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Chapter 7: Memories
The bus arrived at the campus stop and was already full when they got on. Bryan paid the driver for two tickets and punched them. He had a little trouble finding a place next to Daniel, who was seated at the back of the bus, because it was so crowded. When they finally managed to find a seat, they talked about the search Bryan had conducted prior to the team's arrival. He explained where he had found all his information and talked about all the leads he had followed up. Two hours later they arrived back to a stack of papers and photos. Daniel proceeded to take off his glasses and pinch the bridge of his nose which showed how tired he was; tired of searching, tired of coming up with nothing, he decided to settle for a beer for the moment.
"I think that's enough for one day; I'm too tired to go on. I can't concentrate anymore."
"Jet-lag?"
"Partly. I've had a lot of work to do lately," he said, without making reference to the Ori and the dangerous missions they were undertaking against them.
"Yeah, maybe you're right, we should probably take a break, I haven't been sleeping too well myself," Bryan also kept under wraps the fact that he had been having nightmares and had the same idea as Daniel about the beer, "so, tell me, where and how did you meet Angela?"
"Oh, I wouldn't know where to start," Daniel said, musing.
"I think I met her first," Bryan admitted, "I knew her before her accident; I was her copilot."
"Oh really?" Daniel said, happy not to be the first one to speak.
"You should've seen the look on my face when I found out my copilot was a woman."
Flashback
A man was coming closer to Bryan; this man had just had a little girl and so had decided to stop piloting and change careers so that he could take more time to look after his daughter. This hit Bryan hard after the years they had known one another they had become the best of friends.
"I promise we won't lose touch."
"I promise," Bryan said.
What else could he say?
Bryan was due back for a meeting with General McDonald to get to know his new pilot. He showed up at the arranged time and stood to attention, awaiting the General's order:
"Ah, Sergeant, it's you. At ease," the General said with lacklustre, "please, sit down."
"Thank you, General."
"I assume you're here about your comrade."
"Yes, General."
"Good for him; it's the best thing a man can have. Are you married, Sergeant?"
"No, General."
"Oh, so there's no lady in your life? No kids?"
"No," he hesitated, "can I ask a question, General?"
"Sure, go ahead, Sergeant."
"Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"No reason, just making conversation. So, your new pilot will be arriving tomorrow at 07:30, so you won't be flying today. You're dismissed," the General finished, returning to his work.
"Yes Sir," Bryan said, but didn't move.
"Was there something else, Sergeant?" seeing that Bryan hadn't moved.
"No, General,..., actually, yes, you usually give me my pilot's file, General."
"I realise that, but in this case there is no file to give you," he said, eyeing Bryan with his piercing eyes.
"I'm sorry, is this guy a beginner, General?"
"No, the pilot's an expert but there's no personnel file. Suffice it to say, they're classified documents."
"So, you don't know who it is, General."
"No, I do know. I was a little surprised when I found out they were coming here. You don't know how lucky you are, son. This is both the worst and the best pilot I know. If I was a younger man, I'd jump at the chance to fly with this pilot," the General lavished.
"How can he be both things at the same time?"
"You'll see, the minute you two meet, you'll see. Tell me, Sergeant, do you like strong sensations?"
"Yes, General. Why?"
"No reason," he said, laughing to himself, "oh, by the way, I'll be the one teaching class this afternoon." It was a rare occurrence for General McDonald to personally lecture his students.
Bryan got up and met up with his group of buddies, his brother among them:
"So?" his brother asked him.
"Ah, nothing."
"What do you mean 'nothing'?" one of his friends asked.
"I don't know who it is. He'll be arriving at 07:30 tomorrow. In any case, the General had nothing but good words for him. He seems like a good pilot and he told me that he's taking class today."
"Why would he be doing that?" his brother asked.
"To teach us new techniques, I guess," one of his buddies answered.
"Or maybe to bring us up to speed with this pilot, so we don't show him up," Bryan tagged on.
Two hours later, a dozen or so airmen were seated in a small classroom. There were large cabinets set up in front of a board and a massive computer screen to run simulations for the class. They sat waiting for a telling sign in that all too silent room. Everyone waited with excitement. The General arrived accompanied by the instructor. Everyone stood up at attention, unmoving.
"At ease," the General pronounced and everyone sat back down.
"Today I'm going to talk to you about flight techniques designated as "special", that is manoeuvres which are rarely if ever employed given the extreme difficulty in carrying them out. A pilot has to know every inch of his engine as well as their components . He has to be able to get the right mix of balance, finesse and speed. One mistake can mean certain death..." As was to be expected, the airmen were unnerved but the General's presence as well as their interest in the subject material ensured their attention. Everyone listened to him attentively, taking in every word. "We'll begin with the "360" then "the death stop" and finally "the devil's peak" aka "the descent into hell."
One airman raised his hand, the General acknowledged him:
"These manoeuvres are prohibited and dangerous not to mention they're impossible to carry out, manage and..."
"Only a few pilots have succeeded in carrying them out, I know that, Sergeant," the General said, cutting him off, "but tomorrow, you'll have a teacher who has effectively carried out these three manoeuvres and has several tips. I have seen this with my own eyes and I was taken aback. I have already been given all the mechanical and theoretical specs about the engines. Tomorrow, all you'll have to do is observe. Now I'll begin, unless there are any further questions...?"
