Bab 7: Chapter 7 Apophis
Jack furrowed his brow as he stepped through the portal. They were in some kind of plant or factory, and there was no way he didn't recognize the place; he had been expecting it, knowing that exploration of the area was imminent.
"Forget it, Jack, I don't need a robot," Jack thought. The technology here was astonishing, and the androids were incredible, but if he remembered correctly, their batteries were terrible, and currently, they wouldn't be of any benefit to him.
As for allowing himself to be copied to alleviate the loneliness of Comtrya, whose name he couldn't recall, that would be the worst plan. The original Jack robot already felt suffocated in this place, and he was a military man with not many expectations. If it were him, being trapped here would drive him crazy in a few days… although things might improve with access to video games, consoles, and, above all, the internet. It would be an unparalleled lazy life…
Jack shook his head internally; it wasn't the time to indulge in idyllic fantasies.
He already had a plan for Comtrya. If he accepted it, good for him; if not, he would leave without hesitation. Jack glanced at his team, exploring the surroundings and commenting on what seemed like technology more outdated than theirs.
"Gather 'round, people," Jack ordered in a neutral tone. His team hurried to assemble.
"Is there something wrong, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Yes, Teal'c. This place is too clean to be abandoned," Jack said, grasping at any nonsense to put his team on alert. "Let's move carefully," he said, starting to advance, inspecting the walls and instructing the team to position themselves at a distance from each other. He didn't want them all stunned with a single shot. He couldn't remember how Comtrya captured the original SG-1, but he was sure they were stunned in some way. So, just like with the fisherman, his plan was to keep a distance.
After advancing about a hundred meters, they encountered a narrow tunnel. Jack ordered them to stop, looked at Daniel, and indicated for him to go forward, check inside, and report back.
"Jack!" Daniel scolded.
"What?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're using me as cannon fodder!" Daniel reproached angrily.
"Nonsense, what makes you think that?" Jack asked in confusion.
"Jack, it's clear you think there's a trap in that tunnel, and you're sending me into it," Daniel reproached. He was as complainy as ever.
"Daniel, honestly, I think they'll stun you. The truth is, you're always falling into some trap, so I didn't think you'd mind. But since you complain so much, stay back. Carter, move forward and check that tunnel," Jack ordered. Carter looked at him with a bewildered expression, and Jack sighed. His team was made up of pure cowards, starting with himself.
"Alright, fall back, stay ten paces away," he ordered.
"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG-1. We are Earth explorers…" Jack gave his opening speech of exploration and peace, but no one responded.
"We're not aggressive, and I believe you're not either. If we talk, we can understand each other. If you're concerned about our weapons, we can send someone unarmed to negotiate. But if you don't respond in a minute, we'll leave," Jack warned and began to retreat.
"Wait, please don't go; we can talk. Send someone unarmed to negotiate," said a somewhat high-pitched and nervous voice from the walls, though no speakers were visible.
"Seems like their technology is more advanced than it appears," Carter remarked.
"Daniel, I'm reasonably sure they won't stun you this time. Can you leave your weapons and go negotiate? I promise you'll be avenged if something horrible happens," Jack assured. Daniel gritted his teeth and began to remove his weapons. "Daniel, this place doesn't seem far from our technology; make sure to mention our interest in it," Jack said.
…
An hour later, Jack spent his time counting tubes when Daniel returned with a short, chubby man. Jack vaguely remembered his appearance and his way of repeating "Comtrya," which meant he was a memorable character, but his name escaped him.
"Jack, this is Harlan, the sole survivor on this planet," Daniel introduced.
Harlan approached and inspected each of them. Jack glanced at everyone meaningfully to keep them separated. Harlan examining them like pieces of meat in a market while repeating his characteristic "Comtrya" meant he hadn't given up on his plan to create robots.
"Harlan, we are visitors from a world besieged by a dangerous extraterrestrial race, and currently, we are seeking technologies that can serve our defense. Or contribute to it.
"As you are the only person here, I assume you wouldn't mind if a few of us came to examine this place and accompany you while doing so," Jack offered. Harlan's eyes lit up.
