Chapter 18
Daniel Jackson slammed the door to his overnight quarters on base shut and stalked over to the bed. Ripping the tie from his neck, he balled it up and threw it as hard as he could.
"Ibn al Kalb!" He swore in Arabic as the tie splatted unsatisfying against the far wall. " Al'ama," he added before ripping the chair out from the desk and dropping into it with a hard thunk. Holding his head in his hands, he ground his teeth together to keep from screaming in frustration.
The latest round of negotiations hadn't gone well. At all. In fact, he'd wager that had been the Kisqua plan from the beginning. No matter what Hayes said, no matter what was offered, Cholti simply doubled-down on gaining immediate access to Sam. He refused to consider any reasonable alternative.
Any hope that Daniel had about finding a way to fix the situation was quickly vanishing. Despite what Teal'c had said prior to leaving to gather support from the Free Jaffa, Daniel still blamed himself. If he hadn't been so eager, so reckless, the threat to his friends wouldn't exist.
To make matters worse, Jack and Sam really had vanished into thin air. He hadn't heard from them since informing them of Shen's kakamanie plan. A fact that he'd made all too clear when he'd lost it a few minutes ago.
"For the love of—" Daniel had thundered after Cholti had surged to his feet and threatened to destroy Earth for the fifth time. "We can't deliver Colonel Carter. She's gone. Disappeared, thanks to you, so you might as well annihilate us!"
With that, Daniel had stalked out of the room, leaving an angry looking Kisqua delegation gaping after him while he'd retreated here, to his quarters.
A sharp rap on the door drew his attention. Probably the President coming to order him out of the country, he thought grimly. Not that he'd blame him. Daniel had totally screwed up. Again.
"I'm sorry, sir," Daniel said as he opened the door, stopping short as he saw the sole woman from the Kisqua delegation standing next to an airman.
"Mr. Woolsey is escorting the others to the Stargate, but Ms—" the airman frowned at the woman.
"Britony," the woman supplied.
"Ms. Britony requested to see you before departing. The President gave her five minutes," the airman explained.
"Thank you," Daniel told him, gesturing for Britony to come in. "I'm sorry for my earlier behavior," he genuinely said. While he disliked these people and what they'd done, he truly did regret his behavior, if only because it made helping his friends that much harder.
"Don't be," Britony pursed her lips. "It needed to be said. Chancellor Cholti was being…obtuse."
Daniel let out a harsh chuckle at her description of the man. Obtuse was being generous.
"Time is short, please allow me to be blunt," Britony said seriously. At Daniel's nod, she continued. "Chancellor Cholti has not been very forthcoming and I believe it has hurt the negotiations."
No shit , Daniel thought, but kept his mouth shut.
"You have to understand, no one was supposed to get hurt," Britony cast her eyes downward in sadness.
Daniel frowned, trying to get a read on the woman. She'd been silent during the negotiations and, truthfully, he'd assumed she was part of Cholti's guards. But her demeanor now said otherwise.
"Neither Colonel Carter nor the Alteran responded to the sedative as expected," Britony spoke softly. "They were never even supposed to know the child had been created."
"How the hell was that supposed to work?" Daniel asked, unable to hide his reaction.
"Accelerated gestation," Britony said with a little shrug.
"I've seen technologies capable of this before," Daniel recalled. "On a planet called Argos, the Goa'uld Pelops used nanites to accelerate aging. On P3X-367, Niriti manipulated the inhabitants DNA."
"Crude but effective methods," Britony wrinkled her nose in distaste. "We modify the genetic sequence of the male specimen prior to implantation to accelerate growth naturally. It's quite safe, with the proper gestational support."
"I see," Daniel frowned as she explained.
"The accelerated gestation process only takes about sixteen days and during that time, the mother is unconscious. Your friends were to be l ost , accidentally transported to a remote area unknown to most and recovered after the birth with no memories of the event whatsoever."
"You mean you were going to use Sam as a human incubator then steal her baby without her ever knowing she was pregnant?" Daniel blanched at the thought.