No-one moved; they all wanted to know who this mystery pilot was. They knew the names of the geniuses, the aces those figures were based on and not one of them was in active service either through retirement or death. What's more, they would never have revealed their secrets. The General continued, rolling off figures and complex calculations with the listening airmen seemingly understanding everything and mastering it perfectly.
The following morning, Bryan got up earlier than usual as he hadn't slept well; he had always dreamt of performing a "360" which entailed having the aircraft turn back on itself whilst above another in effect being masked by the other plane. With a simple aircraft, this was easy, but with modern fighters and engines with the latest technology, such a manoeuvre was impossible. All of a sudden, he heard a loud, drawn-out sound that made the walls vibrate. He looked out of the window and saw a long trail of dust. He got dressed quickly and hurried outdoors where he found the General waiting. The smoke was being caused by a huge racing motorbike approaching the base at high speed. The General ordered that the gate be opened.
"That bike's moving too fast, it'll never pass, they'll never get the gate open on time," Bryan thought.
"You should know, Sergeant, that precision is his strong point and he achieves everything right on time," the General retorted while looking at his watch which read 07:29 and 50 seconds, "you'd best go inside, you'll be late for class."
Nobody made a move but everybody wanted to know who it was. They knew the names of these ace pilots, the only ones they knew of who could have performed those manoeuvres and not one of them was still in active service today. To a man, they were either retired or dead. Even if they had been in service, they would never have revealed their secrets.
Bryan went off disheartened somewhat. He would continue to go back often to see the driver of the black motorbike. The bike would come dangerously close to the gate, which was just barely ajar. It was still accelerating, the gate opening remarkably slowly. Now, the bike was just a hair's breadth from the gate, but still showed no sign of slowing down. He was now on his way towards the General who was making a sign for him to come. Bryan went inside but continued to watch through the windows. The bike approached the General, its speed never slowing. Bryan's breath caught in his throat; he was waiting for a crash but, at the last minute, the driver broke off and swivelled round a few inches from the General, who had not moved the whole time. Bryan and his buddies, who had just joined him, were in shock. How could any airman have behaved so dangerously when the General was literally standing in harm's way. The pilot and the General shook hands and made their way towards the General's office. At least, that was what they assumed. By late morning, there was still no news of the airman, who had become the subject of everyone's conversations. By midday, Bryan went to the base canteen to grab something to eat. He took a tray and went to join his friends. At that moment, a woman entered, accompanied by the General. They were having a very active discussion and from what he could gather, they were talking about "special" manoeuvres. What was causing everyone to stare, however, was not the General, but the girl at his side. Aside from the nurses, who were generally older, it was rare to see a woman on base. She was attracting stares from every man in the room, for some her effects went beyond diverting their attention. Bryan started to wonder if this was to be their teacher?
That afternoon, the General and this young girl arrived on the runway, both of them giving off the impression that they got on well. It was strange to see the General on the runway as he usually stayed in the control tower. The young girl was wearing military uniform and a helmet.
"This is your new pilot, Sergeant Bryan's new co-pilot," the General announced with pride."
"I hope that's a joke, General. don't you mean "pilot-esse?" said an airman seated on the back row.
"No, this is not a joke. Allow me to introduce Angela, the woman who is going to educate you on these three "special" manoeuvres. Look and learn, Gentlemen."
The airmen began to protest and wondered whether the General was having a laugh at their expense.
"The exercise will begin now, and no arguments. We'll start with a simple exercise. These are the teams, eliminate the enemy at over 20,000 feet, any lower you're out of play and the hit will not be counted. Let's get up there.
All the pilots wished Bryan luck.
End of Flashback
"So how was your first baptism? What I mean is, how was your first flight with her?" Daniel asked.
"Unbelievable, she wiped the floor with all of us and ruffled a few feathers. She actually surprised us with her knowledge of aerophysics. She was able to perform tight, precise moves with an aircraft and make it dangerous. From the get-go, she was on the attack and she made it very clear that she was in charge; she pulled a "360" on us so easily it was unreal, I never saw that one coming."
"I can see how that would have gained her some respect from the start."
"Yeah, at the start that wasn't the case but luckily she had a few other tricks up her sleeve."
"What do you mean?"
"On that type of airbase, you don't see a lot of women, as we don't get a pass all too often. So, her body didn't help her. A lot of the guys couldn't resist the temptation, you know how it gets."
"So what happened? Nothing bad, I hope. What I'm saying is, she wasn't ...," Daniel started.
"No, no, it's not her we had to worry about, it was the guy who made the mistake of trying to push her too far; he ended up spending two weeks in the infirmary. She knew how to defend herself. Needless to say, that put a lot of guys off. As for me, nothing ever happened between me and her. A few carried on trying but it never got to violence, she kept her calm. I think they were trying to get her worked up, you know how it is."
"Not really."
"So, what about you, how did you two meet one another?" Bryan asked.
"I met her after her accident, I little after it happened, I think. When she was transferred to our base, she was probably there when she just found out that she wouldn't be able to fly again. She was responsible for base security. At the start we had a good relationship, professionally speaking, that is."
"Yeah, she finds it easy to get along with a lot of people and she can be a fast friend if she thinks you're loyal and honest with her. She doesn't have time for liars. She gives everyone a chance and she's patient and believes in diplomacy before force."
"Yeah, she always had time for people. But when our relationship evolved, we became a lot closer, too close given our respective ranks."
"You mean...," Bryan hesitated on hearing this confession, "you mean your relationship was prohibited because of your..."
