Kapitel 9: Chapter 9 Linea
After some time, the missions continued, and Jack couldn't find anything relevant. Although he changed his attitude toward his team, refraining from joking and setting a goal not to disturb Daniel, even if the hippie ran off to get them into trouble. He had a solution: to run in the opposite direction. This way, the Hippie would be the only one suffering the consequences of his foolishness, and the rest of the team would only watch from afar, lamenting their miserable fate.
As for the second step of his salvation plan, things weren't going well. After about eight months in this world, he still hadn't found the ancient ruins with the knowledge repository he needed, a crucial part of his plan. According to his vague memories of the original story, this had to happen before the Asgard decided to add Earth to the list of protected planets, so it had to be within a few months or no more than two years from the beginning of the story. He was halfway through the time and was sure he hadn't overlooked any ancient ruins with inscriptions on the walls.
He had also checked other teams' missions to see if they were assigned to any ancient ruins, but found nothing. It was unlikely because he kept pressuring Daniel to translate the tablet they found on Abydos, and any reference to that language found by other teams would come directly to him. Therefore, Jack was reasonably sure he hadn't missed it.
…
The next mission took him by surprise because he couldn't remember how it started, and it was too generic. They were in some kind of swampy forest and encountered a man fleeing from something they couldn't identify, so they decided to take him to the portal.
The next thing Jack knew, he was in a dark courtroom, a spotlight on his head, regretting his bad luck and poor memory. He knew that whatever he said, those darn extraterrestrials judging him from the darkness would send him to their prison of underground roots.
…
A few minutes later, as he expected, he was thrown into the prison where they would encounter the world-devouring entity.
Jack sighed at the grim place; there were even steaming boots that still had feet inside, and a man grabbed them as if they were a great treasure.
"Carter, come back here," Jack ordered when Carter tried to approach the man.
"Sir, I'm just trying to gather information about the place," explained Carter. Jack shook his head.
"Carter, this place is a prison. It's full of thugs, murderers, scoundrels, and considering the legal procedure they used to send us here, there should also be a significant number of people as unlucky as us," Jack explained with a sigh. "There's nothing to find out about them that doesn't involve how we're going to get out of here, so please, stick together," Jack kindly requested.
As he would have previously just glared at Carter threateningly and ordered her back without explaining anything, his team still looked at him strangely. They didn't have time to ask anything else because the room where the portal was located was surrounded by thugs, led by a big guy who, judging by his belly, was the only one with excess food.
Jack remembered there was a guy like that, and if you beat him up, you became the leader. Jack looked the guy up and down. Fat, muscular, with a barbarian face, maybe had fleas, and seemed capable of going hand to hand with a bull. Then he looked at himself. He wasn't thin, but no one would say he had an athletic body. He didn't exercise, and his fighting knowledge was limited to what was in O'Neill's memories because he had only practiced with his weapon. As for his divine powers or invincible fighting abilities, which he could use when he had his superhuman powers…
It was better not to dwell on that because it only made him feel frustrated. Jack concluded that if he attacked the behemoth, he'd end up pulp.
Jack also recalled that this guy served Linea, and the ominous old woman must be nearby, wielding a very dangerous weapon. If they tried to take care of her thug, they'd end up seriously injured because she didn't know their worth and would intervene to protect her interests, knocking them out or doing worse things. In this situation, the world destroyer had weapons aimed at their heads, and they had to behave.
"Hand over the woman," growled the thug in a threatening tone.
Blondes always make thugs lose their heads, Jack thought, stopping Teal'c from advancing so that the world destroyer wouldn't cause him brain damage or worse. He looked at Daniel.
"Daniel, please, explain to these good people who we are and why we are here," ordered Jack.
"Jack, stop talking like that; you're scaring me," complained Daniel in a whisper as he moved forward and began to explain who they were and how they got here. Jack grimaced as he spoke and looked at Carter and Teal'c.
"Sir, I'd be satisfied if he explains things as he did before, and I suppose Daniel just wants you to stop holding him by the neck," explained Carter.
"O'Neill, your new way of talking to us is certainly… disturbing," confirmed Teal'c.