"Your judgment of our methods is moot at this point," Britony bristled sharply. "Without our technology, Colonel Carter's body will be unable to support the accelerated growth rate. You must stop this subterfuge and allow us to help her. Time is running out."
"It's not subterfuge," Daniel fought back his anger, knowing it would do nothing but further damage any chance he had at helping Sam. "We have been honest from the beginning. We have no idea where Sam or Jack are."
Britony said something in a language Daniel didn't understand, but it sounded suspiciously like an expletive. He knew he had no reason to trust this woman; everything she told him could be part of a ploy to get him to betray his friends. But if she said was even remotely true—
"What would happen, if say, Jack's Alteran DNA had been safeguarded against genetic manipulation?" Daniel asked cautiously, watching Britony closely.
"I'd counter that you don't have that level of technology," Britony eyed him warily.
"No," Daniel agreed. "But the Asgard do."
"Those artificially prolonged bastards!" she snapped. "They mock us at every stage in our evolution!" She took a steadying breath, visibly trying to calm down before she spoke again. "What you suggest would prove disastrous."
She shook her head in dismay. "Our genetic modifications were intended to trigger a state of acceleration in Colonel Carter's body as well as the baby's. If the Asgard somehow prevented the acceleration in either of them," she swallowed hard, "neither would survive."
It was Daniel's turn to curse before stalking to the door and jerking it open. Not waiting for Britony to follow, he took off running toward the gate room.
Jacob glanced behind him at Sam and Jack as they sat on the floor of his tel'tak. Sammy looked bad. At first, he'd assumed Jack had been overreacting to a little fatigue and nausea. Deborah had suffered from the same things throughout both her pregnancies, and it wasn't a stretch to assume her daughter would be the same. But Sam had started going downhill rapidly as soon as they'd boarded the tel'tak. Looking at her now, Jacob knew Jack hadn't been overreacting. Something was dreadfully wrong.
I'm sorry, Jacob, Selmak told him remorsefully, I don't think a Tok'ra symbiote could stop whatever the Kisqua have set into motion.
She wouldn't accept one anyway, Jacob replied silently. Sam had made it clear on multiple occasions that she would rather die than be host to another symbiote. Not that he or Selmak blamed her. What Jolinar had done to Sammy was a grave violation of everything the Tok'ra believed. While Jolinar had been desparate, she'd essentially mind raped Sam. That combined with this—Jacob shook his head, hoping to clear those unproductive thoughts.
Thank the gods it was Jack, Selmak sighed.
I'm not so sure that's a good thing, Jacob frowned.
You fool yourself, Selmak chastised him.
That's not what I meant, Jacob sighed. It wasn't like Selmak wouldn't know anyway. Jacob might as well admit what he was thinking. If it was someone else's child, Sammy wouldn't be putting herself through whatever this is. She'd have terminated the pregnancy immediately.
Stop. Selmak ordered her host. You don't know that. I understand why you're upset and angry, don't blame Jack. He's as much a victim as Sam.
Jacob pursed his lips. Logically, he knew Selmak was right. Jack had only given them the highlights of what had happened, but he knew the man had glossed over what was done to him. Jake would have done the same. That type of trauma was something men in their positions refused to talk about. To do so showed weakness.
Selmak scoffed. Your race, for all its positive qualities, still has much to learn.
I know, Sel, I know, Jacob placated, knowing she was right.
"Jacob," Jack's voice broke into the internal conversation as the younger man came to stand next to him at the main console.
"Jack," Jacob replied, glancing over his shoulder to find Sam asleep. Jack had tucked a blanket around her and balled up another one for her to use as a pillow.
"Sam's finally asleep," the younger man replied, running both hands over his face. "Not that it'll help. If we can't find a way to stop whatever is wrong with her," he trailed off, unwilling to voice that particular outcome out loud.
"My daughter is stronger than she looks," Jacob replied more harshly than he'd intended.
"She's stronger than all of us put together," Jack agreed, dropping his hands to stare at the older man. Jacob's low-simmering anger was palpable as the two men stared at each for several heartbeats.