-'Oui, elle est beaucoup à l'écoute des gens. Mais après nos relations ont évolué, nous nous sommes beaucoup rapprochés, trop prés pour nos rang respectifs'.
-'C'est à dire ….', hésita Bryan, à cette confession,' Vous voulez dire des relations interdites par rapport à votre…'
Daniel nodded his head.
"Yeah, far too far, if I remember rightly, it was," Daniel started.
Flashback (Part One)
Daniel was entrenched in his photographs, representing the signs of the Ancients' language. He had been engrossed in those same images for several days and as yet none of them offered him any clue as to how to fly the vessel. The Asgard had told them that they found it on a planet in a poor state and they had restored it in order to study it. Not seeing any use in holding onto it after learning all they could, they were quite happy to be relieved of it. They therefore decided to offer it to O'Neill for his promotion. However, they had also forgotten to supply the manual so they could learn how to make the thing fly. Up until now, they had been trying a trial and error method, which inevitably ended in failure, leading them to the conclusion that they would never be able to expose the vessel's secrets and make it work. Daniel had therefore put himself forward as a translator to study the signs found all over the vessel, hoping he would find the clues he needed among it. However, his translation was not responsive to enigmas.
He then decided to see how things were going on Sam's end, who was attempting to find the solution via the computerised route. She had been able to connect a computer to the vessel's central control system as well as gathering information on the vessel such as the energy it used and the condition it was in: ammunition, oxygen... she had tried to open the vessel manually, namely by way of a program or even a virus in an attempt to short-circuit the system. Following this, she had concluded, after studying the system data, that the individual had to possess a specific gene, that of the Ancients, but not the one they were theretofore familiar with, not the one used in Antarctica, this was another one altogether.
"Morning, Sam, how's your research coming along?" Daniel asked.
"It's not. I've completely sequenced the gene responsible thanks to the recognition device attached to the door near the main hatch. It's not just a digital recon device like the ones the jumpers use, it works using waves, which is interesting because it allows for the vessel to be activated from a distance, well a short distance anyway. I haven't discovered which waves yet, but it shouldn't take too long. I think if we ever manage to find the right wavelength, then we should have taken a big step in the right direction."
"So, we should be able to open it just by finding the right wavelength? I'm sorry, but that sounds a little too simple for the Ancients. According to the writings, this ship isn't just an ordinary transport, it's a combat cruiser."
"What about the files I managed to download, have you studied them?"
"No, but I've had a look at them and it seems to me that this vessel was a work in progress; they were studying its combat capabilities but it never made it past the initial stages."
"You think they had problems with this ship and that's why we can't open it up?"
"No, that's not what I think; the Asgard managed to study it after all," Daniel thought.
"But who's to say that they did manage to get it open? I've tried everything I know to make it work and I honestly can't see what else to try. Maybe the Ancients tried to shelter it to avoid another disaster; the Asgard said they found it in bad shape so maybe they did manage to repair it, but only externally."
"So, you think the waves are the solution."
"Yes, I do. All I have to do is establish an echelon type curve and calculate the necessary wavelength and test them. The only problem is that could take time and we don't even know if what we're dealing with here are ultrasound or some other type of wave. Daniel, I'd like you to translate the Asgard experiment log, I think that could help us out. Oh, I forgot, a new security team is due to arrive in two hours. I'll be familiarising them with the base regs, so I won't be contactable.
"Ok, I'll translate the log for you, hopefully I should have finished it by tomorrow."
"Thanks, Daniel." She went back to her team to go over the statistics on the engine levels that seemed a little less powerful than she would expect.
Daniel went back to his translations. The following morning, he went to have breakfast in the canteen. He had been burning the midnight oil and did not make it to bed until late the night before; he had even fallen asleep on a pile of papers.
He took his tray and went to sit at an isolated table and started to get his photos out. He took them everywhere he went so that no time would be wasted in translating them. Suddenly Sam arrived with her own tray, looking to be in a hurry.
"We need to talk," Sam said without preamble.
"Ok, this sounds urgent."
"It is. The ship, it's had a reaction."
"So, you finally got it to work?"
"That's the problem, it's not through anything we did, Daniel."
"What about your wave theory...?"
"I hadn't had chance to practice it yet."
"Then what made the ship suddenly react?"
"I've studied the readings and according to them, it was waves the ship responded to."
"But I thought you said you hadn't had the time to get the wave generator set up and you said..., oh, you meant that whatever this is, it's coming from the outside?"
"Exactly, but how?"
"Could it be some machinery?" Daniel asked.
"I don't think so, if that was the case than the ship would have reacted to it before now, unless any of our new arrivals are in possession of some object that emits waves on the right frequency."
"Is that possible?"
"I don't know. Our equipment would have detected those wavelengths."
"So, the most likely answer is that one of the newcomers to the base is responsible?"
"That's what I was thinking, but who, Daniel? We can't just go up to someone and say, "hey, are you the one who's giving off the waves?"
"No, of course not, but you could use some kind of device to see whether someone is emitting them, couldn't you? Tell me something, that detection device, you said it worked over short distances, is the ship still functioning?"
"Yes, it is, we couldn't shut it down. I thought the device only worked over short-range distances, but the airmen we're talking about are pretty far away from the ship, so it shouldn't be working in that case."
"It's a shame; it's finally working and we're trying to shut it down. Which soldier came closest to the ship?" Daniel asked.
