Notes: There will continue to be uploading problems that adversely affect the format of the chapters.I can do nothing about them as it is my ISP and not my software causing the issues.

Translation lab—

A stack of heavy tomes written in a foreign hand obscured the desk in the corner.Daniel sat, hidden by the books, as he combed through the ancient Greek texts.The stories they contained fascinated as a child as much as the pyramids of Egypt had.Greek mythology was something he had left behind in adolescence; before his recent visit with the Tok’ra he believed he had wrung all the knowledge from the tales that was possible long ago.However, upon learning that the fabled god Zeus was in fact a real being and someone with whom Earth had been anonymously allied for nearly a decade was sufficient incentive to dig out long since forgotten books.

As he skimmed a long ago read passage, a thought occurred to him.Instinctively, he reached for the phone and dialed Samatha Carter’s office.After four rings, the voice automation system picked up.

“You’ve reached Dr. Samantha Carter,” her recorded voice reported.“I will be away from my office from Monday through Saturday.Please leave your name, a brief message and a number where you can be reached as I will be checking my voice mail occasionally during my absence and returning urgent inquiries.Otherwise, I will return your call upon my return.”

“Yeah, Sam, it’s Daniel,” he said.“I forgot you’re with Cassandra on her trip this week so I left you a message on your cellphone an hour ago.Anyway, whenever you pick up either message, give me a call.It’s not an emergency, but you’ll want to hear this.”

He disconnected then delved back into his books.There was little in the way of recent information on Zeus.Even Teal’c had never heard of him.When the Tok’ra said he was a deep undercover operative, they were not mincing words.Teal’c had contacted Bra’tac who also had no knowledge of any such Tok’ra nor could they point to any specific goa’uld who he might have impersonated and paid such a dear price for upon discovery.Usually, when a Tok’ra operative was revealed, the treachery was made known through out the Jaffa and goa’uld ranks so that mistrust and suspicion of all who would challenge the gods would continue to be spread.

Daniel was continuing his reading as he left his lab and made his way to the commissary.It was the one place the non-military and the military personnel still converged willingly.He poured himself a cup of coffee and then took a seat in the corner of the room.He was in the middle of a tale about Zeus and Herra when he was joined by a fellow researcher.

“Daniel,” Simons said eagerly.“Getting in some light reading during lunch?”

“Uh, no, not exactly,” he replied.“Just refreshing my memory.”

“Greek mythology?” his fellow archeologist said with lips curled in disdain.“I think I read that book when I was in seventh grade.”

“Me, too,” Daniel said paying not attention to the academic slight he had just received.

“What do you make of my latest whack at the translations from the temple on Naylia?” Simons asked.“It’s got to be more interesting than that book of fairy tales you’re wasting your time with.”

Daniel considered lecturing the junior linguist for a moment then stopped himself.He had kept the information about Zeus to himself so far.He wanted to prepare a full briefing before telling anyone of the information imparted to him by Daetig.Though he felt mildly guilty about it on some level, he could not justify that feeling with anything other than rote obligation to put everything he learned off world into a memo so that someone could file it away likely never to be read again.There was nothing of inherent strategic value in this knowledge that Zeus was real and had truly existed in Earth’s history.Even the greatest critic of the separation of the SGC surely would not see any point in knowing any of what Daniel planned to place in his report.Daniel used his former team leader as the litmus test.If he brought this information forward, what would Jack O’Neill say?The answer was obvious to Daniel: “That’s nice, but I don’t care.”

“Sorry, Roger,” Daniel apologized.“I’m going to get to it after lunch.I haven’t really had…”

“I think they were a colony of outcasts,” Simons said eagerly.“Perhaps they were social outcasts or maybe they just dressed funny, I don’t know.But I think that there was a colony of the Ancient’s who were either banished to Naylia or chose to live there away from the rest of the collective Ancient culture and society.Maybe they evolved slightly or discovered some way to stave off the plague that decimated the rest of the Ancients or maybe there is even a naturally occurring cure on the planet.I’ve forwarded that possibility to Dr. Carter and she said the bio guys are looking into it.We still have strains of the virus that infected SG-1 a few years ago when they found that woman frozen in Antartica.”

“The researchers actually found her,” Daniel corrected him from his recall of the report written while he did not possess corporeal form. “SG-1 was sent there to…”

“Right, whatever,” Simons continued.“Anyway, they’re may do some testing on the virus to see if there is a cure on the planet or some sort of natural vaccine.I wouldn’t even know where they’ll begin to look; I mean, it could be something in the air even, like pollen.Didn’t you say O’Neill reacted funny when he went back there?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I remembered you talking about going with that Alpha Site team back to the planet last summer and you said O’Neill was acting funny,” Simons said.“Maybe the researchers will need someone with the identified Ancient genes to help.Do we have researchers with that gene?”

“It’s not precisely rare, but not all who have it have shown a aptitude toward utilizing it,” Daniel said, his mind straying back to the trip through the gate Simons mentioned.“Only certain people with it have been able to tap into its abilities.As far as I know, we don’t have anyone on staff yet who is proficient in most of the Ancient devices we’ve retrieved.”

“Yeah, damn shame the best one had to be an son of a bitch like O’Neill,” Simons shook his head.“Guy is a Neanderthal but with fewer manners.”

Daniel huffed slightly then took a deep breath to measure his words and tone before responding.

“First, Neanderthals were not the primitive, chest-thumping cretins you imply,” Daniel said after a moment.“Next, Jack O’Neill is not that way either. He is, admittedly, less than cordial at times, but he is neither a son of a bitch nor is he a dim-wit.Admittedly, Jack has a limited level of patience in most non-combat settings and does tend to request only a Cliff Notes synopsis when receiving a briefing about things that are not strictly of strategic interest, but trust me when I say the man is far from being unintelligent.”

“Could have fooled me,” Simons remarked.

“Apparently he has,” Daniel said.“Jack understands a lot more than he lets on; that, however, is a secret he likes kept and goes to considerable lengths to do so.”