"Yes, the bastard is thinking of being dishonest," Jack thought. He didn't mind him copying people, but if he wasn't even willing to share android creation technology, the deal was useless to them.
After several nods of approval to their visiting and investigating plans, Jack sighed.
"Harlan, you seem to have a very special interest in us, but it's not for socializing or sharing knowledge," Jack accused, and Harlan tensed.
"No, not at all…" Jack sighed. He thought he had found someone who was just like him in the inability to tell lies.
"People, let's go," Jack ordered. "Harlan, good luck with your people-catching, for undefined purposes," Jack said, starting to walk backward toward the portal, keeping his group separated to avoid falling into some stunning trap.
"Wait, you can't leave; I need your help…" Jack ignored him. "Nothing will happen to you; the copying process won't cause any harm…" Jack stopped and raised an eyebrow.
"Copying process?" Jack asked.
…
Faced with their threat to leave, Harlan took less than half an hour to reveal everything. Jack sighed.
"Jack, the android technology is amazing, but we can't do this…" Jack looked at Daniel as if he were stupid.
"Daniel, do you remember a couple of words called 'paid work'?" Jack asked, and Daniel looked stunned. Jack looked at Harlan. "Harlan, you don't need to copy people to get labor. On our planet, we have millions of unemployed; you just have to tell us how many of them you want here to help you, and we'll pay all their expenses and send them food for as long as you need, in exchange for allowing us to study this place and android technology.
"If by chance you manage to convince some of those unemployed to let you copy them, that's your and their business, but remember to ask first and clarify things well. If we find out that you've copied someone without their permission, we'll be very upset. Understand?" Jack asked seriously.
"Comtrya, Comtrya," Harlan said, hopping with joy.
"I have the soul of a negotiator," Jack said, looking at Daniel.
Carter seemed eager to get her hands on android technology, but Harlan had already told them he didn't know about the technology of this place, and Jack figured it would take them some time to take advantage of it.
…
Due to their intervention, the mission with Harlan extended for a couple of days. As Jack had said, they had no shortage of workers willing to earn money by working on the maintenance of Harlan's home, which went from being a suspicious android to becoming a leisurely entrepreneur.
The government was already considering what uses to give to android technology. They wanted to use it, but they were bothered by having to copy someone's consciousness to get an android.
Jack supposed it would take them time to achieve their goals, but the technology, acquired or not, increased General Hammond's prestige and merits, and that was what he aimed for.
…
After the mission with the androids, Jack awaited news from Apophis, who harbored great resentment for them stealing his First Prime. Jack hoped his plan to attack Earth would be as foolish and careless as in the original story, so he could gain significant advantages. In his eyes, Apophis was simply a treasure trove.
According to Teal'c, the guy didn't have a Ha'tak or had never taken Teal'c to them, which would be ridiculous considering Teal'c was his First Prime, and Ha'taks were filled with Jaffa.
This meant Apophis was an insignificant System Lord and also explained his downfall after losing only two Ha'taks. Surely, he had spent all his savings to acquire them, and the original SG-1 made them explode. If looked at in that way, it was a heartbreaking story for Apophis, and Jack didn't plan to cause him any less trouble, so he had Bra'tac keep an eye on his movements.
…
Days passed, and Bra'tac didn't report. However, something happened: Daniel disappeared into a dimensional mirror. Jack already knew what would happen when they got there, but he was curious to see if, after so many setbacks and forced reflections, Daniel would still act impulsively, throwing himself headlong into any absurd situation he found.
Jack grimaced watching him disappear into the mirror after discreetly following him and making sure to catch his attention so he would fall into the trap and return to the wrong place.
"He's a lost cause, beyond help," Jack thought, shaking his head. This time, he decided to follow the original story because he remembered it, and he needed the coordinates of Apophis' ships. Although he had Bra'tac, he preferred not to risk Earth's safety, even if he considered Apophis an insignificant System Lord.