"None of them, they were off duty and free to roam the base."
"Have you at least been able to learn something about the ship?"
"Yes, a lot more than we have in the last three weeks. We know that the weapons are fully loaded. The ship isn't open yet but all its functions are within normal parameters so we should be able to crack its security given time. I also managed to extract one of its weapons and we're about to study it."
"I have an idea on how to open up the ship. Why don't we simply ask each of the new airmen to patrol around the lab it's in, each one taking it in turns? If we're right about this, the vessel will react to one of them and then we'll know who it is."
"Yeah, why not?" Sam finished.
Two days later, Daniel was on his way to see how the research was coming. He was heading towards Sam's office and knocked on the door:
"Come in," Daniel stepped inside, "oh, Daniel, it's you."
"Yes, I was just coming to see how things are going with your research."
"A little better, thanks to your translation. It helped us a lot."
"Actually, I was talking about the person who...," Daniel began.
"Oh, no, nothing on that front. But I do have a few ideas as to who it could be."
"Have you had them patrol the lab yet?"
"No, not yet, but the ship lights up at the same hour every time, 17:30."
"That's it."
"Who are you thinking of exactly?" Daniel asked.
"Well, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but one of them has to go to the infirmary every day, passing the lab on the way. And, the first time the vessel reacted, we had just passed by that way because I had to take them to the infirmary to introduce them to the medical team. Then I got an urgent call telling me that the ship had started up for no reason, well not scientific anyway. They're due to go on duty in the next hour, so I'm going to head up there now and see if my theory is right, I'll keep you informed," she left the office and Daniel alone.
That same evening, Sam came up to Daniel at dinner:
"I know who it is," Sam started as she ate, she seemed very hungry. She had had little appetite over the last few days given her work commitments and the constant failures they had been suffering.
"And...?" Daniel grew impatient that Sam wasn't elaborating further.
"According to her file, her name is Colonel Angela Calling, here look," she handed it to him, "everything happened according to plan: she conducted her patrol around the lab. She just barely got there and the ship opened. My colleagues had been trying to get around the recognition sensor when the hatch suddenly opened.
"So, you got inside?"
"No, unfortunately," she carried on eating.
"How come?"
"Because of the shield that we didn't even know existed. It was a complete surprise, because it didn't leave any energy signature but despite that it was very solid, although it isn't painful to touch. But, what matters is that we now know why the vessel reacts and what the cause is."
"How did Angela react?" Daniel looked again at the file.
"I talked to her," she said while attacking her dessert. The food wasn't the best, but at this moment, Sam didn't seem to notice much.
"And...?"
"And, I convinced her to undergo some tests and guess what," she finished every morsel on her plate, which relieved Daniel, "she has the necessary gene. Not only that, I asked for her medical records. Take a look, Daniel, it's really odd." She handed him a piece of paper.
"I don't see what's so surprising about having a tumour."
"No, not that, look further down near the bottom of the page, the footnotes."
"Yeah, that is strange," he said, glancing closely at the file, "do you have any explanation?"
"I talked to her about it and she told me that during the battle over Antarctica this yellow light invaded her fighter and she felt nothing but pain."
"You think the Ancient weapon caused this, even though other people were exposed and don't show the same symptoms?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, but none of them reported feeling pain, and I found out that her copilot wasn't affected. According to his statement, he heard her crying out in pain, and the sound was heart-rending. Those are his words."
"You think the weapon "attacked" her voluntarily by modifying her DNA because she possessed the gene?"
"Daniel, do you really think that's possible?"
"With the Ancients, I think anything's possible. Look at the Ancient repository of knowledge that was downloaded into Jack's mind. If they can transfer knowledge, then why not powers? But that wouldn't have altered her state, I mean it doesn't make sense that there would be negative side effects."
"Why not?" Sam asked.
"Because, why bother giving a person powers, if they can't use them?"
"Don't forget that Jack nearly lost his life from having those powers; he deteriorated and lost his memory."
"Yes, I know that," Daniel conceded.
"In any case, I'd like you to be here tomorrow. I explained to Angela that she would have to be in the lab to help us with our research and then I talked to her about her abilities and the ship," on seeing Daniel's look of concern, she added, "well, I didn't tell her everything, just the vital parts."
"And she said yes?"
"Yes, of course. We talked a lot about it today and it's her job."
"Oh, so you're friends now?"
"Well, there is a distinct lack of feminine presence round here."
"Well, I wouldn't miss this for the world and I'm quite eager to meet this "special" person."
"You know she's just like everyone else, Daniel."
"Except that she has the gene."
"Oh, you were talking about that?"
"You thought I was talking about her powers? No, I'd like to study her case. Have you been able to take any energy readings or studies?"
"No, I think we've asked enough of her already but I have asked if we can sequence her DNA and I'll take the energy readings tomorrow, discretely."
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow then," Daniel got up with his tray in hand.
