to wrap my head around it. But I think you are right about needing teams to do this. I am touched to have your trust. But..." he sighed. "Everything with the mind is difficult."
"I understand," Jon replied. "That's why Jack and I would only talk to each other about it. Test each other. It is too easy to slide down that slippery slope without consent. Neither of us wanted to tell anyone else. We really don't want to become a lab rat by unscrupulous people."
"Damn. I didn't even think of that," Vega replied. He had been an SF long enough to be able to see how the government would use and abuse that talent. But then his mind began to see the advantages for their current mission. Would it be abuse to use them knowingly to save lives? They would have to tread carefully. But if others were broadcasting... You are allowed to read the signs posted on the road. Yes. We will have to be careful.
"I want you to work with me," Vega told Jon. "I want to be able to 'receive' your signals. I think this level of communication would be very advantageous for us."
"You don't see it as an intrusion?" Jon asked with anxiety and some hope.
"No," Vega replied. "You have told me that you CAN do this BEFORE attempting to do it. This is me giving you my consent to try. I assume that you and the general have worked out some protocols, since you have the same talent."
"Yes," Jon replied with a smile. His relief was evident. "Both of us have learned to shield from intrusion. But we both know to 'knock' to initiate contact. We have also swore to never read past a person's surface thoughts. Their current broadcast."
"Like a highway billboard," Vega added to help ease Jon's anxiety.
"Exactly," Jon replied. "We can't help but see those. It's the digging that's the intrusion."
"Then that is where we will start," Vega told him. "I want you to try to teach me how to shield... I can see that masking our intent will make us both safer. You said some humans were more sensitive. Those are the ones we will be shielding against. I also want to you try to talk to me. Telepathy. We can test range after we are successful. From what you have told me, I can see how you will be working on infiltration while I work on examining security. My job will mostly be outside a facility. Yours will be inside. Radios can be intercepted. Can mental communication be intercepted?" he asked. His mind was already analyzing the threat risk.
"Jack and I don't know," Jon replied honestly. "We have only been able to test it out on each other. Our range... is galactic. Based on how that worked out... I doubt we could be intergalactic."
"Between planets, yes. Between galaxies, no," Vega replied as he summarized. "This could be useful if we need to get the data to Earth quickly or are trapped on a planet for some time. Were these full discussions? Or emotions?" he asked as he evaluated the skill.
"Between Jack and I, some discussions. But very limited. We were down to one word and intent. Mostly emotions and peeking over the shoulder to see what he was seeing," Jon replied.
"You can peek? See through each other's eyes?" Vega asked in surprise.
"Yes," Jon replied. "In a different incident, I was following Jack around the SGC when he was in a high stress situation. I would 'take' his emotions so he could deal with the situation more neutrally." He paused. "When he went off world, he contacted me. I could barely understand his question. I peeked. It was easier. I was able to answer his question."
"Interesting," Vega replied as he evaluated the new information. "Have you tried this with anyone else?" he asked.
"No," Jon replied firmly. "It would be too intrusive with someone else. Jack and I... Well, I'm his clone. I already know how he thinks. He has no secrets from me. He can block me if he wants."
"Okay," Vega nodded at Jon's answer. "I think that is something we should test. You can work on how deep you read someone. I will work on building shields to keep out mental intrusion. Then you will know that I can block you if I desire."
Jon slowly started to nod. "You are already thinking of how to organize the training aren't you?" Jon smiled. "I agree. We also need to work on our 'public' faces. No customs and curtsies. You can't call me 'Sir'. I don't want to use code names. But our real names are too Tau'ri. "
"Well, we both can't be Jay," Vega replied. "I can learn to call you Jo."
"Yeah, O'Neill is a bit too well known out here. How about I call you Vega?" he asked.
"You do already," Vega remarked. "But as long as it doesn't sound to Tau'ri, it will work."
"Good," Jon replied. "Looks like our cart is full. Time to head back. Tonight I'll teach you to kel'no'rem. It will help you start to connect to your latent abilities."
Vega smiled. "After you... Jo," he replied with a grin.
Jon smiled in reply and helped to turn the small cart in the forest to head back to Edvin and South Stone.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
END PART 6
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ENDNOTES:
This is the end of the Little Jack Grows Up Series. My muse has decided to finish it here. I would love to continue following their adventures, but my muse has other ideas. This plot and AU are open to others who want to continue to write about them. Please send me a link so I can read it.