“Oh, so you still consider him a friend?” Simons said coolly.“How nice for you; feeling isn’t mutual from what I hear, but whatever makes you happy, Daniel.Anyway, I don’t give a damn about O’Neill of any of his gun-toting testosterone saturated minions.My point is that the bio guys could probably use someone who can use the Ancient gene when they start their studies.I happen to believe—and I know I’m not the only one—to think that it’s unfortunate that the best candidate to do that is someone who detests all of us so much.”

“Jack doesn’t detest scientists,” Daniel said.“He just…”

“Yeah, he ‘just’ just about covers it,” Simons said then stood to leave.“These guys in the military have a hero complex and it all starts with him.So I can’t shoot an Uzi straight, that doesn’t make my contribution or opinions any less valid than theirs.”

“It’s a P-90,” Daniel corrected the man.

He now recalled a possible root of Simons’ animosity toward the SGC’s most decorated Colonel.Before being allowed to go off world the scientists were given a crash course in military tactics and weaponry—in the unlikely event they ever needed to save their own hides.Simons’ orientation was conducted by Sgt. Cardinal but the final reports and evaluations were written by either Dixon, Reynolds or O’Neill.O’Neill’s evaluation was short and unflattering.Simons was required to go through the training a second time.It was the only course in his life that Simons’ had failed.

“What?” the researcher asked.

“Jack O’Neill’s primary and preferred weapon when deployed off world is the P-90,” Daniel said informatively.“It is a formidable piece of machinery and if there can be a master of such deadly devices, he is one.Now, if you feel he judged you too harshly during your training, that is unfortunate.I have been out there in combat and I can say without hesitation that there is nothing Jack or any other military officer at the SGC taught me about survival skills or battle tactics that was a waste of my time.Further, Jack’s skills—and make no mistake they are actual skills—have saved my life and the lives of everyone on this planet more than half a dozen times.Take this from someone who sees both sides: Saving the planet from the bad guys is a science, too, Roger.”

“Just let me know what you think about my report,” Simons huffed as his cheeks flushed an angry red color before he stomped away.


PR7-932—

Teal’c stepped through the gate with Captain Collins and Lt. Blix.They were greeted by Jacob Carter and his escorting party.The balance of Alpha-1 was there to join SG-3 to receive information from the Tok’ra regarding information received through operatives based around the galaxy.The general consensus from the Earth visitors was that as there was little in the way of useful information, the Tok’ra would extremely forthcoming in the details they were willing to impart.Acknowledging this outcome, Jacob apologized to the new arrivals on behalf of himself and Selmak as well as the dwindling number of Tok’ra who felt this waste of time was inappropriate for allies.

“I told George that there was no point in sending his top teams,” Jacob said as he noted the identities of the new arrivals and noted the distinct absence of a single member.“Apparently Jack took that to heart.”

“Colonel O’Neill was called away,” Collins reported.“He was scheduled to join us, but he had a funeral to attend.”

“Oh,” Jacob said.“Just as well.I’m not sure the strained relations between Earth and the Tok’ra could take his unique assessment of what you’re about to hear.”

“Things do indeed appear to be growing tenser,” Teal’c observed.“What is your opinion of this, Jacob Carter?”

“Selmak and I both believe it is due to the internal power struggle going on within the Tok’ra ranks right now, Teal’c,” Jacob replied.“There’s always tension there, but it’s been growing stronger as the weeks pass.What is causing that precisely remains a mystery to both Selmak and myself.He can’t recall a time in Tok’ra history when there was this much internal opposition.”

“Isn’t he like a million years old?” Blix offered.

“Just shy of two thousand, Lieutenant,” the voice of Selmak resonated.“Normally, people tell me that I look good for my age.”

“Uh, sorry,” Blix said as he turned red and caught a warning glare from Collins.“I didn’t mean that you were… uh…”

“It is all right,” Selmak replied.“Your point is well taken.I am the oldest of the Tok’ra and never before has there been such strife among us.In the beginning, there was great friction.Many of Queen Ageria’s off-spring clashed with the dozen or so who had formerly been goa’ulds but crossed over to the résistance.That is the only time when I can recall there being such contention and animosity among the Tok’ra.”

“Wait, you mean there were some actual full blow goa’ulds who gave up their egomaniacal lives to over throw their over-dressed buddies?” Blix asked.

“I suppose that is hard to believe given your brief time knowing of the goa’uld’s existence,” Selmak answered.“As the centuries have passed, the goa’ulds have become more and more war-like.In the beginning, not all were like this.They did take hosts but there was at least an acknowledgement that the host remained self-aware.In the end, it was the imperialistic and maniacal ways of the system lord Ra who convinced Ageria that he needed to be deposed.”

“So like who crossed sides?” Blix asked.“Any of them still alive?”

“Jaffa teachings held that those few who did turned on their former brothers within the system lords were systematically hunted, tortured and eventually killed,” Teal’c reported.“Their names were then obliterated from all references in goa’uld culture.They were erased from existence for their treason.”

“My Jaffa friend is correct; most are now gone,” Selmak reported.“The Tok’ra, regardless of origin, have paid a heavy price for their opposition to the goa’uld through the centuries.That has never been more so than the recent past.We have taken heavy losses; this too helps explain the current state of our alliances and internal workings.We have zero population growth and the course we set for the next few years could determine the lasting fate of our race.”

“Oh well, yeah, sure,” Blix nodded as he realized his question did sound inappropriate at second glance.“I just wondered what would make someone who knew he could rule any place he wanted like a god just give it up.I mean, that takes a lot of character, right?”

“Indeed it does,” Selmak said appreciatively.“Perhaps you will be lucky.One of the few survivors may in fact be here today.”

“One of the counsel is a former goa’uld?” Teal’c asked.

“No,” Selmak said.“Despite their on-going efforts to overthrow the goa’uld, those formerly in the goa’uld ranks have always been viewed with a certain suspicion by the leadership of the Tok’ra.That, too, is changing as we find there are fewer and fewer of us.However, the Tok’ra I mention is preparing to take on an assignment and was going to be here to finalize those plans.He will be meeting with Anise, I believe.”