The next day, Daniel made his way towards the lab on Level 5. He swiped his card in the reader and the door opened. This lab had reinforced security given its contents. He headed for a long table on which were placed several devices and computers. There were scientists moving around the objects cautiously and with very precise movements. Some of them were hard at work solving equations or performing complex calculations. To the right, two people were arguing over the results which neither of them could agree over; they were disputing based on the error margin. Sam was sitting at the head of the table and was busy studying some sort of drone, but it did not seem at all like they usually did: instead of being yellow, it was all blue and was flashing in slow rhythm. Next to her a young, brown-haired woman with blonde highlights was speaking. He went up to Sam avoiding the scientists working around the table. But something was pulling his gaze towards the right side of the table. The ship was there, which had taken pride of place ever since it had come online. Yellow and blue lights pulsed all over it, but the ship itself did not make a sound, even the engines barely giving off noise, which spoke volumes as to their efficiency. It was the first time that Daniel had seen the ship functioning and he had to admit that he was fascinated. The ship had been transformed, it seemed nothing like the vessel he had spent the last few months studying. Mouth agape, he circled round the hull and saw that the inscriptions were now clearly visible. He studied them so attentively it was as if he had never cast eyes upon them before. When he reached the main hatch, he stopped, remaining still and pensive. He moved forward, pulled by some unknown vehicle towards the inside but was repelled by an invisible forcefield: "I forgot about the shield, what a strange feeling" he touched the shield once more. He then turned his attention towards the table and the drone sat upon it.
"Hi Sam, what's new."
"Hi, Daniel. Yeah, we're getting there."
"Daniel glanced over Sam's shoulder, despite having almost no understanding of the graphics and figures he was seeing.
"What's that?"
"They're energy readings taken from the drone, the program's working out the complex calculations," replied the young woman seated behind Sam.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot, Daniel let me introduce you to Colonel Angela Calling. Angela, this is Daniel Jackson, our translator and resident specialist on the Ancients," Sam said, "I told Daniel about how much your skills have helped us."
"That's right, I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to finally meet, Colonel," Daniel said, extending his hand.
"Likewise," Angela said, returning the gesture.
"So, what is it you're working on?" Daniel asked, still looking in Angela's direction.
"We're studying this drone. According to our calculations, it should be much more powerful than others we've previously encountered. Angela is a genius in chemistry, physics and information technology and she excels in matrix calculations, so I asked her to help me for those reasons as well as the fact that she activates the ship."
Daniel left the two of them to their work and went back to his own duties.
A few days later during dinner, he joined Sam who was already seated and eating with Angela, the two of them seemed to be having an animated conversation:
"Mind if I join you?" Daniel asked.
"Not at all, take my place. I've finished already and I have to go finish my report for Colonel O'Neill." Sam stood up with her tray.
"Leaving so soon?" Daniel said.
"Duty calls," Sam said, leaving Daniel and Angela behind her.
"How's your day been?" Daniel asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Good, thank you. We discovered that the Van der Walls forces present in hydrogen atoms are very stable with Cesium and Uranium. It's incredible, it gives us a strike force of several mega...", seeing the look on Daniel's face she said, "I take it you're not exactly the biggest fan of science?"
"Not exactly, no."
"I thought you would have grown used to it after all the time spent with Colonel Carter, Doctor Jackson."
"Call me Daniel."
"Alright, let's talk about something else," Angela suggested. Despite this, there was a profound silence in place of conversation.
"Any ideas?" she asked.
"Have you been in the military long?"
"That's just the other way of asking me how old I am," Angela joked. "I haven't been in for very long, I went joined up because of my studies and being part of the military gave me and other young students a lot of possibilities. That, and I wanted to become an astronaut."
"So that's no longer the case, you don't want to explore the other planets or the Moon anymore?"
"No, it was just a dream. I discovered aviation and now I preferred flying beneath the clouds, not above them. And now, I much prefer keeping both feet on the ground."
"Oh, so you're a pilot?" Daniel perked up, suddenly much more intrigued.
"I was," Angela was quick to correct. "Since an accident in Antarctica, I haven't flown again. The Air Force decided I wasn't able to carry out my duties any more for the reason you already know about."
"That's true, you really can't tell that there's anything different about you," Daniel shared, sypathetically, "so what aircraft can you fly?"
"Any current engine with wings strapped to it, but that's in the past now. It's probably for the best. I don't know how I would react now if I suddenly found myself back aboard an aircraft. It would only remind me of the accident, I get chills just thinking about that. And besides, it left me with convulsions as a consequence of the activation of my powers."
"How do you mean?"
"I suffered a cranial trauma that caused a temporary amnesia. So as to avoid my memories of the accident returning from a sudden noise or shock, the doctors sent me for treatment. But, one day, while I was in the clinic's cafe, the sound from a search and rescue helicopter engine passed by the windows and that was what set me off: suddenly all the memories came flooding back to me. My body was convulsing all over and producing electric shocks. I almost killed two men and one of the nurses while they were trying to stabilise me. The doctors then decided to tell me the truth, that this anomaly had been dormant and had been there since before I arrived there, but as time passed, it became less prevalent. They assumed it was due to pass and that's why they hadn't warned me about the danger I posed."
"Is it any better now? I mean, can you control yourself better?" Daniel asked.
"Not the convulsions, but as for the powers, yes I can control them with all the yoga sessions and some other treatments, like Native American tisanes."
"Why did you stay in the Air Force?"
"I'm carrying on with my studies, trying to catch up with what I've missed. It seems almost impossible at times, but because of the contract I signed with the Air Force, I have to remain in active service, so that's why I'm here."
"When will it end? Your contract?"
"Soon, but I hope I can prolong it somehow, or maybe not, I don't know. I have been thinking about going to Paris."
"Paris?"
"Yes, that's where I'm from, but I don't know what to do right now, to be honest with you, Daniel. But anyway, enough about me. Apart from not liking science, what have you been doing in the military for so much time? I saw the USAF markings there," she said, pointing to his shoulder.