Acronyms:
AFB - Acronym. Air Force Base.
Alterans - Fictional Species. Species name for race of beings that inhabited the Milky Way Galaxy for millions of years. They evolved in the Ori Galaxy. They were originally Alterans and shared a race with the original Ori. They fled persecution from the Ori to the Milky Way Galaxy. Due to a plague that wiped out life in the Milky Way Galaxy, they seeded life throughout the Galaxy. They are known as the first evolution of humans. Modern humans are the second evolution of humans. They are also known as Alterans, Lanteans, Ancients.
Ancient - Fictional Species. Species name for race of beings that inhabited the Milky Way Galaxy for millions of years. They evolved in the Ori Galaxy. They were originally Alterans and shared a race with the original Ori. They fled persecution from the Ori to the Milky Way Galaxy. Due to a plague that wiped out life in the Milky Way Galaxy, they seeded life throughout the Galaxy. They are known as the first evolution of humans. Modern humans are the second evolution of humans. They are also known as Alterans, Lanteans, Ancients.
Asgard - Fictional Species. Species name for race of beings that inhabit the Ida Galaxy. They were found by the Ancients. The Asgard are an advanced race of beings that have taken a protective stance over the Milky Way Galaxy when the Ancients departed for a higher plane of existence.
ATA - Acronym. Ancient Technology Activation. Fictional term to denote those individuals with a genetic marker that indicates Ancient ancestry.
Basha'ak - Goa'uld. Training (wooden) staff weapons.
BMT – Acronym. Basic Military Training. This is the basic military instruction given to all members who join a service branch. USAF has members in BMT for six weeks before sending them for additional training in their specialties.
Break the mold - Idiom. To put an end to a restrictive pattern of events or behavior by doing things in a markedly different way.
Capisce - Italian. Do you understand?
Chal'tii – Goa'uld. Young ones. Children. Apprentice warriors.
Chappa'ai – Goa'uld. Stargate. Portal. Ring. Anulus. Gateway to the Heavens. Doorway to Hell.
Chappa'ko - Goa'uld. Super Stargate. Space Gate.
Chief - Military Rank. Informal address for all Chief Master Sergeants.
CO - Acronym. 1. Commanding Officer. Officer in Command of a Unit or direct superior to another officer or enlisted service member. 2. Acronym. State of Colorado. USA.
да (Da) - Russian. Yes.
DHD – Acronym. Dial Home Device.
Dime a dozen - Idiom. Something is easy to find or obtain. Since it's easy to find, it doesn't have a lot of value and is considered cheap or ordinary.
DNA - Acronym. Deoxyribonucleic Acid. Protein chain is the unique identifier for each individual.
Fresh Meat - Slang. A person or group of people who arouse one's interest, either as a new target for deception, humiliation or ridicule, or as a potential love interest or one-night stand.
GDO – Acronym. Gate Door Opener.
Goa'uld - Fictional Species. Species name for symbiotes. Usually refers to symbiotes who have taken a host. They prefer to be called gods.
IOA - Acronym. International Oversight Alliance. Fictional organization used to monitor the Stargate Project and the Atlantis Project.
JCS - Acronym. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Council for the President of the United States used by the President to manage the US Military branches.
Kel'no'rem – Goa'uld. Jaffa meditation that replaces sleep.
Ma'tok – Goa'uld. Device. Weapon. Staff Weapon.
Meat shield - Slang. To be used as a shield against enemy fire. Usually by an enemy.
Motor Pool - Military Slang. A group of motor vehicles whose use is shared on a short-term basis by the personnel of a military organization. The term can also refer to the place where such vehicles are parked when not in use, and to the staff that manages the vehicles and or maintain them.
MSgt - Military Rank. Master Sergeant. E-7. Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Corp.
Naquadah - Fictional. Fictional metal present in the Stargate Universe. Metal is highly conductive and explosive at high temperatures. Stronger than steel.
Newbie - Slang. A novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity.
NID – Acronym. National Intelligence Division.
Ori - Fictional Race. Species name for race of beings that inhabit the Ori Galaxy for millions of years. They evolved in the Ori Galaxy. They were originally Alterans and shared a race with the original Ancients. They persecuted the Ancients for not following their religion. This drove the Ancients from the Ori galaxy.