Jack considered helping defend the other Earth, but he had no clear ideas about it. The attack on the other Earth was imminent, and the old outpost had no power. He couldn't get there and activate it. They could only rely on Teal'c, but that was too risky. Also, the first thing they would do in that place would be to capture and interrogate him. The original O'Neill was there, too, and he was a kind of closed-minded guy. He couldn't risk his life in that attempt. In short, he had no way to save the other Earth, so he turned around and left.
…
A few hours later, Daniel returned to SG-1, shaking and frantic, bringing with him the coordinates. Jack grimaced as he looked at Daniel, who finished recounting his story with amazement and handed over the coordinates.
"Well, at least we've confirmed the attack," Jack said. Daniel looked at them confused.
"Bra'tac has sent a message to the pickup point. That is the location of the ships Apophis will use to attack Earth. They are currently loading the last supplies and troops to advance towards Earth. Bra'tac has told us that the portal is in a cargo hold within one of the ships, so we could send a bomb. However, Colonel O'Neill has had another idea that has been more favored by high command and the president," General Hammond explained to Daniel. Daniel looked at him.
"Bra'tac has said that Apophis uses the portal to collect troops and equipment, and it will take two days to be ready. So, we'll wait for him to load most things and capture the fully equipped ships," Jack explained. Daniel looked stunned.
"What?" Daniel asked incredulously.
"Daniel, Apophis has worked hard to get two Ha'taks. Teal'c says they are the most powerful Goa'uld ship models, so it would be foolish to blow them up. If we did, it would be a tragedy for Earth. So, we'll take his fully equipped ships as a donation to Earth's cause," Jack explained.
"Jack, stop joking. Ra even knew we were beneath his ship. Undoubtedly, Apophis will realize if we put an army inside his ships," Daniel said skeptically. Jack nodded.
"Teal'c has explained that part. Ra didn't expect there to be people there, but Apophis is loading troops and weapons. We'll take the place of one of those shipments, infiltrate the bridge of the first ship, and use the ring platform to invade the bridge of the second ship. Goa'uld ships are controlled from their bridges, so no one will close doors in our way or put force fields in front of our soldiers. We'll sweep both ships using the rings to infiltrate the second," Jack explained.
"It's a very risky plan," Daniel said.
"It's a plan that will net us two Goa'uld Ha'taks, some death gliders, cargo ships, bombers, and a bunch of equipment and weapons. It's worth the risk. We'll also be able to minimize casualties because I assume Apophis will have a sarcophagus with him," Jack said.
"Dr. Jackson, the president has already given approval for this operation, which we'll call Operation Snake Lurking. We'll have four infantry battalions armed with anti-personnel weapons, which are already arriving at the base and awaiting the start signal that Master Bra'tac will send as soon as Apophis has gathered enough equipment on his ships.
"As a backup to this plan, the air forces are preparing to launch over a hundred missiles enhanced with naquadah, which we hope will be enough to overload the shields of the ships in case this operation fails," General Hammond explained.
"The shields of Goa'uld Ha'tak class ships are not very durable," Teal'c explained, who followed Jack's instructions to provide information, as he had never seen a Goa'uld Ha'tak and didn't know its capabilities. Everything he knew about these Goa'uld ships and what he had contributed, Jack had told him. But no one asked questions because Teal'c was Apophis' First Prime, and everyone assumed he knew all his ships inside out.
"Let's hope this operation is successful," General Hammond said decisively.
…
Two days later, Bra'tac's message arrived at the pickup site, and they dialed Earth to report.
…
Two minutes after the signal was sent, the Earth gate began to activate, and a team of four people in Jaffa suits, with serpent helmets, led the way holding Zat guns.
After crossing, Jack and his team waited ten seconds and followed them. Upon exiting, they saw the four serpent guards disintegrating two Jaffa on the ground, while Master Bra'tac and his two allied Jaffa watched the cargo hold door.
"To the bridge," Jack ordered the soldiers disguised as Jaffa and opened a radio channel. "Sir, green light. I repeat, green light," Jack said, and he and his team followed the four Jaffa soldiers and the three Jaffa who were Master Bra'tac and his two allies. They hid as they advanced, in case the group of allied Jaffa encountered guards.
