Chapter 3

General Hammond looked at the bleary eyed archeologist sitting to his right with concern as Daniel rubbed his temples in obvious discomfort. Glancing at the wall clock, he was shocked when he realized that he, Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Jackson had been sitting in the briefing room for over four hours.

Daniel got up to pour himself another cup of coffee.

"Daniel, do you think that's a good idea?" Janet said, indicating the half dozen empty cups by his place at the table.

Daniel leaned against the sideboard eyes downcast. He slowly raised his head, pinpoints of color on his pale cheeks the only indication of his controlled anger. "No, Dr. Fraiser, this is not a good idea." He raised his coffee in acknowledgment. "Neither is *my* being here and my *teammates*," Daniel waved his arm in the direction of the Stargate, "being out there, a good idea."

Daniel sank into the chair and exhaled audibly. His gaze flicked from the General to Janet. "I don't know how they did it. It wasn't like the Gamekeeper's planet, we didn't watch; we participated. We thought we were here. Well we *were* here just not…you know, *here*." Daniel took a deep breath to bring his emotions under control. Aware that he was rambling, he shifted nervously in his seat.

"Daniel, it's not that we doubt you, it's just that--," Janet began, but was cut off by an Airman clearing his throat from the top of the stairs. Janet sat back in her chair to wait as Hammond motioned the airman to enter.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Fraiser asked that she be informed immediately when we had the results of Dr. Jackson's electron resonance scan." The airman held up the folder in his hand and gave it to Janet before saluting the General and leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Electron resonance scan, Doctor?" Hammond probed as the Doctor sifted through the papers in the file.

"Yes, sir." She looked up as she answered, then over to Daniel, who had a puzzled look on his face.

"Isn't that the same…uh, thing… you ran a couple years ago when…" Daniel started.

"When Urgo was here? Yes, it is. I saw an anomaly on one of the brain scans and wanted to double check it, make sure we didn't have another implant or som-hmm," she trailed off, utterly engrossed in the paperwork she was holding.

"Uh-oh. I don't like that 'hmm,' Janet…" Daniel eyed her warily as he waited for a response. He had a bad feeling about this… but maybe it would be the kind of proof he needed to get the General to authorize a rescue mission or something. "Janet. What *is* it?"

"Doctor?" The General leaned in over the table.

"Daniel, I… I don't know what it is. I mean… wow." Janet was shaking her head, now, reading and rereading the report in the file, flipping from it to the scan behind it.

"Janet! What? Oh, gimme that!" Daniel, growing uncharacteristically impatient, grabbed the file out of her hand and thumbed back to the scan, pulling it out to hold up to the light. "Wow," was all he could say when the image began to make sense. "Uh… I'm no doctor, Doctor, but I don't think that's something the average person comes factory equipped with."

"Dr. Jackson? If you would please enlighten me?" The General severely disliked being out of the loop. Daniel complied as best he could by simply handing over the scan and looking to Janet for the explanation that he needed as well.

"What am I looking at, Doctor?" Hammond asked, holding the film up to the light.

"Well, sir, that's the anomaly. Magnified several thousand times, of course. It's about two millimeters in diameter and obviously mechanical. From what this report is telling me, sir, Daniel, it's emitting a low-level EM field and is kinda… well, it's hardwired into his brain, sir. It's issuing synapses and responses, just like any other biological area of his brain. Frankly, I *think* this little guy might go so far as to completely corroborate Daniel's story. This is the answer to the question as to what type technology those people used on SG1. If all of SG1 has one of these things in their heads, from what the scan is showing me… It's *possible* that this device would make it possible for memories to be extracted and for SG1's comprehension of their senses to be manipulated. The technology *is* extremely advanced."

Daniel couldn't decide between being horrified and jumping up and shouting 'woo-hoo!' whilst pumping his fist in victory.

"Can this implant be removed?" asked the General, finally laying down the scan and folding his hands on the table.

"Well, actually, yes. I think it can. It's not so small that we can't work with it. And, it's just kind of… on the surface of his brain. Right in the middle, here." She pointed to the very top of her head. "It's lying on the membrane between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Granted, it's a very delicate location and an operation would be risky, but if we called in a specialist, I think we could extract it without causing any damage."

"I'll make some calls, Doctor. Good work," Hammond replied.

"Excuse me…Janet, General Hammond with all due respect, I'm sitting right here." Daniel waved his arms in severe agitation. "Please don't speak like I'm a nonentity. I refuse to see a specialist and subject myself to surgical removal of this device right now. You can call whomever you wish, but surgery needs to wait until I…we get Jack, Sam and Teal'c back to the SGC."

Fraiser and the General exchanged a glance. "Dr. Fraiser. At this point in time, will Dr. Jackson's health be in danger if the device is not removed?"

Janet opened the files again, read them over, raised her head and answered "No. But I really believe that a neurologist should be contacted, not only for Dr. Jackson, but I believe for the remaining members of SG1, if and when we get them back." Janet sent an encouraging glance over in Daniel's direction. He smiled in acknowledgement.

"General, in light of this new, uh, evidence, I would like to ask again that a rescue team be sent through the gate for the rest of SG1, sir." Daniel stood as he made his request, hands clasped behind his back at a fair approximation of 'parade rest,' just as he had seen Jack and Sam do a million times before.

Hammond took a deep breath and nodded his head to him, acknowledging the effort before he broke the bad news.

"Dr. Jackson, I'm sorry. I… I ordered a probe to be sent through a few hours ago while you were being checked out. To PX8904. It was unable to rematerialize on the other side."

"So what are you saying? They have an iris?" Daniel asked, bringing his hands down to rest on the General's desk. Janet's jaw dropped as well. She had been hoping so fiercely for some good news in all of this.

"Maybe not exactly like ours, but just as effective. Bottom line, son, there's nothing we can do. Believe me when I say that I *was* going to authorize a mission, proof or not, but now…"

"Now there's… nothing we can do," Daniel lowered his eyes and his shoulders fell. "Unless--," he started, eyes wide with realization.

"We are trying to contact the Asgard and the Tok'ra, but the Asgard are as deeply entrenched in their war with the replicators as ever and the Tok'ra are unavailable… We'll keep trying, son, but you'll just have to be patient."

"I understand, sir. Thank-you for trying."

"We won't give up on them, Daniel," Hammond said as Daniel turned and headed for the door.

"No. No we won't," said Daniel under his breath, never breaking stride.

The General waited until the distraught doctor exited the room before picking up the phone and dialing security. He felt uncomfortable about his giving the order to have base security keep a discrete eye on Daniel Jackson. The General wished to be informed immediately if Dr. Jackson made any attempt to leave the base or enter the embarkation or control room. He hung up the phone with a sigh and a heavy heart, a feeling of disgust washing over him for having to take those precautions.

He jumped when Dr. Fraiser touched his arm.

"Sir," the good doctor said gently. "It needs to be done. Daniel is going to be experiencing extreme fluctuations in emotions. The strongest one will be displacement. He knows this is his home, but he feels his home is also with his team who are light years away…and he believes they are in danger."

In an uncharacteristically gentle motion, the General placed his hands atop Dr. Fraiser's on his forearms. Their eyes met and the doctor smiled at him with compassion in her eyes as she continued. "Also, sir, Daniel is overcome with horrible guilt. The first commandment of Colonel Jack O'Neill…the one he embedded in his kids' minds…was that no one gets left behind. In Daniel's eyes and his heart, he had broken most important of all rules, and it is figuratively going to destroy him. And the worst part is, he really doesn't know why he is here and the remaining members of SG1 are not."

In a voice choked with emotion, the General responded, "I know, Doctor Fraiser, but that doesn't make it any easier."

* * * *

Daniel picked up his pace through the halls of the SGC, aware that Hammond had tagged security to him. He walked through the quiet corridors, head down and hands ensconced deeply in his pants pockets. Numerous personnel attempted to halt the doctor, but he refused to make eye contact with anyone.

Since finding out SG1's purpose on the planet…Daniel could literally feel his skin crawl, remembering that his every move had been watched, viewed, measured and judged. Reaching the elevator, he entered and pushed the button to close the doors; however, Daniel stayed in the elevator, lost in thought, without pushing a destination.

Judged…Judged. Daniel leaned his head against the immobile elevator's closed doors. Thinking of judgment and how he judged Jack with horrible words when the Colonel had terminated Reese in the gate room. Terrible, horrible words…words that further destroyed a friendship that was on tenuous grounds at best. Words for a situation that never existed, actions for a predicament that was someone's idea of a good "episode." Daniel gave a slightly hysterical laugh, as he absently rubbed the arm that Reese had broken, wondering if it had been the planet's "sweeps week" when Reese came into their lives.

Daniel pushed his office's floor out of habit and upon the opening of the elevator doors he resumed his trek with his head down, brushing past SGC personnel. He couldn't do it, he was unable to hear how much he was missed, 'happy to have you back' and all the platitudes that accompanied it. Fully aware that the next person who attempted to speak to him would be at the receiving end of his pent up fury. Such an out-of-character action would surely provide Daniel with one way ticket to visit Mackenzie's office…a visit he so did not need now.

Daniel stood outside his office door and hesitated only a moment before entering. Even though he had been in his "office" prior to gating to Kelona…this one was home, and he felt it the moment he stepped through the door. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he imagined he could hear the sound of pieces falling into place. This place was so right, he was angry with himself for not realizing the other "office," the one on the planet, had been so wrong.

Walking around, examining artifacts and pictures, books and notes, he gave a silent thank you to Hammond for not allowing anyone to occupy his office while he was gone. This must have been just how he left it, files on his desk, artifacts waiting to be catalogued… for the first time since his arrival home, Daniel permitted himself a smile.

Daniel stretched his arms upwards in an attempt to work out the kinks that had settled in his body while sitting in the briefing room for an inordinate amount of time. Glancing upwards while stretching, Daniel's eyes opened wide and then hardened with resolve. Security cameras…two cameras mounted on ceiling brackets in his office…following his every move, viewing him, judging him. Without reservation, Daniel took the stool from the office's workbench and smashed both cameras off their mounts. He took morose pleasure, as the cameras shattered into numerous pieces upon making contact with the concrete floor.

* * * *

"Teal'c buddy" Colonel O'Neill shook Teal'c's arm to gain his attention. The three teammates had viewed the Kelonan security tape six more times, starting and stopping at different points, never really speaking. Each time the tape concluded, one of the three would just say the word, "again" and the tape would be rewound.

"I have seen enough, O'Neill."

Running his fingers through his short, gray hair, Jack whispered, "Daniel thought something was up."

Leaning over to shut off the VCR, Carter turned to her commanding officer. "What? What did he know?," she asked, curious as to why she wasn't aware of any concerns Daniel might have had. He told her everything. Or *had*, she amended.

"I'm not too sure, Carter. You know how Daniel is when he starts to talk…"

"Perhaps it was simply that you would not actively listen, O'Neill. It was a rare occasion on which Daniel Jackson did not speak about relevant information." Teal'c finished the sentence for him.

"Ya didn't have to be so harsh Teal'c."

Carter shot him a look. "I know," the Colonel said, raising his hands in submission. "And now I'm sorry for not paying attention."

"It's a little late for 'sorry' sir," she snapped.

"Don't you think I *know* that, Carter?" he hissed back.

His friends' behavior was wearing Teal'c's patience thin. Apparently, the progress made the evening before had not served ease their spirits entirely. He took a deep breath.

"O'Neill, Major Carter. Your behavior is not improving our situation. O'Neill, you will tell us of Daniel Jackson's concerns. Major Carter, you will listen."

They stared at him blankly, for a moment, jaws gaping like beached fish.

"You may start O'Neill."

Taking a breath, the Colonel began. "I recall one specific incident that scared the shit outta Daniel, he probably thought he was going nuts and I did nothing to sway that belief. It started about five months ago…"

"Five months, sir and…" Carter interjected.

Teal'c just turned to her, index finger raised. Properly chastised, she smiled and replied meekly, "Sorry."

"Like I was saying…about five months ago he came to me regarding an incident in his office. He seemed…upset….yeah, really upset." Glancing in Carter's direction he could see his 21C was practically shaking in anger. "He claimed a book he needed…some obscure book, a book he hadn't used in years…well when he took the book off his shelf, the pages were blank. Nothing, nada, zilch…. So he picked up another book off the shelf, same thing. Both, he claimed were research books that he didn't often use. He started to take his older research books down…a few had some pages filled…others empty. He went into old computer files and came up with folders, but they were blank; the files within them were never there…they had never even been deleted they just, like…never existed. Daniel told me he went down to one of the storage rooms and started ripping apart boxes to find old catalogued artifacts…old ones from our first year as SG1. Empty…" Taking a breath the Colonel continued, trying not to meet Carter's accusatory glances. "When Daniel went back up to his office, the same books, left in the same positions, were filled…no blank pages. What had been blank was filled with writing, the computer, the same thing…folders filled. That's when Daniel came to me…"

"And what did you do, O'Neill?"

Hanging his head in shame, he replied, "Nothing. I basically told him he was nuts, asked him if he wanted his butt hauled to the infirmary. Asked when the last time he ate or slept was. Wanted to know if he wanted to visit Mackenzie…"

"Sir, you didn't!" Carter demanded, outraged.

"Yes, I really did say that to Daniel. It was almost like I had no impulse control. I even dragged him down to the storage room and gave him hell for ripping open the boxes and throwing the artifacts all around. If Daniel had any other incidents like that one, he didn't say. He would make references occasionally, but when I would question him, he refused to answer."

"What type of references sir?"

"Asking me if I got any strange emails on my computer. Things appearing and disappearing in my office. The occasional feeling of being watched here, at home, off world. He would speak to me about feelings of displacement…"

"And you went to no one with this, sir, because *why*?"