PA - Acronym. Public Address. Overhead audio communication system. Specific systems target a single building or the entire installation. This is most commonly known among the military folks as 'the giant voice'. (It speaks words of wisdom, like an attack is imminent… heed the giant voice.)
PCS – Acronym. Permanent Change in Station. Permanent transfer from one military base to another by military members. Military members are assigned to the new base.
Prim'tah – Goa'uld. Larval Goa'uld symbiote used by Jaffa.
Sarge - Informal address for all ranks of Sergeant.
Sergeant - Military Rank. Informal Address. 1) US Army. Sergeant. E-5. Non-commissioned officer. 2) Informal address. Used with SSgt - Staff Sergeant. TSgt - Technical Sergeant. MSgt - Master Sergeant. SMSgt - Senior Master Sergeant.
SF - Acronym. 1) USAF Security Forces. 2) Special Forces. Military term used to denote personnel assigned to Special Forces specialties.
SG - Acronym. Stargate. Usually used with specific team numbers.
SGC - Acronym. Stargate Command.
SpecOps - Special Operations. Elite military units. Each branch of military service has a Special Operations Group that consists of teams. The United States Air Force has the SpecOps group that consists of Pararescue, Combat Controllers, Special Tactics, and Contingency Combat Specialists.
SSgt - Military Rank. Staff Sergeant. E-5. Non-Commissioned Officer Corp.
Tau'ri – Goa'uld. Human, The First World, People from the First World. Earth. People of Earth.
TI - Acronym. Training Instructor. USAF and USN use the term Training Instructor (TI). USA and USMC use the term Drill Instructor (DI)
US – Acronym. United States. Short for United States of America.
USA - Acronym. United States of America. US Army. Which acronym depends on the context of the use.
Xerox - Term. A xerographic copying processes. One of the first methods for creating copies of documents. Origin: The verb is first attested 1965, from the noun, despite strenuous objection from the Xerox copyright department.
Zat - Slang. Goa'uld. Device. Weapon. Short term for the zat'ni'katel.
Zat'ni'katel - Goa'uld. Device. Weapon. Small, side arm. Energy gun. Uses liquid naquadah power source. Shortened to Zat.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
Work Title: Part 5: Breaking the Mold
Summary: MSgt Vega reports for duty at the SGC. He world grows exponentially. Jon decides to change the way the SGC has been doing business. He just needs a little help to break the mold. Gen. AU. Spoilers. Little Jack Grows Up Series: Part 6.
AO3 Sequel Information: Part 5: Second To None
AO3 Series Information: Little Jack Grows Up Series
Rating: AO3 [Teen (T)] [Teen (T)]
AO3 Archive Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom Category: Stargate SG-1: Season 9
Spoilers: Stargate SG-1: 0002 Stargate (1994), 0101 Children of the Gods, 0107 The Nox, 0114 Singularity, 0116 Enigma, 0117 Solitudes, 0206 Thor's Chariot, 0215 The Fifth Race, 0303 Fair Game, 0319 New Ground, 0405 Divide and Conquer, 0407 Watergate, 0408 The First Ones, 0521 Meridian, 0604 Frozen, 0610 Cure, 0703 Fragile Balance, 0721 Lost City, Part 1, 0722 Lost City, Part 2, 0802 New Order, Part 1, 0816 Reckoning, Part 1, 0817 Reckoning, Part 2, 0907 Ex Deus Machina, 0908 Babylon, Stargate Atlantis: 0101 Rising, Part 1,
AO3 Relationship Categories: Gen
AO3 Pairing: None
Characters: AO3: Clone [Jonathan James] Jack O'Neill, Walter Harriman, Louis Ferretti, Hank Landry (Stargate), Jake Bosworth, Cassandra Fraiser (Stargate), Original Character
FF {List four}: Clone [Jonathan James] Jack O'Neill, Hank Landry (Stargate), Original Character
Original Character(s): Juan Vega,
FF Genre: General, Friendship
AO3 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe – Canon Divergent, Altered Past, Clone Fic, Original Character, Series, Spoilers, Season/Series 09, Non-Canon Compliant, Mild Language, Friendship, Team Dynamics, Team Bonding,
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