Heracles Rising
by Kikkimax
“Earth to Sam,” Janet repeated as she slid into the chair next to her friend, exchanging a greeting smile with the man across the table as he glanced up from the book he was reading while he ate.
“Oh hi, Janet,” Sam muttered, a slight flush coming to her face. “I didn’t hear you.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” Janet teased. “What had you so enthralled? Surely not the tuna surprise.”
“No. Ugh. Actually, I was looking at Daniel’s mouth,” Sam explained.
The mouth in question gaped open, a forkful of tuna noodle casserole stopping in route halfway from the plate. “Uh… Why?” Daniel asked, looking over the tops of his glasses.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Janet agreed wholeheartedly.
“It’s not fair,” Sam grumbled, stopping to take a bite of her salad.
“What’s not?” Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes as he slowly lowered his fork.
“Mmm,” Janet agreed again with a nod, ignoring Daniel’s growing disquiet while studying his face intently. “It’s the lips.”
“What about my lips?” Daniel queried, closing his book and reaching up to self-
“Exactly!” Sam concurred. “Why should a man get lips like that? If it wasn’t for
the colonel, I’d have the flattest lips on SG-
“Nice package all the way around,” Janet leered.
“Well, yeah,” Sam granted. “I’m just saying what a shame it is to waste all that on someone who doesn’t appreciate it. I mean, if he was a woman, he wouldn’t even have to wear makeup.”
“All that perfect skin,” Janet sighed dreamily. “He’s just so… pretty.”
“I’m sitting right here, ya know,” Daniel broke in, sounding exasperated and more than a little embarrassed by the appraisal.
“We know, sugar,” Janet drawled. “We’re just takin’ inventory. We haven’t even gotten to the best parts yet.”
Daniel felt his cheeks go red. “Can’t you do this girl talk thing somewhere else?” he sputtered, looking around to see who might be watching his torment.
“Don’t worry, hon, you are one of the girls to us,” Janet assured with a wink as she gathered her fresh cup of coffee and got up to leave.
“Wait up,” Sam replied as she piled her dishes back on a tray. “I’ll walk with you.
It’s almost time for my pre-
“Oh good, we can talk about a certain somebody’s other assets on the way,” Janet teased, smiling sweetly at Daniel.
Daniel stared after the pair as they walked away and sighed in aggravated bewilderment. “I don’t remember touching any mirror,” he muttered to himself, opening his book and going back to his lunch.
***
Daniel ran his fingers hurriedly through his hair in lieu of a comb, but paused to really take a look at his reflection in spite of the fact that Jack was already waiting. It wasn’t often he considered his appearance. When he did stop to look in a mirror, he always seemed to be searching for something beyond what was merely skin deep, not the surface stuff. He pursed his lips and ran a finger along them in exploration. Same old lips; useful for speaking and eating, but rarely used for anything more exciting than that since… well, not for a while.
“Daniel?” Jack asked from behind in a perturbed voice.
“Huh?” Daniel replied absently, not distracted from his observations.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m looking at my lips,” Daniel explained, tugging his glasses off to examine his eyelashes as well. Unfortunately, without the very items that obstructed his view, he really couldn’t tell much. He blinked a few times and slipped his specs back on in irritation.
“Why?” Jack persisted, coming a little closer to join in the assessment from over Daniel’s shoulder.
“Do I look like a girl?” Daniel asked unexpectedly, still studying his reticent reflection.
“Not since you cut your hair,” Jack assured, tugging on a lock behind Daniel’s ear. “Why? Are the marines picking on you or something?”
“Worse,” Daniel assured with a snort. “Sam and Janet. They said I was pretty.”
To his credit, Jack paused a beat before cracking up. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” he teased.
“I know!” Daniel agreed unconditionally, pointing at the obviously flawed image with his whole hand. “I knew they were just yanking my chain.”
“Look on the bright side,” Jack responded evilly as he hoisted his pack. “I’ve got a new nickname for ya.”
Daniel groaned and turned away from the mirror to face his friend. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Come on, Pretty Boy, we’re late,” Jack purred as he pushed open the locker room door and headed out.
.
***
Sam smiled as the Colonel and Daniel entered the gateroom, but it faltered quickly at the wounded look Daniel shot her as he joined Teal’c at the foot of the ramp. “What’s wrong with Daniel?” she asked her CO in a low voice.
“You know those Pretty Boys,” Jack replied flippantly, just loud enough for Daniel to hear him. “They’re so sensitive.”
“Oh God,” Sam murmured. “We were just kidding around. Did we hurt his feelings?”
“He’ll get over it,” Jack assured. “He hangs out with me; he’s used to sarcasm.”
“We weren’t being sarcastic,” Sam denied vehemently. “We were picking on him, yeah. But we were serious. Daniel is gorgeous and every woman on base knows it.”
As soon as the wormhole rushed the room and retreated Daniel glance up for the all clear and then disappeared into the blue light with Teal’c close behind him.
“Crap,” Sam swore in a very good, albeit unintentional impression of her commanding officer.
“You don’t really think he’s, you know,” Jack fished as they walked up the ramp, “all that?”
“And a bag of chips,” Sam agreed readily, stopping just short of the event horizon.
“Come on! Daniel?” Jack insisted sardonically. “Anthro-
Sam huffed in indignation, but didn’t bother to answer before ducking into the wormhole.
“Huh,” Jack replied as he followed.
******
Stepping out onto a new world seemed to ease the tension. Daniel shook his head
in bafflement as Sam sought him out with her eyes as soon as she hit the stargate
dais, non-
They found the planet to be uncommonly beautiful and none of them immediately disturbed the peaceful silence. The MALP hadn’t quite done the place justice as the colors seemed more vibrant, almost surreal in their splendor. Towering deciduous trees, instead of the usual evergreens, gave way to a cool blue sky on the far side of the grassy, meadow that bounded the stargate.
Butterflies flitted from wildflower to wildflower and several birds passed overhead,
squawking their displeasure at the noise when the ‘gate suddenly deactivated. With
the mood broken, SG-
There was such a sense of serenity Sam felt truly at ease for the first time in a long while. She half expected to hear a babbling brook and wished they had more than the few allotted hours to spend here. Unfortunately this would just be a quick in and out mineral survey. There seemed to be nothing of strategic value at the moment, but Sam mentally added the planet to the list of possible future sites for an outpost or research colony. Paradise, she thought.
Daniel seemed to be back to his normal, exuberant self and Sam thanked her lucky stars that he was such a tolerant soul. She wouldn’t hurt him for the world and vowed to sit him down and have a heart to heart with him as soon as the mission was over. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand how the brilliant man could be so obtuse when it came to his own physical attributes. With another deep breath, she went to work.
While listening to the Colonel wax poetic about the trees and Daniel hypothesize about the plain stone platform the stargate was situated on, Sam felt quite contented. The normalcy of the conversation lulled her as she methodically completed her internal checklist for arrival on an unexplored planet. She exchanged a look with Teal’c as he dipped his head briefly in an unspoken agreement of her assessment of the situation before moving on.
Still, with SG-
“Sir!” she called out, jumping back as the DHD was caught in the same nearly translucent beam and disappeared as well.
“What the hell?” Jack muttered in disbelief, running his hand through the space above the dais where only minutes before they had stepped through the stargate.
“Watch out,” Daniel cautioned urgently as the beam swept up the MALP. “Asguard?” he questioned after a few seconds of stunned silence.
“For what purpose would the Asguard strand us on this planet, Daniel Jackson?” Teal’c asked rhetorically.
“I don’t know, but here it comes again,” Daniel warned as another pale, bluish colored beam began bouncing around them, blasting the stargate dais, rocks, bushes, and anything else in its path. A second then a third bean joined in the destruction, each growing wider as they began to suck up the debris in long swirling tunnels that disappeared into the sky.
“Head for the tree line,” Jack ordered brusquely, following as his team fled for their lives.
***
48 hours later
“Sergeant?” Hammond questioned hopefully.
“Nothing, sir,” Davis answered in frustration. “The MALP seems to have just fallen off into space, the same as last time. It’s like the stargate is still there but the planet is gone. I can’t explain it.”
“Very well,” the general acknowledged softly. “Let me know if the Tok’ra or the Asguard ever get around to answering our messages.”
“Yes, sir,” Davis said with a slight nod as the control room lapsed back into a tense silence.
***
Daniel turned his canteen upside down and shook one last drop into his dry mouth. “That’s it for the water,” he said to no one in particular.
In the distance the light show steadily grew closer on another, deeper pass that appeared to be removing the top soil. Soon they would have to move again.
“They’ve taken everything,” Sam swore softly in dull amazement as she scanned the now empty lakebed stretching out beneath them, “including our only way home.”
“Sorry bastards,” Jack grumbled, exhausted from two and a half long days of trying to keep one jump ahead of the nasty blue beams as they raped the land of all but trace amounts of vegetation, water, dirt; everything.
“So, we’re just going to die here?” Daniel asked numbly. “Shouldn’t we at least try to find some way to communicate with it?”
“Knock yourself out,” Jack offered with only a hint of his usual sarcasm. “The blue-
“Jack,” Daniel objected with a tired sigh.
“O’Neill,” Teal’c hastily interrupted pointing to two bright points of light in the direction of the setting sun. Gradually the lights dimmed into dark spots that increased rapidly in size, morphing into small, sleek aircraft. As they approached they were accompanied by a deep roaring hum and gale force winds. Before the small space ships landed in the dry lakebed the blue beams disappeared completely.
“Daniel,” Jack yelled above the noise, ducking his head from the rush of sand that swept past him, “here’s your chance to communicate.”
Daniel tried to peer through his upraised arms to get a better look but had to turn away as well until the cacophony of sound and bruising air abruptly stopped. He heard running feet pounding the barren ground and coming towards them as he used his equally dusty sleeve to wipe the fine film of dirt from his glasses.
Already on his feet, Teal’c raised his staff weapon and shouted to the two young men who breathlessly approached them. “Come no further,” he boomed menacingly.
Jack and Sam held their P-
“We mean you no harm,” one of the men said hurriedly, lifting his empty hands in supplication.
“Right,” Jack mocked. “So it wasn’t you trying to wipe us off the planet with that nifty blue vacuum then, huh?”
“We only recently determined your life signs when we passed over this area in our scout vessels. Long range scans indicated that this planet was uninhabited,” the other man explained rapidly and without pausing for air.
“Obviously not,” Daniel put in. “We’ve been running from that vicious shaft of light for days.”
“We have destroyed your planet.”
“No,” Daniel assured quickly, relieved by the stricken tone of the man’s voice. “We’re visitors here, just like you. Although we had actually planned to leave the planet the way we found it.”
The two men looked at each other and then at the wanton destruction around them. “Your ship was destroyed?” one of them asked.
“We didn’t come here by ship,” Sam started to explain, but cut herself off at the sharp look from her commanding officer. “But yes, our means of transportation was taken out in the first wave.”
“So, let me get this straight, you weren’t intentionally trying to kill us?” Daniel asked warily.
“No!” the first man exclaimed. “We fight only for the defense of our people.”
“And we take raw materials only from planets without sentient life forms,” the other added. “I am Barret and this is Alam. How may we assist you in returning to your home?”
“I don’t think you can,” Sam said taking in size of the two tiny spacecraft.
Alam graced her with a cocky grin and clicked a knob on his arm. “Command, we require a shuttle. The last scan was not a malfunction. We have discovered four people on this world.”
“Uh,” Jack lifted a finger in protest. “We didn’t say we would go with you.”
“Sir, with all due respect, the stargate is gone. Our supplies are almost used up and frankly, they’ve taken or destroyed anything we could possibly live off of long term. There’s not even any water left.”
“It’s a big planet, Carter,” Jack argued. “And this is where a rescue will come
when Hammond manages to convince someone to come looking for us. If you could just
leave us some supplies, we’ll be fine,” he added turning to their would-
“For how long, Jack?” Daniel questioned unenthusiastically. “We can’t even be sure anyone will come. And let’s face it, this planet will never recover from… this,” he said spreading his hands to encompass the havoc around them, “even if they stop what they’re doing right now. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in this wasteland forever.”
“It’s not gonna be forever. I know somebody owes us a favor,” Jack insisted stubbornly. “We just have to wait ‘em out. I’ve been in this situation before, remember?”
“No sir. You had resources. You had… people,” Sam pointed out quietly.
“We have been without reserves far too long. If this is truly not your planet, then the harvest must continue,” Alam cut in. “The continued survival of our people depends on it. All usable raw materials will be processed. Eventually everything will be taken, including the atmosphere. You cannot stay here.”
“How long will it take to, uh, process everything?” Daniel asked, directing his attention back to the newcomers.
“Many cycles. Perhaps an absolute cycle or more,” Barret estimated.
“Cycles? As in rotations of the planet around the sun?” Sam tried to clarify.
“No. A cycle is part work, part rest,” Alam explained. “They are grouped into sections to better count the passage of time. An absolute cycle is three hundred and fifty cycles.”
“You live on a space ship,” Daniel guessed.
“Yes. It has been many generations since my people were bound to a planet.”
“That makes sense,” Daniel expounded thoughtfully. “They’re nomadic. They travel space searching for food and resources as best they can, but ultimately they live on board a ship.”
“An intergalactic mobile home?” Jack surmised lifting both eyebrows.
“Sort of. Of course they wouldn’t relate time to any particular planet. Roughly a cycle is a day, an absolute cycle is a year, etcetera.”
“If no rescue comes within a year, O’Neill, I fear one will not come at all,” Teal’c intoned wisely.
Jack absently dusted the dirt off of his sleeve. “And if they’re gonna be here for a year anyway, we might as well go with them,” he relented.
Teal’c inclined his head slightly and Daniel shrugged.
“That would probably be the best plan for survival, sir,” Sam agreed unhappily.
“Fine,” Jack mumbled, turning to the closest pilot. “We accept your offer of a ride.”
***
“This never gets old,” Jack grinned as he leaned over the shuttle driver to peer out the front window.
A few steps behind him in the passenger area Daniel scrubbed at his face with the already filthy Wet wipe he had stolen from Sam. “Better?” he asked raising his head for inspection.
“Nice try,” Jack teased as he glanced back. “Looks like you just made mud.”
“That’s what it feels like, too,” Daniel complained as Sam placed another cup of water into his hand before handing one to the Colonel as well.
“Drink it,” she cautioned when Daniel went to dip the cloth in it. “We’re all still a little dehydrated.”
“Whoa,” Jack breathed reverently, bringing his three teammates forward for a look at the mammoth vessel rising before them.
“How many ships do you have?” Daniel queried, dribbling part of his drink down the pilot’s back as he hadn’t quite gotten his space legs yet. “Sorry.”
“We have many, many shuttles, fighters and scout vessels,” the co-
“That is big,” Jack muttered. “Bigger than any old mothership, eh Teal’c?”
“By far,” Teal’c agreed, awestruck as well at the behemoth beginning to fill the view port.
“Heracles,” Daniel mumbled. “Well that certainly leans towards a common ancestry with Earth.”
“Heracles?” Jack asked. “A god perhaps?”
“Uh, no. Actually Heracles was the greatest hero of Greek mythology, fathered by a god, but his mother was mortal. You probably know him by his Roman name; Hercules.”
“Of course,” Sam agreed. “We still tend to name really big things Hercules, don’t we?”
Daniel nodded enthusiastically as he took a deep drink from the cup and shifted into lecture mode. “Heracles went insane for a brief time and killed his wife and children. As punishment from the gods he was given twelve labors, feats so difficult they were considered impossible. But the sympathetic deities Hermes and Athena dropped in from time to time to help him when things got too bad.”
“Yadda,” Jack groused.
“But the point is…”
“There’s a point?”
“Yes there is a point,” Daniel continued patiently. “The point is Heracles is the embodiment of pathos; the experience of virtuous struggle… and suffering.”
“I knew I wasn’t gonna like the point,” Jack grimaced exchanging a worried look with Carter.
“That doesn’t have to mean anything,” Sam offered hopefully. “Does it?”
“Probably not,” Daniel agreed with a slight frown. “I’m just saying.”
“Well don’t,” Jack ordered, cutting off a protest with a raised hand.
As a group they fell silent, mesmerized by the enormous grey ship that blotted out more and more of the stars behind it as they drew closer. Constant flashes of blue light along the bottom provided a reminder of the days spent outrunning the destructive beams as it continued to digest the world below. The sun peeking around the edge of the planet seemed to be reflected back along the entire top of the ship as if it were made of glass. The display was brilliant, if a little hard on the eyes.
Soon however they were close enough that all they could see were the patches of lighter and darker metals that marked repairs and alterations to the ship’s hull. An occasional window, bulkhead, blinking light or other blemish distracted the eye, but for the most part, Heracles was cold grey.
“Are we going to land on Heracles?” Daniel asked, fending off a yawn.
“No,” the pilot scoffed distastefully. “Heracles is the service vessel. We’re headed for Theseus. It remains some distance away.”