“Who is this former goa’uld?” Teal’c asked with interest.

“I have not met his latest host so I am not yet privy to his name,” Selmak said.“However, the symbiote has been a colleague of mine for nearly two thousand years.He is called Zeus.’


Washington, DC
K Street—

The clouds of the late morning finally burned off and the sun shone brilliantly on the Capital city.The streets hummed with cars and taxis shuttling people between meetings that most were convinced shaped the fate of the world.One of the few who knew this was false climbed out of a cab and held open the door for his companion.He was clad in his second-most detested attire: his dress uniform.His first and most loathed clothing was the so-called Mess Dress—the Air Force uniform equivalent of the tuxedo.Though this had been an aggravating day, he could at least express relief that the proceedings only required the dress attire rather than the more formal wear.Still, despite the protocol requirements and the reason for his presence on the east coast, O’Neill had few other major complaints about his visit thus far.

“That is not what I meant,” O’Neill explained as he and his companion exited the cab and walked toward the sweeping lobby of the hotel.They stepped out of the surprisingly oppressive humidity of the Indian Summer Washington DC was experiencing and into the cool confines of the hotel.“What I’m asking is: What kind of screwball sends invitations to his own funeral?”

“Apparently good friends of yours,” Sara Maitland, formerly Sara O’Neill, smirked as she accompanied him, her arm looped through his as she regained her composure.Her eyes were red and her nose running from crying, though the tears were from the immense effort it took to hold in a fit of laughter then the relief of letting it loose in the cab ride back to the hotel.

“Okay, let’s get one thing straight, Greg Marravich…,” O’Neill began.

“Ah, show some respect; I believe that’s Brigadier General Marravich, Colonel,” Sara interrupted smartly as she continued to laugh causing more tears to squeeze out of her eyes.

“I don’t care if he was Major Disaster, and you of all people should know that he was not a good friend of mine,” O’Neill protested.

“Thus the reason you flew all the way to Washington for his funeral,” Sara offered judiciously.

“Hey, I had to be in town for a meeting, too,” he said allowing her to enter the lobby in front of him.“Tell me again: Why are you here?”

The cool air of the building was refreshing and welcomed following the thick, sticky, still air outside.He removed his saucer hat and sunglasses as they entered.It took several moments for his eyes to adjust to the change in the light.

“Let’s not talk about me,” Sara said pursuing the discussion.“Let’s talk about you—it’s so much more fun for me and aggravating to you.”

As her eyes swept across the room, she caught sight of a woman on the opposite side of the lobby who turned her back quickly to them.There was something familiar about her profile though the sudden change from the bright sunlight to the moderately lit room was too drastic for Sara to be certain she actually recognized the woman.She would have pondered the possibility more deeply if not from the topic of their conversation.

“And what makes you think I want to talk to you?” O’Neill asked, as he stopped and removed his hat and sunglasses.

“Because you’re my date and its rude not to,” Sara said.

“What does that have to do with the fruitcake we just watched get planted?” O’Neill asked and though it was a callous way to describe the ceremony they recently attended, Sara found it an accurate account of their afternoon.“Oh, and you ended that…”

“With a preposition, yes, Jack, I’m aware,” Sara sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Actually, you split the infinitive,” he said but did not pursue the grammar scolding further.

“How do you convince people your IQ hovers around room temperature?” she asked, but she was glad for the change of subject.“Never mind.I recall.Practice.Lots of practice.”

The truth was she felt obligated to attend the services.Marravich had been O’Neill’s commanding officer at one time and was a tricky man to understand and even more difficult to like.Still, he managed it somehow and had been an immense if obtuse support to her during an awful period when her husband was believed dead and was being held in an Iraqi prison.But beyond his incomprehensible spurts of compassion, Marravich had been a peculiar man and never was that more evident than in his passing.He had specifically asked several dozen people, in letters written by his own hand some time before his death, to attend the ceremony that laid him to rest in Virginia.Sara had received her certified letter/invitation several days earlier and as the deceased had specifically asked for her to attend while citeing several of his fondest memories of her and the time she resided with her ex-husband overseas under the man’s command, she decided to attend out of guilt.Also, her older sister lived in the area and this was a good excuse to pay her a visit.Sara was not surprised to learn her ex-husband had also received such a message from the deceased.She was, however, surprised O’Neill actually attended.

“And you should be ashamed of yourself,” O’Neill scolded her as he escorted her into the room further.“Nice behavior for a funeral. Really classy, Sara.”

“My behavior?” she gasped.“You’re going to comment on my behavior?!”

“I just did, didn’t I?” he asked.“What were you doing carrying on like that about Loony Tunes Marravich?People are going to think you actually cared for the man, for crying out loud.”

She had spent the last 15 minutes of the obnoxiously pretentious and needlessly dramatic hour-long eulogy—written also by the departed himself—with her head buried in O’Neill’s shoulder, biting her knuckle not to laugh out loud.Anyone who saw her thought she was merely weeping in a dignified manner.Her ex, the cause of the predicament, did nothing to alleviate the problem and when he pretended to comfort her only worsened the affect by adding more observations and editorial comments into her ear.

“That was your fault because you kept whispering,” she accused him and pinched his arm for good measure.“I don’t care if no one else heard you—that was completely inappropriate for a funeral, Jack.You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“And yet I’m not,” he shrugged unconcerned.“Interesting.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Mischief should be your middle name,” she shook her head and wiped the remaining tears from her face as her chuckling subsided.

“My middle name doesn’t even start with the letter M,” he said as though that impacted her argument in any way.

“Patty told me it was a bad idea to come to this,” Sara stated as she recalled her sister’s warning and objections to her attendance.

“Patty’s just jealous because she never learned how to have fun,” O’Neill said.

“People don’t usually equate funerals and fun,” Sara observed.“Though, now that I think about it, the first three letters of the words are the same.”

