Stargate SG1 Fan Fiction ❯ Reel Of Light ❯ Dead? ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter two - Dead?

 

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only, it only exists to amuse me (and I am easily amused). I received no money for this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

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General Hammond looked down at the newest arrivals to the SGC. They looked so young, so innocent. However he had seen the Goa'uld use children as weapons before. He smiled absently as his mind wandered to Cassandra, a young alien girl who had survived a Goa'uld attack; only to be used as a weapon herself. But Dr Janet Fraiser had checked both girls and they seemed to be fine, they only had mild concussions; they would make a full recovery and posed no, obvious, threat.

“You made the right call, Colonel.” He turned to Jack who had suddenly appeared at his side. “Who knows how they got there, but they obviously needed our help.”

“Yeah.” Jack grumbled. “Obviously.”

“Something wrong Colonel?” Hammond regarded Jack.

“Not really Sir.” Jack mumbled truthfully. “Not anything I can put my finger on. I feel like I know them from somewhere. Something just doesn't feel right.”

“Well Dr Fraiser has checked them both.” Hammond continued to look at Jack. “She found nothing. I'm sure we'll figure out where they came from. Don't worry so much Colonel.”

With that Hammond turned and left Jack alone with the girls in the infirmary. He walked over to the taller girl's bed and sat down next to her. She looked so familiar it was scary, but he couldn't work out who she looked like, or where he'd seen her before. Sure she looked like a mini version of Daniel, with her bobbed blonde hair and glasses, but that wasn't it; Jack felt sure he knew her from somewhere. He had a terrible feeling that if Daniel was right, and these girls were from an alternate universe, they were going to stir up a lot of trouble. A small cough behind him made him turn round.

“Do you know her?” Daniel stood there, looking very uncomfortable.

“Nope.” Jack shook his head. “Do you?”

“No.” Daniel sighed. “I wish I did, but the weird thing is she looks so familiar.”

“Yeah I know.” Jack nodded. “I feel like I've met her before.”

“I feel like I've seen her before.” Daniel crouched down next to Jack. “But not met. It's a strange feeling.”

“It's a bad feeling.” Jack looked at Daniel. Daniel nodded.

*****

The two men sat in silence with the girls for hours. Just watching for any signs of life, but there was nothing. They watched the nurse make her rounds and all the time they tried to work out how they knew them. Jack was tired, he needed to sleep. He looked over at Daniel who was staring at the tall girl again.

“I know.” Daniel turned round suddenly.

“What?” Jack staggered over, he was so tired; he didn't have time for Daniel's ramblings.

“I know how I know them.” Daniel shook his head. “I know.”

“How?” Jack put his hand on Daniel's shoulder, he was obviously upset, but why?

“A couple of months ago, when Teal'c, Sam and I came over to your place to watch the hockey...” Daniel started.

“Yeah.”

“...and a news announcement cut in and you got mad.”

“Daniel.” Jack almost shouted. “Get on with it.”

“Well, it was about a college in England being bombed. It showed some pictures of the bomb victims, of the students, before they died, in family photos.”

“Daniel. Where are you going with this?” Jack didn't like what he was hearing.

“It showed their pictures Jack, I remember. They're dead.” Tears began to well up in Daniel's eyes.

“What?” Jack cried out. “That can't be right.”

“It is, Sir.” Sam's voice came from the doorway. The two men spun round to face her.

“Carter?”

“I took a digital picture of them and ran it through the Internet search engine on my computer.” Sam stepped in and held out a few pieces of paper. “This is what I printed out. It's a news report about the bombing of Hopwood Hall College in England. Hundreds of students died because no warning was given.”

“Hundreds.” Daniel murmured.

“Including these two.” Sam pointed at the two girls lay in the infirmary. “They're dead Sir. They died two months ago when the room under their classroom exploded.”

“What!” Jack grabbed the print off out of Sam's hand. The two girl's faces stared up at him from the page, his blood ran cold.

“I guess they are from an alternate reality.” Daniel looked down at the girl in the bed nearest to him.

“I guess so.” Sam nodded as Jack poured over the news report.