He was speaking to them politely, and if they found it jarring, it meant they saw him as a cultured thug, a kind of lazy vagabond taking advantage of his position to do as he pleased… Jack realized that was exactly who he was and shrugged.
"Well, if it suits you," said Jack, reverting to his usual rogue self. He noticed that Daniel had not succeeded, and the enraged thug was preparing to strike him when a friendly voice from afar ordered him to stop.
Jack observed the whole act of the old psychopath with boredom and let Carter and Daniel speak. After introducing themselves and putting Carter under her protection, Linea left, and then the rest of the prisoners.
"Well, now we must find a power source to activate the portal and escape from here. We did it on Catherine's fiancé's planet, and we'll do it here again," explained Jack, and everyone nodded.
"Sir, I think we should ask Linea," suggested Carter, and Jack nodded.
"Let's go to her then, don't separate. Teal'c in front. When we locate her, Carter will explain our needs without revealing anything about the procedure or theory. We can't trust anyone in this place," ordered Jack, and Carter nodded. Jack didn't want to imagine what would happen if Linea knew the method to leave without them.
As Jack knew, Linea had a method to power the gate, and they quickly reached an agreement. She showed them her reactor or whatever it was that worked based on nuclear fusion, and Carter agreed that it would work.
Linea told them the time they should act, and they just had to wait for her to finish her preparations.
Jack left Carter and Daniel with her to avoid getting into trouble and went to explore the place with Teal'c, who would defend him from the thugs while he slept to rest. Jack would not, under any circumstances, consider sleeping next to Linea because he knew how dangerous, cunning, and abominable that old woman was.
Teal'c kept watch while he slept, and Jack woke up a while later with the portal activation and the commotion of the prisoners. The food had arrived, and Linea took a break to have her meal. The thug left them for last to establish his authority, but the truth was that things were under control because there was enough food for everyone.
The thug was a rather ordinary gangster, but he maintained order, and Jack did nothing to challenge him because they were just passing through. In the end, Teal'c offered him a plate, and Jack shook his head because the food was some kind of gray and nauseating pasta. He would have to go at least three days without eating to muster the courage to try something like that.
After a while, Linea informed them that everything was ready, and they would wait for the next food shipment through the portal when the prisoners were busy and scattered to escape. Daniel already had the appropriate address for it, and everything was prepared, so they left the place without incidents.
…
Upon exiting the portal, the team encountered SG-3, who were on a mission on that planet. They didn't dial Earth because they had taken away all their equipment, and they would collide with the iris if they attempted to enter. Jack left his team behind with Linea, who was eager to go to Earth, and went to report to the SG-3 leader and ask for one of their iris bracelets.
…
"People, we're going home. Daniel, dial," ordered Jack, and Daniel began dialing while Carter approached to explain the entire procedure to Linea. She looked in the direction of Earth without realizing that Jack was pulling out a Zat gun and shooting her in the back.
"Teal'c, strip her naked, I don't want to see anything on her but skin. Carter, give her a 'thorough' inspection, I don't want any surprises," ordered Jack, but the only one who moved at lightning speed and began undressing Linea, even removing the bow from her head and examining her hair, was Teal'c.
"Sir, what's happening?" asked Carter with some indignation at Teal'c's brutality.
SG-3 also approached to look, and they were surprised by his actions, but they didn't advance; Jack had already informed them that the old woman was a dangerous psychopath and armed.
"O'Neill, I believe I have found what you were looking for," said Teal'c, handing him a small circular device hidden in one of the sleeves of the dress he tore off Linea. Carter and Daniel looked at the artifact in surprise.
"Carter, this woman's nickname is 'The World Destroyer,' I suppose that's enough for you to imagine how dangerous she is. We must not underestimate what she is capable of. Now, please, do as I instructed, it's vital for Earth's safety," said Jack, pointing to the naked old woman.
"Do you have gloves?" Carter asked SG-3, who had already taken a step back when Jack mentioned the old psychopath's nickname.
…
After ten minutes, Carter completed her inspection of the old woman, finding two strange capsules in her mouth and three in her intimate areas, in addition to two under her skin. Both teams were stunned as they packed and sealed things in multiple bags.
