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Chapter 15

It was early morning when they finally made their move. The time when the dead walk the halls according to Kebechet. Jack found he didn't like the analogy all that much. Reminded her that he was in fact very much alive, thank you very much and not planning on dying any time soon.

She was quiet after that.

Funny enough, the accolades that had found him the last time and had brought him to the common room were nowhere in sight. He wondered if there was a little room somewhere where they all gathered and compared notes on who was the most devout. Merlin was quiet. Haven't said much more after his revelation to the man that neither he nor Kebechet trusted the man.

Kebechet seems to know exactly where to go, making her way unerringly through the warren of tunnels and rooms. Sam and Daniel followed just behind with Merlyn and Teal'c making up the rear. They had made it through the temple without anyone questioning them or stopping them. It became harder once they were in the ha'tak proper.

At least the alcoves were convenient and it was easy to hide when the unmistakable sound of Jaffa boots vibrated around the hallways. They came to the antechamber, near the throne room. All of this was familiar to Jack and brought forward a wave of unwanted memories.

I'm sorry. Kebechet said.

No point dwelling on it. He said to her, Let's just do what we came for.

He felt more than heard her sigh. But she didn't say anymore about what she could so clearly see. She did give him a nudge though; he could feel it as a determination to make sure that they succeed. He was grateful for that as his memories seemed to just fade away and the feelings he associated with them went the same way.

It didn't take them long to traverse the antechamber and then step into the throne room. The chair loomed large in the centre of the room. Ornate and kitch. Typical Goa'uld architecture. Kebechet chuckled at his description and eye roll.

There's a little side room behind the throne. He said. Showed her his memory of the grey box on the table behind the throne. She nodded. Moved past the chair and stepped into the side room.

And there it was. Sitting on the table just like he remembers. The only difference now is where the box had been drab and unappealing – it was alive. Lights flickered and an ornate carving seemed to be gleaming on top of the box, pulsating with the lights. A rainbow of oily colours that wasn't all that unappealing in its texture and colour.

"Ha'taaka."

He found he understood the insult even though she had spoken in Goa'uld. Daniel looked shocked and it even managed to raise an eyebrow from Teal'c.

Okay, skippy. Settle down. He said. What's the problem?

It shouldn't be on.

He frowned. Trying to make sense of it all. There was a flash of movement, just out of the corner of his eye. Kebechet turned. He wasn't sure what the plan was. What she had been thinking. She raised her arms in defence even as the zat gun sounded loud in the silence of the room. He watched Teal'c crumble and fall. Watched as a second one took out Daniel and then Sam was there, pulling him down behind a pillar.

Not that it would make much difference.

"What the hell?" He found he was in charge again of his body, Kebechet effortlessly having swapped out with him. Telling him that he was better able to deal with this than she was. His arm reached out, pushing Carter tight against the pillar as he leaned out and took a quick survey of the room.

Merlin had put the gun on the table. Had half his back turned to him as he pulled the box closer.

"Uh…Merlin, what do you think you're doing?" He asked as he indicated Sam to go around the pillar on the other side. To wait for his signal.

"You wouldn't understand, Jack O'Neill." Merlin said.

"That is definitely not the plan, buddy." He said. Taking the risk for another quick glance. The zat was still on the table, within reach of the other man.

"Not your plan." Merlin stated. He reached for the side of the lid. Pressed his fingers into grooves that were visible with the lights.

I knew there was a reason I didn't like him. Kebechet said. She sounded angry at his betrayal.

What happens if he opens the box? He asked her while he tried to think how they're going to get Merlin distracted enough to get to the box and zat without both of them ending joining the rest of his team unconscious on the floor.

He ascends.

What?

It's …complicated. She said in the end. All he knew was that this was giving him a raging headache that he hadn't bargained for. He weighed his options. Something was definitely changing on the box. He wasn't sure if it was Merlin doing the changing or if it was something else. He swallowed the fear and silently counted down, he indicated to Carter and then he rushed forward.

Merlin gave a growl of frustration, smoothly picking up the zat gun and turned to them both. He slid to a pause, arms up. There were at most three steps that separated them from Merlin. Enough to make the man think twice. One of them might reach him before he could pull the trigger twice. Carter took a step sideways, increasing the distance between them. It drew Merlin's attention so that he could take one swift step closer to the older man.

"Stop right there." Merlin stated coldly.

"You pull that trigger and Carter will get to you." Jack said clearly.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Why do this? You seriously telling me you travelled through time, brought me here with her just so you can use the box to join the Ancients in la-la land."

Hey.

He ignored Kebechet's indignation.

"There's a lot more you have no understanding of."

"Try me."

Merlin tilted his head. Seemed to seriously consider his words. Carter took another smaller step sideways and closer. Merlin swung the zat her way and he rushed forward. Managed to bowl the other man over before he could get a shot off. He wrestled the zat gun away from Merlin and then pushed off him, holding onto the zat in his right hand.

"You bloody idiot." Merlin was clearly not happy with what just happened. Jack stepped up to the box. A tingle began in his fingertips. Rushing up his arms and making his hair stand on end. Something inside the box made a sound of gears moving. The click of a lock sounded and he found that he was drawn to the box in a way that was hard to overcome. He glanced back at Merlin who was watching everything with wide eyes. Carter was down at Daniel's side, trying to rouse the man but he knew from experience it would be a bit before the effects of the zat gun was going to dissipate.

Jack.

He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened it the box had changed. Somehow unfolding before his eyes, similar to the ancient device that Anubis had used on him. Light pulsated inside, bright and uncomfortable making him squint. He raised an arm to his face, shielding his eyes.

"It's true." Merlin said breathlessly. Rising from where he had been sitting on the floor. Thick eyebrows coming together over his eyes in a look very reminiscent of Daniel when a thought struck him. Jack found he couldn't answer the man. His own mouth suddenly dry as the light intensity increased and with it, the pull on his own body. He wanted to ask Merlin what he meant. Wanted all of this to stop.

Inside his head Kebechet had fallen silent.

There was one more pulse from the box. This time he thought he heard the jangle of Jaffa uniforms and a command to stop. And then all of that faded to nothing but what was inside the box.

He was back on the plane. The mountains in the distance the same blue-purple haze. He turned full circle, not sure what was expected of him. Why he kept coming back to this place? He sat down abruptly. Suddenly tired of it all. Not at all sure what role he was expected to play in the end. What it was that everyone was expecting of him.

He was one man.

"Hello Jack."

He turned. Looked down to see the boy was back. He frowned at that even as he wondered what had become of Kebechet. He couldn't feel her here. There was nothing but emptiness and the ever-present wind that was pushing a tumbleweed along.

"You know, there's something called a phone. Maybe next time try using that. Or Email. Email is good." He quipped. Brown eyes met his and the boy smiled.

"True. But a bit less dramatic won't you agree?"

"Sure. If that's what you're going for. Who are you?" He asked in the end. "And what is this place?"

"The wind moves where it wants." The boy said.

"Seriously?"

The boy nodded. "Even mountains can be reduced by it."

He frowned. "Oma?"

The boy smiled. Changed and morphed until she stood before him. Dark hair whipped by the wind, rippling her dress. It seemed to dance around her playfully. A twirl of recognition that even Jack noticed.

"I'm sorry, Jack." She said softly.

"Why?"

"I cannot stop what is to happen. I told you before. You have to make a choice."

He swallowed. Not wanting to know but still he asks. "The prophecy on the wall, the one Daniel read…"

She nodded. He grimaced. Swore. Couldn't help it. "What about Kebechet? Where is she?" He asked.

"You'll see her soon."

"What do you mean see her soon?" he asked.

"I have to go, Jack. I've already spent too much time here. The Others are getting restless."

"Hey," he called after her as she started to change. She raised an eyebrow, seemingly to wait for him.

"At least tell me if I get the girl." He said with a flippancy he didn't feel. She smiled. Changed and moved away in only the way the ascended can. Left him alone on the plain and he wondered what he was supposed to do next.

He tried to orientate himself. Looked back and finally realised that he could see Anubis' temple in the distance. It was either go back that way or walk to the mountains and he was seriously not in the mood for another climb. He sighed. Started walking, keeping the Jackal in mind as he put one foot in front of the other.

He found Kebechet in the throne room. She seemed to be waiting for him. She looked different. Not at all like the Sam from his dreams. She was decidedly shorter in stature. A petite build that belied the strength he saw in her. Dark hair cascaded down her back, kohl surrounded her eyes, the brown of her eyes offset against the olive of her skin.

In short, she was breathtaking to take in and it brought him up short. For a moment trying to marry up the two different women – the one from inside his head with the real-life version of her. For he was sure of that one thing right now; that he was seeing the real her.

"Hello Jack." She said. Her voice was rich in cadence. His name rolled off her lips easily enough.

"Hey."

"Fancy meeting you here." She said with a chuckle. He grinned.

"You know how it is."

She stepped away from the throne. Indicated the back room and they fell into step. Moving to the side room. The grey box was there. Unopened. Silence and dead.

"Looks a bit different here." He said. Hands on his hips as he stared at the box. Not sure what he's supposed to do next. He turned to her; eyebrows raised. "Now what?"

"You have to unlock the box, Jack."

"I thought that is what we wanted to avoid."

She shook her head. "Not here. You need to unlock the box so you can lock it when you're back."

"Okay, you got me there. I know I'm not Carter or Daniel, but you now, that sure as hell doesn't make a lot of sense."

Kebechet tilted her head, looking at him. "Think of it as cancelling itself out."

"And the whispers? Will they be back."

"Not here."

"Okay. So, it's just us?"

She wiggled her nose. "Not exactly."

He sighed. "How long do I have?"

"Time is irrelevant here."

He rolled his eyes. He just knew it. Things were never that easy. "Are they safe?" He asked her.

"For now. To them it would seem that you were gone for a second if that. You can do this."

"Is there a manual somewhere I can use? You know – press A to B and use the screws numbered 4. Although saying that, there always seems to be one item to many after you're finished building it. Making you think that you messed up somewhere along the way…"

She reached out. Touched his arm, her fingers light on his muscle. "The fox teaches the desert what it is to be hunted."

He raised both eyebrows. Decided that if they're going to be playing this game, then he'll join in. "And yet the mother taught the cub."

He almost smirked. Daniel would be proud of him, he thought, in the way he handled that little dilemma with diplomacy and skill.

"Very good, Jack." She nodded. And it was very obvious that she saw right through him when she picked up his left hand and pulled it to the box. Moulded his fingers around the edge of the box, just underneath the lid. He found that he could feel grooves edged onto the metal like surface. It was warming underneath his skin, almost pulsating against his fingertips. It wasn't altogether unpleasant.

He brought his right hand to the opposite side. Felt until he found similar grooves. The moment his right hand touched the grooves, the box changed. The dull grey turned into a slight edge, rising up out of the metal into a burnished, colourful look filled with hieroglyphics and the familiar edging of ancient writing. A humming sound could be heard, just on the edge of his hearing. Another smaller pulse almost caressed his fingertips, the way a lover would. It was familiar in a sense. He was reminded again of his vision. Familiar with Kebechet standing beside him, silently encouraging him to continue.

He pulled his fingers away. Wiped his hands on his pants and then reached out. Pressed the first symbol that he remembered. The humming changed slightly, almost a growl of anticipation coming from the box.

"Hello Jack."

He froze. Kebechet turned and he used her distraction to press the next button. Instinctively knowing that he had to complete the sequence if he was to make it back to his team.

"Hello Father."

"You shouldn't be here." Anubis said and he heard the man step closer, his heavy bulk making his footfall echo around the room. The humming changed cadence again when he pressed the next button.

"You know the rules."

He half-turned, so he could watch Anubis. The man came to a stand just inside the room. He lifted a hand, waving it dismissively in the air. "Bah. The rules are guidelines at best."

Jack pressed the fourth button. Focused on the fact that there were at least six more that he needed to activate. The cadence changed again, this time a higher pitch was added, an almost whining note to the box humming now.

"They are there for a reason and you chose to ignore them. The reason why the Other's intervened."

"They are cowards at best." Anubis stated calmly. Jack remembered what happened when the half-ascended being had spoken to him in that voice. His body clearly remembered. He tried to ignore his own fear and terror as he pressed the fifth button.

"It is not our place to intervene, Father. When will we stop? What are the criteria for making it worthy? For playing God."

"You forget Kebechet. We are gods. We decide the fate of others. We are superior. Shouldn't that be enough."

Jack shuddered. Anubis was clearly deluded. He pressed the sixth button. The humming coming from the box was familiar. A newly added note that brought another dimension to the sound. A deeper, complex melody that spoke of the formation of the universe.