“Kerry-Anne Ramsey and Emma Kalmin.” Jack said suddenly.

“What?” Daniel turned to him.

“Kerry-Anne Ramsey.” Jack pointed to the taller blonde girl, the Daniel look-a-like. “She preferred to be called Kerry and liked Star Trek, horror movies and writing. And Emma Kalmin.” He pointed to Kerry's red haired companion. “She liked science fiction, music and horse riding.”

“How do you know?” Daniel tired to grab the report from Jack, but Jack pulled it away and kept reading.

“There are web sites devoted to these girls from friends and family to who wanted the world to remember their little girls.” Jack's voice sounded choked up. “God damn it, I knew something bad like this was going to turn up.”

“Well, dead or not in this world Sir.” Sam stepped forward. “They're here and alive and we have to help them get home.”

“I'll, err, I'll go and set up a meeting with Hammond for the morning.” Jack seemed distracted, still reading the report as he left the room. “I'll keep you informed.”

With that Jack left, leaving Daniel and Sam staring at each other.

 

*****

The briefing room was much large than it looked on screen. Emma was in awe as Jack herded her into the room. The large polished wood table took up the most space, it's dark surface drawing the eye and demanding attention. The large window overlooking the gate room seemed to take up most of the wall, allowing a good view of the Stargate.

Eight chairs circled the table, with bodies filling six of them. Emma sat down next to Jack, leaving one chair at the end of the table free. Opposite the empty chair at the head of the large table sat General Hammond, his fingers laced together in front of him, carefully thinking how he was going to approach this meeting.

To his left sat Jack and to his right Daniel, neither of them looking particularly happy; with agitated looks on their faces. Next to Jack sat a small red haired girl, she didn't looked worried or bothered by her situation, she seemed more interested in looking around the room than finding her way home. That, he had been told, was Emma Kalmin. A worried looking blonde sat next to Emma, shuffling her papers and notes around the desk and sighing quietly, Sam didn't seem to be looking her best either, this morning.

Hammond turned to his right to survey the rest of this meeting's attendants, they seemed no calmer than the senior members of SG-1. Across from Sam sat the large Jaffa Teal'c, a perplexed look on his usually emotionless face. And between Teal'c and Daniel was the taller of the two girls, the one who sat with her arms wrapped protectively round her, looking so much like Daniel, looking so scared and confused; that was Kerry-Anne, who preferred to be known as Kerry, Kerry Ramsey.

“What's the situation people?” Hammond finally spoke.

“Well Sir.” Sam looked up from her notes. “We believe that the vortex encountered on P3J-769 was a naturally occurring vortex linking two different dimensions.”

“I see.” Hammond nodded, he had learned to take things in his stride while commanding at the SGC. Strange things happened here and not all of them made sense to him, but it was all part of working with space, time and wormholes; like the Stargate. “But these two girls are from Earth, we have records of their counterparts here on this planet. How can a vortex on another world link to our planet?”

“Well, Sir.” Sam began. “I think that the vortex is linked to the Stargate somehow. I believe that whatever the point of origin, the vortex jumps to that worlds alternate state.”

“So it jumped to Earth because we were dialling from there, here?” Daniel cocked his head.

“Exactly.” Sam nodded. “If we had dialled from, say, Chulak, we would have encountered their alternate reality.”

“I see.” Hammond repeated.

“And when the Stargate is not in use?” Jack looked over at Sam, Sam smiled.

“The vortex jumps back to P3J-769's alternate reality.” Sam finished her explanation, and looked around the room. Everyone was nodding, accepting the theory; including the two girls.

“So we can get them back?” Jack referred to the girls but continued to look at Sam. “Just by dialling up and sending them back through?”

“I think so.” Sam nodded slowly. “But I'd like to run more tests first to see if it's safe.” She turned to Hammond. “Sir, permission to lead a physics team to P3J-769 to run further tests on the AR vortex?”

“All right, but I want you to take Teal'c with you in case anyone else comes through. You can go at 11:00 hours. Dismissed.” Hammond nodded to SG-1 and the girls, then left.

Teal'c also rose and started out of the room, followed by Sam.

“AR vortex?” Jack called to Sam.