Daniel pursed his lips and nodded but didn’t expound on the new information.
Jack rolled his eyes to the ceiling before turning a repentant look to his friend. “Daniel?” he invited reluctantly.
“Ah, actually Theseus was Heracles’ cousin.”
“So it’s a family thing,” Jack joked.
“Theseus was the son of King…”
“Ack! Don’t make me regret asking,” Jack warned lightly. “Let’s just have the condensed version for now.”
“Theseus,” Daniel began again, only slightly aggrieved, “was the national hero of Athens and was renowned for his sense of justice and his defense of the oppressed,” he said succinctly.
“Was that so hard?”
“But?” Sam asked expectantly.
Daniel cleared his throat.
“Condensed,” Jack warned again, lifting a finger.
“Well, his credo, so to speak, could be described as ‘do unto others before they do unto you’.”
“Sweet.”
“But, it probably doesn’t mean anything,” Daniel assured, rubbing his eyes.
“Are we there yet?” Jack turned to ask the pilot.
“No,” the longsuffering man flying the craft growled. “It will be some time before we dock.”
“Thanks,” Jack called back genially. “That doesn’t really tell me anything. Okay, kids, try to get a little rest before we get there.”
They settled around the edge of the cargo compartment, out of the way but with a good view of both the forward area and the outer hatch. Not that anybody could come busting in on them out in space, but it was a good habit as far as Jack was concerned. Jack and Sam leaned against the bulkhead, Teal’c folded his legs to meditate and Daniel stretched out using his dusty pack for a pillow.
“Wake me in an hour,” Daniel mumbled almost incoherently.
“Sure,” Jack agreed, realizing Daniel was already asleep.
***
“Wakey, wakey,” Jack said, nudging Daniel with his boot. “Sorry, no coffee.”
Daniel peeled open one eye and glared up at his tormentor. “You had a shower,” he accused. “And a shave.” He noticed at a glance that Sam and Teal’c had cleaned up as well.
“Why, yes, Daniel. I did,” Jack gloated. “These fine gentlemen were nice enough to let us use the facilities, such as they are. And now it’s your turn.”
“How long was I out?” Daniel rasped out as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.
“Only about three hours,” Sam provided, handing over a bowl of what appeared to be noodle soup. “We all got some sleep.”
Daniel accepted the food eagerly, quickly finishing it off by tipping the bowl to get the last few drops. “Wow. I was hungry,” he declared, wiping his hands on his dirty pant legs. “Now where’s the shower?”
“You must find a seat and buckle in,” the co-
“We’re there?” Jack asked, sounding like an excited kid, bouncing forward to get of glimpse of the sleeker, shinier Theseus.
“What about a real quick shower?” Daniel pushed.
“There is no time,” co-
“I’m going. Sheesh,” Jack grumbled, sounding hurt as he stepped back through to the passenger area. Daniel still sat in the floor behind the seats, rearranging the contents of his pack and muttering under his breath.
“Let’s go,” Jack ordered softly. He offered him a hand up, but thought better of it comparing his clean hand to Daniel’s filthy one. Cramming his hand back in his pocket, he shrugged apologetically before joining Sam and Teal’c who were already buckled in.
Daniel rolled to his knees and found his footing before wobbling over as well. He sighed as he sat next to Jack who made a show of scrunching his nose.
“Keep down wind,” Jack ordered.
Daniel shook his head as if to wake up, hiding an evil grin as the stirred up dust floated in Jack’s direction.
“Hey,” Jack bitched venomously.
“Sorry,” Daniel swore with feigned innocence before he sneezed, sending another wave Jack’s way.
“Bless,” Jack uttered automatically, not toning down his glare as he waved a hand in front of his face to stave off the invading germs. “Next time, you can shower first, you vindictive little bastard.”
“Somehow,” Daniel said with a satisfied smile, “I just know you meant that as a compliment.”
***
“Where are we going?” Daniel asked as they followed the pilot through the enormous landing bay of Theseus.
“The Director of Assignment will decide what your duties will be and your board.”
“Bored?”
“Board, Jack. I think he means where we will stay.”
“Yes,” the shuttle pilot nodded. When they reached the bulkhead a door opened to admit them to a large elevator.
“Cool. A turbolift,” Jack enthused. “Can I drive?”
Sam and Daniel exchanged an indulgent look and shook their heads at the confused pilot who leaned in and pushed a button to send them on their way. He stepped back with a relieved expression. “Welcome to Theseus.”
“Thank you!” Jack called out as the door closed in his face and the car sped along to its destination. “I’m not sure, but I think that guy was glad to get rid of us.”
“Us?” Sam asked innocently.
Jack narrowed his eyes. “Hey, I’m not the one who gave him a shower while he was flying the shuttle, now am I?”
“Shower,” Daniel mumbled longingly, crossing his arms and resting against the side of the elevator.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed running a critical eye over his friend. “You’re not exactly dressed for a job interview. Carter? Got any more of those Wet wipes?”
“No, sir. He already used the last one.”
“Hold still,” Jack instructed as he licked his thumb and tried to corner Daniel.
“No way, Jack!” Daniel protested, pushing away from the wall. “You are not giving me a spit bath.”
Teal’c’s eyebrow shot up in alarm at what had to be another confusing Tau’ri euphemism. “Spit bath?” he questioned distastefully, as if the words tasted bad.
“It’s a particularly vile treatment Earth mothers give their children in supermarkets,” Daniel explained while fending off Jack and bolting for the opposite corner of the large elevator.
“Only when their children are too nasty to be seen in public,” Jack countered. “Now come here and take your medicine, Danny.”
“Sir,” Sam pleaded for Daniel. “Let me.”
Daniel scowled but allowed Sam to wipe his face with her dry hand.
“Put some spit on it,” Jack kibitzed. “He’s still dirty.”
“Jack, I’m an archeologist. I’m supposed to be dirty.”
“So… dressed for success? Too bad we don’t have a cat to lick off this peach fuzz,” Jack teased, reaching over Sam’s shoulder to grab Daniel by the chin and give him a quick squeeze, much to Daniel’s chagrin. The slight vibration of the car stopped and the door swooshed open to a wide, brightly lit corridor. “This must be the place,” Jack surmised, ushering his team into the passageway.
“Hello. Welcome,” a middle aged woman in an elegant, opalescent gown greeted them as she stepped forward to shake their hands. “I am Lorna, Grand Director of Assignment.”
“Colonel Jack O’Neill,” Jack introduced himself as he took her outstretched hand. “This is Major Samantha Carter, Teal’c, and, uh… Doctor Daniel Jackson. He’s an archeologist,” he added lamely as if to explain Daniel’s less than aesthetic appearance.
Lorna smiled uncertainly but shook Sam and Teal’c’s hands, pausing as she reached for Daniel’s. Daniel wiped his hand down his shirt, looked at it, then bowed slightly to the Director instead. She returned the gesture and seemed pleased by the compromise. “An archeologist? What is that?” she asked politely as she ushered them into her office.
“I study the past,” Daniel explained his beloved profession. “I uncover and study artifacts from people long passed.”
Lorna gestured for them to be seated as she rounded the huge oblong desk and pulled up a display on her free standing monitor that only she could see from her side. “And there is a need for this where you come from?” she questioned politely.
Jack leaned forward and tried to catch of glimpse of the screen, but only saw a few squiggles he couldn’t decipher. He shrugged at Sam and shook his head.
“Well, yes,” Daniel said, sounding slightly put out. “By learning about our past, we better understand ourselves.”
“Daniel,” Jack warned before he got too wound up.
Lorna placed her hands on the desk and turned solemnly to the group in front of her. “We regret that we have caused your misfortune and to that avail, we willingly accept you into our society. However, it has been many, many cycles since we have had access to any raw materials and therefore resources are in short supply.”
“Aren’t you hacking up a planet as we speak?” Jack asked.
“Yes and there will be an immediate positive effect. However processing takes time. We are a practical people, nothing is wasted. And all citizens are expected to pull their weight. For whatever time you remain with us, we insist you provide compensation.”
“Sweat equity,” Daniel surmised. “You want us to work for room and board?”
“Yes. As do all citizens once they reach age of maturity. We expect no more and no less from each of you. Is this acceptable?”
“Sounds fair,” Jack agreed. “And it looks like we really don’t have any choice but to stay with you until someone comes to collect us or you pass a planet with another stargate.”
Satisfied with the outcome of the conversation, Lorna seated herself behind the desk. “You are pilots?” she began the interview.
“Yes,” Jack answered quite pleased with himself. “We are.”
“Excellent!” Lorna exclaimed and began to touch her display enthusiastically. “We are always in desperate need of fighter pilots.”
“I’m not a pilot,” Daniel interjected. “Remember? Archeologist…” he trailed off at the look from Jack.
“Oh,” the director said, failing to hide her disappointment.
“But we are,” Jack put in, encompassing the rest of the team with a gesture. “That’s something right? And Daniel’s a smart guy. I know you can find something for him to do.”
“That’s right,” Sam jumped in as well. “He’s a scientist, a linguist …”
“A male scientist?” Lorna asked in astonishment. “What is your area of study?”
“People,” Daniel stated redundantly. “Ancient history, mythology, languages.”
Lorna’s face fell. “We have no need of these studies.”
“How can you say that?” Daniel queried relentlessly, leaning forward in his chair. “How do you even begin to understand…”
“Daniel,” Jack cut him off, grabbing his arm to rein him in.
“Daniel Jackson is a warrior of great cunning and bravery,” Teal’c stated concisely.
“Yes!” Jack hissed. “Thank you, Teal’c.”
“How can you be a warrior but not a pilot?” Lorna asked in confusion.
“Right,” Jack muttered slapping a hand to his forehead. “I guess all of your battles
are fought in space aren’t they? I assume your fighters are all one-
“Each craft requires but one pilot,” Lorna acknowledged.
SG-
“Our classrooms are automated and specialized to each vocation.”
“Of course they are,” Daniel muttered glumly.
Sam frowned in sympathy and patted his knee. “This is awkward. Do you often take in strangers?” she asked.
“I believe it has been done in the past. Mostly we work with young ones as they finish their studies and move on to internship or workers who have a need to change occupations. At any rate, today we have gained two new pilots which we badly need,” Lorna said brightly, punching some buttons and producing two small, polygonal discs.
“Two?” Jack questioned, silently counting to three on his fingers.
“Yes. Colonel Jack O’Neill and Teal’c,” the director announced, handing one disc to each as she said their names.
“Um, what about me?” Sam queried uneasily.
“Women are not warriors,” Lorna stated simply, looking from face to face.
“Maybe not here,” Sam argued.
“It is forbidden. There will be no discussion of it. I am certain we can find a position for you elsewhere. What are your skills?”
“Easy,” Jack soothed his irate officer. “She’s also a scientist,” he informed Lorna proudly.
Lorna sighed. “As I have told you, we have no need for languages or…”
“I’m an astrophysicist,” Sam interrupted heatedly. “And I can hold my own as an engineer.”
“Ah,” Lorna replied thoughtfully. “I may have an opening.” She touched the screen thoughtfully, apparently scanning through information as it appeared. “There is need of another shuttle mechanic and unfortunately, there are none near completion of training at this time. Do you feel that you are qualified for this position?”
“Absolutely,” Jack answered for Carter with complete confidence.
“If I have someone to show me the ropes, then yes, I think I can manage,” Sam agreed.
“You would work closely for a time with a preceptor,” Lorna assured with a nod and a benevolent smile.
“Okay,” Sam agreed grudgingly.
Lorna worked with her computer again and produced another disc. “Now, the three of you will report back to the hangar deck and you will be shown to your boarding from there. Doctor Jackson and I will continue to search for an appropriate venue for his… skills,” she replied dubiously.
“Look, I know he’s not so appealing now…” Jack started.
“Sir!”
“Jack!”
“…but he cleans up pretty good. Right, Carter?”
***
Daniel unhappily scuffed his dirty boot along the deck as he waited for the next shuttle to depart. He had already sat there for several hours and the noodle soup was long gone. Apparently he wouldn’t get to eat again until he arrived at his assigned room for the night. He had one chocolate power bar left, but he wanted to save that in case of an emergency.
He’d hoped to see one of his teammates on the hanger deck to let them know they were
shipping him off to the Heracles, but unfortunately, the rest of SG-
His own new found vocation was something of a mystery and Lorna had been most apologetic about not being able to find him a job on board Theseus. All she would tell him about his new profession was that it was necessary and he didn’t have to have any particular knowledge or skill to accomplish it. The down side was that he would not be boarded in one place but move each night to a new location where he would be provided a meal and a bed.
“Service provider,” he grumbled under his breathe. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean anyway?”
“You, too?” Jack asked, startling Daniel who scrambled to make room for his friend on the wooden rack he was sitting on.
“What happened?” Daniel asked worriedly, examining the bandage over Jack’s eye.
“Some damn antigravity gadget on their spacecraft happened. They gave me one shot at flying a fighter and got all bent outta shape when I bumped the wall of the hanger… a few times.”
“Are you alright?”
“Better than the wall,” Jack admitted with a grimace. “Apparently these people have a better innate sense of balance than we do and it makes all the difference in the world when you’re trying to pilot one of those things.”
“Yeah,” Daniel agreed. “They’ve been in space for so many generations they’ve probably evolved a better inner ear to offset the artificial gravity. Teal’c didn’t have any problems?”
Jack fired off a disgruntled glare in answer.
“No, Junior probably helped him out, huh?”
“You still haven’t showered,” Jack mused with a quirk of his lip, abruptly changing the subject.
“I see the bump on the head didn’t damage your keen sense of smell. Did they feed you?”
“You haven’t had anything to eat?” Jack asked sounding pissed as he rummaged through his pack. “The hospitality around this place leaves something to be desired. Here I’ve got some MRE crackers.”
“You might need them later,” Daniel begged off forlornly.
“Dammit, Daniel, take ‘em,” Jack insisted, forcing a couple of packages into Daniel’s hand. “I can’t eat ‘em anyway. They turn to lead in my colon; it stops me up for days.”
Daniel used his teeth to tear open the tough brown plastic before breaking off a
piece of the large, cardboard-
“Sorry. I forgot.” Jack grimaced as he watched his hungry friend scarf down the contents of both packs of crackers before using his tongue to get the last of the crumbs. “Service providers?” he asked at last.
“I don’t know. I’m thinking janitors? Maintenance men, maybe?”
Jack puckered his lower lip thoughtfully. “That’s not what immediately came to my mind,” he noted sagely.
“What?”
“Service providers,” Jack drawled, enunciating each word slowly and rolling his hand in the air.
“I don’t… What? You don’t think… No,” Daniel stammered and waved away Jack’s leer. “Not that kind of service.”
“Come on Daniel, think about the instructions. What did Lorna tell you to do?”
Daniel blinked twice. “She said once I got to Heracles I should get on the lift and go down to this level,” he held up his disc and pointed to a symbol on the cover, “go to this room and make myself at home; bathe, rest, whatever. In fact, she emphasized bathe a couple of times. She said someone would be there eventually to tell me what to do. Apparently shifts don’t necessarily correspondent to cycles.”
“Doesn’t really sound like much of a job,” Jack pointed out. “More like a rendezvous.”
“Where do you have to go?”
“Now see, I’m supposed to go all the way to the top,” Jack gloated. “Class structure, you know. I’m thinking this must be the penthouse suite.”
“Right,” Daniel scoffed. “Better class of service provider.”
“Face it Daniel, I am a Colonel in the United States Air Force. That carries some clout even out here.”
“Well, apparently they don’t have any more use for Colonels with a distinct lack of equilibrium than they do for archeologists.”
“Or linguists,” Jack added. “Or anthropologists.”
“I get it, Jack.”
“Apparently you’re useless all the way around.”
“So you’ve said for years.”
“Not true,” Jack objected strenuously. “I know how useful you are. I also know what an enormous pain in the ass you can be. But I mean that in a good way.”
Daniel hadn’t even formulated a response when a man signaled them to board the shuttle. Upon entering, they were dismayed to find the seats had been removed and the only place to sit was in the cargo hold with what appeared to be bags and bags of trash.
“Will this day ever end?” Daniel sighed at last, deciding it didn’t matter and making himself comfortable on top of the garbage.
Trying to keep clean, Jack settled on the one cleared area of floor instead. “Janitors?” he asked again doubtfully.
“Sure,” Daniel answered, not sounding all that certain.
“Dare to dream, Danny, dare to dream.”
***
Teal’c eyed the occupants of the common room distastefully. After he had completed his brief initial training, he was released to do as he pleased until the beginning of the next cycle, but had yet to find anything of interest. Most of the men in the lounge were young and in Teal’c’s opinion, undisciplined. They drank and gambled among themselves, or found a willing female out in the hall to take back to their board for sex.
It was reasonable to assume that these pilots did not have long careers. A combination of periodic battles against an unknown enemy, lack of proper training, and several structural flaws of the small spacecraft limited a fighter pilot’s life span. As far as Teal’c could tell, no one except Lorna seemed too worried about the dwindling number of warriors. The young men themselves seemed only concerned with carnal pleasure.
The shuttle/scout pilots were down a notch in the hierarchy, but actually seemed to have better prospects. They lived longer, they too had their pick of the women who lined the corridor to the men’s lounge, and they seemed to have a great deal of leisure time. The only ones who looked down on them were the younger, cockier fighter jocks. However, to be a warrior was a matter of honor, and Teal’c understood that all too well. Still, he longed for the company of his team whom he had not seen since they had been separated, although he had heard in great detail of O’Neill’s misfortune. Ignoring the warriors around him, he headed for an empty corner to meditate.
***
The instructions were simple; take the turbo-
The walls along the hallway were thin and worn and reminded Jack of office cubicles with doors and ceilings. Other hallways bisected the main one every ten doors or so, turning the entire area into one giant grid that radiated out from the central bank of elevators. His boots echoed dully on the plain metal floor and Jack had to remind himself that he was in the ritzy part of town, shabby as it may seem.
It wasn’t a long walk, and Jack occasionally heard a voice or strain of music through a wall, but he didn’t pass anyone along the way, although another set of footfalls could be heard moving away from his position. Finally he reached the end of the line and realized that the cubicles around the edges of the huge dome were roughly twice the size of the ones in the middle, the equivalent of a corner office in his cubicle scenario. The last door on the right was one of the big rooms.
Resting the disc above the slot beside the door, Jack paused to wonder once again exactly what kind of service he’d be providing. When he deposited the disc, the door slid silently aside. Jack let out a low whistle as he glanced around. Even the big quarters were really quite small, but the view through the transparent outer hull which served as the room’s fourth wall was impressive. The spectacle of the never ending star field was a sight Jack thought he’d never forget. It was simply breathtaking.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Jack turned toward the voice and let out a relieved sigh. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed,
treating the plump, matronly woman to a charming smile. What kind of trouble could
he get into with such a sweet grandmother type? He’d fix her pipes or whatever was
broken, she’d feed him supper and let him bed down on the couch. Except there didn’t
seem to be a couch in the studio-
“I am Under Director of Trade. Retired. You may call me Ahren,” the old woman purred.
Jack swallowed and dropped his pack by the door. “Colonel Jack O’Neill,” he began covering his returning suspicions with false bravado. “Of the Earth O’Neill’s, maybe you’ve heard of us?”
Ahren laughed lightly and gestured toward the one inner door of her abode. “Perhaps you would like to freshen up while I prepare the meal.”
“That would be great,” Jack agreed enthusiastically, knowing his bladder was reaching capacity, but not sure if it was the odor of the trash or from Daniel that lingered in his nose.
“If you need anything, let me know,” Ahren called out as Jack disappeared into the bathroom.
He scratched his head as he puzzled over the odd looking toilet. “I’ll figure it out,” he called back, deciding that the lid didn’t lift.
***
Daniel rubbed his eyes as he continued along the dimly lit corridor. Although he’d already determined the characters were actually numerals, he hadn’t quite figured out the counting order just yet so he had to stop at each door and compare the long string of what could have passed for Webdings with the disc in his hand. At last the characters matched and he did a double take as he’d almost missed it given his worn out condition and the simple fact that none of the other fifty or so doors he’d already checked had come close.
“Should have taken that elevator,” he mumbled distractedly glancing two doors down
before he examined the peculiar key-
The lights automatically came up and Daniel took a good look around without ever
actually leaving the doorway. Two small beds paralleled each other at the far side
of the room and took up more than half of the available space. There was a table
and two chairs crammed near the door and a tiny kitchen-
The room was unadorned and utilitarian. A few black disks were stacked on the shelf next to some sort of mechanical device and several bowls and cups. There wasn’t anything on the walls or the one shelf to indicate who might live in the little apartment; no pictures, no reading material, nothing of a personal nature out in the open.
Carefully setting his pack on one of the chairs, Daniel made his way over to peek
into the open door between the beds to find a small washroom with a shower, toilet
and what appeared to be laundry equipment. Eagerly shucking his jacket, Daniel peeled
out of his reeking t-
Tentatively sniffing the cool, dry, and obviously clean garment Daniel smiled at the fresh scent. He crowded his jacket in before heading back for the rest of his stuff. Within ten minutes he had cleaned everything in his pack including the bag itself, and his boots. In his still grungy boxers he looked around before discovering a stretchy vacuum hose built into the wall which he used to clean up the small mounds of dirt where he had sat his pack and removed his boots.
Slipping out of his underwear he placed them in the washer before moving over to
the shower. As soon as he closed the stall a wave of not quite lukewarm, but already
sudsy water drenched him forcefully from the ceiling. He barely had time to gasp
his surprise when the deluge stopped. Bracing against the wall Daniel watched the
dirty water around his feet being sucked forcefully down the drain. A second round
of soap was followed by a thorough and invigorating rinse which left him tingling
and pink-
***
Sam sighed with satisfaction as she sat up and snapped the panel back into place. A key benefit of her new job was that in the process of working on the shuttles Sam would be learning things that would come in handy if… when they got back to Earth. Her natural mechanical abilities hadn’t failed her with the alien technology and she had already exceeded her preceptor’s wildest expectations. In fact, Steis had already begun to give her independent assignments with orders to call her if she ran into anything she was uncertain about.
“Steis?” Sam called out hearing the door open and footsteps in the cargo hold.
“Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” a tall, rakishly handsome man said with a smile as he stepped into the forward compartment. He was well built and maybe a few years younger than Sam.
Reflexively, Sam smiled back. “Hi, I’m Samantha Carter,” she introduced herself as she climbed to her feet.
“DeLoach,” the man responded, holding out a hand, his smile shifting to a subtle leer as his eyes wandered over Sam’s form approvingly. “You’re the worlder.”
“Worlder?” Sam asked, suddenly feeling ill at ease. She shook his hand but had to tug free of his grip when he held on longer than was necessary or polite.
He continued to eye her proprietarily as if selecting a nice cut of beef. “Yes, I mean you’re the planet dweller Alam rescued.”
“One of them,” Sam replied carefully. “Except we wouldn’t have needed rescuing if your people hadn’t destroyed our means of transportation.”
“I meant no offense,” DeLoach remarked easily. “Alam had said that the female was striking. But I must admit that up until now I’ve never had much confidence in Alam’s taste in women.”
Sam harrumphed in disgust and began to gather her tools. “I’m done here. I’ll be out of your way in a couple of minutes.”
DeLoach leaned against the open doorframe and watched appreciatively. “Don’t leave on my account.”
“My shift is over,” Sam informed him coolly.
“Great! Mine, too. I hadn’t intended to choose a mate this cycle because I have some reports to review, but I can do that while you prepare the meal…”
“Excuse me?”
“What?” DeLoach asked in confusion. “I choose you.”
Sam felt her mouth fall open and made a conscious effort to close it. “Well I don’t choose you. I’m not looking for a relationship.”
“A what?”
“I don’t want a boyfriend or husband or… or mate,” Sam declared firmly, barely keeping her anger at bay.
“Husband? No, no, no. Permanent attachments have been prohibited for… well, for as long as anyone can remember. I only meant for the rest cycle.”
Picking up her tool box in one hand and a large wrench in the other Sam tried to push past the big man. “Sorry, not interested.”
“But I am,” DeLoach insisted, throwing an arm across the exit and bringing his other hand up to cup Sam’s closest butt cheek.
Instinctively Sam swung her wrench down into his knee which produced a satisfying crack.
DeLoach dropped his arm to grab his injury and fell to the floor with an outraged cry. “You bitch!” he swore. “I’ll have you demoted to garbage detail!”
“Stay put. I’ll send a medic,” Sam said icily as she stepped over the injured man and left the shuttle without another word.
***
“This is, uh… interesting,” Jack replied through a mouthful of the unpalatable greenish stalks Ahren had proudly prepared for him. “What do you call it?”
“I don’t call it anything. It is a delicacy,” Ahren informed him as she rubbed a hand up and down his closest arm while he stoically tried to continue to eat. “What would you call it?”
“Weed casserole,” Jack suggested sweetly. “Got any hot sauce?”
Ahren made a throaty sound and leaned back in her chair to finger the broach that held her threadbare evening attire in place.
Jack swallowed nervously and fought to keep the contents of his stomach actually in his stomach. “Ahren,” he bartered for time, “we need to talk.”
“We have the remainder of the rest cycle,” Ahren promised, releasing the clasp to
let the front of her toga-
Jack stared in mute horror at the sagging breast. “No,” he finally managed to choke out.
“What?”
“I said no,” Jack repeated, pushing his plate away. “I’m sorry. And I’m sure I speak for Daniel, too. If you can’t find something more appropriate for us to do you can send us back to the planet. We’ll take our chances there.”
“Yes,” Ahren shouted. “Play hard to get. I love it!”
Jack’s well honed skills overrode his dumbfounded brain and he rolled away as Ahren pounced. “Spry for your age,” he commented glibly, noticing the older woman now stood between him and the door in the narrow confines of the apartment. “Step away from the door and no one has to get hurt,” he warned.
Ahren let out a feral cry and lunged again. Missing by mere inches this time, she lost more of her gown which puddle around her feet. Jack made a move past her for the door but slipped on the slinky material and landed flat on his back. With her feet twisted hopelessly in the dress Ahren tripped as well and crashed down hard, knees first, right between his legs.
With a grunt, Jack spewed what little pea-
“Colonel? Colonel O’Neill?” Ahren gasped, patting his face. “Oh, dear,” she muttered, gathering her clothes before calling for help.
***
The quick, cool shower was refreshing, but didn’t exactly allow time to relax. Daniel shook the water from his hair before opening the opaque door only to come face to face with an obviously unhappy and very dirty female. She thrust a small towel at him which Daniel immediately lowered to cover his groin as she blatantly checked him out, still frowning contemptuously.
Daniel glowered back as he fumbled to tie the towel around his waist. “Do you mind?” he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest before thinking twice and returning his hands to reinforce the knotted towel.
The brown-
“Excuse me,” he called as he neared the door, jumping as it suddenly swooshed open. “What are you doing?” he asked the woman who stood between the beds angrily folding his clothes and stuffing each item deeply into the pack.
“What does it look like I’m doing? At least you had the decency to clean it yourself,” she snarled.
“Stop it,” Daniel said, wrestling the tightly balled up sock from her fingers. “You don’t have to do that.”
She dropped the pack to the bed and moved into the kitchen to turn and study him suspiciously as he folded his own laundry. “You’re new,” she finally ground out.
“Uh, yes. I’m Daniel.”
“Marlena,” she huffed out guardedly. “I’m not the one you’re here for. I mean, I’m not on the list.”
“List?” Daniel asked tentatively.
“For service,” Marlena explained with an irritated glance. “I haven’t been on the list for a long time. But Bethel let her supervisor bully her into it a while back. I’m surprised you got around to her so soon.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what’s going on. This is where they told me to sleep tonight. The key fit so I thought…”
“You’re not a service provider?” Marlena asked in confusion.
“No. I mean, yes, that’s what they said my job would be. They just didn’t exactly explain what that entailed. But I’m starting to get the idea,” Daniel admitted reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Marlena laughed humorlessly. “I find that hard to believe. I know you pilots know the rules.”
“That’s just it, I’m not a pilot,” Daniel explained quickly. “My friends and I were
rescued from P3C-
“P3C?”
“4889… The planet your people are gathering raw materials from. We were stranded there after your ship gobbled up the stargate.”
“I don’t understand,” Marlena answered backing away. “You’re not from the home world?”
Daniel tapped his finger thoughtfully against his lip. “Actually, I probably am from your original home world, but no, I’m not from the planet your ancestors left to travel space in these ships.”
“I see,” Marlena uttered softly, obviously shocked by the news.
“I won’t hurt you,” Daniel said gently, spreading his hands in entreaty before quickly reaching back to grab the towel as it slipped.
Marlena laughed again, more relaxed this time, as she pulling the tight kerchief from her head to reveal short, dirty brown hair. “You’ll never make it as a service provider,” she said as she began to strip out of her work coveralls. “You’re too modest.”
“Oh, uh,” Daniel stammered, trying not to watch, but not having anywhere to go except back into the bathroom where Marlena was obviously headed, or out into the hall which he had no intention of doing in his underwear. “Maybe you can explain how this works? You say there’s a list?”
“Yes. A worker puts her name on the list when she feels the need for intimate relations.”
“Intimate… right,” Daniel flushed, his fears confirmed. “Wait a minute. Her name? Aren’t there any male workers? Or female… service providers?”
“Of course not, men are pilots, not workers. Besides, they have their pick of women on board Theseus,” Marlena slid past Daniel and into the washroom to cram her outer clothes into the washer. “This thing is still hot,” she accused. “How many times did you run it?”
“A couple,” Daniel lied, turning his back when she started to remove her skimpy undergarments. “So, where do the service providers come from?”
“Most are retired pilots. Some were injured or unable to fly for some reason. They’re all asinine jerks if you ask me. Bethel was so distraught after the last time… I would have lost her if it hadn’t been for the Sisterhood,” Marlena paused, obviously distressed by the memories. “I couldn’t believe it when she told me she’d submitted again.”
“Oh. I have so many questions about what you just said I don’t even know where to start,” Daniel declared, closing his eyes for a second to sort his thoughts. “Okay, uh, do the service providers treat the workers badly?”
“Usually. Now if you don’t mind I’d really like a shower before I have to go find somewhere to sleep.”
“What?” Daniel asked turning to look at the naked woman, instantly flushing a deeper red and turning back. “I don’t want to put you out. You don’t have to leave on my account.”
“Daniel, right?”
“Yes.”
“This is the way it works; you provide Bethel with services, she provides you with food and lodging for the night. As the roommate, I’m required to clear out.”
“But you said Bethel isn’t really interested in, uh, services. I can just sleep on the floor,” Daniel suggested hopefully. “Who would know?”
Marlena didn’t answer, but when the shower came on abruptly Daniel knew the conversation
was over. He moved away from the door and let it slide shut. Quickly dressing,
he used the towel on his still dripping hair. By the time he finished, a much cleaner
Marlena entered the room wearing a knee-
“It was over an absolute cycle ago,” Marlena began as if there hadn’t been a break in the conversation. “Bethel had never been with a man, she’s very young. The provider took her roughly, then reported her as uncooperative. She’s been terrified of men ever since.”
“He raped her,” Daniel reasoned softly, unconsciously clenching his hand into a fist.
“Call it what you will. It damaged her psychological profile and she has since been demoted to the lowest tier of sanitation. Her supervisor has convinced her the only way she will ever be promoted out of there is to submit once again to get over her fears and raise her psych scores.”
“That’s crazy. Why do the workers put up with this? These… these men get everything thing they want and the women get nothing.”
“No, that’s not entirely true. Many, many workers feel this is a great benefit. There is nothing cycle to cycle but work and drudgery,” Marlena explained, pulling the towel from her head and roughly drying her hair with it. “To be held, to be made love to by a man is a strong motivator. It’s just not usually a reality.”
Daniel nodded unhappily. “So how many of these service providers are there?”
“Something like eighteen at this time, I think, counting you.”
“Eighteen? Well, nineteen then, if we count Jack, too. But there must be several thousand workers on this ship?”
“Looks like you’re going to be busy,” Marlena replied with a smirk.
The outside door opened and a shorter, younger woman with a foul stench about her breezed in. Her smile froze as she spotted Daniel. She bit her lip and bravely tried to hold back the tears, knowing there was only one reason for a man to be waiting in her home.
“Oh, God,” Daniel mumbled sympathetically, letting Marlena brush past him as Bethel burst into sobs and slid down the wall, shaking hysterically. Unable to get out of the apartment without getting closer to the terrified woman first, Daniel gathered his pack and backed in the bathroom. “I’ll… I’ll just be in here,” he announced letting the door slide shut behind him.
He could hear Marlena’s soothing voice under the heartbreaking cries of the younger woman through the thin partition and wondered how many of the neighbors were listening as well. Scratching his scruffy chin he glanced into the small mirror and decided maybe he did look a little sinister with three days growth of beard. He found the sink he had overlooked the first time and set about digging out his razor. By the time he finished shaving, he could no longer hear Bethel’s anguished sobs.
The door opened and Marlena did a double take as he wiped the last of the soap from his face. “Is she okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Marlena answered wearily. “She wants to shower.”
“Right.” Daniel put on his now clean glasses, gathered his things, and slid past Marlena in the doorway. Bethel, who now sat quietly in one of the chairs at the table, eyed him nervously. “If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave,” he told her gently.
“No!” Both women exclaimed simultaneously.
“If you leave, Bethel won’t get credit for the service,” Marlena explained. “Then she’s back to the bottom of the list. Better you than some of the others.”
“But how will anyone know?”
“Your card,” Bethel offered, bravely making eye contact for several seconds before nervously running her hands through her short, thick blonde hair. “You get it back when you leave.”
Daniel frowned. “It’s a time card?”