"Is this your way of asking..."
"No," she cut him off, "just curious, I'm not interested how old you are."
"I'm an archaeologist and I've been working for the Air Force for seven years now."
"Whoa," Angela let out, "but did you have to undergo special training before you could go on missions?"
"No, not really, that's just the way it worked out and I mostly learned on the ground."
"So, you're proficient with weapons, then?"
"More or less," he left it there, not mentioning the many enemies he had killed.
"So what is it you study exactly? Mummies? Homo-sapiens? The Indians or the Incas...?"
"A bit of everything actually, actually all civilisations, I'm interested in human societies, communication between different peoples and their religions as well as their customs..." he waxed lyrical, happy to be in his element.
They discussed a wide range of things. When Angela had finally eaten her dessert, she made to stand up:
"Well, I'm afraid I have to leave you. It was nice to meet you."
"You're leaving already?" They had spent so much time talking that he was still on his main course and he found his pasta had long gone cold.
"Well, we have been talking for two hours Doctor Jackson. I'm going to get some sleep, or else I'll never get up."
"Time flies sometimes," he said glancing at his watch, "I need to get going too, I'll walk with you."
"I don't think we're going in the same direction, but if you'd like, then we could pick up where we left off some other time? I loved hearing your theories about the hierarchical relations between the Egyptians and also those of the people you call the Ancients."
"I guess that's only normal that she should ask questions about her origins, now that she knows she has the Ancient Gene. She has a right to know more. What can I do to help her? I can't tell her everything. She really isn't that different than the rest of us," Daniel thought to himself.
If you like, I can give you some reading material," Daniel suggested, "while you wait."
"Yes, thank you, I would like that. Good night," then she left, setting down her tray.
Daniel sat contemplating his meeting with Angela for a little while, when he realised he was one of the last people still in the canteen. He headed for his quarters still pensive and bushed from the full day he had just had. He remembered to set aside some books for Angela. He took care not to forget to take out his personal notes regarding the history of the Ancients. He then noticed the items Sam had left for him after her visit to the lab. He had planned to work on them and made a promise to study them when he woke up."
Two days later, he felt like he had barely slept at all. In fact, it was already noon and he had once again fallen asleep with his notes for a pillow. He wasn't getting very far with his research on Sam's famous objects. The reason why he had woken up so abruptly made its presence felt once more in the form of someone knocking on his door. He went to open it, to find Angela standing there.
"Hello, Doctor Jackson."
"You can call me Daniel, Colonel Angela Calling."
"Alright then, Angela for me as well then. Oh, I see I woke you, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, I needed to wake up anyway, I was going to be late."
"Colonel Carter asked me to bring you this folder and to say thank you."
"Come in, I've found some books you might like."
Angela made her way into Daniel's study and looked at the various objects within with profound interest. While she was doing this, Daniel went to look for the books he had meant to set aside, but the room was in such disarray, it was proving difficult. He finally found them and handed them to Angela. At that moment, his handed started to shake and the books tumbled onto the workbench. In the ensuing chaos, several objects were knocked over, one particularly close to the edge fell off and would have smashed on the floor but for one quick hand dive which saved it. Daniel, the saving hand still shaking, saw that it was Angela's
"That's some quick reflex!" Daniel remarked.
Suddenly, the object started to glow. Angela in surprise had electrified the object. She let it go immediately.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I really didn't want to..."
But Daniel was not listening, he merely looked at the object attentively, as if seeing it for the first time. She had picked it up deftly and put it back amongst the other objects where, for several days, it had remained while Daniel unsuccessfully tried to figure out what its purpose was. He was now picking out writing on its surface he had not seen before.
"You activated it," Daniel said.
"I didn't mean to, I really didn't..."
"No, no it's alright," Daniel assured her. He took the object and looked at it closely, "it's not damaged. He then beckoned her, "come on, come take a closer look."
The object was still vibrating, though less so than a moment before. It looked like an ordinary stone and if not for the writing, which itself was miniscule and difficult to see even when the stone was "lit up."
"I don't think that's such a good idea. It's probably best if I leave."
Daniel's gaze left the stone to follow Angela. He didn't understand all of what had just happened. Angela's seizure had stopped but a flux of energy waves were still coursing over her hands. He began to worry about her, as she clearly was not alright.
"Do you want me to call...?"
"No, it's not worth it, Daniel, I'm just going to go..."
"Are you sure, do you...?" he interrupted her. The object had stopped moving and he was wondering if he could get her to touch it again. When she had touched it before, the resultant state was so unexpected that it made him hesitate to ask, "I..., I'd like... actually I'd love for you to touch it again if that's fine with you?" He held it out, she pulled back reticently. He tried once more to convince her: "listen to me, I've been working on this artefact for a while now, and part of the reason why my research isn't progressing is because I can't activate this device. I had no idea it would react the way it did and I didn't even realise those inscriptions were on it, so I'd like you to..."
"What inscriptions?" Angela asked, re-entering the conversation.
"You didn't see them when the stone was lit up?!"
"No, I..."