“Yes Sir.” Sam almost giggled. “It's what Dr. Wardle and I have named the vortex. AR stands for Alternate Reality.”

“I like mine better.” Daniel half whispered to Jack. “The `reel of light', sounds nicer.”

“Less clinical.” Kerry spoke softly, but it still made Jack and Daniel jump. Jack looked up quickly to see how Teal'c and Sam had reacted, but they had gone, perhaps before Kerry had spoken.

“Yeah.” Daniel smiled.

“Yep, more mystical too.” Emma chipped in. Jack's head spun to look at her.

“Yeah, I guess.” Daniel continued to smile at Kerry. Kerry smiled back.

“Can I ask you two a few questions?” Emma grinned at Jack.

“What sort of questions?” Jack sat back down in his chair.

“Just a few questions about where we are.” Emma's grin dissolved into a sweet smile. “Please?”

Jack threw his hands in the air. “Shoot!”

“Right.” Emma nodded to Kerry. “Well, Teal'c hasn't got his face thing and Daniel still has long hair so we're in one or two.”

“Err?” Daniel put his hand up to get Emma's attention. “What's Teal'c's face thing? I still have long hair? Can I just ask...?”

“What the hell you're talking about?” Jack cut in and finished Daniel's sentence. “What's one or two?”

“Err, well you see.” Kerry grabbed Jack's attention. “In our reality, you're not real.”

“What?” Jack cried.

“You're a TV show.” Emma smiled at Jack and nodded. “A good one.”

“And we're just trying to work out where in the series we are.” Kerry looked at Daniel, whose jaw was hanging somewhere near his knees. “We think we're in season one or two.”

“How many seasons have we been running for?” Daniel's eyes met Kerry's.

“Well when we left you were in season four.” Kerry tried to smile, but failed in the final attempt.

“A TV show?” Jack still hadn't grasped the idea. “We're a TV show to you?”

“Yep.” Emma nodded.

“What was the last significant thing that happened to you?” Kerry turned to Jack.

“Significant thing?” Jack glared at her. “We're a TV show, you watch us, shouldn't you know?”

“Well for example have you met the Nox?” Kerry glared back.

“Yep.” Jack nodded, still angry.

“Has Apophis attacked Earth with two big bugger ships?” Emma asked.

“Yep. Kicked his ass.”

“OK.” Kerry nodded to Emma. “Err, have you ever heard of the Tok'ra?”

“Yes,” Daniel beat Jack in answering the question. “Captain Carter was possessed by a Tok'ra.”

“Captain Carter?” Emma looked at Daniel. “Right, that helps us.”

“Have you met Thor?” Kerry turned to Daniel again.

“No.” Daniel shook his head. “We encountered Thor's hammer, but we had to destroy it. We've never met Thor himself.”

“Do we get to?” Jack cut in.

“Just a minute.” Kerry put her hand up to cut Jack off. “Err...”

“Been in any mines recently?” Emma tapped Jack on the shoulder.

“What?”

“Mines? Big dirty places, you dig in them.” Emma smiled. “Have you been in any?”

“No, not recently. I'm thinking of going to a mine next summer, I hear they're nice then.” Jack shook his head. “Why?”

Kerry cut in again. “Err, have you met the Keeper?"

“Yes. The guy who ran the whole artificial world.” Jack snapped. “Now will you tell me where you are going with these damn questions?”

“We're between `The Gamekeeper' and `Need'.” Emma whispered to Kerry. Kerry nodded numbly, she seemed to be staring at something, out of the large window behind Emma. Emma looked at Daniel, he was looking too; Emma slowly turned.

A wormhole was open at the Stargate, a huge purple swirl of energy. However Emma didn't recall hearing the gate dial in, or hearing the sirens of the TV show. Suddenly the sirens in question kicked in, and Jack spun to face the gate.

“What the hell!”

 

*****

“That's the AR vortex from P3J-769!” Sam almost shouted as she stood in the gate room.

“It seems that it has somehow linked to Earth.” Even Teal'c sounded perturbed by this occurrence.

“But how?” Sam cried. “It shouldn't be able to do that.”