"Do we have anesthesia to keep her asleep? I want her to arrive unconscious in the infirmary, and Dr. Fraiser to examine her body with an electron microscope," said Jack, and everyone looked at him.
"Sir, if you consider her so dangerous, I don't think we should bring her to Earth," advised Carter, and the others nodded apprehensively. Jack grimaced.
"Carter, I agree with you, but we have no other options. Leaving her on another planet is a risk for the entire galaxy, including Earth. You saw how interested this crazy woman was in the gate system; I'm afraid she's not planning anything good."
"As for sending her back to prison, she already knows how to escape from there. We also don't have the address, and we can't ask those crazies who locked us up. If they find out that not only did we release their most dangerous prisoner, but we also taught her how to escape from their most secure prison, they'll probably execute us at a minimum," concluded Jack, and Daniel hastily nodded in agreement. "Our only option is to take her to Earth and hand her over to the NID, after making sure she doesn't hide some plague in her body that could destroy our planet," Jack explained helplessly. He would have left the old psychopath in her prison if he could, but he would never risk his life knowing she was armed and could kill him with just a thought.
…
SG-3 helped them anesthetize Linea and package her as best as they could so that she couldn't even move a centimeter if she accidentally woke up. Then, they returned home. General Hammond was waiting for them, and after congratulating them on their escape from prison, he asked about their prisoner.
"Sir, they call her 'The World Destroyer.' She alone wiped out a quarter of a planet's population by creating a plague. Then she appeared on the scene offering help, and before they could stop her, she had already killed another quarter of the population."
"According to what the prisoners told Teal'c and me, this old woman possesses extremely dangerous knowledge of biology, genetics, and chemistry. She's a prodigy, but an evil madwoman. Even in prison, she has built her own fusion reactor using tree roots," Jack explained so that the general wouldn't take things lightly. "Sir, we've checked her body and found many suspicious things hidden."
"I hope they are only devices or safeguards for her personal defense, but I suspect they are weapons. I also suspect that there may be more in her body, and I suggest she undergo a deep scan and an analysis of her genetic information."
"The prisoners claimed that she was immune to her own disease, and we must be prepared in case of an emergency," said Jack. The general put on a solemn expression as he looked at the old woman asleep and packaged on the floor.
"Colonel, I understand your concern. We will take the appropriate measures. Now, report to the infirmary for a full examination and then to the briefing room to present your report," ordered the general. Jack saluted and said goodbye with his team.
…
"I think we should give her a chance to explain herself," said Daniel. "I think she's guilty; I could see the fear of her in the other prisoners, but it's also possible that we're exaggerating about her danger," he added as Dr. Fraiser finished her examinations in the infirmary. Jack nodded.
"I agree, that's why I used a Zat gun instead of a bullet and ordered Carter to inspect her instead of tearing her apart to see what she was hiding," explained Jack.
"Jack!" reprimanded Daniel.
"Daniel, you're too soft. In case you didn't know, in this country, Linea would have been given the death penalty, no locking her up to continue enjoying life with a bunch of lackeys," said Jack, sitting on his own infirmary cot.
"Only in some states," replied Daniel.
"I think if other states came across Linea, they would be willing to change their laws," said Jack.
…
"No way," said Jack after finishing his report.
"Colonel O'Neill, she has only requested to see you and has offered to cooperate in return. Furthermore, she has avoided awkward situations by confessing that everything she is accused of is true," explained General Hammond. "Colonel O'Neill, please understand that this woman possesses extraordinary knowledge," General Hammond added as he prepared to refuse once again.
"Why does she want to see me? Sir, I should have sent her asleep to the NID," Jack complained.
"I don't know, but she seems very interested in it," said General Hammond.
"Alright, but Teal'c will come with me, and he'll be armed with his staff, no Zats," said Jack, and General Hammond nodded, looking at Teal'c, who seemed to hesitate for a moment but eventually nodded.
…
Ten minutes later, Jack was sitting across from Linea in an interrogation room. Teal'c was behind him, aiming his staff at Linea. Beyond a wall with reinforced bulletproof glass were General Hammond and the rest of his team, along with ten heavily armed guards. Dr. Fraiser was at a computer, monitoring Linea's vital signs in case she tried anything with her body that they might have missed.