“There we go,” he crowed and placed his hands triumphantly on her shoulders.“You’re finally started to see the world my way.”

“Speaking of seeing things, you have a message,” Sara said shaking her head rather than respond to him as she pointed at the cell phone he had drawn from his pocket; she noted the green light on the side was illuminated.

“What?”

“The light,” she tapped it.“It means you missed a call.”

“Only when it’s green,” he said.

“And it is,” she sighed.“For god’s sake, Jack. If you insist of keeping up the charade, at least get toys with different colored lights.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sara,” he said unconvincingly as he checked for his message.

Finding none, he deleted the hang up.The number the call came from was unfamiliar to him specifically though the area code and exchange signified it originated within the Pentagon.

“The greatest deception of all time it is not,” she continued.“But I would love to know how you convinced that doctor not to put it in your medical chart.”

“Waiting here?” he asked rather than comment on her pondering.

“Unless you are in dire need of my assistance,” she quipped.

“I think I can handle changing my clothes by myself,” he said.“I mastered buttons weeks ago.”

“If the little buggers give you trouble, just call,” she smirked and held up her phone.“I’m here for you, Jack.I can even help you differentiate between completely non-similar colors if needed.”

“Keep it up, and you’ll be buying your own dinner,” he warned lightly then departed to his room on the seventh floor.

Sara laughed dryly and walked over toward the cluster of arm chairs situated at the back of the lobby where she planned to wait.She had asked him to join her for dinner once she had found her composure again at the end of the services.She was glad to see him and the outside chance that she might see him was one of the motivations that prompted her to attend the funeral for a man she had never truly liked.Though she was again happily married and now raising four stepchildren, all boys ranging in age from 12 to 19, she did still wonder about and worry about her ex-husband.The last time she saw him she was unconvinced, despite his assurances to the contrary, that he was doing well.From what she had seen and heard that afternoon, her concerns were officially lifted.Sensing that there was actual contentment in his world, she now felt obligated to pry and find out details.She did not need to know so much as she wanted to know; she dearly wished that he would find the happiness she now experienced; she also wouldn’t pass up the chance to possibly needle him about it, thus giving her the chance to both enjoy his company and his discomfort.

She took a seat in the expansive lobby and let the cool air relax her before the set out on the excursion for dinner.She was starving and wanted to go directly from the reception after the funeral, but O’Neill refused to remain in his dress uniform any longer than was absolutely necessary.They ended up having the same discussion they had every time he raised objections about that attire.She thought he looked good in it; he didn’t care because he loathed it.She smirked as she thought about it again.There were new ribbons on his chest that she did not recognize; she was glad for once that she didn’t know what they were for.As she made this realization, she looked across the room.When they entered, Sara saw the woman briefly who appeared to see them then turn away abruptly.Sara spotted her again and looked more carefully at her this time.She was obscured by other chairs and a plant.She was turned now and headed toward the door on her way out of the lobby.Sara stood and followed her.

“Major Carter?” Sara asked as she approached the woman who was about to step into the street.“Sam Carter?”

Carter stopped in her tracks then turned to face Sara in surprise.

“Oh, hi,” she said convincingly as though she had not seen her enter the lobby just minutes ago.

“I just recognized you as you turned to leave,” Sara said.“I mean, I thought I saw someone I recognized when we first came in but it’s so dark in here.I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out of uniform.I wasn’t even sure it was you.”

“Oh yeah,” Carter nodded and smiled forcefully then shrugged.“It’s me.So, what brings you to Washington?”

“Oh, a funeral,” Sara said then quickly added before condolences could be offered, “but no one really cared about that.I know that must sound awful, but you had to know the man.Greg Marravich, a retired one-star general.He was… I knew him a long, long time ago.He was… unique.”

“So I’ve heard,” Carter said.“I spoke to someone else who was attending the funeral today.Not a lot of people seem broken up about his death but from what I understand, he would have liked it that way.”

“Pretty much,” Sara said.“He was odd.I shouldn’t speak ill of someone who just died but…It can’t be helped.It’s not an insult.It’s just the truth.”

Carter nodded.She wanted to vacate the lobby before O’Neill returned.She had intended on surprising him after she learned he was in DC.She had been on at the Pentagon for the week going over recent development and future projections for the science station.When Major Davis informed her that her 3 p.m. meeting had been canceled due to a funeral, she received the details about the passing of retired Brigadier General Marravich, including the bizarre initiations he penned himself.It was at that time that she learned O’Neill was among those who received one.However, her plans for a surprise were turned back on her when she saw him waltz into his hotel with his ex-wife on his arm.Carter was stunned and felt both foolish and betrayed though she knew neither feeling was necessary nor founded.Once she realized this, she wanted only to leave quickly.She figured she would just call O’Neill later that evening and tell him her stealthy recon had determined what hotel he was in then see what time his return flight was leaving to see if he was available for breakfast or lunch the following day.

That plan was now dashed.

“So are you staying here?” Sara asked.

“Uh, no, not exactly,” Carter said.“Are you?”

“Me?” Sara repeated.“No.My sister lives in just across the river.I’m just here with Jack.”

“I see,” Carter said keeping her face as neutral as possible.

“Were you looking for him?” Sara asked.

“Uh, no,” Carter lied.“I was here… I was meeting with someone else.I mean, obviously I’m here alone right now.I mean, he was here.I was just leaving.I’ve got a lot of meetings at the Pentagon this week so… here I am.”

Carter sensed from the quizzical look she received that her cover story was as lame and flimsy as it sounded when she spoke it.

“Actually,” she added truthfully to prop up her tale, “I’m also on a little vacation of sorts.Cassandra… uh, she’s my… I’m her guardian.Her high school sponsored a trip here so she and I sort of came together.I was the chaperone for her trip.They left this morning, but now I have work keeping me here now.”

“Are you free for dinner?” Sara asked.“Jack’s staying in this hotel.We’re were just going to head out for dinner.Care to join us?”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t…,” Carter began as the elevators opened and O’Neill stepped out dressed in civilian clothing and spotted her instantly.

