Jackson's Penthouse, Chicago, IL
August 18, 2010
Back home in Chicago a few days later, Daniel web-conferenced with Janet, Cassie, and Dominic in Washington as they shared what they had discovered. Daniel had already spoken about, and sent them more Traditionalist and Aschen information compiled as a research project so that any electronic eavesdroppers would not be suspicious.
"Actually, the search into Uncle Jack sightings was pretty interesting," Cassie remarked on screen.
"How so?" Daniel asked.
"Well, there were of course a whole bunch of sightings and a lot of articles about Uncle Jack in the first few months following Disclosure, but I'm really not sure about the sightings." Cassie exchanged looks with her husband. "About them being genuine I mean, the ones around the Springs after Disclosure and few reports in Northern Minnesota after his retirement I'm not really doubting, but Uncle Jack seems to have been sighted in more places than Elvis."
"So you got nothing?" Daniel asked with tired disappointment.
"Most of the reported sightings are bogus I'm sure, but I did find something that means that while I might not have found where he is living exactly, I may have found how to contact him." Cassie tapped on her keyboard and drew up a website to show Daniel via their desktop application-sharing program.
"The New York Ceramics Fair?" Daniel read the name of the site aloud.
"Yep, take a look at the first lecturer and list of exhibitioners."
Daniel clicked on the link for the lecture series and felt his eyes widen behind his glasses at the first lecturer listed.
Wednesday January 20th
12 Noon "The Constellation Collection" :
Alien Ceramics by J. O'Neill
Surprised beyond belief by what Cassie was indicating—that J. O'Neill was Jack O'Neill—Daniel then navigated to the exhibitors list and found Jack's name listed simply as J. O'Neill, MT.
"Montana?" Daniel queried as he read the state abbreviation. "He's in Montana?"
"So it seems," Cassie replied. "The website his name links to is for the 'O'Neill Originals Gallery' and the civic address listed is Turner, Montana. The About page of the gallery's website confirms that Uncle Jack is the artist, but you should check out the Gallery page."
Daniel did as directed, selecting Jack's name on the exhibitor list. The link took him to a classy website that proclaimed in cursive script O'Neill Originals Gallery along the top as a slide show featuring some select ceramics played on screen. Visiting the Gallery page Daniel found the ceramics divided into different collections. Recognising the Constellation Collection as being the feature of Jack's lecture, he selected the link.
Daniel nearly swallowed his tongue in shock as he looked at the items on the page. Not only were all the ceramics for sale over $435.00 a piece, but what the collection was, was the biggest shock. Faithfully recreated in shape and colour were various ceramics that the team had encountered off-world. The artful photographs portrayed the ceramic items from different angles and the last shot was always of the stargate address on the bottom of the item. The website explained the address was the planetary origins of the design and provided a link to the official declassified mission report available at government's online Stargate Program Archive that hosted all the program's documents.
Barely able to comprehend what his eyes were seeing Daniel proceeded to view all the images in the gallery. While a majority of the items were what people traditionally thought of for pottery—plates, bowls, pitchers, tea pots, cups, and other dishes—there was a Whimsy Collection that was primarily of very whimsical figurines portraying unique off-world creatures.
Heck, there was even a ridiculously cute and cartoonish goa'uld sculpture looking cross-eyed and sticking out its tongue.
"My God," Daniel was half-dazed.
On screen, Cassie grinned. "You look just like I did—and Mom—when saw the site and learned what Uncle Jack has been up to since Earth joined the Aschen Confederation. So, we know where he's mostly likely living now." Cassie remarked. "So, who's going to be the one to visit him?"
The question helped restore some clarity to Daniel's mind and he looked at the three in Washington through the screen. "I think it would be best if Janet and I went. I know you probably want to see him again Cassie, but this first visit isn't a social one so, it would be best if it was just Janet and I."
Reluctantly Cassie agreed that just the two of them would go. After that, Janet and Daniel did some discussing regarding travel plans before the two groups ended the teleconference.
In his Chicago penthouse, Daniel turned his attention back to the website still open on his browser, some of his earlier amazement returning as he looked through the gallery again. Then he opened a new browser window and did a search to see what else he could find out about the history of Jack's ceramic profession.
. . .
Jack took advantage of the few quiet moments before having to wake his sons and snuggled more with his wife. This weekend his family had a full day ahead of them with chores that had to be done. It was harvest time for everyone in Montana and while they did not farm, they had a huge garden that they were still bringing in and the dogs, chickens, and goats that had to be tended daily.
Feeling and hearing the breathing of his wife change as she woke up he murmured quietly into her ear, "Good morning."
"Good morning," was her sleepy reply.
One of Jack's hands slid down to rub circles on her stomach as he rubbed his morning stubble against her head. "Not feeling sick this morning?"
She hummed pleasantly at the rubbing and enjoyed it for a bit before responding. "No, I really just think my stomach didn't like the shrimp platter we ordered at the restaurant last night."
Jack was pleased to hear that. Being sick was not one of the things his wife handled well. "Feel up for breakfast?"
"Oh yes," she said enthusiastically, the sleepy tone of her voice changing to wakefulness. Her tone definitely saying she was more than interested in food.
Jack chuckled as he unwrapped himself from around her back and departed the bed. "So do we want the usual weekend bacon and eggs or something extravagant like waffles?"
"Waffles," she declared decisively as she rolled from the bed herself and headed for the bathroom, her long braided hair swaying with movement, "with blueberries."
Still chuckling Jack got dressed and made his way from the master bedroom down the hall, forgoing his morning shave for the time being until they had eaten. He knocked on the doors of his sons' rooms and told them that it was time to get up and that mom wanted waffles for breakfast.
The word 'waffles' got their attention, as he knew it would, and soon there were sounds of movement in the boys' bedrooms as they stumbled out of bed and began getting ready for the day. Proceeding down the hall and staircase Jack made his way into the kitchen where he began getting the waffle iron ready and mixing the ingredients for breakfast.