"When will you learn, Father. We are the result of genetic manipulation because the Ancients decided they needed another vessel to hold their knowledge. We are not superior. What have you created that is not stolen from someone else?"

Jack saw anger mar Anubis' face. A red hue that was spreading across his skin. A loony toon's Porky Pig came to mind unbidden and the resemblance was startling enough that he withheld his smirk with difficulty as he pressed the seventh button.

He heard the thread of a footstep behind him. Anubis was clearly not impressed that he was ignoring him.

"You need to stop, Jack." The man warned. He glanced back as Kebechet stepped up. Blocking Anubis from coming closer. He turned back to the box and pressed the eighth symbol. The machine was now almost vibrating in anticipation. A deeper bass was added to the sound now coming out of the box. Loud enough that even Anubis was clearly aware.

"I'll stop you." The half-ascended being promised, raising his hands. "Think about your team, Jack. You do this and they will die."

For the first time, he turned so that he faced the man. "You already did that or have you forgotten. This is for every time you killed them. Every time you found another way to torment them so I can become what you wanted. Well, no more." He leaned sideways and pressed the ninth symbol.

Light started to appear above the box. Spreading out upwards into rays of colour. The humming has now changed to a symphony. Complex and beautiful, rich in its cadence and reaching into his soul. A feeling of peace was starting to steal over him and for once, he wondered at the reason for Pandora's box and what it was for.

"No!" Light pulsed from Anubis' hands, pushed outwards to Jack. Kebechet stepped into the path of the fireball as he pressed the last button.

Time stood still at that moment. He became aware of the silence. Gone was the symphony that had until now gradually reached a crescendo, building towards a finale even he wasn't deaf too. The lid opened, and he watched in awe as a bird flew out. Its feathers burn with fire, alternating between red to yellow, white and blue. It was flapping its wings, hovering above the box. Long tail feathers spread out, bringing in a rainbow of colour that all seemed to coalesce into a pool of white.

He had never in all his years seen anything as exotic or beautiful as this. The bird looked at him with the ages of wisdom burning like twin suns, drawing him in as he witnessed solar systems being born. Watched the change of seasons as winter became summer. Watched as a river flowed, quenching the thirst of a dusty and dry desert and bringing life to where the dead walked.

"Choose."

He heard the word. Clear as day as it echoed into the great divide that stood before him. He looked down to find that he was standing on the mountain again. Saw the Others and Anubis on the plane before him. Saw his team and the Jaffa behind them. Saw Time itself as Oma smiled at him. And because he was still himself, he gave her a wave.

The phoenix flapped its wings once. The wind of it ruffled his hair. Spread out in a visible wave over those gathered out before him. Kebechet stood beside Oma. Nodded her ascent at him. Gave him permission for what he was about to do.

He thought back of his time with Anubis. Realised now how much she had helped him keep his sanity when Anubis had been hell bent on breaking him into pieces. How much he had looked forward to being with her at the lake. The peace and tranquillity she had brought, that had made everything that was happening outside of his dreams, seem manageable.

He gave her a half smile. "Tell me about the lake." He asked her. Found that he didn't need to shout. That distance here didn't matter.

"It was my purpose." She said, "That is why I came. To return what was lost."

Behind him the phoenix gave another flap. A thunderclap of sound that edged into silence.

"Thank you." He finally said, while he contemplated her words. She gave him a small bow. Very reminiscent of the dignity of Teal'c.

"It is Time."

He turned to the Phoenix. Understood implicitly what it was that was asked of him. Understood his choice. One that Anubis had chosen to ignore. One that the half-ascended being had failed to see in his quest for Pandora's box.

Faith.

Sarah's voice was soft. Encouraging. Charlie was smiling, a ghostly presence just barely visible behind the Phoenix. He took a deep breath. And suddenly it felt like a great big weight fell off his shoulders as he made his choice.

Charlie waved and then was gone. The Phoenix made a small bow; rose up into the air and seemed to twirl into a kaleidoscope of light as colours flew outwards into a spiral, bringing hope.

Darkness fled and when he looked out across the plain, Anubis was gone.

The Phoenix burned brighter. Impossibly so and then seemed to draw everyone into itself before it flew apart in one great pulse that sent a wave of light racing outwards from the point where it had been.

He took one final look before his body relented and he sank down onto his knees before toppling gracefully onto his side and then …nothing.