Chapter 15
Jack moved the garbage pail in front of the door, hoping to dissuade anyone who might want to enter. Teal'c used the staff weapon to blow the handle off the door that had led them from the environment.
"Weapons work…that's a plus."
"We are essentially trapped… it will only be a matter of time before they find us," Daniel said, attempting, but failing, to stifle a yawn.
"Daniel, have you slept since you ascended?" Jack asked.
"Yes and no …Yes, I slept," Daniel said, even though the 30 minute nap in his office seemed a lifetime ago. "But no, I never ascended Jack." Daniel proceeded to tell Jack his story of meeting Talin for the first time.
Jack leaned forward, touching the marks Daniel had received from the shattered glass. "From what I can understand, Talin turns off certain protocols in the Environment to make the story…" Daniel waved his hands around. "I don't know…more believable, I guess." He offered Jack a small smile in compensation.
"It never happened, Daniel…none of it. Cassie being sick, Nirrti, Orlin, Chaka, the Tollans being destroyed…Anubis?"
"None of it Jack. Oh, it happened. It happened to us, but not to anyone else."
"The Jaffa uprising?"
"Sorry, Teal'c…not on…"
"Daniel, the robot… the replicators?" Jack hinted at the incident that had been the culmination of a year's worth of hurt and anger.
"Never happened in reality. Reese never existed…only in our minds. Well actually in the minds of the people of this planet. Wanna laugh…I bet they showed that one during sweeps week…the gateroom scene was a killer."
Jack kept his eyes pinned to the floor as he examined his boot laces. "Daniel, I'm you know…about…"
"Yeah, me too, I shouldn't have called you…"
"I didn't know…"
"We weren't ourselves. Right, Janet?" Jack looked beseeching at the doctor for confirmation that there was an actual reason for their…for his behavior in the gate room.
"Right. We weren't ourselves." Daniel turned towards Janet, a look of hopeful resignation on his face.
Shaking her head, Janet could only begin to imagine what the hell happened in their reality. "From what Leske told me, these devices are capable of interfering with thought patterns, things you wouldn't normally do…"
Daniel was mortified by the thoughts he had harbored towards a man he had considered his best friend two years ago. His voice broke with a multitude of emotions. "I'm sorry that I…"
Jack, still unable to make eye contact, squeezed Daniel's shoulder in reply. Too many doubts were crowding his brain, like why didn't he question Daniel's ascension? Was it because he was a good friend or was it because Talin had his filter thingy working overtime?
Daniel eased himself off the floor, and began pacing the tiled, confined space of the bathroom. "Jack, I think we should be doing something." From the tone of Daniel's voice, Jack knew he wasn't going to be thrilled as to where this was going.
"Yes, Daniel?"
"We don't want this happening to anyone else, do we?"
"No, Daniel." Jack groaned as protesting knees supported his weight whilst lifting himself from the floor. "We do not. But we are waiting right here for Carter and What's-her-name."
"Leske, Jack." Even Daniel really didn't want to do what he was going to suggest. He wanted to curl up on this bathroom floor and sleep for days, but he needed to go home. He needed to see his teammates go home.
"Leske. Whatever… we are waiting here for them."
"No… it will save time if we find the control room, and…"
"And *what*, Daniel?" Jack asked, emphatically, not wanting to split the team up again. Having his eggs rolling around in too many places usually ended up with someone getting scrambled."
"DanielJackson is correct, O'Neill."
"Aw jeez, Teal'c, I thought you were kel-no-reeming in the corner. Doc…how bout you? Why don't you put your two cents in?"
She knew what the Colonel wanted to hear and she knew what she really wanted to say…that Daniel and the rest of the team really belonged in the infirmary at home…but they were not going to get home unless every portion of this nightmare was taken care of. "I happen to agree with Daniel, Colonel."