“Come on,” Sara said encouragingly.“I’ll make sure he behaves and doesn’t give any orders.”

“What orders?” O’Neill asked as he kept his expression unreadable.“Carter?”

“Hello, uh, Colonel,” she said stiltedly.“I was just… Cassie’s class in here.Was here.In DC.Uh, at the hotel.Not this hotel, but the one next door.Around the corner actually.”

“Everything all right?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Carter nodded.“They weren’t any trouble really.Some of the kids got out of hand, but they were part of a different group.Cassandra and her friends were very well behaved.”

“Probation does that to some people,” O’Neill nodded.“Where is she?”

“She left this morning,” Carter explained and caught his skeptical expression.“I have someone staying with her for the next few nights.I have to be at the Pentagon for some meetings tomorrow morning.Anyway, I was…”

“Joining us for dinner,” Sara said firmly.“I promised her you’d behave, Jack.That means you have to be nice and you can’t give the Major any orders.”

“I’m not allowed,” O’Neill said.“And she’s not a Major.”

“How’s that?” Sara asked.

“Oh, I’m not in the Air Force really any more,” Carter said with a quick nod.“They promoted me but I set aside my commission so I could work in another capacity for the Air Force; I’m sort of a civilian consultant.Putting all that science stuff to good use.”

“Science stuff?” O’Neill echoed as he observed the prickly and jittery look on Carter’s face.

“Jack, don’t be a pain,” Sara scolded him.“Be thankful.You’ll have two beautiful escorts for the evening—for that you can pretend you’re charming.Now, pick a place to eat because I’m going to gnaw my arm off if I don’t get food soon.”

“Carter’s the DC expert,” he said.“Sam?”

“Okay,” she said uncomfortably.“Um, we can head out to Dupont Circle.Let’s get a cab.”

Sara exited ahead of them to signal the doorman to summon a cab.Carter looked at O’Neill then shrugged.

“Surprise,” she said listlessly, recalling how he loathed such things.

Alpha Site—

Collins placed the summary of his report on the desk in front of Lt. Col. Pierce and waited patiently while he perused the synopsis.He normally would have spent a little more time on the report, but considering the lack of information resulting from the visit with the Tok’ra, an lengthy report seemed a waste of time.He did at least run a spell check and a grammar check on the document.While clear and concise reporting was expected of all officers when providing reports, Collins had learned the hard way during his first months at the Alpha Site that what was sufficient for most government reports did not find favor with his commanding officer.O’Neill was relaxed when it came to protocol and formalities—regulations also were not one of his strong suits at times—but he was a brutal proofreader and would not sign off on an error filled report.Collins felt like he was handing in a freshman composition paper each time he delivered a report to the man.He was glad in this instance that it was Pierce rather than O’Neill who was receiving this hastily typed dispatch.

“This is what you wasted your day doing?” Pierce asked as he read the top page.

“Yes, sir,” the Captain answered.“General Carter did start out by apologizing to us; he said he informed General Hammond that the meeting would probably be a waste of time, sir.”

“Do we have to call him General Carter?” Blix asked.He was seated in the room folding paper for no apparent purpose that Pierce could discern.The Lieutenant was still a puzzle to the senior officer; however, what was more of a puzzle was how he had lasted so long on Alpha-1.He was easily not O’Neill’s favorite airman.

“What is your question, Lieutenant?” Pierce asked, emphasizing his rank.

“Sorry, sir,” Blix said.“I’ve always just wondered about that.General Carter really isn’t General Carter any more.He’s retired, and he does have a snake in his head.That removes him from any chance of ever retaking his former command, right?Sir?”

Pierce shook his head rather than answer.He didn’t have an answer for that.He, himself, did not normally interact with the former general.When he did, he chose not to address him in any way.He did not feel it appropriate to call him Jacob as they were not close.Nor did calling him General Carter sit well with him for precisely the reasons Blix had just noted.Still, Mr. Carter sounded too formal, as though the Lt. Colonel himself was still a child and addressing a school teacher.Relations with the Tok’ra, even those who liked the personnel of Stargate Command, was always difficult.

“That sounds like a question better directed to Colonel O’Neill,” Pierce said, holding back his smirk as he pushed the responsibility off on O’Neill.It was his fault he was in charge of Blix that week as the Colonel was needed at the Pentagon for several meetings at the request of General Hammond.It had screwed up the rotation at the Alpha Site and left Blix for Pierce to watch.

“All right,” Blix nodded, making a mental note to do just that as soon as he saw O’Neill next.“It’s too bad we never did get to meet Zeus.Is that in the report, Captain?”

“I saw no need to mention it, Blix,” Collins sighed.The Lieutenant was curious and required more supervision than he was getting under Pierce, in Collins estimation.At least when O’Neill was around, the Lieutenant had a certain amount of well-founded fear that kept him in place and on his best behavior.

“What?” Blix asked in amazement.“Hey, that was the best part of the whole thing.Zeus is a real guy, Colonel.Can you believe that?The guy from Mount Olympus is for real; the guy with the big beard and the lightning bolts and the… the…. What else did he have?The toga, I guess.That’s something, huh?”

“Blix, nobody cares that…,” Collins began.

“Think he’d like to come to the Olympics sometime?” Blix asked.“You know, just to see what it’s become.I know there’s no way it could happen, but wouldn’t it be something if he could light the torch or something.How cool would that be?”

“Fire is in fact very hot, Lieutenant,” Teal’c informed him flatly.

“Oh, right, I just meant, it would cool in a….well, in a… uh…,” Blix stammered.“Someone help me here?”

“It would be interesting in a historical sense that the alleged creator of the games could light the symbol for those games,” Collins offered and shot Blix a look of pity and contempt.

“Right, like that,” Blix nodded appreciatively as he snapped his fingers and pointed at Collins.

“I see,” Teal’c replied.He understood the Lieutenant initially but his efforts to point out the irony in the man’s statement had failed.