“Yes,” Marlena answered, motioning for Bethel to come toward the bathroom. Bethel hugged the wall and Daniel backed away as well to give her a wide berth. She smiled gratefully and disappeared behind the closing door.
“You’re sure about this?” Daniel questioned as Marlena moved into the kitchen.
“I promised you won’t hurt her,” Marlena whispered, an unspoken threat lingering in the air between them.
“I’m not going to touch her,” Daniel swore, eyes going wide. “If you want me to stay, I’ll stay. But I’m not going anywhere near that young woman.”
Marlena nodded her thanks and began making preparations for the evening meal. “Are you hungry?” she asked conversationally.
“I’m starving,” Daniel admitted, seating himself at the table and resting his chin in his hand. He glanced up guiltily. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. You don’t have to feed me, because I’m certainly not going to be providing any ‘services’ this evening.”
“Just by being here you’re helping Bethel,” Marlena disagreed.
“Well, if it’ll help get her promoted…”
“No, I mean, you can show her all men aren’t like… that. You can show her she doesn’t have to be afraid.”
“Ah,” Daniel replied, licking his lip thoughtfully. “But maybe it’s better that way? Safer?”
Marlena frowned and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. “Maybe,” she conceded and went back to cooking dinner.
***
“Easy!” Jack complained as the doctor probed his throbbing-
“I think you’re going to live,” she advised with an evil glint in her eye as she covered him with a sheet to preserve what was left of his dignity. “I’m ordering intermittent ice packs and rest. Obviously you won’t be able to perform your regular duties for a few days.”
“What a shame,” Jack muttered sarcastically, staring at the ceiling.
“I know it hurts…”
“You have no idea,” Jack interrupted without looking at her.
“…so I’ll give you something for the pain.”
“Pass.”
“Don’t be stubborn. If you rest well, I’ll let you go to the commissary at the start of the next cycle.”
“Goody,” Jack replied dryly, biting down on the inside of his cheek as the doctor carefully placed an icepack.
***
Daniel glanced up nervously when the bathroom door opened.
Dressed in an off-
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Daniel assured her.
“Why don’t we pull the table over to one of the beds?” Marlena interrupted the awkward conversation. “We hardly ever have guests,” she explained.
“Right, let me,” Daniel offered and easily slid the table closer to one of the beds so someone could sit on the edge while they ate.
Bethel brought the chairs over and sat hesitantly in one while Daniel sat on the bed, as far away from her as possible.
“It’s a good thing we found this planet, another twenty or thirty cycles and the
hydro-
Daniel and Bethel exchanged uneasy glances, but neither spoke.
“And we found a sea creature in the sieve as they began to replenish us,” Marlena continued excitedly as she sat a large platter of what appeared to be fish and rice on the table. “It’s against the rules but we split it up and smuggled it out.”
“Marlena works in the gardens,” Bethel explained timidly as she dished up some of the food. “They get their water straight from the main station and then filter and treat it themselves.”
“This fish is from the planet?” Daniel asked. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Of course,” Marlena assured with a smirk. “At least it falls within the edible parameters, but if you don’t want to risk it…”
“No! No, it smells wonderful,” Daniel declared, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, his stomach rumbling in agreement. “If you say it’s edible, then it’s edible, right?”
“Eat,” Marlena instructed, loading Daniel’s bowl to the rim.
“Thank you.” Daniel picked up the spork-
“Were you not half-
“Have you not been fed?” Bethel asked solicitously, shifting her concern from her own worries to the seemingly harmless service provider.
“I had some soup earlier,” Daniel muttered through a mouthful of fish, sparing a glance at his watch. “Like, uh, yesterday. And then some crackers… I’m fine.” Ignoring his audience Daniel concentrated on his food, surprised when he looked up to find both women watching him in fascination. “What?” he asked uneasily, reaching for a napkin.
Marlena poured some hot black liquid into a handle-
“Coffee?” Daniel asked hopefully. He took a sip and made a face at the strong, pungent flavor. “Whoa, that’s… that’s not bad, actually. I could get used to this.”
“This one is not hard to please at all,” Bethel whispered to Marlena.
“I told you, he’s new. He’ll change, and not for the better.”
Daniel sighed and thumped the cup back to the table. “Please don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” he grumbled. “I hate that.”
“See,” Marlena offered as she continued to eat.
Bethel’s lip began to quiver and she looked like she might bolt for the bathroom.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel swore quickly, reaching out but not touching the frightened girl. “Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to be gruff, I’m… I’m just exhausted. I’ve had a bad couple of, uh, cycles.”
“Bethel, calm down,” Marlena soothed, pulling the younger woman in closer to her side. “He’s not going to hurt you. In fact, he said he doesn’t mind if I stay.”
“What?” Bethel asked tremulously.
“That’s right, Marlena’s not going anywhere,” Daniel assured, kicking himself for being thoughtless. “You won’t have to be alone with me at any time.”
“But, the rules!”
“No one will know. I’m the only one they’re keeping track of, right?” Daniel questioned looking from one to the other.
Bethel nodded and seemed to calm down. “I’m okay,” she whispered and tried to smile.
“Daniel, why don’t you finish this?” Marlena offered, pushing the remainder of the fish towards him.
“No, I’m good,” Daniel lied, eyeing the food anyway.
“I’m just going to put it in the wet recycle if you don’t eat it.”
“Well, if you insist,” Daniel replied readily as he scraped the rest of the food into his bowl.
“I’ve never seen anyone eat so much,” Bethel observed in astonishment.
“This is first real meal I’ve had in a few days,” Daniel explained contritely, consciously pacing himself.
Braver now she knew her roommate wasn’t leaving, Bethel reached out tentatively and removed Daniel’s glasses. “What are these?”
“Oh, um, my eyesight’s a little off. Those correct my vision,” Daniel explained, polishing off the rice.
Bethel tried them on and frowned as she blinked. “They don’t work,” she quickly decreed.
“Well your eyes are probably a lot better than mine. They wouldn’t work on you.”
“I’ve never seen the color of your eyes,” Marlena said softly.
“Blue?” Daniel asked in astonishment. “You’ve never seen blue? What about the sky?”
“The sky is black,” Bethel corrected, returning Daniel’s spectacles.
“I guess it is from your perspective. Haven’t you ever been to the surface of a planet?”
“What for?”
At a loss for words, Daniel got up and went to his pack. “I live on a planet,” he told them as he dug out the photo he knew was stuck between the pages of his journal. “To me, the sky is blue.”
The picture showed Cassie sitting between Daniel and Jack on a blanket at a picnic with an arm around each of their necks, pulling them down to her level. It was Cassie’s birthday and Jack had made a tasteless joke about the time Janet had snapped the shutter on her old fashioned 35 millimeter camera, so they were all laughing. Behind them could be seen grass, trees, and a beautiful blue sky. Daniel managed a small, sleepy smile at the memory as he handed the photograph over.
“That’s Earth. That’s where I’m from,” Daniel pointed out. The women nearly ripped the photo as each tried to get a better look. “Keep it.” Daniel offered. “I’ll get another copy from Janet when I get home.”
“Keep it?” Bethel echoed incredulously.
“Sure,” Daniel mumbled tiredly, sitting on the edge of the bed then falling back to lie flat and relax as his new roomies analyzed the picture bit by bit. Really comfortable for the first time in days he let the excited conversation wash over him. As the girls chatted, they cleared the table and cleaned up. Daniel drifted off to the sounds of their voices.
***
“Lorna?” Sam called anxiously from the hallway, hoping she had the right door because it had slid open without warning when she approached it.
“Major Carter, come in,” the other woman replied with a smile as she put down the discs she had been sorting. “Have a seat.”
“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re off duty,” Sam apologized as she took the offered chair, sparing a glance at the elegant but simple surroundings.
Lorna sighed. “Trust me, as a Grand Director I’m never really off-
Sam allowed a nervous smile as she folded her hands in her lap.
“I understand that you’re doing remarkably well in your new job.”
“Thank you. I’m enjoying it very much. I really like to get my hands dirty every now and then.”
“Excellent. I’m glad we were able to match you so effortlessly. That’s not always the case, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, that’s sort of why I’m here. About Colonel O’Neill and Daniel…”
“I suppose you’ve heard about the accident then,” Lorna interrupted, solemnly.
“The shuttle pilot,” Sam managed, the color draining from her face as she misunderstood.
“What? Oh, yes. DeLoach. I understand that he fell and injured his leg. I’m afraid he won’t be flying for awhile.”
“He fell?” Sam asked, not quite believing her ears.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, right now I’m trying to decide who to pull down from the fighters to cover his duties. I wonder if Colonel O’Neill would be interested in learning to fly a shuttle while DeLoach is convalescing?”
Sam bit back a laugh. “I’m sure he would. And maybe we could try again to find something for Daniel to do on Theseus?” she asked optimistically.
Lorna looked down guiltily before fixing a worried gaze on Sam. “As I was saying… I understand that there has been an accident on Heracles. I believe that one of your friends might have been injured.”
“How bad?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know. They don’t fall under my direct supervision once they are over there. What I heard was only rumor. But if you wait in the bay you might be able to catch a ride on a service shuttle,” Lorna advised grudgingly.
“Thank you,” Sam muttered over her shoulder as she ran for the door.
“Just don’t be late for your next shift!” Lorna called after her.
***
Still stretched out across the end of the bed, Daniel woke to a whispered, and not entirely accurate, anatomy lesson on the differences between boys and girls. His feet seemed to be elevated and someone was tugging at his boots without properly loosening the laces first.
“Ow,” he complained reflexively, reminded of the several blisters he’d obtained while playing dodge with the ship’s harvesting beams for two plus days. He opened his eyes to find Bethel guiltily holding one foot and Marlena determinedly gripping the other. They glanced at each other and slowly released their holds, dropping his feet to the floor.
“Sorry,” Marlena blurted out. “We thought you’d be more comfortable.”
“And I wanted to see your feet,” Bethel confessed with a giggle.
“Why?” Daniel asked drowsily as he sat up, feeling very lightheaded and a little silly himself.
“They’re so big,” Bethel gushed.
“Oh. Um, thank you, I suppose.” The room seemed hazy and had a strong, sweet odor. “What’s that smell?”
“Incense. It enhances mood. Bethel burned too much. I think it’s gone to our heads,” Marlena managed, almost sounding coherent.
Daniel sneezed. “Great, there go my sinuses. I feel… wow. That stuff’s strong.” He thought he was swaying or that the room moving, but he couldn’t decide which.
“They grow it secretly in the back of the gardens,” Bethel informed him quietly, leaning over him drunkenly, no trace of her previous fear.
“Shhh. It’s forbidden,” Marlena added conspiratorially.
“Why do I think I’m going to develop a sudden craving for Doritos?”
“What?”
“Never mind. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on your bed. I’ll, uh, grab some floor over there,” Daniel said, struggling to get to his feet.
“It’s alright,” Marlena assured him, seating him back on the bed with one firm push. “Rest cycle’s more than half over anyway. We’ll share the other one.”
“Oh. Okay,” Daniel lay back and sighed with an unnatural sense of fulfillment. “If you insist,” he mumbled before he drifted back to sleep. He was vaguely aware of the girls’ renewed efforts at removing his boots.
***
Somehow, Jack had managed to sleep for a couple of hours. Pleased with his progress,
the doctor had allowed him to walk to the commissary for breakfast, walk being a
subjective term. The bone-
The woman was sneaky. Jack had to give her that. They hadn’t exactly hit it off and Jack felt about as welcome in her infirmary as a fart in a diving helmet. In fact he was homesick for Janet’s more honest, if less subtle, bedside manner. Not to say that Mary didn’t have her good points. Jack’s manhood might be dented, but he wasn’t dead and the fact that Mary was a knockout wasn’t helping his condition in the least.
Luckily, the commissary was right around the corner from the main infirmary in a large common area. Jack’s slow pace left him right in the middle of the morning rush as he shuffled along with his icepack in hand. He was a little astounded to realize that every swiftly moving body around him in the crush of foot traffic was female. The ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ of the appreciate crowd didn’t go unnoticed either and Jack felt a little like a show pony with a broken… leg.
Finally he reached the ‘in’ door and fell into the end of the short line, obviously
arriving just in time if he wanted to eat. He took a tray and set his constant,
cold companion on it as he smiled self-
Making quick work of the food, Jack placed the icepack on his injury and with nothing else to do except head back to the infirmary, sat back to watch as the long buffet was taken down. True to form, Daniel wandered in a little too late. Jack grinned as he watched his coffee addicted teammate wheedled a cup of the black stuff out of one of the cafeteria ladies. Apparently it wasn’t too difficult as she disappeared for a minute and returned with not one, but two cups.
Turning to survey the almost empty, airplane hangar sized room Daniel looked surprised to find Jack waving him over. Seemingly oblivious to being ogled by the few remaining patrons as well as the buffet staff, Daniel approached slowly as if in a funk. Careful not to spill a drop from either cup, he placed them both reverently on the table before dropping his pack under the table and meeting the glower aimed unerringly in his direction. He dropped groggily into the chair opposite Jack.
“Janitors?” Jack growled, readjusting the bag of ice in his lap.
Daniel pulled off his glasses and let them clatter to the table. “How was I supposed to know?” he muttered in his own defense. “Service provider. That could have meant anything.”
“But it didn’t, did it, Daniel? It meant gigolo, escort, BOY TOY!”
“Shh,” Daniel grumbled, surreptitiously looking around to see who might hear.
“They all know what we are,” Jack insisted dismally, waving off the curious glances
from the half-
“Jack, we’re not the ones being taken advantage of here. In fact, we seem to have stumbled into the pilot’s retirement plan. In our case though, I say it’s more like welfare for useless men.”
“Okay, that makes no sense,” Jack argued.
“The workers are all female, the pilots are all male.”
“Yeah, I got that. So?”
“So just hear me out. All males are trained to be fighter pilots from an early age. They aren’t given any other career option; they either fly or die trying. If they live long enough, they’re downgraded to shuttle pilot eventually.”
“And? So? What? When they aren’t able to fly shuttles anymore they kick ‘em over here to the Heracles to sponge off the work force?”
“Exactly.”
“And they sell it as some great benefit for the women,” Jack nodded, catching on.
“Unfortunately, some of these so called ‘service providers’ are nothing more than sexual predators,” Daniel explained solemnly taking his first cup in hand to sniff it. “Worse, if a woman complains, these jerks turn around and report her as uncooperative and it reflects badly on the victim’s psychological profile which is in turn used against them on their job.”
“That’s so wrong,” Jack grunted with a frown as he once again shifted the ice pack in a vain attempt at comfort. He sat in silence for a minute and watched Daniel drink his coffee. “You missed breakfast.”
“Not hungry.”
“You look like shit. Bad night?”
“Strange dreams,” Daniel said, shaking his head as if to clear it.
“At least you got a shower,” Jack observed keenly. “You okay?”
“Uh, let’s see, I’m mortified, humiliated, and embarrassed beyond my wildest expectations. I’ve been ogled, groped, and generally made to feel like a piece of meat, and that was just on the way to the commissary. If I thought Sam and Janet were bad, I was mistaken. At least they kept their hands to themselves. Well, Sam did anyway, but I’m sure Janet was completely professional in her groping,” Daniel rambled, making Jack raise an eyebrow.
“But I’m not as bad off as you apparently,” Daniel continued, dropping his gaze toward Jack’s lap. “And aren’t you a little worried about,” he paused for a second to clear his throat, “um, shrinkage?”
“No,” Jack spat out defensively. “Besides, it’s not what you think.”
Daniel rubbed his red-
“No!”
“So what happened?”
“Well, the… uh, client, I suppose we could call her…” Jack began awkwardly, flinching at Daniel’s blatant wince. “Anyway, long story short; this naked old bat was chasing me around, then we fell and she accidentally kneed me in the nuts.”
“Ouch,” Daniel empathized as he sipped away at his caffeine. “Old and naked? Really?”
“God yes,” Jack shuddered visibly. “Tits like tea bags with nipples. It’s been a long, long time since she caught a man, I can tell you that.”
“She caught you,” Daniel observed meanly.
“Not caught, exactly. More like maimed,” Jack declared with a smirk. “But it did get me off of the menu for at least a week.”
“So you got hurt right away? I mean, you didn’t have to, uh, perform or… anything?” Daniel questioned carefully, rolling the now almost empty cup between his palms.
“Nah, I was down for the count. I got to spend most of the night in the infirmary, and for once I was grateful. Believe me, I plan to milk this thing for all it’s worth,” he added pointing purposefully at his crotch.
“Jack!” Daniel exclaimed with a shocked voice before dissolving into uncharacteristic snickering like a naughty school boy.
“What?” Jack asked innocently as he mentally reviewed his plan. “Oh fer cryin’ out loud,” he scolded. “That is not what I meant! Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Sorry,” Daniel flashed a quick, but unapologetic grin as he tried to contain his amusement.
Jack narrowed his eyes and studied his teammate closer. “You look like hell, but you’re in a pretty good mood under the circumstances. You went through with it,” he hissed accusingly. “You enjoyed it!”
Daniel considered Jack with the ghost of a smile before shrugging one shoulder. He yawned expansively and switched cups.
“Daniel!”
“What? I’m kidding. I didn’t do anything. Besides, I’m pretty sure they were a couple.”
“They?” Jack sputtered incredulously.
“Um, yeah… Marlena and Bethel…”
Jack cocked an eyebrow and cleared his throat. “Old maids?” he asked almost hopefully.
“Not really.”
“How not really?” Jack demanded.
“I guess Bethel is eighteen? Nineteen, maybe. And Marlena is probably close to thirty in Earth years,” Daniel decided thoughtfully before making a dismissive gesture with one hand.
“You guess?” Jack queried, taking a swig from his own cup.
“I don’t know. I was never any good with women’s ages. Besides, I think I’m still stoned.”
Coffee came out of Jack’s nose and he coughed profusely for several minutes before he could speak. Daniel shielded his own cup from the spray but looked on sympathetically.
“Stoned?” Jack finally rasped out gruffly.
“I couldn’t help it, Jack. I had to breathe. I fell asleep and when I woke up the room was full of the stuff.”
“So I get the frisky seventy-
“Class structure,” Daniel chortled, throwing the earlier conversation in the shuttle bay back at Jack. “It must take a long time to climb to the upper decks around here, Colonel. By the time they get up that high, there’s gonna be some wear and tear.”
“Prick,” Jack groused unhappily, still coughing slightly.
“Really, Jack, in our line of work, you ought to watch out for shrinkage,” Daniel teased mercilessly, draining his second cup.
“Shrinkage,” Jack lectured haughtily as he gave up trying to get comfortable and deposited the ice pack despondently on the table, “isn’t permanent. Besides, it’s not the size of the ship, Daniel. It’s the motion of the ocean.”
“Yeah, but it takes a hell of a long time to cross an ocean in a rowboat,” Daniel smirked.
Jack’s glare lost its edge as his lip mutinously quirked upward. “Damn. I think I like you stoned,” he finally admitted with a laugh. “So please, humor me. Tell me all about your evening. Tell me it was awful.”
“I had a nice meal, I fell asleep, and when I woke up I was already high as a kite. They burned some plant leaves that had some sort of cannabis slash aphrodisiac affect. After that I’m a little hazy, I must have passed out again ‘cause all I remember is dirty dreams.”
“Are you sure you were dreaming?”
“Yeah,” Daniel assured. “The most they did was fondle my feet.”
“Ew.”
Daniel shrugged his eyebrows indicating he didn’t understand that either. “I know. Weird.”
“So we both got off easy…” Jack started. “Ack!” he warned, raising a finger as Daniel prepared to pounce on that remark. “We were lucky,” he amended irritably.
“Agreed. But we can’t expect our luck to hold out night after night for a whole year. This could get ugly.”
“We could just eat in the commissary and then hide out in the ventilation shafts.”
“What kind of life would that be? And it’s not like we blend in or anything. I think they’d notice us showing up to eat every day. Besides, this place is only open for breakfast, I asked,” Daniel argued. “Although they do offer boxed lunches.”
“Great,” Jack decided. “We live off stolen sandwiches.”
“It wouldn’t be fair to steal from these people, Jack, and we did promise to pull our weight. There has to be something else we can legitimately do. I don’t think either one of us is cut out to be a service provider.”
“You said that the men are always pilots, and we aren’t qualified,” Jack reminded him. “What else can we do?”
“I don’t know. Obviously, they don’t share our sense of morality when it comes to…you know.”
“Whoring around?”
“It’s not whoring around.”
“Isn’t it? We just fuck for food and shelter instead of money.”
Daniel sighed wearily, rubbing his eyes again. “Still, who are we to question the way they do things?”
“You question things all the time,” Jack pointed out. “Maybe it’s time to challenge the system?”
“Maybe,” Daniel allowed, a frown creasing his forehead as a familiar face appeared in the doorway. He opened his mouth with a warning, but it was too late.
“Sir!” Sam called as she entered the dining facility causing Jack to jump guiltily. “Daniel!”
“Carter!” Jack greeted glancing around furtively for anyone who might inadvertently spill the beans about their new occupations. “I thought you were boarded on the other ship?”
“Yes, sir, I am. But I heard there was an accident. I came as soon as I could get a shuttle. The doctor told me I could find you here.”
“Good news travels fast, I see,” Jack grumbled miserably, wondering what else had reached his 2IC’s ears.
Daniel valiantly fought down a grin and ducked his head, suddenly fascinated by the worn tabletop.
“I’m fine,” Jack assured, kicking Daniel under the table as he made a show of placing the ice pack on his elbow.
“What happened?” Sam asked solicitously, taking the seat on the other side of Daniel, who was busy rubbing his shin and shooting daggers at Jack.
“Well, you see… I was…uh…” he shot a desperate look at the linguist.
“Injured in the line of duty,” Daniel declared honestly.
“Well, I already figured that,” Sam said, rolling her eyes at the stalling techniques.
“I fell,” Jack lied, making another pass with his foot at Daniel’s leg for not coming up with anything better. He missed and kicked Daniel’s pack instead, knocking it out from under the table.
Daniel drunkenly watched the pack slide away but made no move to retrieve it.
“Sir?” Sam asked, sounding suspicious.
“Like I said, I’m fine. Daniel’s fine. We’re fine. How are you?”
“Fine, but…”
“Glad to hear it. Teal’c okay?”
“Yes, sir, as far as I know he’s fine…”
“Good. So we’re all fine.”
“Okay,” Sam sighed, evidently relieved if somewhat baffled by her CO’s behavior. “Good. I was worried, about both of you.”
“We know,” Daniel chimed in, wearing his best ‘earnest’ expression. “And we appreciate your concern. But we’re perfectly safe over here. All we have to worry about is little old ladies who… Ow! Jack! Would you stop doing that?” he finished, pulling both legs up into the chair and out of Jack’s reach. “I wasn’t gonna tell,” he stage whispered angrily.
Sam narrowed her eyes. “Tell what? What exactly is it you do?”
“We do our jobs, isn’t that right, Pretty Boy?” Jack glared warningly.
Daniel pouted as he rubbed his shin, realizing even in his current state that he couldn’t out Jack’s job without outing his own as well.
“Which is?” Sam pressed.
“Janitors,” the two men insisted simultaneously.
“Janitors?” Sam echoed in disbelief. “That’s what you do?”
“Not much use for linguists around here, apparently,” Daniel grumbled, dropping his feet back to the floor with a baleful look at Jack.
“Or Air Force Colonels,” Jack agreed unhappily. “But there are always decks to be swabbed,” he added with a sneer in Daniel’s direction.
Daniel barked out a laugh. “Row, row, row your boat,” he muttered, earning another glare from Jack.
Sam looked from one to the other before deciding to change the subject. “Um, Colonel, I may have good news for you.”
“What’s that, Major? I could use some good news right about now.”
“Well, it seems one of the shuttle pilots had a little accident,” she said, almost pulling off the innocent routine.
“Jack already washed out of the pilot program,” Daniel reminded them, looking suspiciously into his empty cup and seeming to pale a little.
“Yes, but the shuttles don’t have the same antigravity device as the fighters.”
“What?” Jack snapped. “Why didn’t they tell me that before?”
“Because they didn’t need any shuttle pilots at the time.”
“And now they do? What kind of little accident?”
Sam looked away.
“Carter?” Jack asked again, making the one little word sound an awful lot like an order.
“I didn’t hurt him…that bad,” Sam admitted sheepishly, her cheeks turning a nice shade of pink.
“You’re not in trouble, are you?” Daniel asked worriedly, fighting past his own sudden nausea. He hid his shaking hands under the table but they didn’t stay there long as he began to fidget.
“No. The coward didn’t want anyone to know he’d been taken out by a woman. He made up some cock and bull story about falling...” she trailed off, eyeing Jack suspiciously again.
“What’d you do to him?” Jack redirected skillfully before she could ask him to repeat his story.
“I, uh, fractured his kneecap.”
“And a service provider is born. Poor bastard,” Jack uttered dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. “So what’d he do to earn it? Get fresh?”
Sam snorted audibly. “Get fresh?” she echoed in disbelief.
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes sir, he got fresh, but he regretted it immediately. Apparently, the women outnumbered the men at least three to one on Theseus. The pilots are in big demand and they’re used to getting their way.”
“That’s nothing,” Daniel murmured incoherently as he rested his head on his forearms. “Three hundred to one over here.”
“I’m sorry, Daniel, I didn’t hear you,” Sam said reaching out to stroke the back of his head. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Never mind him,” Jack interrupted. “He had a rough night. What did Lorna say about me flying a shuttle?”
“She said yes. Now we just have to find a job for Daniel so we’ll all be on the same ship.”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “In the meantime, we need to think of something to keep him out of trouble tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t feel very well,” Daniel groaned into the crook of one of his arms.
“Right!” Jack approved heartily. “That’s good, Daniel. Keep that up.”
“No, Jack, I really don’t feel good. I think I’m coming down. Or maybe I drank too much coffee. I feel really shaky. And sick.”
“Coming down?” Sam asked, thinking maybe she hadn’t heard right.
“Fumes,” Jack assured smoothly, shooting a concerned, sideways glance at his ill archeologist. “You think you can make it to the infirmary? It’s not far.”
Daniel raised his head slightly and squinted in Jack’s general direction. “I’ll be alright.”
“You misunderstood me,” Jack corrected as he collected Daniel’s glasses off the table and slipped them into his own pocket. “It wasn’t a question of if you need to go, that much is obvious. I want to know if you can make it on your own or do we need to carry you?”
“What about your injured… elbow?” Daniel asked, feeling a little worse as he straightened up, deciding the infirmary didn’t sound so bad after all.
“Don’t worry about my elbow,” Jack shot back. “Carter, help him up.”
Sam slid a hand under Daniel’s arm and steadied him as he struggled to his feet. “How’s that?” She asked. Reluctantly, she released him at his nod, even though he still felt wobbly to her. “Daniel?”
“Oh,” Daniel said simply as he dropped like a stone, luckily hitting his head on his backpack instead of the floor.
Jack grimaced as he forced himself out of his seat to glance over the top of the table at his fallen comrade. “Off the menu,” he mumbled under his breath. “Medic?” he called out a little louder, gratified to see someone go for help.
“He’s out cold, sir,” Sam informed Jack as she gently rolled Daniel onto his side, sliding a hand to his neck to feel his rapid but steady pulse.
Within minutes the emergency team arrived and set about getting Daniel loaded onto
a high-
“How’s your elbow?” Sam asked cynically, following along with Daniel’s pack.
“Knee,” Jack lied boldly, changing his story. “It’s my knee.”
***
“Daniel? Daniel, wake up!”
Pulling a pillow over his head, Daniel let out a groan and tried to roll over. Insistent hands kept him on his back and the pillow was summarily plucked out of his grip. “Wha…?” Daniel managed as he squinted up into the two blobs that might have been faces hovering above him.
“Doctor Jackson, meet Doctor Mary,” Jack’s voice chirped happily.
“Just Mary,” the other blob replied dryly. “Doctor is a job description here, not a title.”
“Whatever,” Jack snarked as he tried to slip Daniel’s glasses onto his face, inadvertently poking him in the eye as he did.
“Ow,” Daniel complained, reaching up to complete the task himself. The blobs quickly
transformed into Jack and a very attractive brown-
“Be warned, she makes Fraiser look like Mother Teresa,” Jack cautioned out of the side of his mouth. “Listen, I’ve gotta go. Doctor Mary is releasing me and I’ve gotta go learn to fly a shuttle today.”
“Sam?”
“She had to go back this morning for her shift. You’ve been out for awhile,” Jack explained. “Doc here says you’re gonna be fine, but I didn’t want to leave without talking to you first. Don’t worry, we’ll get you over to the Theseus before you have to… go back to work,” he assured earnestly.
“Mmm, ’kay,” came the muttered response as Daniel closed his eyes and tried to drift away again.
“Daniel,” Jack said softly, pausing until a hazy blue gaze settled on him. “I’ll be back at the end of my shift. Stay out of trouble while I’m gone.” The innocent ‘who me’ expression didn’t reassure Jack in the least. “Crap. Do you want me to stay?”
“No, I’ll be okay,” Daniel assured, forcing his eyes to stay open and sounding much more like his usual self. “Can I have some coffee?”
“No!” Jack insisted loudly, giving Daniel a resolute squeeze on the arm.
“That was part of your problem,” Mary lectured as she tried to circumvent the adamant colonel. “Our oral stimulant is apparently much stronger than yours.”
“You overdosed and fried your circuits,” Jack clarified unnecessarily, still standing in the way, “and on only two cups. Given your habit, I find that hard to believe.”
“Four,” Daniel corrected, sitting up and swinging his feet over the edge of the bed woozily. “I had coffee with Marlena before I went to the commissary.”
“You’re going to miss your shuttle,” Mary advised Jack bitingly as she edged her way in and began to examine her patient. Forcing Daniel’s head back she peered into his red and blue eyes, lifting one lid and then the other with her thumb.
“Pushy broad,” Jack snipped. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said patting Daniel’s shoulder. “I mean it…”
“…stay out of trouble,” Daniel completed for him with a quicksilver grin as Mary palpated his neck.
Jack pointed at him meaningfully as he backed out of the room, clearly in much better shape than the last time Daniel had seen him.
“Mary, that’s uh, that’s a very common name where we come from,” Daniel began as he tried to focus his attention on the doctor. “In fact it’s religiously significant in some cultures.”
“It’s just a name,” Mary informed him distractedly as she placed an object on his chest that amplified his heart sounds until they were audible. She moved it over one side of his chest and then the other, nodding in satisfaction that his lungs were clear. When she finished, she set the device aside and fixed Daniel with a cool stare. “I am aware that you did not complete your assigned task.”
“What do you mean?” Daniel queried cautiously, aware that he was not fully alert just yet.
“I mean you didn’t perform your duties as a service provider.”
“Yes, I did,” Daniel obfuscated, cognizant enough to realize that he and Bethel could both be in trouble.
“I know for a fact that you did not.”
“You can’t tell that by looking,” Daniel started, pulling the sheet higher into his lap. “Exactly what kind of exam did you do?” he challenged indignantly.
“And if that’s not bad enough,” Mary continued, unfazed by Daniel’s offended sensibilities, “your blood also contains traces of a biological toxin and an illegal substance.”
“So I not only overdosed, I was also drugged and poisoned?” Daniel asked in confusion.
“You’re saying you didn’t knowingly smoke lithalar leaves or ingest an indigenous sea creature from the planet?”
“Litha… lithalar leaves? Oh, wait, the incense,” Daniel remembered, leveling an assessing gaze at the doctor.
“I have already confirmed that Marlena and Bethel partook as well. I have examined both of them.”
“They didn’t mean to,” Daniel covered, not liking where the conversation was headed. “It was mine.”
“What was?” Mary interrogated.
“The fish. And… and the litha… lithaberry bush,” he stammered. “They didn’t know.”
“Doctor…”
“Daniel. Just Daniel, and please, don’t get Marlena and Bethel in trouble because I passed out.”
“Rules are rules,” Mary argued.
“Yes, but some of your rules, pardon the Jackism, suck. Hasn’t Bethel been through enough? What else can you possibly do to her to make her life more miserable?”
“Doctor Jackson, our society is dependent on rules. They must be obeyed if we are to survive. Our people do not question what is asked of them. It is not for me to decide who is to be punished and who gets away with breaking the rules. Marlena and Bethel will be sent to Theseus to appear before Assembly.”
“They didn’t do anything,” Daniel railed.
“They hurt you,” Mary pointed out firmly. “Even if they didn’t mean to.”
“No, no they didn’t. I’m fine. Besides, I told you, the stuff was mine. If you have to punish someone, punish me.”
Mary harrumphed and placed her hands on her hips. “You are every bit as exasperating as Colonel O’Neill.”
“Please, Mary,” Daniel beseeched, “just this once, look the other way.”
“No.”
“Aurgh,” Daniel growled, flopping back to the bed in agitation. “Don’t you know what happened to Bethel? Don’t you care?” he asked, his voice rising with his temper.
The doctor stalked to the door, but instead of leaving she closed it and stabbed at the keypad a couple of times to lock it. She appeared pensive as she wandered back toward the bed.
Daniel sat up again, narrowing his eyes as he took a more thorough appraisal of her. “You were testing me,” he exclaimed softly, forcing himself fully awake for what he was certain would be an important conversation.
“I treated Bethel for her injuries at that time. They were horrific. I feared she would not physically be able to return to work,” Mary said, closing her eyes and fighting to reign in her emotions. “And then when they… they punished her for what that bastard did to her, I lost control. I let my anger get the better of me and I fought the Assembly. Suddenly my job was in jeopardy as well.”
Clenching his jaw, Daniel looked away.
“When I heard she had submitted again, I was shocked,” Mary continued a little calmer. “No doubt she had been pressured into it. But I was even more stunned when I saw her last cycle.”
“You saw her yesterday? She’s okay?” Daniel asked anxiously.
Mary nodded with a dumbfounded expression on her face. “She was practically giddy. She spoke nothing but praises of you. More surprisingly, Marlena agreed with her.”
“So you’re not gonna turn them in?”
“No,” Mary assured handing over a small square piece of paper. “They said you were different. I just had to be sure.”
Daniel accepted the photo hesitantly, noting it had been touched a lot since he’d last seen it. “I don’t understand.”
“You are a worlder,” Mary explained, once again taking the well worn picture and slipping it into her pocket. “The Sisterhood needs your help.”
***
As Jack stepped into the cargo hold of the shuttle he was greeted by a pilot he had seen in passing on board Theseus. “Hey,” he mumbled in greeting, feeling like a shit for leaving Daniel behind. “Jack O’Neill.”
“Kelton,” the younger man replied with a grin. “Are you ready for your first lesson?”
“Now?” Jack asked in surprise.
“Sure, no time like the present. We cross this little expanse of space at least three times a cycle. It’s ideal for training. You can change into a flight suit back there.”
“Cool,” Jack exclaimed, suddenly feeling a little more chipper.
***
Taking a break, Sam was watching a less than spectacular landing from across the shuttle bay when a familiar form appeared on the deck below her. She smiled and waved as Teal’c was easily recognizable even from a hundred meters away. She called out to Steis that she’d be back shortly, climbed down the ladder, and trotted across the open floor to meet him half way.
“Major Carter,” Teal’c greeted, obviously happy to see her in his own stoic, Jaffa way.
“Teal’c,” she breathed, patting him affectionately on the arm. “God, I’ve missed you! I can’t believe we’re so isolated from each other on the same ship.”
“I have attempted to contact you during my down time, but I have found it much easier to speak than to achieve.”
“Easier said than done?” Sam quipped with a smile. “But I know what you mean. This place is a mad house.”
“Indeed,” Teal’c agreed with contempt. “However I believe there is a pleasant surprise arriving as we speak,” he informed her, his lip edging up slightly as he led her closer to the arrival area.
“Not on that shuttle, I hope,” Sam shuddered, watching as it powered down. “It looked like that pilot had never landed before.”
As they turned to inspect the shuttle in question the door latches released with
a hiss and Jack appeared just inside wearing an ear-
“Oh, boy,” Sam sighed. “Maybe I’d better have another talk with Lorna.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “O’Neill’s flying abilities will improve with sufficient practice,” he offered supportively, even as doubt clearly registered on his normally passive face. “Provided he survives the training,” he added after some thought, turning to acknowledge their very own shuttle pilot as he jogged over.
“Hey!” Jack greeted enthusiastically as he skidded to a halt in front of them. “Teal’c how’re they treatin’ ya? Are you playing nice with the other warriors?”
“They are children,” Teal’c sniffed disdainfully. “They would benefit from the services of a Jaffa master. I question their ability to guard against attack.”
“Don’t say services,” Jack shuddered.
“How’s Daniel?” Sam cut in worriedly. “Is he still in the infirmary?”
“What has happened to Daniel Jackson?” Teal’c questioned, showing a glimmer of his protective side and more than a little annoyance at having been left out of the loop.
“He’s alright,” Jack assured. “You know Daniel has a thing for infirmary beds.”
“Didn’t you already visit the infirmary, too? Sir?”
“That’s beside the point,” Jack grunted, irritably. “Don’t worry, T, Daniel’s fine.
He overdid the local uber-
“That’s called a paradoxical reaction,” Sam started to explain.
“Whatever. He’s fine now. He was awake and asking for coffee when I left. I’ll check on him next trip over.”
“Please keep me informed of further developments,” Teal’c instructed with a tone more along the lines of an order than a request.
“We have to off load some supplies and then take back some stuff for recycle. These things run constantly so I’ll have plenty of opportunity to see him.”
“Oh, and I have an appointment with Lorna after my shift to try and find Daniel a job on Theseus,” Sam added.
Teal’c nodded, finally appeased. Jack patted his chest affectionately as he started to leave. “Carter, why don’t our radios work?” he asked as an after thought. “I tried to contact you on the way over.”
“The radios are fine,” Sam replied. “The problem is with the alloys in the ship’s superstructure. They seem to scramble the frequency.”
“Can you do something about it? I hate not being able to communicate.”
Sam pursed her lips and thought deeply for a minute. “Yeah,” she muttered distracted. “I think if I adjusted the frequency and added a power booster to each unit we could probably communicate from ship to ship even.”
“Do it,” Jack ordered, turning his radio over and nodding approval as Teal’c did the same.
“I’ll have to do it on my off time, though. They keep me pretty busy.”
“I believe that,” Jack agreed readily, knowing how his own time was being spent. “I’d better go find Kelton. I think that boy has a weak stomach or something.”
“Or something,” Sam agreed, sharing a knowing smile with Teal’c.
***
“Worlder?” Daniel enquired politely, not sure if it was intended as an insult.
“Is planet dweller more appropriate?” Mary asked uncertainly.
“No, I just… that’s not a division I would have considered. Worlder versus what? Ship person?”
“I see what you mean,” Mary nodded penitently. “Let me try again. You have been to many planets?”
“Quite a few,” Daniel admitted. “Why?”
“You have knowledge of weapons? Spacecraft?”
“Some,” Daniel answered shrewdly. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? That’s the second reference I’ve heard to the Sisterhood. What is it?”
“Can I trust you?” Mary asked leaning in a little closer as if disclosing something highly confidential.
“I hope so,” Daniel answered honestly. “I suppose it depends on what you tell me.”
“That’s not much of an answer,” Mary spat out, tensing up and moving away.
“What do you want me to say? I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on. All I can say at this point is that I don’t much care for the way things are run around here.”
“Such as,” Mary challenged from half-
“Well off the top of my head,” Daniel began to elaborate, “individuals are obviously devalued and exploited, entire planets are destroyed without a second thought. The division among the people on the ships is actively encouraged and I’m not just talking about the male/female split here, I’m talking about an enforced class structure of who lives on Heracles and who gets to live on Theseus. And from what I’ve seen, Theseus wouldn’t survive long without Heracles and its workers. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
“Worst of all; young girls live their entire lives without ever seeing a blue sky…” Daniel paused, searching Mary’s eyes for a sign. “But I’m preaching to the choir here, aren’t I?” he asked at the approving smile Mary graced him with.
“You are very perceptive,” Mary noted as she circled back to him.
“So tell me.”
“I’m not really sure where to start,” Mary shrugged apologetically. “It’s rather complicated.”
“Just start from the beginning,” Daniel encouraged.
Mary sat down next to him on the bed and took a deep breath. “My people are short sighted,” she offered unassumingly. “A long time ago for a reason no one can remember my ancestors abandoned their home planet for the stars. At the time they must have had a destination in mind, but even that was lost somewhere in the endless cycles.”
“Can’t you just look up the records?”
“Short sighted, remember?” Mary laughed humorlessly. “The story goes that there
were initially four ships. When one of the great passenger vessels became disabled,
the people were distributed to the three remaining ships. Non-
“Records are not necessarily non-
“The initial transfers were rushed and nearly all of the people ended up on Heracles, leaving the other two ships mostly unchanged. Promises where made, but efforts to relocate and even out the numbers were slow in coming and ultimately, didn’t come at all. Soon after abandoning the ship, as people became more and more discontented with the inequities of their new living arraignments, there was a rising. This resulted in many, many deaths and the loss of the third ship,” Mary continued dispassionately. “Peace came at a price, but as a people, we journeyed on.”
“With no past and no future,” Daniel observed. “Nothing’s changed there.”
“We survive.”
“Yes, but you don’t live.”
“It wasn’t always like this,” Mary protested. “Once there were couples and children and whole families. There was off time and leisure activities. Men and women were free to form bonds.”
“So what happened?”
“The Assembly didn’t foresee the population explosion until it was already too late. Drastic measures had to be taken. There wasn’t a free board on either vessel until they segregated; men on Theseus, women on Heracles.”
“And all this has been passed down as an oral history?”
“For the most part, but after the segregation there are some records. A period of almost twenty absolute cycles passed before the ban on procreation was lifted.”
Daniel scratched his head. “But if the men were all over there and the women were all over here…”
“Procreation is done in the genetics lab,” Mary explained. “Each woman’s ovum are harvested when she reaches puberty.”
“Ah,” Daniel replied noncommittally, filing the information away.
“We existed peacefully for years, but there was a series of wars along the way.”
“With who?” Daniel asked, his Goa’uld radar going off.
“We had no one specific enemy, merely different worlders as we passed through their territories, but we were always triumphant. Not to say it wasn’t costly. Heracles is capable of producing a great many warships when we have the proper materials, but the warriors were not as easily replaced. Slowly the male population began to dwindle until several generations ago it became necessary that all males be trained exclusively as warriors.”
“And woman stepped in to fill the gaps they left in the workforce and governing bodies.”
“Yes. And slowly the Assembly persons and scientists began to move over to the better accommodations on the nearly empty Theseus until only laborers remained aboard Heracles. So once again, there was male/female interaction, at least over there. At some point someone came up with the idea of service providers for Heracles, ostentatiously to prevent another rising.”
“Why didn’t they just let women into the ranks of warriors to even things out?”
“It is forbidden.”
“Why?”
Mary stopped and opened her mouth to speak before shaking her head. “I don’t know,” she finally managed with a surprised laugh. “It is law. I never questioned it.”
“Short sighted,” Daniel muttered with a nod. “So, the Sisterhood?”
“The Sisterhood began as a secret society to look out for the needs of the laborers. Over the cycles, we have become strong. The Assembly now has no true authority aboard Heracles and they don’t even realize it. The true power here lies within the Sisterhood.”
“So change things.”
“Believe me,” Mary intoned seriously, “we’re going to.”
***
“Anyway, if I can get together with some of the engineers, I’m sure we can hammer
out a hyper-
“Why?” Steis asked in confusion, looking up from under the console they were working on. “Where would we go that fast?”
Sam blinked and settled back on her heels. “Good question,” she admitted reluctantly,
knowing that Earth was still a long, long way off even at hyper-
“I’m done,” Steis announced as she snapped the panel in place and rolled over to get up. “We’re a little early, but I think we can call it a shift.”
“Sure,” Sam agreed with a smile. “I’m starving. Do you want to go to the commissary with me?”
“Nah,” Steis replied, wiping her dirty hands on her coveralls. “I’ve got a new dress. I’m going to try to snag a pilot tonight.”
“For what?” Sam asked, more than a little surprised.
Steis laughed. “For what do you think?”
“You just go for sex?”
“Well yes and no. It is recreational, but I’d also like to be a surrogate.”
“As in surrogate mother?” Sam inquired. “You’re trying to get pregnant?”
“Sure. Surrogates have lots of benefits while they’re carrying. I’ve done it twice already.”
“You’re a mother?”
“Of course not. We don’t keep the babies; that’s what the nurseries are for. You want to come with me? I’m sure I’ve got something you can wear. I know you’d get chosen.”
“I… I… don’t… no…” Sam stammered, looking for the right words, but giving up and merely shaking her head. “No thanks, I have to see Lorna later and then I think I’ll try to find a shuttle over to Heracles,” she said instead.
“Whatever for?” Steis asked in shock.
“My friend is in the infirmary over there,” Sam explained as she put away her tools.
Steis looked around guardedly. “Don’t let anyone know you go over there,” she warned.
“Why not?” Sam asked, taken aback.
“Look, take my advice and forget anyone you know over there. Or you’ll be ostracized for sure. I like you. I’d hate for that to happen.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Sam ground out impatiently.
“You know what?” Steis said, abruptly changing the subject. “We should really pull that fuel tank before we sign out.”
“That’ll take hours,” Sam protested.
“So we put in a little extra time,” Steis answered with a shrug. “It’ll look good on our work logs when it comes time for promotions. You’ll thank me later.”
“I won’t just forget Daniel. You wouldn’t either if you ever met him.”
“Your friend is a man? On Heracles?”
“Yeah. So?”
“So do you know what his job is?”
“Janitor?” Sam asked uncertainly.
“No,” Steis replied shaking her head with a smirk. “Service provider. Sit down and I’ll tell you all about it. Then I won’t have to worry about you sneaking off to Heracles.”
***
“Hi,” Jack greeted as he peeked around the corner.
“Hey, Jack.”
“How ya feelin’?”
Daniel nodded as he sat up and put on his glasses. “Better. I’ve had some food and a little more sleep.”
“Good. Where’s Brunhilda?”
“Mary went off shift a while ago. A doctor named Becca is here now. She likes me. She let me have coffee. Well, decaf. Well, their version of decaf anyway, which is about like a normal cup of coffee.”
“You must be in heaven.”
“Yeah,” Daniel replied dryly. “So? Did you get to fly a shuttle?”
Jack beamed back at him. “Oh, yeah, Kelton said he has never had a student like me,” he proclaimed smugly. “He said when word gets around I’ll be flyin’ all by myself.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Don’t worry though. We’re still working on your problem. Carter has an appointment with Lorna tonight.”
“Uh,” Daniel began, raising a finger and licking his lip nervously. “Maybe you’d better put a hold on that.”
“Why?” Jack growled apprehensively.
“I can’t leave.”
“I repeat, why?” Jack asked again, calling on his last ounce of patience.
“There’s going to be an uprising,” Daniel explained carefully, grimacing as he waited for Jack’s reply.
Jack very calmly settled on a stool and wet his lips as he studied his squirming friend for several minutes. “One day,” he started softly. “I leave you alone for one day and you start an uprising,” he accused flatly.
“Cycle,” Daniel corrected in spite of himself.
“I beg your pardon?” Jack ground out between clenched teeth.
“It was one cycle, which is approximately twenty-
“Daniel.”
“Jack, I didn’t start anything. But I am going to try to stop it.”
“Why are you even getting involved? This is not our problem,” Jack grumbled.
“Well, you said it yourself,” Daniel explained waving his hand around expressively. “Things need to be changed around here. Besides, it is our problem. It’s everyone’s problem. If there’s a rebellion, no one will be safe.”
“So what are you planning?” Jack sighed reluctantly, rubbing his eyes as if suddenly in great pain.
“I’m thinking a bloodless coup would be good.”
Jack dropped his hand and stared in disbelief.
“There is going to be an insurrection whether I’m involved or not,” Daniel pointed
out. “All they were waiting for was to replenish their resources. In a few more
weeks, uh, quad-
Jack groaned to himself for a minute and twiddled his thumbs while he waited for his blood pressure to come down. “I don’t like it,” he said at last. “You’ll need backup. I’ll crash a shuttle or something and get reassigned back here.”
“No, Jack,” Daniel persuaded passionately. “We need someone who can move unencumbered between the ships. I can’t do this by myself. I need you and Sam and Teal’c and we have to be able to communicate.”
Jack snorted unhappily but didn’t argue. “What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing right now. I’ll know more tomorrow after I meet with the Sisterhood.”
“Did you say Sisterhood?” Jack asked with a smirk.
Daniel pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Yeah. Why is that funny?”
“No reason,” Jack muttered, laughing to himself as he glanced at his watch. “I gotta go. You’re sure you’re gonna be okay tonight?”
“How much trouble could I possibly get into in the infirmary?”
“Right. That’s what I thought the last time I left you and now you’re an honorary Secret Sister!”
“Shh,” Daniel warned. “It won’t be a secret if you keep yelling about it. Go. Fly.
Spare me your politically in-
“Oh, yeah, give me your radio. Carter’s trying to work something so we can communicate,” Jack remembered, squeezing Daniel’s knee as he got up to leave.
“That’s a good idea.” Daniel pulled his pack from under the bed and quickly located his radio and handed it over. “So, I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back in the morning. And don’t think after this prank that I’ll ever let you out of my site on a mission again,” Jack harangued as he headed for the door, not looking back.
“Night, Jack,” Daniel called after him fondly, settling back to study the alphabet Mary had given him.
Becca came in a few minutes later and smiled pleasantly as she settled at the foot of the bed. “You’re all set, love,” she announced, rubbing a hand a little too intimately over Daniel’s leg.
“All set?” he asked in alarm.
“I’ve already discharged you and turned you back over to the system.”
“But,” Daniel objected, “I thought I would get to stay here tonight.”
“Change of plans,” she announced matter-
“What was that?” he queried as he reached tentatively for the bag.
“That’s your disk updating with your new assignment,” Becca explained. “You can leave as soon as you’re dressed.”
Daniel pulled out the disk and examined the new string of characters that decorated the top. “Great,” he replied pessimistically.
***
“Sir,” Sam pounced as soon as Jack stepped out of the shuttle. “We’ve got to get Daniel off of Heracles.”
“Do you think I came in a little rough?” Jack inquired, checking the slightly crunched front landing plate. “One more trip?” he asked the man who stumbled out after him and sat heavily on the deck.