"See, Jack?" Daniel began with an almost maniacal expression. "I still have the ability to morph into whomever I want. He pulled his shirt down to show Jack the device. "I can morph into an SF and hold you prisoner, asking to find Talin. No one will question…they are looking for you anyway…and they will lay out the red carpet for me to escort you to the control room. Isn't that easy?" Daniel was practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "It can't fail." Lowering his eyes, he whispered. "I won't let it fail. We lost one year of our lives…one year. We can't allow that to happen to anyone else, Jack."
Jack shrugged his shoulders. The plan was almost ludicrous in its simplicity.
Daniel chewed on his bottom lip, anxiously glancing at Jack. Janet silently hoped this would work, and they would not end up rescuing Daniel and Jack. "Daniel…"
"Janet, I'm fine." He answered before she even asked the inevitable question. The pounding in his head had somewhat decreased in decibels, but his need to make this right was more important than how he felt.
"All right Daniel. We have a go…but, I'm morphing, and I'm carrying the gun. I can say that we found you unconscious in the ladies' room…"
"Jaaack."
"Stop whining…I'm thinking. Okay, obviously Talin would have sent SF's in search of us." Jack wiggled his fingers by his temple illustrating the point. "Talin's been fiddling with your thingy, you passed out….Daniel…are you with me, Daniel?"
"Jack…" Daniel's breathing had increased to panting as he turned a panicked expression to his friend. "I think Talin is getting really pissy right about now. Um… and Jack, I don't think your idea about me losing consciousness is that far off the mark."
"Shit…" Jack stepped forward just in time to stop Daniel's head from impacting the hard floor. He laid him down gently, looking towards the doctor for guidance.
"Okay Janet, give. What the hell is going on?" Janet bent down, checking Daniel's vital signs. Shaking her head, "We need to get him home, Colonel."
"Dammit, Janet. Don't you think I know that? We all need to be home. Just explain what happens with these things in our heads."
"The neurofilters disconnect when you leave the planet, or when the Environment shuts down. There is approximately a 36 hour window to enter the codes to disable the neurofilter…"
"What happens if the codes aren't entered, Janet…and I *so* know I am not going to like this answer."
"They self destruct."
"As in boom?"
"Actually, Colonel… Leske didn't exactly allude to the process of self-destruction."
"How are the codes entered…?"
"With the DaD device. But when Daniel came back to earth, there was no DaD…so Leske built a bastardized one and deactivated the filter with that."
Daniel moaned in discomfort and pulled his arms over his head. "Obviously it didn't work that well."
"Well that's one theory…the other is that the filters get absorbed into the body. Daniel's must still have some window that Talin can reach."
"Daniel…come on, Daniel…I need you semi-conscious." Jack bent down and shook Daniel's shoulder. "Go 'way, Jack."
Jack propped him up to a sitting position… "Daniel, pain killers."
Daniel waved him away. "I'm fine." He attempted to stand, but Jack grabbed him just as his knees buckled out from underneath him. "Think I'll just sit while you morph." Daniel said, as Jack lowered him to the floor again. Daniel disconnected the device and handed it to Jack. Jack requesting the P90 was the last thing that Daniel heard before his vision faded out. "Shit, Daniel…now is not the time for that."
"Colonel, I'm not happy with you dragging Daniel all over this SGC…"
"*Now* you tell me this…little late, Doc."
"O'Neill…I believe I hear someone approaching."
"Okay…let's get this show on the road." Jack dialed the device and morphed into an SF. Teal'c assisted him in bringing Daniel to a standing position. "Okay…wait here for Carter and Leske. After they return…give us an hour…no more…then head for the gateroom."
Jack patted Daniel's cheek. "With me, big guy?"
Daniel just nodded his head in agreement, never opening his eyes. "I'm fine, Jack."
"I know you are, Daniel…just follow my lead."
Teal'c quietly move the garbage can from the front of the door. "ONeill..."
"Don't worry Teal'c, I'll take care of Jack," Daniel mumbled.
"I would expect no less, DanielJackson."
"Colonel… in case of… "
"Doctor Fraiser…I don't really want to know, okay? Just watch out for the T-man for me."
As the Colonel and Daniel exited the bathroom, they could hear his voice echoing in the corridor. "Lookie here, guys…look what I found!"