"Take it, trust me, it's just a stone," he held it out to her again. Unsure of herself, she took it in her hands nonetheless. The touch of both their hands surprised Daniel; despite the waves of electricity, it was actually quite a pleasant experience. He even felt heat radiating from them. The minute her hands touched the stone again, Daniel began to read, "just don't let go of it, okay, I'm going to try and read. The marking reads the Transp..." and then nothing, the stone went dark again. He saw Angela still standing before him, stone still nestled in her hands. She was glowing in a strange manner. His hands were glowing as well, due no doubt to the fact they had made contact. The light was omnipresent but he was unable to see the his surroundings because the light was blindingly powerful. Then the darkness came again. He waited for the light to come back, but nothing. Even Angela had stopped glowing now. He had the distinct impression that this time the darkness would be more permanent. Both of them were slightly dizzy and Angela herself was no longer standing upright but had slumped down beside him. Clearly weakened, her feminine hand was near lifeless against her chest. He tried to comfort her as best he could given the lack of light, but he could feel her resignation. The dark was weighing heavily on her.
"Let's try and find the switch Angela, try and get up," Daniel encouraged her.
"No, I'm exhausted," after a prolonged silence that seemed to last forever, she said, "can you find it, Daniel?"
"No, in fact I don't even recognise where we are anymore. I'm not sure this is my room."
"Are you sure?" she said with a worried tone dampening her voice, "never mind, I need to rest anyway."
"No, we have to find the light, come on."
"I think I can do something about the light, but you have to promise me to..."
"Whatever you want, as long as I have some light to find my way out of here."
"You're not running away, then?"
"Where exactly do you expect me to go without any light? I'm sorry, it's just the whole situation, it's made me a little uneasy."
Daniel saw tiny flashes dispersing through the air and, little by little, saw a glowing ball-like object form in the air, lighting up the space around it. The room had an echo-ey, empty feel to it except for a few pieces of furniture he couldn't make out all too well.
"I'm sorry, there's nothing more I can do, I'm too tired. The ball will dissipate with time. I don't think I can make a second one or one more powerful."
"Whoa, I had no idea you could do that."
"I told you I could control the powers."
"Yes, I know, but I never imagined you would have powers like that. It's incredible and also very practical. Where's the object, Angela?"
"I don't know, I dropped it in front of you, so it should be on the floor." Her eyes darted all over, while still sitting on the floor. Daniel conducted his own search, "here, Daniel, I found it," she made to stand up, but lost her balance.
"Stay sat down, I'll look for it but I can't see it anywhere. You have good eyes, just guide me to it."
"Okay, go forward, forward, a little more...stop! Now turn a little to the right, perfect, now forward again...that's it, there it is."
Daniel bent down and scraped the floor until he found the stone.
"Yeah, I got it."
"Did you at least manage to read the inscriptions?"
"Yes, I know what it says. That's why we're here. It's a transporter."
"Well I hope we're not so far away that no-one can find us, like another planet or something," Angela joked. But Daniel wasn't laughing, he knew it was more than possible.
"And the only way back is the Stone."
"Wait a minute, this stone must have taken us to a specific place. Did you think of anywhere in particular that the stone could have taken us to."
"Not me. What about you?"
"Uh, I don't think it works that way."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because if it did, then we'd find ourselves in an ice cream cone."
"What?"
"Well, I was thinking about chocolate ice cream and, unless I was quite mistaken, then there should be chocolate here, or at least a cornet.," Angela said, laughing.
"Okay, so maybe the stone is only set to send us to a specific location that was programmed into it."
"You really think it was programmed? It's just a piece of rock."
"No, it's not just a rock, I really think it was programmed. I believe it came from a spacecraft."
"Alright, so how do we use it to get back, then?"
"I think we just need to think of a particular place this time. Here, Angela, tale it and we'll try it again," he said, extending his hand and the stone with it.
"I told you already, I really don't think this is such a good idea."
"Wherever we end up, it can't be worse than it is here."
"You're right, I suppose, Daniel." She closed her eyes and took the stone in her hand. Nothing happened. She half-opened one eye and saw that the object had not moved at all. "Why didn't it work, Daniel? You said it would work."
"Maybe it's because you're so tired."
"Okay, so now it's my fault, is that what you're saying?"
"This jaunt must have had some effect on you."
"Wait a minute, Daniel. Are you saying that the reason I feel so exhausted is down to this tiny rock?"
"Yes. It must take a lot of energy to be able to transport us, and I think the object must have drawn its energy from you."
"Didn't I tell you that this was a bad idea? I'm going to have to recharge my batteries a little."
"How long do you think you'll need to 'recharge'?"
"If you'd asked me that a few days ago, then I would have said that my energy was unlimited, but today, I don't have much left in me."
"But, I thought I read that..."
"My trips to the infirmary deplete me every time I go there," Angela cut him off suddenly.
"What do they make you do?"
"Endless tests that serve no purpose. I really don't know what they expect from me. They strap me up to banks of machines and stick me full of wires, expecting me to supply electricity or something all for the sake of their tests. But I can't take anymore. They ask too much of me because I know their bodies aren't strong enough to withstand the stress that my powers would subject them to."
"Right, so we should only have to wait a couple of hours, then?"
"I hope so," Angela said.
"What do you mean 'you hope'?"
"It's been several days since I last rested properly. What I just created. the ball of light, it's something of a minor miracle that I was able to form that. It took every ounce of strength I had in me. In normal circumstances, I could have lit up the whole room."
"That's definitely not what I'd call normal."
"The doctors say it's normal that I should be brimming with energy - in both senses of the word."
"Wait, you need to rest, Angela. It looks like the ball is holding up in any case."