“Perhaps it's not linked to Earth, but to the two girls.” One of the other scientists, Dr. Eugene Wardle, piped up. “They came through it, maybe they aren't meant to be here.”

Sam turned to the tall man, with short greying hair, to her right. “Perhaps.” She muttered.

“Carter!” Jack's voice came over the speaker system. “What's happening?”

“I'm not sure, Sir!” Sam called back. “I think the AR vortex may be linked to Earth some how.”

Eugene made a small, disapproving noise and walked away.

“How?” Jack called again.

“Not sure, Sir!” Sam shouted back.

“Not what I want to hear, Captain!” Jack shouted into the small microphone.

Sam looked up at the small window of the command room, Jack glared down at the gate. To his left a young, panicking Airman tapped furiously at the computer keyboard. To Jack's right stood Daniel, his arms wrapped around his body, a frown on his young face.

“Jack, shouldn't we tell Kerry and Emma they're in danger?” Daniel almost whispered to Jack.

“Nope.” Jack shook his head.

Daniel paused, waiting for Jack to finish his explanation, but when Jack didn't continue, Daniel added. “Why?”

“We don't know if they are in danger yet Danny boy.” Jack sighed. “No point in scaring them.”

“Oh.” Daniel nodded. A good reason. There was no use scaring the two young women unless they were in real danger. Daniel's frown deepened as he remembered the questions the girls had asked; they knew a lot. More than he did. They thought of his life as a TV show, and they knew more about his future than anyone. Perhaps they knew where Sha're was, perhaps they knew her fate.

“I'm, err, I'm going to go and stay with them so they don't get worried.” Daniel lied to Jack and started out of the room.

“Danny.” Jack's voice held a warning. “Don't tell them anything.”

“I won't.” Daniel shook his head. “I'll just stay with them.”

 

*****

Daniel walked up to the briefing room quite quickly, he wanted to get there are soon as possible so he could question them, but also a small part of him wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. He hated disobeying Jack, it made his stomach feel heavy and basically made him feel like crap. Jack was his best friend, if he knew what Daniel was about to do he'd go nuts. Daniel really did care what Jack thought of him, and he hated the idea of Jack thinking he was a liar.

 

However, he hated the idea of his beloved Sha're being a Goa'uld host even more. Her once beautifully deep brown eyes were now nothing more than shallow pools of glowing white hatred, as were her brother's, Skaa'ra.

 

Daniel gave an involuntarily shudder as he remembered the last time he had seen Skaa'ra, Jack had been forced to shoot him as he attacked Daniel with his deadly ribbon device. He could remember seeing Skaa'ra falling away from him even through the pain the device had caused, he had tried to call out to say he would be fine; to say he forgave Skaa'ra. Except that his mouth and vocal chords had refused to work and all he could do was fall back.

 

But Skaa'ra and Sha're were alive, Daniel knew it; he just didn't know where they were. But he did know how he could find out.

“Well hello, merry sunshine.” Kerry smiled as Daniel finally plucked up the courage to enter the room he had so quickly reached.

“Hiya Space Monkey!” Emma grinned. Daniel winced as Emma used a nickname that Jack had given him, it was sort of a private name. It didn't feel right that Emma should use it, even though she felt like she knew Daniel, he didn't feel as though he knew her.

 

He didn't really trust Emma, but Kerry - Kerry was a different matter. There was something about her shy, nervous exterior that Daniel identified with. He could almost see himself in her, eyes hidden by glasses and masses of hair. Even the way she held herself protectively reminded Daniel of himself.

Kerry noticed Daniel staring at her and smiled. “Hi Daniel.”

“Hi.” Daniel smiled weakly back.

“What's happening?” Kerry turned and started to frown at the window displaying the Stargate. “It's never done that before.”

“No.” Daniel shook his head. “But it's nothing that Captain Carter can't handle, don't worry.”

“I'm not worried.” Emma walked over to Daniel. “I've just been through an alternate reality vortex, and lived! Why should I worry about this?”

 

“Mmm. Why indeed.” Was Daniel's response. His arms wrapped protectively round himself, he took a deep breath. “I was actually wondering if I could talk to you two.” He smiled as sweetly as he could.

