MEMOIRS OF
BRIGADIER GENERAL JACK O’NEILL
(Retired)
Part VII
Chapter Three
By Arrietty
2007
One hour later we were still talking, sitting in the commissary drinking numerous cups of coffee. After not drinking coffee for nearly a year, I was beginning to feel rather light-headed. Fortunately, Janet had finished her shift, she had said something about doing or waiting for something before she went home, but it could wait. I was little muddled on what she meant until the answer came bursting through the doors.
“Jack! You’re back early.” He promptly slapped me on my back, nearly pushing my nose into my coffee cup. Shooting pain traveled through my body and I groaned.
“Daniel Jackson. Can’t you see he’s injured?” One pint-sized doctor was standing in front of Daniel, hands on hips glaring up at him.
Instead of Daniel’s usual spinning head routine for looking at the injured party, he looked at his feet and mumbled, “Sorry, Janet.”
Janet didn’t move a muscle, she still looked angry. Daniel looked up at her, frowned, then his head spun around like he always did. “Sorry, Jack,” and smiled sheepishly at me.
Janet sat back down in her chair, and Daniel sat down next to her, rather closely I might add. My eyes looked at Janet, then at Daniel then back at Janet again, and I just could not help smiling.
“So… Daniel, what kind of rocks did you find this time?”
Totally ignoring my dig at his artifacts, he started to tell us about his last mission. Of which I gathered by the conversation that he had just come back from one. “We found an address. It is one of the ‘Ancients’. It said that there was a great cache of weapons.”
I raised one eyebrow and groaned internally, I had been out there for a long time and there were always rumors of caches of weapons or treasure or something of value.
“Well, not the actual planet of weapons, but information about one,” he stopped. “Injured? Jack, what happened?”
I had wondered how long it would take this overexcited geek to actually notice that I was injured and that I was really here after being away a long time.
“I’ll fill you in at the debriefing.”
“Oh.” He sat quiet for a bit. “When’s your debriefing?”
“I don’t know, when Hammond calls, I s’pose.”
“Most probably before ours, we’ll be a little while, as Teal’c’s getting patched up.”
Now it was my turn to get worried. “What happened?”
“We’ll fill you in at the debriefing,” he answered a bit too smugly.
“So, help me Daniel…”
“Now boys, that’s enough.” We both turned our heads and looked at Janet.
“Will, Jack O’Neill and Doctor Jackson please report to the briefing room?” The distorted sound of the loud speaker system intruded into our conversation. But then again, maybe it saved our bacon.
“Excuse me, Janet.” Daniel spoke politely as he stood up.
“Not so fast, Danny, she’s coming with us. I want her to hear what I have to say.”
~*~
The painkillers had started to wear off by the time we arrived in the briefing room. General Hammond was sitting in his usual chair at the head of the table, while Matthews was sitting in my chair. ‘Remember, Jack, you gave up that right two years ago.’ With a silent sigh, I sat down in the nearest chair. Once again, I observed Janet and Daniel sit rather close together. I was pleased, I just hoped that I had read the signs correctly that was all.
“Where’s Teal’c?” Hammond was impatient to begin.
“I apologize for my lateness, General Hammond.” The unmistakable deep rumble of Teal’c’s voice came from behind me. “O’Neill, it is good to see you.” He inclined his head and I noticed he carefully sat opposite me. I saw pain in his eyes as he sank into the chair. I started to ask him what was wrong, but the sudden warning glare I received told me that I would embarrass him so I kept quiet.
“Okay, Doctor Jackson, you first,” Hammond looked at Daniel.
I didn’t mind the delay, as I really didn’t want to have to tell my story anyway.
“Teal’c and I found some ruins on PX-267. The writings on the stones were from the Ancients.”
At about that point I fazed out. My back was hurting, I felt very strange and restricted being back here and all I wanted to do was get back out through the Stargate.
“… and will you come on this mission, Jack?”
“Huh?” I looked up. I gathered by the expressions on the faces around me, that there was a bewildered look on my face. Teal’c raised an eyebrow. Daniel looked questioning. Janet looked like she knew exactly what had happened and Jonas was grinning. What was Jonas doing here; I didn’t see him come in? And General Hammond, well I’m positive I saw steam coming out of his ears. “Say, again?” I tried to look as innocent as I could.
“SG-1, you know the team.” Daniel said beginning to look annoyed. “We go to PX-974 and retrieve the address to the cache of weapons.”
Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “You want me to go?” I looked directly at Hammond.
“Yes, Jack. That is, if you’ll do it.”
“Jonas comes too.” I said quickly, watching his surprised expression out the corner of my eye. ‘Didn’t see that coming, did ya?’
“Done,” answered Hammond, as if we had been bartering.
Janet then piped up.
“There is one, or should I say two, problems. Namely, Jack’s and Teal’c’s injuries, they will take a while to heal.”