Linea, seated in her chair, only wore a simple white robe that hugged her body, not allowing her to hide anything.
"If you do anything strange, Teal'c will shoot. In your head," explained Jack. "What do you want from me?" he asked. Linea smiled kindly.
"Colonel O'Neill, I had already noticed something strange about you, but your negligent behavior and the way you abuse your subordinates led me to mistakenly think you were just a common brute," accused Linea. Jack grimaced and looked at General Hammond, who was watching him angrily.
"I swear, this time I'm innocent. I've been behaving like an angel, I even said 'please'!" Jack hurried to excuse himself.
General Hammond looked first at Daniel, who nodded, and then at Carter, who took a few seconds to reflect on any grievances and then nodded. Jack took a deep breath and looked at Linea with fury.
"You fell asleep while ordering the big guy to watch over you. You treat him like your personal slave," Linea accused, not giving up. Jack made more faces.
"Teal'c is a Jaffa; he doesn't need to sleep, whereas I get tired easily," Jack explained wearily, promising himself to shoot the next alien who asked to speak with him. Then he would make up some nonsense, like the gun went off accidentally.
"O'Neill is right. I also don't mind protecting his safety; he is of vital importance to liberating my people from the Goa'uld," Teal'c explained.
"Thank you, Teal'c," Jack said sincerely, feeling moved by the Jaffa's dedication. Linea just smiled.
"You're a pompous slacker, and from your superior's reaction, I can see you were already abusing your own team," Linea insisted once more.
"Ma'am…" Linea raised an eyebrow, and Jack clenched his teeth. Threatening like a thug wouldn't help his reputation. He took a deep breath and looked at Linea with an expression he hoped came off as calm.
"Colonel O'Neill, I know you weren't acting, that you're lazy and a slacker. That's why I dismissed you and didn't pay too much attention. But when I felt the pain from that weapon you fired at me, I understood that I had made the biggest mistake of my entire existence by underestimating you, and I should have followed my initial conclusions and gotten rid of you as soon as I met you," Linea said without flinching. Much to his chagrin, Jack swallowed, unaware of how close he had come to death and how his laziness had saved his life.
"Yes, Colonel, I can see how special you are, and I could also sense your fear and caution towards me. You already had an impression of me upon seeing me. I suppose pushing my way through the prisoners in our first encounter gave me away to you. I just wanted to give the impression of being important to lure you into negotiating with me, but to you, that only served to alert you to me.
"I realized it, but then I saw you slacking off, and I thought I was imagining things. How stupid I was!" she scolded herself. "Before, I've met very intelligent, cunning, and advanced beings, but they were all diligent and eager for knowledge. You are one of the most absurdly brilliant beings I've encountered, but you're a waste of a human being. Just looking at you makes me regret what could have been and never was. You disgust me," Linea snarled with hatred.
"Well, the feeling is mutual, and I want you to know that besides repulsing me, you also give me the creeps. So, if you're done insulting me and spewing your venom, I'd better get back to my lazy and slacker life," Jack said, making an attempt to get up and leave. He couldn't believe this woman called him just to tell him it wasn't fair, and she wasn't satisfied being captured by him.
"Sit down!" ordered Linea with a barely audible voice, but Jack found himself complying.
Jack looked at General Hammond, hoping to be let out of there. He felt that this woman had no good intentions towards him, and like Carter, her complex brain had turned her paranoid, creating a whole conspiracy theory around him.
"Linea, if you don't intend anything useful for us…"
"Useful?" Linea interrupted General Hammond with a smile, and Jack felt a chill down his spine from the way she looked at him. "Would all my knowledge be useful to you, General Hammond? I offer it all. Everything I know. All the things I've found out in my life, which your poor civilization could only dream of. If you accept, the Goa'uld will be nothing to you," Linea said, widening her smile. "I ask for only one thing in return.
"Give me this man. I know there's something inside him that is incomparable to other living beings. I've never seen anything like it in my travels in search of knowledge and life. I know I can get it, and once I have it, I'll share it with you," Linea boldly offered.