“Did any of you think it was strange that General Carter doesn’t know the guy?” Blix asked.

“Selmak knows him,” Collins pointed out testily.“He only said that Zeus lost his host recently and that he hadn’t met the new one.General Carter met Zeus when he became a Tok’ra seven years ago; Selmak’s known him for a thousand years.It’s just his new host that they haven’t met.”

“I think it’s strange,” Blix continued.“I mean the concept.They’ve known each other for all these years and every few years they have to meet all over again.I mean, they could both be undercover in the same place and unless they revealed their identities, they might never know who the other one is.That’s just weird.”

“It is the point of subversion,” Teal’c said.“Secrecy is their only defense.It is also their greatest weapon.”

“Hey, I’ll take a P-90 and a couple of pounds of C-4 over that any day,” Blix said as he rose to leave the room.

“You want to ask to be dismissed, Lieutenant?” Collins asked.

“Oh, sorry,” Blix replied.“Colonel, with your permission?”

“Go,” Pierce said, still looking over Collins’ report.“Captain, what is this about a hauk’taur?”

“Oh, that’s probably nothing, sir,” he answered.“Colonel O’Neill is always so adamant that the coats put all the details they find out in their reports so I figured I’d follow suit.”

“But you left Zeus out,” Blix offered and grinned and wagged his finger at the Captain as he left the room.

Collins glared at him and continued his briefing.

“Anise said there are rumors that some goa’uld is again trying to breed a hauk’taur,” Collins said.“Apparently, there is some sketchy information about it.The Tok’ra counsel doesn’t give it any merit, but Anise doesn’t agree.She said she believes that may be why we have had so little interaction with them lately—they’re fighting amongst themselves trying to keep whoever is trying it from doing it.Of course, she also said that there is a chance that the whole thing is just some misinformation planted by the rebel Jaffa or even an undercover Tok’ra that’s keeping the goa’uld policing themselves.Either way, it seems to be working.”

“That’s all it is?” Pierce asked, flagging the report as something to push forward up the chain of command regardless.

“That is all she said,” Teal’c offered.“I do not believe that she revealed all she knows.She insinuated that female Tok’ra operatives may be in danger if their identities are known.There has been reluctance among the Tok’ra for some time to take new hosts who are female.This is an uncharacteristic strategy by the Tok’ra as they are always in need of hosts and do no turn offers away.However, in recent months, there has been a preference for male hosts.I believe this may be linked to her suspicions about the threat of a hauk’taur.”

“You’re thinking rape or similar means to impregnate a female operative and gain the knowledge of the Tok’ra through the hauk’taur,” Pierce divined.

“That would be impossible, sir,” Collins said.“The passage of the genetic memory must be done willingly by the symbiote.No Tok’ra will do that.They’d die first.”

“I concur,” Teal’c said.“Unless the goa’uld have found another way or are experimenting on finding such a means that does not require the willingness of the symbiote, such an endeavor would be pointless.”

“Anise did say she was researching something similar, sort of,” Collins added.“She’s doing genetic research to replicate certain genetic attributes that would assist the Tok’ra and their hosts.The trouble is, of course, they don’t have any live subjects to test her findings on.”

“Live subjects?” Pierce queried.

“They don’t have the FDA rules,” Collins reported.“They could probably test whatever they wanted on just about anyone they wanted.Like that whole Za’tark thing with the memory recall devices?That thing they tried on Colonel O’Neill a while back, I got the feeling from Freyah that the Colonel was the first person they actually tried it on; all those tests she said they ran to convince General Hammond it was save were just like computer simulations.I think they did use him as a guinea pig.”

“Is that in your report?” Pierce asked.“I mean about the genetic experiments mostly—I think we’re all pretty clear on what happened to Colonel O’Neill.”

“Uh, no,” Collins replied.“I can amend the report if you like.I just…. I know I shouldn’t have omitted it, sir.But…. I know our relations with the Tok’ra are strained right now.I didn’t want someone who doesn’t know them to make a snap judgment after reading part of that.I was afraid they would look like Nazis’ or something.”

“Your job isn’t to worry about politics,” Pierce reminded him.“I want the full report before 15:30.”

“Yes, sir,” Collins saluted then stepped out of the room.

“Any of that concern you?” Pierce asked Teal’c.

“All of it,” Teal’c replied.


Washington, DC—

Illumination from the street lights bounced off the pavement and made the sidewalks glow as the trio departed the restaurant and walked in the general direction of the capital whose domed top could be seen from a distance.The conversation was centered on teenagers and was being conducted by the two women who presently had the creatures in their homes.

“I have that trouble with Cassandra all the time,” Carter smiled, enjoying the discussion.“She’s basically an adult and should be able to decide things like this, but there’s no way I’m letting her stay up until midnight on the phone on school nights.I don’t think it’s going too far to assign her a time for lights out.”

“I’m with you on this, Sam,” Sara nodded.“Like I said, fight that fight just about every night.I lose more often than I win it seems.I don’t know what to try next.”

“Give up,” O’Neill offered as they walked along the sidewalk beside the closed store and office fronts adjacent to the restaurant.

“Give up?” Sara repeated.“The voice of reason chimes in.Okay, Colonel Surrender-Is-An-Option, why?”

“Easier for you,” he said as they walked down the nearly empty sidewalk in the sultry heat of the evening.

“And you became a path of least resistance guy when exactly, Jack?” Sara asked.

“I had that same bedtime argument with my own mother hundreds of times,” O’Neill said.

“And?” Carter asked, noting she had never heard O’Neill mention his mother much less admit he ever had one.

“Finally I gave up arguing with her,” he shrugged.

“That worked?” Sara asked.

“Yeah, I just let her stay up as long as she liked and it made life was oh so peaceful after that,” he said.