I gathered that Janet had observed Teal’c’s sitting position as well as me.
“I haven’t seen Jack’s x-rays but from what I have observed and what he told me, ‘which isn’t much’” she glowered at me before continuing. “That he has a cracked rib. That will take several days to heal. And Teal’c-“
“Will be fine in two days time,” Teal’c speared Janet with a look that shut her up. I couldn’t help but smirk, immediately, drawing the same stare that had been aimed at Janet straight at me. I shifted in my seat and promptly changed the subject.
“Has Siler finished with my pack? And if so, where is it?”
“I have your pack with me, O’Neill.” Uh oh, had to look back in Teal’c’s direction again.
He lifted it up and plonked it down in the middle of the table, I started to reach for it, but Jonas beat me to it and pushed it towards me. With a thankful nod, I started to open it. I lifted up what was left of my P-90 and dropped it with a crash onto the table.
“This was once a very good weapon; in fact, it was my P-90. I’d like a replacement please.” I looked up at everyone and waited for their reaction. Getting nothing but surprised stares, I continued, “Some more ammo would be a help too, as I’m nearly out.”
“What happened to it?” asked Hammond finally.
“The replicators are at it again, I came across Fifth and he didn’t like me using my P-90 so he decided to stop me.” I sat waiting for Carter to start explaining all the scientific reasons behind the molecular structure changes and how Fifth actually did that. Looking around in surprise at the silence, a soft thump hit my heart as I remembered. Being here wasn’t good for me. This was why I’d left; I kept expecting her to start spouting techno babble at any moment. Remembering again why I was really here, I drew in a calming breath and continued with my tale.
“Fifth has made another human replicator. It looks like Carter and it would fool anyone here. Not Janet with her infirmary gadgets, but definitely an off world team that came across her.” Except for Janet, who already knew, everyone had leaned forward in surprise, even the new general in his silence looked shocked at my news.
“Jack.”
“Not now, Daniel.” I glared him down. Now was not the time to start asking those kinds of questions.
“What happened, Jack?” I looked up at Hammond.
“It fooled me for two days.” I glared around the table, daring anyone to ask anything personal about me and how I reacted to it. “They were going to use me to bring it back here so it could let all the bugs in here.”
“Why didn’t it?”
“Because, Daniel, Fifth decided that he had already got his revenge.” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat again as my back was killing me, let alone this conversation.
Changing the subject, I pulled out all the doohickeys that I had collected along the way. “These are for Doctor Lee. I hope he can make head and tail out these, because they were heavy and took up lots of room.” They crashed onto the highly polished table. My patience was wearing thin, not only with the subject, but the pain in my back.
“General, I think Jack needs to return to the infirmary.” ‘Give Doc a pat on the back.’
Hammond nodded, “Yes, I can see that, can you please take him, Doctor Fraiser?”
“Yes, sir.”
I slowly stood up, then watched the room begin to twirl lazily around, and then quickly spin away from me as I crashed to the floor.
~*~
“So, Teal’c how’s your injury?” I asked, with the most innocent look on my face I could conjure up. I was sitting, leaning against a mound of pillows in one of the infirmary beds, attached to brain and heart monitors and goodness knows what else, as they ‘monitored’ all the electric gizmos that buzzed around in my brain and body. Apparently, something was a tad off in there, but they didn’t know what yet.
“My injury is healing well, O’Neill.”
However hard I tried I couldn’t find out exactly where his injury was, he never told me, Daniel had been sworn to secrecy on pain of death I believe, well that’s what he had told me, and the nurses just rolled their eyes when I asked. All I knew, apart from that time in the briefing room, is that I never saw him sit down and that he had fallen down a large hole off world.
I wasn’t sure if I was pleased or not, but they had put Janet in charge of finding out what was wrong with me. I had the sneaking suspicion that they realized that she was the only one that could handle me and all other doctors didn’t want to know.
I was bored, extremely bored, I wanted to get out there, travel, not be stuck in here, feeling like a pin cushion.
“Jack.”
“Daniel.” I replied to the newly arrived archaeologist.
“So, have they found anything yet?” he asked as he plonked himself down on the end of my bed, narrowly missing my feet.
I opened my mouth to reply.
“Yes, we have.” Janet walked up to my bed and gave me a smile. “But first, I have a couple of questions.”
“Shoot.” She had asked so many questions, that I’d lost count, what’s two more gonna hurt.
“Did you have any unusual dreams, while with the replicator, Sam?”
The heart monitor beside me began to speed up its beeping. Janet reached across and switched the sound off and then looked directly at me again.
I nodded. Suddenly, it all made sense and I leaned my head back against the pillows and closed my eyes. Those hadn’t been nightmares; she had shoved her hand inside my head and rummaged around in there. No wonder she slowly remembered, it was as she retrieved the information. I must have groaned out loud, as I heard my name called persistently.
“Jack.”
“Jack!”
“O’Neill!” Teal’c’s booming voice penetrated my thoughts, so I opened my eyes.
For a second, I believe Daniel saw directly into my soul. He saw my pain and his worry turned into deep concern. I warned him off with a glare and turned to Janet.
“It must’ve messed with my head.”
She nodded. “Well that’s a relief, because if that hadn’t happened I’d be worried about the readings we’re getting. Hopefully, in a few days it will have dissipated.”
~*~
A week later, with lots of pretending that I was fully healed, Janet let me go even though I knew she really didn’t believe me. SG-1, consisting of myself, Daniel, Teal’c and Jonas stepped through the Stargate. I had to admit the security of the MALP preceding me did give my mind some relief. There were no splat thoughts as my molecules were pulled apart and shoved back together again.
The planet was beautiful. Large rolling green hills, blending in with each other as they spread as far as the eye could see.
“No trees?” I asked in surprise.
Teal’c ignored me and took point, a snort came from Daniel’s direction and Jonas was fluffing around with something in his pocket.
Daniel and I followed Teal’c, he seemed to know where he was going. “Jonas, you coming?”
“Yup.” He gave an apologetic smile and I waved him along in front of me as I brought along the rear.
I was missing my leather coat already; I had left it with one of the technicians, who loved to sew in her spare time. Hopefully, by the time I got back I would have it kitted out with straps, buckles and large pockets in the lining. I wanted to be able to walk around villages and towns without my weapons becoming too obvious to the inhabitants and also, leaving my hands free. Fortunately her father had been a tailor, one of those special tailors that made special suits for the CIA, FBI etc. So she had been taught by the best. Even though I was missing my coat, I was pleased to receive new clothing. My previous clothing had got a little ragged around the edges, plus my mending abilities hadn’t been the best.
I stopped as something cold whisked past my ear. I carefully looked around behind me. I couldn’t see anything. I continued walking, only to feel something brush past my leg. “Teal’c.” I hissed.
He stopped and turned around. Catching my guarded look, he slowly turned in a circle scanning the scenery. Both Daniel and Jonas were also on alert. “There is nothing here, O’Neill.”
“I know I felt something, Teal’c, just keep an eye out,” I warned.
For the next two hours, nothing untoward happened. I knew I had not imagined it, but I couldn’t explain it, so we just had to be extra vigilant.
As we walked down a small hill, I could feel the long grass swish past my boots and pant legs. Poking up amongst the grasses were little delicate purple flowers, at the harsh memory I violently looked away and stared up behind me. Just then I caught a movement amongst the grass.
“We’ve got company,” I warned.
Teal’c nodded. He’d seen it too. Daniel had stopped and was pulling grass aside from a small mound. “I’ve found it, Jack,” he called triumphantly.
How he’d decided that this particular mound out of all the others on the hillside was significant, I never did find out, as this mound looked like any other mound.
2028
Maybe I should ask him sometime.
2007
He pulled out some sheets of paper and started to take rubbings off the ancient stones that he had managed to clean from dirt and grass. It didn’t take him long as he stood up and announced. “I’ve got it.”
“Anything else here, while we’re here?” I asked, as the hairs on the back of my neck had started to do their merry dance. Something was definitely off about this place.
“Nope, this is it.” He stood still after putting the paper and his notebook away in his pack, looking rather pleased with himself.
“Argh!” I heard a cry from behind me. Twisting around on one spot with my P-90 armed and ready I saw Jonas being lifted up by an invisible force into the air about three feet off the ground. Not sure what I was aiming at, I fired at the air above him.
2028
“For once, Daniel your timing is perfect. How’s it going?”
“Fine, Jack. You feeling all right? You seem happy.”
“Sit down, Daniel, I have a question for you.”
“Okay. Fire away.”
“On planet PX-974 how did you find that mound with all the writing on it?”
“Huh?”
“You know on that planet with the honking big bugs, how did you find those writings?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Jack.”
“Now you know how I feel, half the time you’re talking then.”
“Okay, what year?”
“2007, it was our first mission with you, me, Teal’c and Jonas. Remember?”
“Ermmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”
“Daniel!”
“What?”
“It’s just a simple question.”
“Nothing about you is simple, Jack. On the other hand.”
“Daniel.”
“I could just leave, Jack.”
“Daniel!”
“Okay, okay, don’t get yourself in a knot. We sent out an UAV, first it found the mound as it gave out energy readings and it tagged the spot, and we just followed the signal until we found it.”
“Oh… and why didn’t I know this?”
“Because, Jack, you never listen to me when I give my reports at briefings.’
“Well, thank you for clearing that up, Daniel. Now you can go, I’m busy.”
“Oh, no, Jack O’Neill, Janet told me to drag you out of here, kicking and screaming if need be.”
“You drag me? Don’t make me laugh… or give me that look. Okay, I’m coming.”
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