"Because after a while I really thought he was starting to lose it and I was afraid if I mentioned it to the doc, she'd call in McKenzie, who would take him back to Mental Health. And we would never get him back."

"Sorta like now, sir?"

Jack scrubbed his face and ran his hands through his hair. He met Carter's eyes, not denying her accusation. "Exactly like now, Carter."

"Sorry sir,"

"God, guys. Not as sorry as I am." The Colonel took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. "Okay input here, where are we now on this? Are the Kalonans responsible for Daniel's disappearance? Did he really ascend with Oma girl? Any ideas folks? There is obviously some type of conspiracy, somewhere with Daniel naturally at the crux."

"General Hammond sir? Shouldn't we let the General know?"

"I agree O'Neill."

"Okay," the Colonel replied. "We're off to see the great and powerful Oz." He leaned over and grabbed the video tape from the machine. "Let's show him this. And Carter, let's make a couple of copies…one for each of us. Never know when things may start to do a magical act again at the SGC."

* * * *

"Ha. Magic. I must say, Jack's wit never grows old. It does, however, seem that we have a problem, ladies and gentlemen. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can remedy our little situation?" Talin looked around the control room at the hanging heads surrounding him. No one spoke in response to his question. Not that he really expected a response… even in his own mind it was rhetorical. He already had a solution.

"No? No one? Hmm. Big surprise. Well, lucky for all of us, I do have a solution. You! Blue shirt. Come here!"

"Sir?" replied a normally quiet and reclusive programmer across the room, eyes perking up and back straightening at his leader's call.

"Get me an IHFG and temporarily remove 'General Hammond' from the scenario. I think it's time I paid the SGC a little visit," said Talin, an unmistakable smirk gracing his features. The young programmer bolted out of his chair and into the supply room to grab one of the six Individual Holographic Field Generators from the shelf. Well, usually there were six. But with Leske in the Environment, there would only be five.

Markhen was becoming more than a little upset. This was not something they had planned on. Talin *never* entered the Environment. He much preferred watching the action than being part of it. And what was he planning to do? With his mere presence he could disrupt their plans. And what if he discovered Leske? What would happen then?

Talin was a brilliant man. Brilliant, but certifiably insane. Over years of stealing peoples' lives… of changing who they were to fit his theatrical needs, of having the power of life and death, happiness and sadness, fury and complacency… he had become drunk with power. Power that had been handed to him on a silver platter by those in high places. Power that would be supported and supplemented by those people.

There was not a doubt in Markhen's mind that Talin was capable of terrible things. He had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to destroy the three lives remaining in that farce of a reality, just as he had already tried to destroy the fourth. Just as he had destroyed dozens before these.

Markhen snatched one of the devices from its cradle and left the supply room, trying to wipe the nervous air from his features. Mustering his courage, he approached Talin, offering the circular piece of technology. Talin grasped it, tumbling it about in his hands, admiring it.

"Sir? Um, if I may?" asked Markhen, struggling to keep from stuttering in the presence of such a malevolent and ominous man. Talin sighed in exasperation before waving his hand, bidding Markhen to speak.

"Well, sir, I… I just… well…"

"Well, *what*, Mister? Spit it out, for crying out loud!" prodded Talin. Markhen found himself suppressing a smile at the use of one of Jack's phrases. SG1 had become such an integral part of the people of Carcel's lives that their nuances and quirks had become commonplace.

"Well, sir… I just… well, I can't wait to see what you have planned, sir." Markhen bowed his head slightly in a gesture of reverence. "I'm sure it's pure genius, and… well…"

"And you want to know what I am going to do?" Talin leaned forward and laid his hand on the young man's shoulder, smiling with a skewed approximation of fatherly affection.

"Yes… uh, yes, sir."

"Hmm. You amuse me, Blue. Why is it that I've never let you play a roll in your own creation? You would have made a wonderful actor in this project."

*Would have?* Markhen thought, as he tried not to cringe at Talin's touch. "I… I don't know, sir."

"Well, Mister," Talin laughed, preparing to stand. "You will soon see, same as everyone else, the great finale I have planned for our friends in there. Ha, you'll see, you'll see."

Talin rose, IHFG in hand, and strode out of the room. As the door closed behind Talin, leaving the control room utterly still, Markhen recovered and turned toward Shev, catching her eye.

"Finale?" Markhen asked, puzzled by recent developments. The programmer shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention back to her screen. Defeated, Markhen took one more confused look around the room. Finale? Finale meant end. Ends were bad, especially where Talin was involved. Talin, who had a real gift for tragedy. Talin, who was known to take great pleasure in jerking tears from his viewers. Talin, who *loved* a big finish.

He had to talk to Leske. They were running out of time.

Chapter 4

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