Jack looked at her stunned. She had truly hit the nail on the head, but if she managed to find out what he knew, she wouldn't only keep it to herself but would use it for her own purposes. This woman was a human demon. Jack recovered and looked at her coldly as a couple of guards entered and took her away.
"Fools, you don't know what you're doing! You don't understand what we could achieve if we find out what makes this waste of a human being special. We could achieve eternal life…" Linea kept screeching nonsense as they took her away.
Jack knew she was capable of doing what she set her mind to, but she made a mistake in choosing the person to negotiate with because if there was anyone in this world he trusted to protect his men to the death, it was General Hammond.
"Sir, she's just talking nonsense; send her to the NID. Maybourne must be eager to get his hands on her," Jack said. That crazy old woman would see who they used in an experiment.
"Jack, she's like a human Goa'uld," Daniel said from his side of the glass.
"I agree with that assessment, O'Neill," Teal'c said solemnly.
"Sir, I think this has already gotten out of our hands," Carter said, looking at the soldiers around them. She was talking to General Hammond.
"Watch your words, Major," General Hammond reprimanded. Then he sighed in frustration and looked at him with a serious expression. "Colonel O'Neill, come to my office," General Hammond ordered and left. His whole team, the soldiers, and even Dr. Fraiser were looking at him.
"What?" Jack asked. "Is there something on my face?" he scolded, but then he sighed, observing everyone's expression, which made it clear that this time, they weren't buying any story.
Accusations from one prodigy might be a misjudgment, but accusations from two, and one of them willing to give everything she possessed to be allowed to dissect him, were now irrefutable evidence in everyone's eyes.
Jack sighed and walked towards General Hammond's office, with Teal'c watching him and looking threateningly at anyone who stared at him. For Teal'c, it was evident that his identity had leaked, and his plans could be in jeopardy, so his caution was double what it usually was.
…
When Jack arrived at General Hammond's office, Daniel and Carter were already there. Daniel looked expectant, and Carter gave him an accusatory look with triumphant, shining eyes. She was the first to accuse, but no one paid much attention.
"Sit down, Colonel," General Hammond said. "Teal'c, you can stay by his side," he added, seeing that Teal'c had no intention of stepping aside.
"Of course," said Carter, who seemed to have an epiphany. Everyone looked at her. "On the mission to Chulak, the alliance with Teal'c was too quick and too strange," Carter said, accusingly looking at Teal'c. Teal'c nodded without hesitation.
"O'Neill spoke to me of a future together, where we would not only defeat the false god Apophis but all the Goa'uld, so I joined his cause and have helped him on his path," Teal'c explained. Carter seemed frustrated for not having noticed it earlier.
"And what are your plans?" Carter asked, so eager to get answers that she forgot her rank.
"Jack, if you're a prodigy…"
"Why am I not a genius like you or a geek like Carter?" Jack asked, interrupting Daniel. Daniel looked at him in astonishment.
"Daniel, everyone could complete what you were going to ask," Jack said with a sigh. Teal'c nodded in support. "Daniel, life is short, and you have to live it. Before the Stargate was discovered, the average human lifespan wouldn't exceed eighty years. In that time, regardless of someone's intelligence or if they worked tirelessly for a lifetime, there was no chance to do something significant. So why bother?" Jack asked, and everyone made a grimace.
"Jack, I think Linea is right," Daniel said in frustration. Carter nodded. Jack frowned at the lack of support, but that wasn't surprising; he was talking to geeks and military personnel. There was no slacker there who could relate to him.
"As for my plans," Jack cleared his throat to stop them from looking at him like he was a waste. "I can't tell you because the more variables arise, the more problems I'll have, and things could get very ugly if my plans fail," Jack told them honestly. Carter and Daniel looked unsatisfied.
"Like in Chulak?" General Hammond asked. Jack gritted his teeth but nodded.
"What happened in Chulak?" Daniel asked. He had insisted on that question for a long time, but Jack had managed to make him give up.
Jack sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell them; it was that he didn't know how to explain it for them to understand. Now it was easier.