"Dammit, Jack," Jacob blinked first, "she's my daughter." He shook his head helplessly.
"I know," Jack replied in a soft voice.
"The thought of losing her—" Jacob shook his head, not even wanting to entertain the thought.
"Believe me, I understand, better than most," Jack's voice was thick, his eyes filled with pain. "So if blaming me helps, do it. I already blame myself."
"This isn't your fault," Jacob replied instantly, the words ringing true as guilt assuaged him for even trying to think otherwise. "None of this is."
"It's my child she's carrying."
"Sir?" Sam's voice interrupted whatever Jacob was going to say, pulling both men's attention to her.
"I'm here," Jack replied, immediately returning to her side.
Jacob watched as Jack slid down the wall to sit next to Sam. Carefully, he helped her adjust positions until she could rest her head on his thigh, then gently massaged her scalp until she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
Jack would be here even if the child wasn't his , Selmak said with a firm nudge.
I know, Jake admitted, letting the rest of his anger slip away. Being angry wasn't going to help anyone and it certainly wasn't going to help Sam. With a final look, Jacob turned his back to give the couple as much privacy as possible.
"We're here," Jacob told his two passengers a couple of hours later, hating the fact that he had to wake Sam. She'd been resting fitfully and had finally fallen into a deeper sleep just as the planet had come into view.
"Come on, Carter," Jack gently nudged her awake, helping her sit up before climbing to his feet.
"Where are we?" Sam asked, allowing Jack to pull her into a standing position.
He immediately took as much of her weight as she'd allow. Her movements were slow and sluggish and she swayed into him as a wave of dizziness rolled through her. Pressed tightly against his side, Jack could feel her heart pounding from the effort it took to stand. She'd stopped dry heaving a while ago, but he knew that was probably a bad sign instead of a good one. Whatever was happening to her was progressing at an alarming rate.
"This is the closest planet with a working Stargate," Jacob answered, crossing to the ring controls. Punching in the coordinates, he joined them on the platform and activated the transport rings with a handheld device. With a mechanical whoosh and bright flash, they were deposited on the planet's surface a few meters from the Stargate.
"Come on, kiddo," Jacob forced a smile and glanced down at his daughter as they started toward the DHD. He didn't think it was possible, but she looked even weaker than before. Jack had been right; resting had proved useless against whatever was happening to her.
"I'll go dial the gate," Jack told them, making sure Sam was steady on her feet before stepping away. He caught Jacob's eyes over the top of Sam's head, a dark look passing between the two men.
"How're ya feeling?" Jacob asked her, wincing at the idiotic question.
"Never better," Sam huffed out a stiff chuckle.
"Sammy, I need you to know—"
"Dad," she interrupted, her face determined, "I'm going to be fine. We both are." She placed a protective hand over her stomach. "The Nox will know what to do."
"I'm sure you're right," Jacob forced a smile. "I just wish I was going with you."
"General O'Neill will take good care of us," Sam smiled sadly, a look Jacob didn't understand crossing her face.
"He'd better," Jacob grumbled, his eyes cutting to Jack who was busy inputting the symbols into the DHD.
"Besides," Sam turned into her father and embraced him tightly. "You have Tok'ra forces to rally. I want to give birth to your grandchild on Earth," she whispered into his ear. "Don't let me down."
"I'll try not to," he forced a sharp laugh, thinking how much Sam was like her mother. Deborah had always sought to take away his worry, no matter how dire the situation.
A few feet away, the wormhole engaged with a loud kawoosh, making their heads turn towards the sound.
"Time to go," Jack said before wrapping a supportive arm around Sam's waist.
"Jack," Jacob nodded to the younger man. "Take care of them. Do what you need to do."
"I will," Jack vowed, his voice firm.
"Bye, Dad," Sammy squeezed his hand.
"Bye, kiddo," he replied, thankful Selmak was helping him hold it together as he watched them make their way through the event horizon, because Jacob couldn't help but think this was the last time he'd see his daughter alive.