“Oh.” Kerry was caught off guard. “OK.”

“Yep, I'm game.” Emma sauntered over to a chair and sat down.

“What did you want to talk to us about?” Kerry sat down next to Emma. Daniel stood over them, his back to the large window, arms still wrapped around him.

“He wants to know about Sha're.” Emma's grin disappeared to be replaced with a kind smile. “Don't you?”

Daniel shifted, shocked that Emma could read him so easily. “Err, well, yes.” He admitted.

“Can we tell him?” Kerry turned to Emma.

“I don't know.” Emma shrugged. “I mean, we've already altered things by being here.”

“So everything that you know or have seen could be altered?” Daniel caught on to Emma's theory.

“Yep, that's it.” Emma nodded. “We could tell you what happened to Sha're in our version of your world, but it might not happen here.”

“I'd like to know.” Daniel pleaded. “Please, she's my wife. I want to know if I have a chance of finding her.”

“I know you want her back Daniel.” Emma's voice softened. “But are you prepared for what we might tell you? Are you sure you want to hear this?” Daniel nodded numbly.

“Yes.” He whispered. “Please I need to know. I might be able to...”

“Use the information we give you to find her?” Kerry cut Daniel off, he nodded again.

Kerry nodded and moved up one seat to let Daniel sit, cautiously, next to Emma.

“Are you ready?” Emma leaned forward.

“I think so.” Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose.

“I'm just going to tell you what I know and then you can ask questions later. OK?” Emma put out her hand and placed it on Daniel's. He jumped and looked down at it.

“OK.” He almost squeaked.

“Right.” Emma took a deep breath. “Soon, maybe a few weeks or months away you'll go back to Abydos because it's been one year since you left.”

“That's right.” Daniel gasped. Emma really had watched everything that had happened to them. “I promised...”

“Sha're's father, Kasuf, I know.” Emma cut it. “You went and found Sha're.” Emma suddenly switched to the past tense. Not many people would have noticed Emma's change, but Dr Daniel Jackson the linguist did. He leaned forward, still very much aware of Emma's hand on his. Emma continued.

“Sha're was very pregnant with Apophis' child. She was Sha're when you found her, but when she gave birth she was Amaunet again. She left with Apophis and you gave the child to Kasuf, and told him to hide him. Anyway, some time after that Amaunet attacked Abydos and took the child. SG-1 went and she tried to kill you with the ribbon thingy. Teal'c shot her and she died. But, before she died, Sha're sent a message down the ribbon thingy and told you to find and protect the child she had with Apophis.”

Emma sighed as she finished, out of breath. She looked up and Daniel. He was very pale, a slight sweat had broken out on his forehead and he was shaking, a lot.

“Daniel?” Kerry asked quietly. He turned slowly to face her. “Do you have any questions?”

Daniel's shocked expression suddenly turned to one of anger. He yanked his hand out of Emma's grip, and stood up.

“Questions!” He shouted into Kerry's face. “I've just been told that my wife is having a Goa'uld's baby and then she'll be killed by one of my closest friends!”

“It's like I said though!” Emma stood up and tried to look Daniel in the eyes. “You don't just have to accept it like that. Because we're here, you know now, and you can go to Abydos and get Sha're before she has the baby.”

“No!” Daniel screamed. “No I can't. Because the Abydos gate is blocked! I can't get to her until it's opened from their side. And then it's like you told me, it's too late.”

“Well, Sha're had to get there.” Kerry whispered quietly, still shaken from Daniel's shouting. “Perhaps the gate is all right open.”

“You could send a probe through.” Emma waved her hand at Daniel. “Now you know, you can change things.”

Daniel just stood there looking at them. Tears filling up his large blue eyes, his cheeks red from shouting. He nodded and slumped to the floor, finally giving in to the tears stinging his eyes.

Emma sat back down, staring at the grown man sobbing on the floor. She turned to Kerry, she had her head on the table. Loud sobs could also be heard coming from her, the shock of coming through the vortex had hit, along with the emotions flying round the room; it had been too much for her.

“Bloody hell.” Emma whispered.