As he completed his final thought, Sara’s bunched fist impacted the upper part of his arm to coincide with her growl of dismay at having been lured into the now obvious set up.She then pointed a finger in his direction and offered a brief and tired lecture on not participating in the conversation if he had nothing useful or truthful or interesting to add.She then launched into a momentary comment period that implied she always suspected he never had an actual mother but had been hatched from a pod for no woman could possibly have raised someone like him purposefully.

“Wait,” O’Neill interrupted in confusion.“Did you just call me a chicken?”

Carter bit her lip rather than laugh.She was certain to do so would only encourage him.Sara, for her part, elbowed him one final time as he managed to look surprised by any of her observations or assertions.

“And on that note, I’m leaving,” Sara said as she reached the stairs to the metro stop.“There is only so much of your insanity I can handle when I’m so out of practice.I’ll catch a ride back to Patty’s from here.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ll call Patty and have her meet me in Arlington,” Sara said confidently.“I’ve done this dozens of times, Jack.I can handle it without an escort.”

“Actually, I meant do you really want to go back to Patty’s,” he offered.“Talk about insanity.”

“It’s where I’m expected to be,” Sara smirked without disagreeing.“Sam, where are you heading?”

“Oh, I’m….,” Carter began.“I’ll just get a cab.It was good to see you.”

“You as well; good luck with Cassandra,” Sara said as Carter moved toward the curb to flag down a cab.As Carter stepped away to hail a cab, Sara spoke to O’Neill quietly.

“Don’t you screw this up,” she said firmly.

“Screw what up?”

“You know what,” Sara said, looking quickly at Carter. “And not that it matters, but I like her.She’s good for you; I can see that.”

“Go visit Atilla the Sister,” he said brushing off her comment.

“I wanted to tell her that the act won’t fool anyone for very long, but I didn’t want to embarrass her,” Sara said.“So I’m telling you, because I want you to know.You’re allowed to be happy, Jack.”

“What act?” he asked.

“What?” she asked then shook her head as she realized he was picking apart the conversation in an attempt to confuse her and thus attempting to change the subject.“The one where you both pretend there’s nothing going on between you.You’re better at it than she is tonight, but I blame myself for that.”

“Oh for crying out…,” he began as he shook his head.

“In case you’re curious,” Sara interrupted, “it’s the way she looks at you when she doesn’t think anyone is watching her.Dead giveaway.”

“Good night, Sara,” he said noncommittally as she kissed him briefly on the cheek and started down the escalator toward the trains.

O’Neill shook his head and dismissed his ex-wife’s comment quickly.Whether or not Sara knew anything about he and Carter was of no concern to him.However, Carter’s odd behavior throughout the evening was a different matter.She was not the type of person to exhibit nervousness even in dire situations.She was usually demonstrated a heroic level of calm and self-control.Her occasional jittery responses and anxious expression through the evening were puzzling.Rather than remark upon it, though, he joined her in the cab and rode with her back to her hotel.They barely exchanged a word between the cab and the elevator ride.As she made no move to bid him good evening, he accepted the silent invitation to join her in her room where he hoped to get an explanation for her conduct.They entered the room and Carter sighed as though relieved.

“Okay, care to clue me in on what was going on with you tonight?” O’Neill asked as he leaned against the wall.

“Me?” Carter responded.“Uh… I don’t know what…”

“Sam, something is bothering you,” he said simply.“I won’t even pretend to know what it might be.I have absolutely no insight into these things so this will go a lot smoother if you just explain it to me.But use little words and short sentences—it’s been a long day.”

Carter looked at him and his honest expression.He did not understand nor suspect what the problem might be and that was part of her issue.She was surprised once she realized what was bothering her.She was also ashamed and hurt on some deep level that she was not prepared to deal with yet much less vent to the man who was in part of the cause of her angst.She did not want to lie to him or attempt to pretend nothing was wrong for he would sense the deception quickly even if he did not understand its roots.Still, she felt she owed him some explanation.

“I guess that I’m a little jealous,” Carter said after a moment.

“Jealous?” he asked perplexedly.“Of what?”

“Of you, you and Sara,” Carter replied.“I watch the two of you this evening, and I realize that we don’t have that… that sort of connection.We don’t share what the two of your share.”

“A history of bickering and friendly insults?” O’Neill ventured.

“No, but yes,” Carter said and chuckled lightly.“History, Jack. You and Sara were married.”

“I recall,” he said.“That was before we were divorced.”

“Yes, but you had a life together,” Carter sighed.“Something awful happened, but if not for that, you’d still be together.She still cares for you.”

“She’s married to someone she cares for more,” he said confused.

“I know,” Carter said.“And I admitted that I was jealous.I was planning on surprising you when you got back to your hotel and instead I watched you walk in with her.It bothered me a little.”

“Why?”

“Not because I think there’s something going on between you,” she assured him.“It bothered me because despite everything you’ve been through together—in fact probably because of everything you’ve been through—anyone else who saw you two tonight would have no idea you were divorced.”

“Except that she’s back at her sister’s talking to her husband on the phone, and I’m here with you when I have a perfectly nice hotel room of my own a few blocks away,” he said.“Sam, before this goes any further, I just want to say that it should not surprise you to learn that I have no idea what we’re talking about right now.”

“I thought I knew you, all of you,” she said.“After everything we’ve been through in the last eight years, I thought I knew everything about you.Then I have dinner with your ex-wife and I see that there is… I forget sometimes that you had a life before the SGC.”

“That ended,” he said.

“I know,” she assured him, repressing any urge to discuss the matter further.“This isn’t really about you, Jack.It’s about me.I’m glad we had dinner with Sara.I thoroughly enjoyed it.She’s a wonderful person.I can see why you loved her.”

“Carter, if this is about….” he began.

“It’s about me realizing that I spent too much time in a lab,” she said quickly ending the discussion.“That’s all.”

“That’s what this is about?”

“Yeah,” she said persuasively.“It always startles me when I am reminded how much of my life I gave up to my career.That’s… that’s it.”

“You’re sure?” he asked skeptically.

“Yeah,” she lied convincingly.“That’s all.”

