What if. . .
What if. . .
by Ebony
TITLE: What if. . .
AUTHOR: Ebony
EMAIL:Shreeanne@excite.com
CATEGORY: angst?
SPOILERS: Children of the Gods, Politics
SEASON / SEQUEL: after season one
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: implied mulitple character deaths
SUMMARY: Daniel reflects as he waits to die
STATUS: Completed
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
"Hey Jack, what do you think would have happened if we had never discovered the stargate?"
Jack groaned as he turned to face Daniel. "Well, I don't think we'd be in this predicament, Daniel. What sort of question is that anyway? We found the gate, we used it, we ticked off some higher power and now we're going to die."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Jack's uncaring words. Jack turned his back on the jaffa, pointedly ignoring him and in doing so found himself face to face with Sam. She frowned at him.
"You know, Jack, that's probably not the most productive thing you could be telling us right now."
"Well what would you like me to say Carter? That it's all going to be all right? 'Coz it's not. Or that I know a way we can escape? 'Coz I don't. Face it, we're screwed."
Sam turned away, a look of disgust on her face. Daniel spoke again. "Well, obviously we wouldn't be in this predicament, Jack, but I mean, do you think the four of us would have met?"
"You would not have met me, Daniel Jackson," said Teal'c. "I would still be on Chulak serving Apophis."
"And I'd probably be in the space program," said Sam. "Maybe on a mission to Mars. . . or something."
"I'd still be retired," spoke up Jack suddenly. "And you'd probably be living in a pyramid in Egypt or something, so no Daniel, I don't think we would have met each other."
"Well, what if we'd let Senator Kinsey end the stargate program like he wanted to? What do you think would have happened then?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "I think we would have been destroyed by Apophis and once more wouldn't be in this position. What is up with these questions Daniel?"
"Nothing, I guess. I'm just reflecting on my life. It's kind of a sobering thought knowing you're going to die. And stay dead this time," he added as an afterthought.
"Jeez, Daniel, we've been in other situations like this and you never did this before."
"Yeah, but Jack, there was always something to do then. You know, blowing up ships, running away from staff weapons, escaping from prison. Here, we're just standing still doing nothing."
"Well what do you want to do Daniel?"
"Nothing. I'm happy reflecting on my life. I liked my life. I'm going to miss it." Daniel sighed and sat down on the floor, thinking over the days events.
SG-1 had left the base that morning for P27L18. It was supposedly a desolate planet, with no life-form whatsoever. Well, shortly after SG-1 had arrived, so had Apophis. Apparently looking for slaves from the people of this world. People he'd banished here several millennia ago. Finding them nowhere he decided SG-1 had rescued them and that gave him yet another reason to kill them.
He threw them through the stargate to the goa'ald home world where they were sentenced to death. They'd been put in a large empty cell with no food or water. They had less than one hour, so Teal'c said, before Apophis would come for them. Then that would be it. The end of the line. The end of the show. The end of their lives. . .
"What if those people had been on P27L18 like they were supposed to be?"
Jack muffled a scream of anguish. Sam answered Daniel though. "Actually, Daniel, I don't think it would have mattered. Apophis would still have found us. He came through immediately after the wormhole shut down and there wasn't anywhere for us to hide."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, what if we'd refused to go on this mission? You know, like we went onstrike."
"What is strike?" asked Teal'c, confused by the idiom.
"It's when a group of people band together and refuse to do what they have been told. Workers usually do it to get more pay or more rights," Sam explained.
"I see. On Chulak we had people who did that as well."
"Really?" asked Daniel, interested.
"Yes."
"What happened to them?" asked Jack. "Did they get whatever it was they wanted?"
"No. If they were lucky Apophis would kill them though."
"If they were lucky?" Jack stared at Teal'c in shock. "Do I want to know what happened if they weren't lucky?"
"No, you do not."
Daniel blinked, processing that information. "Anyway, you never answered my question."
"What if we went on strike and refused to go to P27L17?" queried Sam. Daniel nodded.
"Hammond would have killed us instead. Either way we'd be dead." Jack started pacing the room as he answered. "I don't suppose there's any way out of these things, Teal'c?"
"No, there is not."
"What if there was?" asked Daniel suddenly.
"We'd escape Daniel. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out."
"Oh."
"Would you two give it a rest," complained Sam. "I'm getting a headache."
"Oh! Apophis has a great cure for headaches!" exclaimed Jack. SG-1 turned to him in surprise.
"He does?" asked Sam curiously.
"Yep, he kills ya." Sam turned away, upset at Jack's callousness. "What? You wouldn't have a sore head any more"
"With all due respect Colonel," spoke up Sam, "Would you please SHUT UP!"
Jack grinned slightly and crossed to the far corner, away from Sam.
"I've got another one," said Daniel suddenly. "What if Teal'c hadn't agreed to join us when he did?"
"I would have killed you all instead," replied Teal'c.
"Ouch," said Jack.
Sam buried her head in her hands. "I think the pressure of death is going to your heads, you guys," she muttered.
"Well, I'm sorry Carter, but I don't tend to take kindly to knowing my life is ending. I never have. It's this thing with me. Strange, I know, but what can you do?" Jack's sarcasm was evident as he turned on his second in command.
"Colonel, I'm not expecting you to be happy about this, but really. These jokes are sick. In a few minutes we're all going to be dead. Forever. I don't know, I guess I would have like this moment to mean. . . something."
Jack's face grew serious for a moment. "I know Captain. This wasn't how I imagined it, either. But jokes are how I deal with this stuff. You should know that by now."
"I do know that, sir, Jack. But do you really want your last words on Earth to be something so trivial as a sarcastic remark?"
"Maybe I do." Jack's mask was back up and his face lost its serious look. "What's with this attitude Carter? It isn't like you?"
"It isn't like you to go to die without a fight."
"Hey! I put up a damn good fight before we got thrown in here."
"Yeah? And then what? You haven't done a thing."
Jack pounded the wall with his fist. "Dammit Carter! What do you want me to do? Huh? Tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it. But right now, I don't have a clue what to do!" He crossed over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "You want me to do something, tell me! Dammit, tell me!"
Sam pulled herself out of his grip, shaking slightly. "I don't know what I want you to do, sir," she said, her voice low. "I just know I want you to do something. Because when you do, I don't feel so bad. I don't feel like I'm going to die." Sam raised her eyes to look into Jack's. "I don't want to die, Jack," she whispered.
He gathered her in his arms and held her for a minute. "None of us do, Sam, none of us do."
Daniel, watching from the side of the room, stepped forward. "Sam?" She opened her arms and he stepped into them as well.
Jack let out a soft laugh and opened his arms out again. "Come on Teal'c! Join the party."
Teal'c walked slowly to where the three huddled in the center of the room and stood next to them uncertain of what to do next. Sam and Jack each put one arm around him and pulled their friend into the circle.
The four stood there, holding each other, waiting to die.
The door to their cell opened slowly, creaking as it did. Instinctively, Jack stepped in front of his team, as if protecting them.
Eight serpent guards entered into the room and two grabbed each member of SG-1.
As the four were marched down the hall to their death, Daniel thought of one last question for Jack.
"Hey, Jack," he called softly, ignoring the nudge from the serpent guards holding him.
"Yeah Daniel?" replied Jack.
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