"Maybe, but it's not powerful enough to warm us up," Angela said, regarding the ball.
"I don't find it all that bad. Are you cold?," her only response was a shiver, as her teeth chattered.
He approached her. Angela was leaning against the wall and he hunkered down beside her. He huddled up to her in an effort to warm her up. He was more than a little uncomfortable with being so close to such an attractive woman. Although he had warmed her up a little, she continued to shiver, which was surprising given the amount of heat she was currently giving off. Maybe it was down to her sheer exhaustion. Maybe he had asked too much of her. "I'm just surprised that she could be so tires, since she's managed to transport us to another planet. Maybe she couldn't measure or control all the powers within her. But she told me that she could control them. I hope she's telling the truth, that she really is as weak as she says. It's strange, because Sam told me she was very powerful. I'll ask the doctors for more information."
In spite of himself, he hoped that this contact would never come to an end; he felt so warm and the human contact was truly doing him a world of good. He wondered if she was feeling the same thing as well. He kept on rubbing his hands up and down Angela's shoulders to warm her up:
"You were shining," Daniel spoke at last.
"What?"
"I said you were shining."
"You know, there's no reason for us to be so formal, especially since we're already on first-name terms."
"Okay, if you like. So, like I said, you lit up when we both touched the stone together," he remembered the moment, it was almost... He had felt a wave of heat overcome him and at the same time the slightest of breezes. "Did that heat come from the stone or from Angela's hands? And the breeze, that gentle wind that whispered in my ear, where did that come from? Was it because of Angela's movements?"
Angela brought him out of his reverie.
"I wanted to say, your hands were shining as well," her eyes never even met Daniel's, rather her head rested on his shoulder, "is she afraid to look at me? What is she thinking?"
"Maybe, but you were glowing all over."
"Perhaps it's because of the stone, she said, "and I thought you were looking at it."
"I was looking at it, but afterwards I couldn't see any more because of the light you were giving off," she looked at him then, "in the end, I couldn't read anything else."
The ball reflected in his eyes as he stared into the deep pools of hers. There was definitely something there. He broke off from looking at her. "When I was looking into her eyes, I could swear I saw...never mind. If it really was an Ancient, and not just me being stupid, then we would have detected it. And anyway, she knows nothing about them. Unless...no, that wasn't possible; her memories would have been wiped as punishment. I have to talk to Sam about this...as soon as I get out of here, that is."
"I think we're losing our light," Angela changed the subject.
"Yeah, a little maybe. Your powers are useful."
"And dangerous, don't forget that. Look where they landed us," Angela answered.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I love this place. Head to head with a woman. It's a nice, calming place."
"You've got to be kidding?! It's freezing and a little too calming for my liking, I really don't like it here."
"And just what kind of place exactly is to your liking?"
"Oh, I don't know, somewhere warm. Yeah, and a place with lots of water and aeroplanes."
"Well, given your powers, I get the water, but as for the heat, I don't see it."
"I can't stand the heat myself and the sun beings me out in a rash. My powers become even more visible; my hair starts to shine, as you're wont to say and as for my fingers, well, it's horrible, exactly the same thing."
"What about the aeroplanes. Aren't you a pilot."
"Was a pilot."
"Oh, yeah, that's right, you were a pilot, sorry."
"I prefer it if it's me in the pilot's seat. I can't set foot in a plane unless I am the one flying it and even then, given my problems, I avoid the things."
Daniel looked around him.
"It's neither here nor there. We could always just pay a visit." He got up and took hold of a piece of iron. He stepped towards the light.
"Don't!" Angela said, but she spoke too late; he had touched the iron to the fire and was thrown against the wall. The ball had halved in size. "Are you alright, Daniel?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The light isn't though, it's half the size it was.
"Well, it's not the light, per se, more the electricity sustaining it. Stay where you are."
"You could have at least warned me. Oh, you're shaking like a leaf. Here, take my coat." He took it off and wrapped it round her shoulder, showing off his arm muscles in the process, which did not escape Angela's attention.
"Don't move, you might have broken something," Angela said.
"It's you who's not well."
"I haven't been taking my medication," Angela said. Daniel once more sat near her and took her in his arms.
"Rest a little, Angela. You need to get us out of here, so we can get you to the infirmary."
"I know..."
Daniel looked at Angela with a concerned eye. He noted her breathing, placing a hand on her abdomen. He knew his hand was in the wrong place, but he wanted to do something to reassure her. "She's asleep now." But it was a troubled sleep. Daniel tried to comfort her for what it was worth, given that he was concerned himself; he didn't know where they were. His only hope lay in the body currently cradled in his arms. He could feel fatigue beginning to win the battle, but he felt Angela begin to shake all over, which woke him straight up. She must have been having a nightmare, he reasoned. She moved, her hands scrabbling on the ground for something. Daniel took her by the hands, but she struggled and screamed "NOOOO," as an energy flux emanated from her body, feeding the ball with Angela drowning out the room with the shock of it all. Apparently she had not yet realised what she had done as she tried to chase the awful images from her mind and was panicked and outraged. Daniel stood astonished at the sheer size of the room he found himself in. It was much brighter now, allowing him to see more of the vast space, given that Angela was no longer the only one responsible for lighting it. Around them were control consoles and display screens. Daniel looked at Angela's panic-stricken face.
"Angela, it's alright, I know where we are. We're..."
And then darkness.
End of Chapter