“We’re done,” Kelton swore, waving his star pupil away as he dropped his head in defeat.
“Cool. What were you saying, Carter?” Jack asked as he led the way to the turbo-
“Do you know what Daniel is supposed to be doing on the Heracles?” Sam demanded. “Sir,” she added in a meeker voice.
Jack stopped in front of the doors and met her gaze defiantly before signaling for the car.
“Oh my God. That’s what you had to… and Daniel… and why didn’t you tell me!” Sam sputtered, shocked and embarrassed.
“Carter!” Jack barked. “Settle down. We worked around it, nobody did anything.”
“Yet!”
“Well our little boy lost is safely tucked into the infirmary for tonight, so relax.”
“I’ve already talked to Lorna,” Sam explained hopelessly. “She doesn’t understand and she’s not willing to make any special allowances for him. Daniel’s stuck there, doing that!”
“It’s just as well,” Jack sighed, putting his hands on his hips. “He doesn’t want to leave anyway.”
Speechless, Sam cupped her hands over her mouth and nose and slowly blew all the air out of her lungs. She pulled her hands up over her face and through her hair, took another deep breath as she silently counted to ten. “Why not?” she asked evenly.
Jack nodded his head in satisfaction. “That was pretty much my reaction,” he declared. “And next time I suggest a leash for the boy I fully expect you to back me up.”
“Sir,” Carter drawled out slowly just short of a whine, pleading for information.
“Not here,” Jack warned, glancing around subtly. “Let’s find Teal’c. It seems Daniel has stumbled right into the middle of the only thing exciting to happen around here in generations.”
“So. Status quo then,” Sam deadpanned as the elevator arrived.
“Did you finish the radios yet?”
“No, sir,” Sam answered glumly. “I haven’t been able to get into the workshop. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have time before my shift.”
***
By wisely learning the numbering system while holed up in the infirmary, Daniel found his board for the night in record time. The door slid open as he approached it and he hefted the disk for a second before making a decision and slipping it into the slot.
“Mary,” he uttered in surprise as the occupant of the room turned in her chair to look at him.
“What were you thinking just then?” the doctor asked curiously.
“Oh, uh, actually I was trying to decide if I should come in or run hide in a ventilation shaft somewhere,” Daniel explained sheepishly as he entered the room and let the door shut behind him.
“Well, I’m glad you decided to stay. You’re a big boy. You’d probably hinder the flow of air.”
Daniel licked his lip absentmindedly, ignoring the jibe. “Why do I think this is not some amazing coincidence?”
Mary offered a chair as she continued to work at a tiny computer station next to the table. “There are some benefits of rank,” she noted sagely. “Ordering up a particular service provider on a moment’s notice is only one of them.”
“So you didn’t even have to pull any special strings to get me here,” Daniel stated as he looked around before sitting at the table where dinner was already laid out.
“The workers have no idea where they are on the list. They don’t know they’re being served until the provider shows up. That way no one gets upset at being preempted.”
“And doctors don’t have to wait.”
“Nor do retired Directors or Assembly persons who’ve been used up and exiled back to Heracles.”
“What a marvelous world you live in,” Daniel replied sardonically as he rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand.
“Would you prefer I left you to the list?”
“No. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I just don’t know what you expect me to do.”
“What were you planning to do? If it hadn’t been me?”
Daniel laughed lightly as he thought it over. “Beg, I suppose,” he said simply.
“Beg?”
“Beg to perform some other service. Sing for my supper? Tap dance? Clean house, cook dinner? I give a foot massage to die for. I can earn my keep without putting out.”
“I see,” Mary muttered offhandedly. “Is sex so repulsive to you?”
“It’s not that,” Daniel denied cursing the flush he felt on his cheeks. “You see on my world this would be nothing more than sexual servitude. It’s… uh, frowned upon, in most cultures anyway.”
“So you’ve never had sex at all?” Mary asked in astonishment, finally stopping her typing to look up.
“I didn’t say that,” Daniel growled irritably. “It’s just not generally in job descriptions that are accepted in polite society. The idea is to mate with one partner for life.”
“The idea?” Mary question.
“It just never seems to work out that way,” Daniel muttered defensively.
“And you have such a mate?” Mary asked, genuinely interested.
Daniel sighed wearily, not wanted to get into his personal business. “My wife died,” he said simply.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
“Okay,” Mary gave in with an understanding smile. “Go ahead and sing something so we can eat. I’ve got a lot to show you.”
“Actually,” Daniel replied as he weighed his hunger against the not so great offerings on the table, “the only song I know is Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and for reasons I’m not going to explain, it’s entirely inappropriate for this evening.”
“Eat anyway,” Mary insisted. “You’re definitely going to earn your keep.”
“Now you’re scaring me,” Daniel remarked as he picked up his utensil and took a bite of the bland, unidentifiable casserole. “Got any hot sauce?” he asked.
Mary glared at him for a second before turning away from her workstation and beginning
to eat as well. “I would have come to see you in the infirmary earlier but I had
some end of abs-
“Abs-
“What? No. Not for the ship, just for me.”
“Oh. Oh! It’s your birthday,” Daniel surmised, brightening up considerably.
“Birth day?” Mary asked, considering the words carefully. “It is the anniversary of my delivery, so I suppose the answer is yes.”
“I wish I had known. Not that I could have gotten you anything, but… oh wait!” Daniel said excitedly. He dug around in his pack and came out with his reserve power bar. “Just a minute,” he swatted Mary’s hand away as she reached to examine the shrink wrapped package. “Close your eyes,” he ordered.
“No,” Mary resisted. “What are you doing?”
“Spoilsport,” Daniel complained as he opened the chocolate and placed it on the table in front of Mary. He used the tip of his knife to puncture the center of the hard brownie, then stuck a waterproof match in the hole. “Are you ready? This is a tradition where I come from.”
“What do I do?”
“Just a sec.” Daniel lit another match and touched it to the top of the first one before flicking his wrist to put it out. Mary jumped as the match on the power bar flamed up.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Mary. Happy birthday, to you,” Daniel sang shyly. “Now quick, blow it out!”
Mary laughed delightedly and blew on the match until the flare died out. “That song didn’t sound like it had to do with a row,” she observed, getting a little misty eyed.
“Okay, so I know two songs,” Daniel grinned, ducking his head. “Happy Birthday, Mary. How old are you?”
“I don’t think so,” Mary declined, plucking the match and examining the charred remains.
“Well, I guess asking a woman’s age is literally a universal faux pas,” Daniel declared, still smiling.
“What do we do now?”
“Now you eat it. Well, after you finish your dinner.”
“You are a very surprising man, Doctor Jackson,” Mary decided quietly.
Daniel’s smile faded. “Not really. You just don’t have a lot to compare me with.”
“You’re nothing like Colonel O’Neill.”
“Now, that’s not really true. I suppose in a lot of superficial ways we’re polar opposites, but fundamentally, we’re a lot alike. Deep down. Really, really, deep down. Though I doubt you’d ever get Jack to admit it.”
“If you say so,” Mary said doubtfully. “But thank you for sharing your tradition with me.”
Daniel shrugged self-
“Mary?” Daniel asked abruptly. “The man who hurt Bethel, where is he now?”
A slow, predatory smile spread across Mary’s face. “I don’t know,” she lied, glancing away. “He went missing not long after the incident.”
“Was he in trouble with the Assembly?”
“No.”
“He just stopped showing up for work.”
“Yes.”
Daniel pushed the last bite of food around on his plate as his troubled thoughts reflected in his eyes. “Marlena told me that nothing is ever wasted on Heracles.”
“That’s right,” Mary confirmed, growing serious.
Laying down his spork, Daniel picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “Why am I suddenly thinking of Soylent Green?” he asked rhetorically as he pushed his plate away.
“I’m sorry? I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
“Eat your birthday cake,” Daniel responded absently, looking a little green himself.
Mary nodded and broke the bar in half and handed him part. “Hurry. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
***
“I have selected a female,” Teal’c announced to his roommate as he entered his quarters with Sam in tow. “You will depart.”
“Why can’t you go to her room?” the much younger man complained, rolling over to leer at the seriously angry and rapidly getting angrier woman.
Jack sauntered in behind Sam and fixed the youngster with his best you’re-
Before the pilot could formulate an answer Teal’c grabbed him by the scuff of the neck and hauled him unceremoniously to his feet.
“What about him?” the man questioned as he frantically scrambled for footing, too naïve to fully grasp the situation.
“I like to watch,” Jack replied casually, not daring to look in Carter’s direction.
Teal’c slammed his new friend against the wall and loomed over him threateningly. “You will depart. You will speak of this to no one.”
The kid went pale as he belatedly realized Teal’c was not a man to toy with. As soon as the enraged Jaffa released him, the adolescent sprinted for the door without looking back.
“I miss him already,” Jack quipped as he made a slow circuit of the nicely proportioned space. “You know, you could fit three of the big rooms on the Heracles in this place.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” Sam stated stiffly as she took a chair at the table.
Jack blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, apparently there’s not a whole lot of fairness between what goes on over here and what goes on over there,” he replied, taking a seat as well. “But I guess all that’s gonna change here shortly. And Daniel, being Daniel, is already neck deep in it.”
Teal’c stepped into the kitchen and placed three Theseus’ equivalents of TV dinners in the warmer. “How was Daniel Jackson able to uncover this information?”
“No. No, no,” Jack disagreed quickly. “Come on T, think about it. You put Daniel on a ship full of unhappy women and they’re bond to gravitate to him. He’s like magnetic north when it comes to messed up, evil, or just plain ol’ psychotic women. They came to him.”
“For what purpose?”
“He doesn’t know yet. But he did find out that there’s going to be a revolt.”
“Heracles wouldn’t stand a chance against Theseus,” Sam argued. “Theseus has all the armament, all the fighter craft and all the warriors.”
“Yeah, but Heracles controls the food, the fuel, and all the supplies. In fact, don’t they make the weapons and aircraft over there?”
“Well, yes. But they’ve been without raw materials for a long time.”
“That’s what Daniel said they’d been waiting for,” Jack agreed.
Teal’c brought the food to the table and seated himself. “Has there been sufficient time to build up an armory?” he questioned.
“No. No way have they had time to process raw metals or alloys, let alone go into production of anything,” Sam insisted. “I’m sure the harvester hasn’t even got deep enough into the crust of the planet for anything past top soil yet.”
Jack stabbed a grey lump of food and sniffed it cautiously. “Got any hot sauce?” he asked hopefully.
Sam dug in her pocket and came out with a tiny bottle of MRE Tabasco.
“Carter! You’re the best,” Jack declared, reaching for the offering when Sam pulled it back.
“You like to watch?” she asked scathingly. “Sir?”
“I… uh… crap.”
***
“Where are we going?” Daniel asked when Mary opened the door and leaned out to cover the disk slot with her hand.
“Shh,” She warned, motioning him to step out of her quarters. When he was in the hall, his disk tried to pop out but the pressure of her hand kept it in.
“Neat trick,” Daniel observed.
“This way,” Mary said quietly, heading for the elevator. They traveled silently down the empty corridor, waiting only seconds for a car to arrive. Once inside, Mary pressed one of the lowest symbols on the control panel.
“So, we’re going to meet with the Sisterhood?” Daniel asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“We’ll be concentrating on fuel cells and food,” Mary answered with a seeming non
sequitur. “Within a four quad-
“Okay, two weeks,” Daniel calculated. “But that’s still just preparation, right? What kind of timetable are you looking at overall?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
Mary frowned and hugged the wall of the elevator. “On what you know and how fast you can teach us.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’ll see. Be patient. This is a big ship. It takes awhile to get where we’re going.”
“Yeah… I understand that Heracles does all the manufacturing and waste disposal and harvesting and… you know, everything. Still, it’s unimaginably big.”
“At one time, Doctor Jackson, there were over twenty-
“I guess that would be the short sightedness again? You’ve gone from over-
Mary paused before speaking again. “The genetics lab is on Theseus. Positions are filled there first. We get what’s left over which usually isn’t much.”
“I see. And where are the children raised? Let me guess, on Theseus?”
“Yes, until they are old enough to begin internship for their vocations.”
The car slowed and Mary straightened up as the door started to open. “Here we are.”
“Bottom level; sporting equipment, ladies underwear and… death gliders,” Daniel gasped in amazement as he stepped out of the elevator and caught sight of his surprise.
***
“So as near as you can tell; the planet’s not there anymore but the stargate survived?” Jacob asked wearily.
Hammond nodded. “That was the theory, but now we can’t even get a lock at all. We won’t know for sure what happened until you can send a scout ship over to check it out.”
Jacob let out a long, defeated sigh. “We don’t have anything in the vicinity. In fact, that region of space is like a dead zone. I don’t even think the Goa’uld have a stronghold there.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s remote, George. It’ll take a while to get a ship out that far. A long, long while. I’m not sure the Tok’ra council will authorize it.”
“Do what you can, Jake. In the meantime, I’m listing SG-
***
“My God,” Daniel breathed softly. The enormous hangar was filled with row after row of the older version of the sleek, black attack vessels. “Where did you get these?”
“They’ve been hidden away down here for a length of time. They were appropriated not from the last planet harvested, but perhaps the one before that.”
“You people really don’t believe in keeping records do you? How often are planets harvested?”
“Rarely. One, sometimes two during each generation.”
“So fifty years, maybe a hundred,” Daniel reasoned sotto voce. “Why weren’t these sent to Theseus?” he asked. “Surely the technology is superior to the fighters they’re flying now.”
“Theseus is unaware of them.”
Daniel stared open mouthed at Mary for a second before turning back to the gliders. “How could they not know?”
“The Sisterhood has been around for a long time. There are very few workers who don’t belong. Those who don’t aren’t allowed to venture to the lower decks. They are monitored closely. Not that anyone on Theseus would listen to them.”
“But still, the Assembly has to know about these.”
“Daniel, they don’t care what goes on onboard Heracles as long as their needs are met. I doubt even the scientists remember what happens when a planet is harvested. They are so busy chasing creature comforts and pleasures of the flesh they forget how dependant they are on us. They actually think it’s the other way around.”
The elevator doors behind them opened before Daniel could launch into the multitude of questions on the tip of his tongue. A gruff looking and rather large woman glared at him before turning her attention to Mary. “We’re ready,” she said.
Mary nodded and gestured for Daniel to get in. Taking one last look, he did as he was instructed, his mind racing to comprehend what he was seeing. He didn’t have long to think as the car only rose the height of the hangar before depositing them on the next level up.
“That way,” the other woman ordered, giving Daniel a not so gentle nudge down the corridor to the right.
“Iva,” Mary rebuked immediately. “Doctor Jackson is our guest and you will treat him as such.”
“No harm done. It’s fine,” Daniel assured, trying to keep the peace, earning glares from both women.
“It is not fine,” Mary chided, staring Iva down.
“Forgive me,” Iva requested caustically as she took the lead and continued down the hall.
Mary watched her go before turning to Daniel. “I’m sorry. There is still some concern of your loyalties. To most here you’re just another pilot.”
“That’s understandable, I suppose. Let’s not keep them waiting,” Daniel urged quietly.
“After you,” Mary replied with a flourish of her hand. “I hope you don’t have a problem with public speaking,” she added ushering him through an open set of doors and straight out onto a small platform at the front of the very large assembly hall.
Daniel’s huffed response was cut off as he took in the standing room only crowd. A multitude of hushed murmurs ran through the spectators as he stepped forward. Scanning the sea of faces, Daniel spotted Bethel and Marlena near the front, trying to get his attention without anyone noticing them. He gave them a secretive little wave and received matched adoring gazes in return.
“This is High Director of Dispensation aboard Heracles, Allena,” Mary introduced a stately, silver haired woman. “She is also currently the leader of the Sisterhood.”
“Hello,” Daniel responded, extending his hand. “I’m Daniel Jackson.”
Allena took his right hand in her left and gave it a squeeze. “I’ve heard all about you, Doctor Jackson. It would seem you are too good to be true,” she teased.
“Uh, somehow I doubt that. And please, Director, call me Daniel.”
The older woman flushed and smiled benevolently. “As you wish, Daniel. And you may refer to me as Allena,” she approved.
“Thank you,” Daniel agreed with a tiny, polite smile of his own.
With a slight bow of acknowledgement, Allena released his hand. “What can you tell us of the craft below?” she asked, getting down to business.
“Those are death gliders. They are used by a ruthless and formidable enemy of my people. I’m sorry, but as I keep telling everyone, I’m not a pilot. I don’t know how to fly them.”
“He’s lying,” someone shouted out, making Daniel realize that their words were somehow being broadcasted to the room.
“No, I’m not,” he protested, turning to the audience. “I really don’t know. My friend Teal’c does, but he’s currently on board Theseus. But even if he could come over here to teach you, you’d never be able to train workers to fly them without giving yourselves away.”
Another round of discussion went through the crowd for several minutes until Allena raised a hand. “Sisters,” she called out, immediately bringing the steadily growing hum of voices to silence.
Iva, obviously important in the Sisterhood rank, moved closer to Daniel. “We’re not planning to use the, what did you call them? Death gliders?”
“Yes.”
“We’re not planning to use them to attack Theseus,” she declared evenly. “The only real purposes Theseus serves for us are protection and procreation. Everything else we can manage on board Heracles. After the genetics lab is taken over and confiscated, we’ll merely blow Theseus out of the sky.”
“Killing everyone on board,” Daniel stammered incredulously. “What about the people? What about the children?”
“By that time will have the means to reproduce our own,” Iva expounded impatiently. “Then we’ll have all the time we need to learn to fly the death gliders and form our own fleet to protect ourselves.”
“That’s not what I mean!” Daniel growled, speaking passionately to the crowd. “You’re sentencing hundreds of people to death for living the way they’ve always lived. Changes have to be made, I agree. I don’t agree you should simply wipe them out!”
Allena shook her head sadly. “As long as our people are physically divided, there will never be equality.”
“So remove the divide!” Daniel insisted.
“How?” Mary asked as if no one had thought of that idea.
“Move them over here. From what I understand there’s a lot of room now. Better yet, give up this pointless wandering and settle on a nice planet somewhere instead of ripping it to pieces.”
“Live on a planet?” Allena gasped, sending a wave of discourse through the crowd. “Even if we wanted to, Doctor Jackson,” she said stiffly, “it will take more than our life times to reach another suitable planet.”
“Then I guess I can’t help you,” Daniel replied regretfully.
Iva stepped over to a lidless crate and lifted a staff weapon out of it. “Do you recognize this?” she asked.
Daniel nodded mutely as he was ushered to a row of open boxes which were filled with various small to medium sized technologies. Most of the devices were of Goa’uld design; concussion grenades, zat guns, the horrible pain sticks, he even noticed a ribbon device. Other items were of unknown origin and Daniel couldn’t image what they might be used for. He sighed thinking how orgasmic NID would be if they’d ever manage to bring back half as big a weapons cache.
“I know about some of these things. I’m sure they would provide you with a considerable advantage over the warriors of Theseus.”
“Good. Let us get started,” Iva ordered brusquely.
“No.”
“Daniel?” Mary asked uncertainly, suddenly at his elbow.
Moving to the front and center of the stage Daniel once again addressed the crowd beseechingly. “I can help you. I can help you plan and carry out boycotts and acts of civil disobedience. I truly believe that a strong enough wake up call can bring about an understanding with the people on Theseus. I can help you map out a form of democratic government where all of your people are represented. However I can not… I will not help you murder your own people. I’m sorry.”
Allena’s face darkened as the stunned silence grew longer. “You put me in a difficult position, Daniel. You’ve heard and seen too much to allow you your freedom. Lock him away until the Council can meet to decide what to do with him,” she instructed Iva and started to leave.
Ready for a revolution and hungry for blood, Iva struck Daniel in the face with the end of the staff weapon, knocking him off of the dais as a group of angry women surged forward. Blood tricked down the side of his head where he’d struck the edge of the platform on the way down and he struggled to get to his knees.
“No!” Mary cried out from up above as his arms were forced behind him and tied, leaving him defenseless to the attackers.
“Don’t hurt him!” Bethel screamed as she rushed to his side, fighting her way through the mass of bodies. When she finally got through, she wrapped her arms around his neck, using her own body to shield him from the onslaught.
Marlena appeared on his other side, clinging desperately to him as well. “Leave him alone!” she shouted.
“Stop it!” Allena’s voice rang out, bringing the melee to an abrupt halt, thoroughly demonstrating her power over the group.
Daniel staggered to his feet with Marlena’s help while Bethel held on to him and sobbed uncontrollably on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he murmured to her, nuzzling the top of her head with his cheek. “Shh, Bethel, I’m fine. It’s okay.”
Iva jumped off the stage and rounded on him.
“Don’t you touch him!” Bethel roared protectively through her tears with such uncontrolled vehemence the bigger woman actually backed up a step.
“Look at what you’ve become,” Mary spat at the crowd as she dropped off the stage to pluck at the hasty knots in the thin twine digging ever deeper into Daniel’s wrists. “All he did was suggest another way. There was no need for violence.”
Someone produced a knife and Mary startled before realizing it was only being offered to her. She took it and cut the binds, eliciting a small gasp of pain from Daniel. He had to reach around Bethel to rub his abused arms. Marlena hovered anxiously until Daniel noticed her and gave up on his bloody wrists to open his arms to her as well. She fell into the embrace wrapping one arm around Daniel and the other around Bethel. The women around them stared in awe.
“Take him to a holding cell,” Allena instructed very softly, obviously shaken by the incident. “Return to your duties,” she ordered the crowded room.
“Take her,” Daniel told Marlena gently as he tried to free himself from Bethel’s death grip.
“No, I want to go with you,” Bethel protested tearfully. “They’ll hurt you again.”
“It’s alright, Bethel,” Mary promised. “I’ll take care of him.”
Bethel nodded reluctantly and brushed a kiss across Daniel’s cheek. When Daniel managed a reassuring nod of his own she let Marlena lead her away.
“Move,” Iva ordered.
Mary slipped under Daniel’s arm to steady him and glared at Iva. “We’re going,” she growled and helped Daniel climb back onto the stage as the hundreds of workers filed orderly out of the other doors.
“Mary,” Daniel urged persistently. “I need to talk to Allena.”
“Shh.”
“I think I can reason with her if I could just talk to her alone.”
“Silence,” Iva demanded, prodding them along with the staff weapon.
With a subtle squeeze, Mary let Daniel know they would talk about it later, then shot Iva a deadly look over her shoulder suddenly regretting sending Marlena and Bethel away.
“In there,” Iva ordered as she punched in a code on a keypad next to a door.
Daniel peeked in, noting the cell wasn’t much smaller than any of the quarters he’d been in so far.
Mary followed him in. “I’m staying,” she told Iva tightly.
Iva narrowed her eyes and studied them both. “As you wish,” she finally allowed and closed the door.
“You don’t have to stay,” Daniel replied as he sunk down to the end of the only bunk.
“You’re injured,” Mary said, making her way to the tiny bathroom and returning with a damp towel to clean Daniel’s superficial wounds.
“Just a few bruises,” Daniel assured, grimacing while the doctor fussed over him anyway. “And as far as jails go, I’ve been in a lot worse.”
“I find that hard to believe. You need to rest.”
Daniel rolled his eyes as he pulled the top blanket off the bed and stood. “You can have the bed,” he said and lowered himself to the floor on the other side of the bathroom door.
Mary seemed almost disappointed for a minute before taking him up on his offer and settling on the bunk.
“Mary?”
“Shh. Go to sleep, Daniel. I don’t know how safe it is to talk here.”
***
“Where are we going?” Bethel asked anxiously when Marlena stopped the elevator a dozen levels below their quarters.
“I have a hunch,” Marlena informed her as she led the way down the hall. They moved along quietly for several minutes before stopping at a familiar door.
“Mary brought Daniel to the meeting,” Marlena explained.
“So?” Bethel glanced around while Marlena slipped a stylus into the door slot next to Mary’s room and jiggled it around.
A disk popped out and Marlena examined it with a frown. “I knew it. They’ve already deactivated his disk. They’re going to kill him.”
“No! We have to stop them.”
“I don’t think we can.”
Bethel grabbed Marlena’s arm and started back toward the elevator. “We have to try. Come on, let’s go home and think of something.”
***
Jack had been a little put out when Kelton was suddenly unavailable to be his preceptor. But after meeting his replacement, VonDale, Jack was livid. The new guy was a jerk.
“Shut up, sit there, and don’t touch anything,” VonDale had told Jack firmly before
they had even started to pre-
No uncertain terms there. How was he supposed to learn to fly the shuttle if he couldn’t touch the controls? Jack realized if he got kicked off trash hauling duty he would be letting Daniel down, so he bit his tongue and kept his hands to himself. It was a painfully boring trip. He never thought he’d be so happy to see Heracles.
Once aboard, since he’d been stripped of all his duties anyway, Jack excused himself and made a beeline for the infirmary only to find that Daniel had been released the night before. Thinking like an ill tempered, caffeine deprived archeologist led him straight to the commissary. It was still early so he got a cup of the black poison and settled in to wait.
Realizing that he was just an oddity helped to keep his ego in check as every woman in the place glanced his way at least once or twice. The looks ranged from curiosity to longing to out and out hatred. And given the circumstances, he understood all of them. What he hadn’t expected was the brief, startled look of recognition on the young blonde woman’s face as she passed close by, hesitating as if she wanted to speak to him but was afraid.
“Hello,” he said gently, trying to appear harmless.
She glanced around nervously as she approached. “You’re Daniel’s friend,” she whispered, not coming too close.
“Yes,” Jack confirmed, leaning forward urgently. “Have you seen him?”
As she hesitantly nodded a darker haired woman cleared her throat loudly as she nudged the girl toward the exit. She made eye contact with Jack then threw a quick glance over her shoulder toward a rather impressive Amazon type who was clearly moving their way. Jack nodded his understanding and continued to calmly drink his coffee.
The tall woman stopped directly in front of him and put her hands on her hips as she glared down at him. “You’re not welcome here, pilot,” she told him firmly.
Jack fired a winsome grin at her while secretly watching beyond her to where the dark haired woman put a black disk between two trays and placed them in the return pile.
“Ya know? I think you’re right,” he agreed amicably. “I’ll just be on my way.” Finishing his cooling coffee in one quick gulp, he rose to his feet and went to put it in one of the return bins. Checking that the enforcer hadn’t followed him, he managed to snag the disk before anyone came over to gather the trays. Shoving it into his pocket he made his way back to the shuttle.
***
“Where are you going?” Daniel asked when movement across the cell woke him.
“I have to go on shift,” Mary explained, smoothing the covers on the bunk. “I’ll make sure someone I trust stays with you.”
“Is that really necessary?”
Mary turned serious eyes his way. “Don’t underestimate the hatred some of the workers have for you.”
“Because I’m a man?”
“No. Because you’re from Theseus.”
“But I’m not,” Daniel protested. “You know that.”
“In their minds you are. You’re a man, therefore you’re a pilot, therefore you’re from Theseus. It doesn’t matter that you’re a worlder, to them you are the oppressor.”
Daniel nodded unhappily. “Thanks for staying with me last night.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk. I was just afraid of who might be listening.”
“Right. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”
With a slight smile, Mary tapped on the door. “I’ll do what I can to protect you,” she promised. “But I won’t betray Allena.” The door slid open and she stepped out.
By the time Daniel showered and shaved someone had brought him breakfast. As he sat down on the edge of the bunk to eat the door opened again. “Hello,” he greeted cautiously.
“Wow. You are cute up close,” the tall, tomboyish girl exclaimed as she entered the cell and sat cross legged on the floor halfway between Daniel and the door, resting a hand held weapon of some sort on her knee. “I’m Thane. I’m your guard for the cycle.”
“Ah,” Daniel replied, cursing Mary for making him mistrustful. “Friend or foe?” he couldn’t help but ask as he dug in to the surprisingly still warm food.
Thane laughed and shook her head side to side in delight. She plucked a folded piece of paper from her pocket and flashed it at him.
“Mary sent you,” Daniel approved, seeing his photo.
“Well, it’s not like I’m going let you go or anything,” Thane elaborated. “So don’t get your hopes up. I’ll carry out whatever Allena asked of me, just as Mary will. But in the meantime, I’m not going hurt you either, or let anyone else if I can help it.”
Daniel harrumphed and fingered the bruise on his face. “Well Iva certainly doesn’t have a problem with smacking me around.”
“Iva’s a bitch.”
“I take it the room isn’t bugged,” Daniel observed wryly, his eyebrows shooting up.
“Bugged?”
“It doesn’t have listening devices hidden anywhere?”
“No,” Thane answered dismissively with an easy grin. “Even if it did, what could we say that would interest anyone?”
With a shrug Daniel finished up his breakfast as Thane sat and watched him with rapt attention.
“I like men,” Thane volunteered abruptly after a long silence. “At least I used to until Bethel got hurt.”
“Yeah,” Daniel agreed warily, wiping his hands and putting the tray down on the bed.
“Relax,” Thane soothed, not hiding her amusement. “I’m not going to jump you or anything. I just meant I don’t have anything against the pilots or the service providers individually, just the system.”
“That’s good. I mean, I personally don’t know any of them either, but surely they’re not all bad?”
Thane smiled impishly and got up to take Daniel’s tray. “Bethel is a friend of mine. I never thought I see the day she’d befriend a man. If she likes you, you must be okay.”
“So you think she likes me?”
“Hey, I was at the meeting. I saw her defend you against Iva. I saw her touch you and let you touch her back. And Marlena didn’t even rip your heart out. I never thought I’d see the day,” she repeated as she headed for the door.
“Can you stay and talk?” Daniel asked quickly. “I have some questions.”
***
With one trip to Heracles already under his belt for the day, Jack was free to look for Carter while supplies were offloaded and a new batch of recyclables were loaded. He wandered into the workshop he had been directed to and squinted in the dimly lit room. A familiar form was tinkering with some tiny electrical components under a much brighter light source, completely absorbed by her task.
“Carter,” Jack called in a gruff half whisper, wincing at the dull thud as the startled Major whacked her head on the underside of the cabinet above her work space. “Sorry,” Jack winced in sympathy.
“Ow!” Sam muttered, clenching her eyes and rubbing at the back of her head. “Sir?” She asked as she opened her eyes to look at him. “Did you see Daniel?”
“No. They released him last night. But I got this from a friend of his,” Jack explained, quickly flashing the disk.
“What is it?”
“Like I know? That’s what I keep you around for.”
Sam took the disk and examined it carefully. “It looks like one of the ID disks that Lorna gave us, but this one’s been deactivated.”
“Can you find out for sure?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Sam replied, changing seats to sit in front of a large computer console. She glanced around furtively before inserting the disk and punching a few digits on the embedded input device. “It’s Daniel’s,” she reported solemnly.
“What’s it say?”
“Um, mostly it’s an itinerary of where he’s been since he boarded Heracles, if it’s like mine. I had Steis show me what’s on it,” she said pointing out a string of the strange numbers. “These are addresses, but I can’t really read it. It may also include medical and personal information.”
“Does it say where he is now?” Jack prodded.
“I don’t think so, sir. But it tells us where he was last night. That’s the last entry though.”
“Write that down for me, in fact, write down every place he’s been, then I’ve got to go. It’s time to take out the trash. It’s always time to take out the trash around here.”
“Here,” Sam said, punching another button and producing a printout. “Take these, too,” she offered, pushing two of the radios closer to him.
“You’re finished already?”
“With three of them, I’m still working on this last one.”
“Good work, Carter. I’ll try to contact you once I get back to Heracles.”
“Yes, sir. I go on shift in a little over an hour, but it shouldn’t be a problem,” Sam agreed. “Good luck.”
Jack nodded an acknowledgement and slipped out the way he’d come in.
Sam watched him go then got back to work, determined not to worry.
***
“What I’m asking,” Daniel muttered as he worked out his frustration by pacing along the small cell, “is how did the death gliders physically get on board Heracles without Theseus seeing them when they were transported?”
“By beam,” Thane explained, laying on her stomach on the bed and kicking her feet in the air while watching Daniel pace. The weapon lay next to her, all but forgotten.
“I thought the beam broke everything up into manageable pieces?”
“Well, yeah, the blue beam does, but not the clear beam.”
“The clear beam,” Daniel declared, understanding coming at last. “Yes, the first beam was translucent. So it’s a transportation beam. How does that work?”
“See, the first thing we scan for is technology. Unfortunately, it either has to be pretty big, or a lot of stuff in one place, or use a lot of power for us to find it. From what I’ve heard, there was an abandoned fortress where the death gliders were found. There was a whole lot of other stuff too.”
“So when the stargate activated, that’s what attracted the attention of the scanners to us.”
“The big round thing?”
“It’s here? On Heracles?” Daniel asked fighting down his excitement.
“It was,” Thane grimaced. “But then it exploded into this big blue stream of water and the automatic safety kicked in and jettisoned it out the port. I watched on the viewer. Luckily nobody was on deck at the time.”
“Oh,” Daniel pouted dejectedly. “General Hammond must have been trying to reach us when we were overdue.”
“The other things are still down there, though,” Thane tried to appease. “The robot? And the big mushroom.”
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, absently pushing the weapon out of the way. “They’re not much use without the stargate. What else is down there?” he asked.
“Tons of stuff,” Thane declared enthusiastically, “Everything that’s been collected since the segregation. There’s no telling what we’d find if we had time to poke around down there.”
“Can we have a look?” Daniel requested hopefully.
“Are you crazy?”
With a sigh, Daniel picked up the weapon. “We’ll say I forced you if we get caught.”
“I like the way you think,” Thane grinned as Daniel pulled her to her feet.
Continued on page 2