“Well, then that explains why I didn’t understand any of what we’ve just discussed,” he shook his head and relaxed.“Anything that begins and ends in your lab is a mystery to me.”

“Right,” she nodded and smiled though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

O’Neill appeared to be on the verge of questioning her further when her cellphone trilled.Carter answered it gratefully.

“Carter,” she said.

“Sam, hi,” Daniel answered.“Sorry to bother you.Is it too late?”

“Uh, no,” she replied.“Is something going on?”

“Not exactly,” he said.“I take it you didn’t get my messages.”

“I did, but you said it wasn’t urgent so I figured I’d call you tomorrow,” Carter replied.“Is it urgent?”

“No, no,” he said.“I was just… I have some information that I wanted to share and you’re probably the only person who would care.I guess that’s just me having a smaller peer group that necessary.Oh, speaking of small and peers, Lt. Hailey called me from your house.She’s staying with Cassandra until you get home tomorrow?”

“Yeah, she offered to keep an eye on things,” Carter said quickly.“Is anything wrong?”

“Oh no, not really,” Daniel said quickly.“She said your DVD player was broken.I gather from what she said, she fixed it.She was asking me if I thought you would mind.”

“It was broken?” Carter asked.

“Apparently,” Daniel replied.“But she took care of things.She and Cassandra were going to watch movies tonight—no parties, they both promised me.When are you expecting to get back?”

“Tomorrow around 20:30,” she said.“Are you sure there’s no problem?”

“None, I was just wondering if you’d be free for breakfast the following morning?” Daniel asked.

“I think so, but you can check with Lisa, she’s acting as my administrative assistant until I get somebody more permanent,” Carter replied.“She was supposed to be getting my travel arrangements done but I hadn’t heard from her so I don’t know anything for certain yet.”

“Okay,” Daniel said.“I’ll keep my fingers crossed you miss the ugly green blob that’s on the weather radar.”

“The what?”

“I didn’t really catch most of the report,” Daniel said.“Working underground 12 to 15 hours per day kind of makes weather reports sort of useless to me, but I heard something about a storm system moving across the center of the nation.Tornados, lots of rain.Something about a flood somewhere, too.Like I said, I only caught part of the report when I was leaving for work today.For all I know, the storm happened yesterday some place and is gone now.I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”

“All right,” Carter said then disconnected and looked at O’Neill who gazed back at her blankly, his thoughts unreadable.“That was Daniel.They’re having a storm somewhere in the country.He was wondering about my travel plans.”

“Ah,” O’Neill replied neutrally.“Cassie?”

“She won’t be appearing on an episode of Cops if that’s what you’re worried about,” Carter remarked.“She’s with Lt. Hailey this evening.”

“Captain,” O’Neill said.

“What?”

“Captain Hailey,” O’Neill replied.“Or it will be in a day or two.Her promotion came through.She was probably going to tell you about it in person so… I hate surprises… for anyone.”


P7Z-991—

The youngest host in recent Tok’ra memory stepped out of the rings that returned him to the surface from their underground network of tunnels on the densely forested planet.He was frustrated with his assignment and had little patience with his latest mentor, who was at this point refusing to speak to the host and only wanted to work with the symbiote he carried.As he stormed through the overgrowth of trees and scraggly bushes, the sybiote he carried, Lamda, tried to calm him.The teenager, however, chose to pay the voice within him no attention.

“Charlie,” called the harmonic voice of another Tok’ra.

The boy turned, hearing his own chosen name rather than that of the symbiote.

“Charlie, you must learn to control your emotions,” the older Tok’ra said in a parental way.“I understand it is difficult in adolescence, but you must try harder.”

“They treat me as though I were a child,” the boy said.“Zeus, you are one of the few among them who hasn’t, and we’ve only just met.How is it that you can be reasonable while they….”

“One of the benefits of attaining great age is the accruement of great wisdom and great patience,” Zeus said calmly.“You disagree with your current assignment?”

“I have no assignment and I’m sick and tired of being their research boy,” Charlie said.“Lamda is practically as old as any of the Tok’ra down there today and yet they treat us like we were infants.I’m never allowed to go on covert missions; I’m not allowed to participate in any planning; and now I’m not allowed to even make a brief visit on my own to visit our allies in a place that everyone agrees is as safe as any place I might choose!”

“You wish to visit your friends of Earth,” Zeus inclined his head.

“The place they call their Alpha Site,” Charlie said.“I’ve been promised that I could do that for a long time but that has never been fulfilled.I am a prisoner since Jacob Carter and Selmak left for whatever mission they are on at this time.They were to accompany me but were sent away.If I need a keeper, then why won’t someone else do it?”

“We have many obligations, young one,” Zeus said.

“Including you?” the boy asked suddenly and hopefully.“You only just arrived today.Surely they can’t expect you to leave again immediately.Perhaps you could join me, watch over me—if that is the others’ concern.I can assure you that I would be both welcomed and safe at the Tauri base.I know how we may contact them so we will receive permission to enter their base unharmed.”

“Alas, I cannot,” Zeus said.“Not at this time, though I wish I could assist you.Your admiration and affection for the humans of Earth is intriguing to me.”

“It’s a point of distrust for the others, I know,” Charlie seethed.“They believe I will reveal secrets.Well, I don’t know any!”

“You know more than you realize,” Zeus said.

“And what if I do,” Charlie said.“They are our allies.They will not harm us.”

“Your faith in their honor is commendable, but it is untested,” Zeus said.“Not all friends are what they seem—this is another lesson I have learned in my many years.”

“Perhaps, but some friends and genuine,” Charlie replied.“Jack O’Neill is my friend.He would never betray us.If you would meet him, you would know.”

“I look forward to the day when I meet Colonel O’Neill face to face,” Zeus said.“That will need to wait for another time as will you visit.However, there is no need for you to return to your studies so quickly.Come.Tell me of your Earth friends in more detail.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Perhaps you can begin by telling me how you came to know Colonel O’Neill,” Zeus said in a calculating manner.


Up next: Chapter 19