"If that day, I hadn't prepared a defense on Abydos, Skaara would have been captured and taken alongside Daniel's wife. Apophis would turn them into hosts, and we would arrive, keep Teal'c, who would help us save the rest of the people captured by Apophis. But I decided it was better to teach Apophis a lesson and prepared a counterattack. Daniel's wife wasn't captured, but Skaara was, and the way he fought impressed Apophis, who immediately turned him into a host, and as he no longer needed more hosts, he ordered everyone to be killed," Jack explained.
"Oh God," said Carter.
"Oh God," said Daniel, but these two phrases, though the same, had different meanings for both.
"Sir, this is incredible, the possibilities…"
"Sam, it's not the time," General Hammond interrupted. Daniel was still pale and said nothing.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but Colonel O'Neill's perceptual ability… I don't think it can be described or even imagined," said Carter.
"So, you can see what will happen in the future and decide whether to intervene or not?" Daniel asked.
"No, Daniel, I can't see the future, but I can imagine what will happen, and then decide if it's in our best interest to change something, if it's too big of a risk, or if it would be foolish to do so. The more things can change, the more risks I run of messing up big time, so I make sure not to do anything stupid. Thanks to that, we have a naquadah mine on Abydos, recovered Ra's treasure and that tablet with inscriptions. Then, I decided not to bother the Nox; that was very, very hard. We kept the device to control nanites, those same nanites, Hathor and her sarcophagus, and, of course, all the gifts Apophis brought us," explained Jack.
"But before you start thinking crazy things and get us into a big mess, I'll tell you I'm not like Carter. I can make a mistake in a simple sum, and learning is as hard for me as it is for everyone else, so I'm not a scientist. Maybe one day, if I gain ultramegacosmic knowledge, I'll consider the possibility, but not now.
"Secondly, think about my life. Do you think I would have allowed my son to die if I had known?" Jack asked, apologizing internally to O'Neill for using his son in this, which made him feel awful. From his memories, he understood that he would be shooting him right now if he were there. Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably.
"I can't see the future. As I've said, I can imagine some things. And by knowing those things, I can take advantage of circumstances. But it's extremely dangerous to do so, especially when our enemies are like Linea.
"She saw through me at that moment, and only chance saved us all because I'm telling you now, she had us in her hands all the time, and if she wanted to kill me, she could. It wasn't my ability that saved us from her; it was sheer chance. You also saw how we fell into prison, and we had already been ambushed several times," Jack said so that these guys wouldn't think they were invincible.
"We understand, Colonel O'Neill. This is already a great advantage for us. But now, that advantage has been exposed and confirmed in front of many people to keep the secret for a long time. Tell me, Colonel, is this why you don't leave the base? Are you afraid for your safety since you decided to intervene and help us?" General Hammond asked. Jack nodded, and he was sincere; he wouldn't trust anyone outside the base.
"Sir, politicians and high command already sold us once to benefit from the Tollan. From the moment I stepped into this base to join this project and act whenever I see fit, I am entrusting my safety to you," Jack explained sincerely. If someone like Maybourne were in charge of the SGC, his plan would be a complete failure.
"Don't worry, Colonel, from now on, I assure you that to get you out of this base without your consent, they'll have to go over my dead body," General Hammond assured. Jack nodded in gratitude. Politicians like Kinsey were everywhere.
...
A few days after the meeting, everyone at the base looked at him discreetly, and Jack supposed that his supposed prodigious gift had already spread to higher spheres. If he didn't improve the base's security soon, or his own safety, he would be in big trouble.
…
After the whole fiasco with Linea, the missions continued, and he encountered people living in a virtual reality. Jack was ready to leave them there, but the others opposed and threw them into the garden where a strange guardian droid seemed more concerned about his garden than the people. As for immersive virtual reality technology, only he was interested, and it was difficult to get a capsule that scientists promised to study after finishing more important projects, like getting Ra's eye to work with Apophis's ship engines. That was a tragedy for him.
…
Later on, Daniel separated from the team to follow a woman. Given the many things that went wrong in his missions and the original history when Daniel went running, Jack was already paranoid. Since he promised General Hammond not to catch him by the neck again, he felt powerless against the misfortunes Daniel brought. However, if anything went wrong this time, Jack wasn't a fool, and he would escape, leaving Daniel to deal with the consequences of his actions.