"Jack, this suit is crap and weighs a ton, I feel like a turtle," Kawalsky complained over the radio.
"Kawalsky, your team lost the bet, stop complaining like a child. At least you can use your big size to deflect enemy shots," Jack replied over the radio behind him. Kawalsky cursed.
Bra'tac led the way to the enemy bridge as they encountered several Jaffa patrols that he sent to distant areas under orders to meet there with their god. The Jaffa didn't hesitate to follow orders, clearing the way to the bridge without the need for battle or hiding.
…
Upon reaching the bridge, there were only four guards guarding the sarcophagus, and they were disintegrated when attacked by surprise. They didn't even have a chance to shoot. When Jack entered, they were already vaporizing.
"Sir, bridge taken, initiate Operation Snake Lurking," Jack said over the radio, and a minute later, the bridge was filled with soldiers.
"Those are the rings," Bra'tac said.
"Kawalsky, attract as many shots as possible," Jack advised, indicating for him to transport.
Kawalsky flipped him off as he advanced and activated the ring platform with his team. At that very moment, a hail of gunfire erupted in the ship where the gate was located.
It seemed the arriving battalions had already encountered the Jaffa Bra'tac sent to other floors. As for the soldiers in the bridge room where they were, they were using the rings non-stop to infiltrate the second ship and start another massacre of Jaffa and Apophis' servants there.
…
The battle continued for two hours. The four battalions were coming out of the Stargate, and half of them followed a marked path to the bridge of the first ship and the ring platform, while the other half cleared the first ship in a frenzied and relentless battle.
They could only move forward, not backward, because any delay in taking the ship could mean additional damage or Apophis' Jaffa destroying the ships or activating some bomb.
…
"Open them," Jack ordered two hours later. They were in a ten-by-ten cargo hold that had been emptied, and the only equipment present was two Goa'uld sarcophagi, which were being opened at that moment.
Around the sarcophagi was his team, twenty soldiers, Bra'tac, and his men. When the two sarcophagi opened, five soldiers approached each of them and ruthlessly and brutally dragged their occupants, stripping them of any equipment, ornaments, and any clothing they had, leaving the two Goa'uld shocked, trembling, and confused in front of them.
"Apophis, Klorel, I'm Colonel O'Neill. Earth welcomes you. We inform you that there is a tax fee for visiting us, which we will collect by taking possession of these insignificant trinkets you call ships, and anything present in them, including yourselves," Jack explained seriously.
Apophis tried to speak, but the soldiers holding him hit him to silence him. When he fell to the ground, he was brutally kicked with kicks that fractured all his limbs and crushed his chest, leaving him barely able to breathe, let alone speak.
Klorel looked at his father in a state of shock and bewilderment, not daring to speak, thinking he would be next. However, nothing happened, and only a few soldiers with doctor insignias entered, carrying dead or seriously injured soldiers. First, they introduced two of the most severely injured into the sarcophagi and activated them, then waited.
There were ten other dead waiting for treatment and five more injured. Considering the speed and violence with which the attacking forces were deployed, casualties had been minimal since the Jaffa's weapons were completely ineffective. For every shot they fired, an Earth soldier had already fired twenty or thirty times. They had an overwhelming advantage in ground confrontations.
When the doctors finished introducing the two injured into the sarcophagi, Jack approached Apophis, who was making a strange noise while breathing.
"Sir, Intelligence wants him alive," Carter warned, as Jack had drawn his gun.
"O'Neill, I understand your pain, but we'll get more information if we keep him alive," Teal'c supported. Jack shook his head to prevent Daniel from joining the discussion.
"I'm not going to kill him, I told the general earlier. I'll settle for beating him severely and leaving him with broken limbs until he dies of pain, and then we'll put him in the sarcophagus," Jack said as he shot him twice, once in each hand. Then he raised his hands and handed over the gun to prevent the soldiers from taking him down, as they had orders from General Hammond to subdue him if he didn't behave as agreed.
The soldiers dragged Apophis away from him, but they didn't take him out of the room, as they had to place him in the sarcophagus when the medical team stopped using it. However, that wouldn't happen soon, and it was certain that Apophis would die due to his severe injuries. Jack approached Klorel, who looked at him alarmed.
"Skaara, I warned you, but you're too stubborn," Jack said with a sigh.
"If they harm me, your friend will suffer with me," Klorel threatened with fear.
"Nonsense, you're just a baby larva; we have nothing against kids," Jack said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
"How…" the soldiers gagged Klorel and tied him up, ready to take him away.
"Relax, Skaara, we'll soon free you from that parasite in your body," Daniel said before the soldiers left.
"Colonel O'Neill, report," General Hammond ordered over the radio, indicating that the Stargate was open.
"Sir, we have fifteen casualties and ten severely wounded. We've sent five of the wounded to the base's sarcophagus. The rest of the operation was a success. We have both Ha'taks under our control, as well as a cargo ship, two Goa'uld bombers, and twenty-four death gliders, in addition to all their equipment," Jack reported.
"Good job, Colonel. And what about the prisoners?" he asked.
"Apophis has been captured; we also found Skaara, and we're sending him there. There are others suspected of harboring Goa'uld symbiotes, but we'll need more thorough examinations. Get ready for a long day, sir.
"We've been dealing with a ship full of Goa'uld; some soldiers may have been infected by larvae, and depending on their development, they may or may not control them soon," Jack explained.
"We're already on it, Colonel. Send everyone to the secure base; they'll be examined there," General Hammond ordered. "Colonel, has Teal'c managed to move Apophis' ships?" he added.
"Well, he managed to pilot the cargo ship to bring Apophis' sarcophagus to this ship. I fear it will take time to move the larger ships, but Master Bra'tac reports that this position is secure for at least three more months, and there won't be any reinforcements," Jack reported.
"Good job, Colonel. The president will want to congratulate you on this," General Hammond said.
"Sir, I'd prefer to get some technological benefits. I'd settle for one of the bombers," Jack said. General Hammond laughed.
"I'm afraid you'd have to fight many people to achieve that, Colonel O'Neill. Everyone is eager to get their hands on those ships," he concluded. Jack smiled.
"We'll try to bring them to Earth as soon as possible," Jack concluded, cutting off the communication and looking at his team. "Alright, who wants to undergo a physical examination for parasites?" Jack asked. "Those who don't raise their hand will receive a shock and then be subjected to a physical examination for parasites," Jack said, and Daniel and Carter quickly raised their hands. Jack looked at Teal'c.
"Teal'c, in this case, only the Jaffa are trusted. Please, you and Master Bra'tac split up to guard the bridges with another twenty soldiers. You'll be in charge of the operation until we return from our tests," Jack said, and Teal'c and Bra'tac nodded, bidding farewell with an arm clasp.
…
Two days later, Daniel, Carter, and he returned to Cimmeria with Skaara tied and gagged. When Thor's Hammer scanner focused on him, Jack, Carter, and Daniel clung to his body to be transported along with him.
Getting out of Thor's labyrinth took half a day, but they finally pushed Klorel to face his trial. They also killed the Unas that roamed there and the symbiote controlling it.
After Skaara emerged from the cave, he was sent to recover, while some soldiers infected with Goa'ulds during the takeover of the ships followed the same protocol, being dragged by three of their comrades and forced to face Thor's judgment, where their larvae were destroyed.
…
Three days later, his team, Skaara, Master Bra'tac, and his two Jaffa allies were on the bridge of one of the ships.
"Go ahead, Skaara," Jack said, and Skaara placed his hand on the control panel. The ship began to move very slowly. Everyone on the bridge applauded.
"Skaara, we have more soldiers who have been infected and now have traces of the Goa'ulds in them. I think you just got a job as a trainer for Goa'uld ship pilots," Jack said, patting him on the shoulder. Skaara had a big smile.
"Thank you, O'Neill, for setting me free…" he began to sob. Jack looked at him with disgust and patted him harder on the shoulder to prevent him from crying.
"O'Neill, you're going to break my bones," Skaara complained.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone