Chapter 17
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
September 18, 2010
Daniel stepped off the Aschen transport platform, his blue eyes scanning for the short stature and red hair of Janet in the weekend crowd of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park as he began ambling down Olmstead Walk. Twelve days after the O'Neill's visit he had finally had been able to get away from his busy schedule at the university to met Janet in person. As he reached the Cheetah Conservation Station area, he spotted Janet observing the zebras and not hurrying his leisurely pace was soon at the medical doctor's side.
"Hello Daniel," Janet greeted.
"Hi Janet," Daniel returned the greeting. Lifting a hand he waved it about to encompass the rest of the park and its pathways, "Walk a bit?"
Janet nodded and stepping away from the zebra habitat fell into step with Daniel as they began to proceed further down Olmstead Walk.
"So," Daniel blew out a breath, "they approached you too?"
Janet nodded again and they walked in silence for a few more moments.
"What I don't get," Daniel began, "is that when we were there, at their farm, they kept pushing us, questioning what we had planned and saying that they wouldn't help us. And yet for the past years they have been amassing a resistance that is more far-flung and powerful than SGC ever was."
Janet looked up at Daniel's pouting expression and internally sighed at the man's incomprehension of the O'Neill's actions. To her, everything was quite clear and practically screamed military action and military thought. "Daniel, considering what the potential cost could be, I can understand their 'need to know' mentality."
"They still could have told us," Daniel grumbled, "I thought we were friends."
Janet shot him a sharp look.
Daniel set his lips in a line, no Janet was right, he had not right to think that they were still friends. He should have realised that when they had turned against Jack's warnings all those years ago.
Dropping the issue, Daniel stuffed his hands into his pockets and told Janet what his part of the O'Neill resistance would be. "So, they want me as the spokesperson for Earth. To broadcast the Veritas file."
Janet's expression turned to one of surprise. "That's huge Daniel. Are you sure you want to do it? Considering if you do you'll be even more famous than you are now and I know how you hate all the publicity."
Daniel nodded. "It's the only way I can see to fix our mistake. To correct the error I made. I was essentially the spokesperson for the Alliance until Kinsey became president and I should be the one to be the spokesperson for the truth."
"Okay, if that's what you feel," Janet replied hearing the conviction in his voice. Then thinking of who was in command of Earth operations questioned, "So you will be with Sam?"
"No," Daniel shook his head. "The broadcast stuff is being handled by Alex Colson and I'll be with him."
One of Janet's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Alex Colson? As in Colson Industries?"
"Yes. It was a surprise to me too, especially considering that not only is he such a prominent businessman but he is a man that believes pretty strongly in the freedom of speech and the rights of the people to know what the government is doing at all times, is a part of the this."
Janet had to agree with that assessment of Alex Colson's personality as she remembered the media storm Colson had raised with Disclosure and other claims that the government was continuing to cover up alien things with the Kinsey administration.
"Makes it all rather devious don't you think?" Daniel mused. "Or an excellent idea to have him on our side anyway, because who would suspect a man who not only proclaims that governments shouldn't keep secrets and carries that belief out by investigating and telling everyone, is a part of an underground resistance?"
"Devious in a word," Janet had to agree and it sounded just like something Jack would think of. "I do wonder how they got Colson to agree to it though."
It was something that intrigued Daniel as well, "Well if I am with him and not just his people, I'll ask him."
Ambling through the park some more they turned off Olmstead Walk onto one of the side paths.
"What about you?" Daniel asked after some moments of companionable silence.
"Me?" Janet looked up at Daniel quizzically.
"Will you be doing anything or are you just in the know?" Daniel clarified.
"I've been offered to head up their medical forces," Janet replied.
"Sounds like an excellent idea after all you have lots of experience being CMO of SGC for years. So, what medical forces do they have?" Daniel questioned.
Janet lifted a shoulder in a shrugging motion. "I am not up-to-date on all the people they consider medical personal or the instruments they have quite yet and won't be until I agree and get the full debriefing."
"You haven't agreed?" Daniel asked in astonishment. "I thought you'd jump at it, find out all they know medically about what the Aschen have done and be able to help research a cure for the sterilisation."
Janet's lips twisted into an unhappy expression. "If I agreed, I would be commanding the medical forces not engaged in research."
Daniel blinked. "There's a difference?"
"Yes, what they mean by medical forces are the medical personnel that will be engaged in Phase III on Aschen Prime."
Daniel stopped walking and looked at Janet incredulously. "You mean you would be a part of the invasion?"
Janet stopped walking as well and turned back to look at Daniel and his surprised expression. "Yes," she answered quietly, "I would be the CMO of the invasion fleet."
Daniel blinked owlishly behind his glasses. "And you haven't agreed because…?"
Turning back around Janet started walking again and Daniel had to hurry to catch up with her. Once he had fallen in step beside her Janet answered, "Because I promised Cassie I would help her."
It took Daniel a moment to understand but then he realised the distinction that Janet had made earlier between command and research. "Janet, if they asked you to command they obviously feel you are suited to the position and once this is over, don't you think that there will be time to do research? In fact, it might be better because if Phase III succeeds on Aschen Prime then you'll have access to the Aschen's information."
Janet sighed. "I've considered that as well Daniel and while the doctor in me who's missed being useful is ecstatic at the prospect of being needed again the mother in me wants nothing more than to fulfill my promise to my daughter."
"Janet, I really think that taking the job will fulfill both aspects," Daniel said firmly.
Janet looked up into his face again and even as she saw his conviction, she herself was not convinced. "The other side of the coin is that I am unsure, that because of what they have done to Cassie that I will be able to treat them fairly."
Daniel nearly choked on his laughter and even in the face of Janet's sharp look and clear disproval of his mirth Daniel managed to calm himself enough to respond. "You're worried about your professionalism. Janet, if you could give aid to Cronus and Apophis just as you did to us, I have no doubt that you'll be able to treat the Aschen with fairness."
Janet sighed in response and grudgingly admitted he was right to herself and as Daniel continued to talk she let herself be persuaded into taking command of the resistance's medical forces.