Bearing all this in mind, Jack ordered them to let the hippie run alone while they watched from afar. Soon, Daniel found the woman attempting suicide, making Jack realize what would happen next after Daniel saved her.
While Daniel and the woman stood up after her suicide attempt, a group of fake Jaffa arrested him and took him away.
"Who wants to go eat?" Jack asked.
"Sir…"
"Carter, none of that 'sir' stuff. If we had followed him, we'd be prisoners right now. Besides, nothing's going to happen to that hippie because that woman isn't a Goa'uld, and those aren't real Jaffa. Something weird is going on, so for now, we'll just go eat. Afterward, we'll see if they enslave Daniel or marry him to that woman. In that case, we'll have to notify Share that a woman from another world has taken her husband," Jack concluded.
"They're not Jaffa?" Carter asked. Jack nodded.
"Please, Carter, don't ask me how I know, and let's go eat," Jack said.
…
A day later, they saw Daniel on the outskirts of the false Goa'uld's palace, wearing imperial clothes.
"Daniel, you're a stupid hippie," Jack said from behind a tree.
"Jack," Daniel said, surprised, and discreetly walked toward the trees.
"Not slavers, and all those people in the mine work willingly while ensuring that newcomers from other worlds like you have elegant clothes to stroll in the sun?" Jack asked. Daniel was stunned.
"Daniel, I've contacted the SGC command and informed them of the situation with these people. They're sending troops…" Engine noises roared in the distance, but with the portal so close, they would be there in a few seconds.
Daniel tried to run back to the pyramid palace with his new friend, but Teal'c and Carter emerged from behind trees right behind him, which Daniel hadn't even noticed. They captured him and ran alongside Jack, while six armored vehicles stopped in front of the palace, using light machine guns to mow down the Jaffa that emerged, as special forces teams ignored the battle and entered the palace.
…
Barely ten minutes later, victory was clear, and two unfortunate fallen soldiers were taken to the portal to be transported to the two sarcophagi under the SGC's control.
"Calm down, Daniel. We have sarcophagi; if you want your slaver back, you'll get her. But she won't have slaves, a palace, or an army of fake Jaffa to enslave people anymore," Jack said, making it clear he disagreed with anything Daniel was going to say.
"And Earth will have another naquadah mine," accused Daniel, watching soldiers securing the palace.
"That's right. Do you think these people will care if we extract the naquadah for them? If we pay them with clothes, food, and medicine?" Jack asked, and Daniel didn't know what to say. "Daniel, she's a bad person. As for us, nothing in this life is free, Daniel. If it were, the advanced species in the galaxy would give us all the technology we need," Jack said with a sigh. "Daniel, you see the best in every person.
"That's something big and wonderful, something many of us can't do. But the fact that she's good to you doesn't negate the fact that she showed no mercy to the hundreds of people she enslaved.
"If she had been honest, she would have been working in that mine alongside everyone else and her army. But she didn't, and that means she only cares about herself, and now she'll have to face the consequences of her actions unless you want to save her and send her somewhere else," Jack said. Daniel looked at him.
"I still have command of this mission, Daniel. Just take her to the portal; no one will stop you," Jack explained. Daniel hesitated for a moment but then ran toward the palace.
"Here, O'Neill, let him take her," Jack ordered. In the pyramid, there would be another sarcophagus, making it four for Earth. One was in the hands of politicians, in case they suffered a heart attack or liver failure, and two were at the SGC. With this one, they would have three, a good life insurance.
…
Upon returning to the SGC, Jack saw the tunnel they had dug to set up a proper defense for the portal. The tunnel was a hundred meters long to the portal and twenty meters behind it. It was seven meters wide and six meters high. Armored gates were still being installed every twenty meters, and warehouses were being excavated for land vehicles, which had proven useful for a lightning attack like the one they had carried out.
"Congratulations, Colonel. This will make the Prometheus project progress faster than expected," General Hammond said.
"Sir, tell them not to go crazy, at least until we get the trinium for the helmet," Jack said. Earth still didn't have a trinium mine, which was a scarce material, and the Goa'uld controlled all the mines.
"Don't worry, Colonel. Since we have the two ships, they're not in such a hurry, and research on the engines will take longer, even with a model," Carter contributed.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein