STARGATE: EXPLORER

by Lady Grey
Alpha/Beta by Jude

December 28

Gaia's Ready Room

The away team, comprised of Daniel, Rose, Teal'c, Scout and two other Furlings, assembled in a spacious briefing room just off the bridge, seated at a round table with Captain.

“We will maintain a position here,” the ship's commander said, bringing up a holographic projection of the solar system they were approaching. “The most distant planet will provide us a place to keep watch and listen to your transmissions. If we are called to war, we will send the fighters in first, then follow up with Gaia’s approach. Depending on the information obtained, you may choose to leave this world without announcing such intentions, in which case, our discretion will be advantageous.”

Scout followed up, enlarging the view of the second planet. “We established trade months ago with the population on this world and are accepted among them as a neutral party, as long as our presence is kept to a minimum, and we do not interfere with their religion.” 

He pointed to a section of one continent to zoom in on a single city. “This is the major temple for Zeus on this world, called Olympus. He has been here recently, but left several days ago, his destination unknown. It is said that he travels by whim, rather than planning, in order to prevent others from mounting an attack based upon a known pattern. Still, we may be able to glean some additional information on his habits and the hold he has upon his slaves.”

“As our friend here,” the elder gave Daniel a small smile and an acknowledging nod of his head,  “has told us, the humans under Zeus’s control live in fear of his wrath. The Ting-sha who rule them in the name of the priests are cruel, and we believe the Jaffa would welcome deliverance.”

This wasn’t news to Daniel. He’d seen enough on Zeus's ship and from previous experience with the Goa’uld to know that many of the Jaffa would respond well to the seeds of rebellion. All they’d need would be the right inspiration at the right time; he and his comrades could provide that.

“We will make contact with others of the People once we arrive,” Scout went on as he looked at the humans at the table one by one.  “In order to keep your identity concealed, you must wear s’resh and keep your faces covered at all times. There were many Jaffa and Ting-sha on Zeus’ ship who saw Daniel, and it would endanger us all if you were to be recognized.”

Daniel nodded, agreeing with the plan so far. He glanced at Colonel MacFarland, seated to his left.

“What weaponry will we be carryin’?” she asked, typing in a note on the right gauntlet of her new s’resh. “We’ve been trainin’ with y’all’s stuff, but I’m more comfortable with my standard-issue—”

“Earth weapons might also be recognized from the Ting-sha’s previous encounter with SG-13,” Scout countered. “You must wield ours, Rose.”

The colonel sighed. “You’re right, sir. Sorry for interruptin’.”

“We have additional information on the nature of the Ting-sha, which the People have observed and documented for us,” Scout added, gesturing toward another member of the newly-formed away team.

This was one of the Forest Clan null-genders, who bore no sexual markers at all. These beings were mostly androgynous in appearance, but some had neither sexual organs nor attractions; others had one or the other. This one had deep blue eyes and black hair, and Daniel had been told he was as sexually neutral as an Asgard, but had chosen a male gender identity.  The humans called him Jet, for the color of his raven locks. 

Jet programmed in another hologram and stood up. Gazing down at the images, he gave his report. “The Ting-sha are not as intelligent as humans. Their language skills are limited, and they do not reason well, which makes them perfectly obedient slaves. The structure of their society is that of a pack, all following a strict hierarchy of leadership. Their innate sense of loyalty also makes them an excellent selection for soldiers, for they do not question their masters, and their belief in Zeus as a god is absolute. They enjoy fighting and are prolific breeders. We have found them on every world where Zeus has a hold, and the Ting-sha have proven an effective force for helping him maintain his rule. We cannot hope to influence the Ting-sha in sufficient numbers to create rebellion. We must, therefore, concentrate our efforts on the human Jaffa population.”

“A wolf pack,” commented Rose with a trace of disgust. “Wonder if they howl at the moon?”

“Not that we have observed,” answered Jet factually as he resumed his seat.

Daniel caught Rose’s grin and squelched one of his own. “How have the People acquired this information?” he asked.

“We have sent out ships to explore, along with small parties of traders who left through the Wheel of Worlds as soon as it was opened,” Captain answered. “Our goods are much in demand everywhere we go. On this planet, we are called the Artisans.”

Scout stood again. “I will play the part of one with great power and wealth, and the humans will act as my security staff. Two members of my household, “ he gestured to Jet and a Forest Clan female the humans had named Janet, due to her uncanny resemblance to the late Doctor Fraiser, “will accompany us, to tend our affairs as we interact with both Jaffa and Ting-sha. Our contacts have advised us that this hierarchy is expected behavior in Olympian society, and it will help us to blend in.”

He turned to address the humans. “The s’resh will keep your voices inaudible so that your comments can only be heard by the People. If you wish to speak aloud, the s’resh will modulate your voices so they cannot be recognized; this will also help to keep your identities hidden.”

Scout looked at Daniel and Teal'c. “You will decide how best to foment rebellion among the Jaffa.”

“That’s gonna depend on what information we acquire,” Rose told him. “You’ve already got a plan for that, I’m guessin’.”

The Forest Clan elder nodded. “We will visit the People now trading on Olympus, and then go to the temple to present an offering to Zeus. This will make the priests more amenable to our inquiries about their god. Afterward, we will decide how long to stay on Olympus and where to go next in our search.” He glanced at Daniel for approval.

Daniel found everyone at the table looking at him. “Um, I’m not a military commander,” he told them, holding up his hands.

“Perhaps not,” agreed Teal’c with an arched eyebrow, “but you know the Goa’uld and the Jaffa far better than the Furlings, who look to you for guidance in this conflict, for they are fine warriors themselves. You will do well, DanielJackson.”

Daniel’s gaze met the Jaffa’s and held it. That vote of confidence meant a lot to him, as did the fact that he knew his old friend still lived. He smiled slightly and nodded. “Okay. Is there anything else we need to know?”

Questions were asked and answered, and an hour later, the team was checking their gear in the transport room as they stood on the pad beside the bejeweled stargate. A cape draped over Daniel’s shoulders hid the PDHD in its carrying case at the small of his back, and a few taps on the controls brought the helmet up from its hiding place at the base of the s’resh to cover his head. The team, all except for one last member, stood by while their destination was programmed into the Furling ‘gate.

When Scout arrived, Daniel’s mouth dropped open. The elder was resplendent in black robes trimmed in gold that elegantly disguised the s’resh he wore underneath. His dark green hair had been dressed into a smooth, shining mane held with golden clasps at his nape. The backs of his gloved hands sparkled with gems, and a pair of huge, clear, sparkling brooches fastening a cape onto his shoulders.

He looked like a king… which Daniel supposed he really was, after a fashion.

Rose sidled up to Scout and teased through the helmet speakers, “Holy moley, honey! Where’ve you been hidin’?” She looked him up and down in obvious admiration.

The elder chuckled as he gave a nod to the Captain, who stood by the stargate controls. “I believe we're ready to depart.” He counted off numbers as he tapped each of the away team on the shoulder to give their exit order, positioning himself next-to-last, with Daniel bringing up his six.

Teal’c and Rose would be first, Janet and Jet next, then the master of the house and a bodyguard to watch his back.

Daniel hoped they'd find Zeus on the planet below. He wanted the chance to confront the monster who had destroyed his world, and dole out a little justice of his own, but as he stepped toward the ship's stargate, he realized it wasn't really justice he wanted -- it was revenge.

Aboard the Gaia

Carolyn Lam carried her breakfast to her office, still tired but eager to get started on the day. The Furlings were excellent teachers, and their equipment was a physician’s wet dream, but there was still so much to learn. Her excitement never waned, so she let fatigue determine when she took her breaks.

Every morning at nine o'clock – Alpha time – she connected to the base for uploads of important data, reports, and orders, sending back the information she had collected in her own research.

Buried in the current download was a brief report that caught her eye regarding Virus A, the disease that had stricken Alpha colony several months earlier. She read it twice before contacting Denali, the executive officer on board the Furling vessel, to establish a live link to communicate with the base.

Now that Gaia was at full stop in the Olympus star system, interactive communication was possible between Alpha and the ship.

Once the connection was made, she waited until she could speak directly with Doctor Karl Warner, now Chief Medical Officer of the colony and her immediate superior.

She smiled at the holographic image of her boss. “Hey, Karl. How’s everybody there?”

He chuckled, smoothing a hand over his wavy gray hair, now much longer than military standards once allowed. “Obnoxiously healthy! I think the Furlings are going to render us out of a job soon, Carolyn. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an absence of illness before! Except for the occasional surgery to repair accidental damage, there’s not a lot for us MDs to do here these days. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you know. How about you?”

She nodded and laughed a little. “Yeah, here, too. I’m still getting my feet wet with all this amazing technology. Blows my mind sometimes.”

“You know, I suppose there are worse things than a doctor being out of a job.” He cocked his head. “Believe it or not, I was thinking about switching over to agriculture. There’s a lot of use for that here. For the moment, I’ve been doing more research than actual practice of medicine.”

“Yeah, about that,” she began, bringing the conversational pleasantries to a close and getting down to business. “I was looking at Doctor Jensen's report on Virus A. Has a source been found for it yet?"

Warner shook his head. "The incubation period of the illness varies with the health of the individual, so we haven't been able to pinpoint an absolute starting date for the infection. Some fall ill within days of exposure; others may hold off as much as a few months before they actually have symptoms. All we know for sure is that Alpha was the first place where it presented, sometime after Omega Day."

That was the day Earth had been destroyed, she knew. She glanced back at the report, thinking. "I'm starting to wonder if we might be looking at the wrong thing. Maybe instead of researching everyone who's had the virus, we should be checking out those who haven't. I don't see a listing here of those who showed no symptoms on Alpha."

"Let me pull that up." Warner's image turned slightly away, and his hands began to move off-screen in the familiar pattern of typing on a keyboard. "Um, looks like…" He squinted at the screen and leaned closer. "Almost a hundred percent infection rate. Only General O'Neill hasn't presented with any symptoms... hmmm... and Doctor Jackson, as well, but he may have had it and not known it during the period prior to his arrival on Alpha."

"None of the Furlings have shown any signs of it, either. In fact, I've never heard them talk about it except when they were treating us." She frowned. "You don't think they brought it to us, do you?"

"Well, if they did, they also provided the remedy," Doctor Warner reminded her. "That vile tea of theirs has a perfect cure rate, and it's also a great booster to the immune system, as close to a miracle drug as we've ever found."

She rested her chin in her hand and reviewed the report again. "Would you mind taking a look at General O’Neill’s antibodies? If he has some kind of natural immunity to the virus, it could be important.”

“Sure thing. Anything else I can do for you?”

“I’d like to take a look at the General’s complete medical history, just in case I may have missed something. Maybe you and the Furling healers there on Alpha can do a complete rework of his samples. Could be helpful.”

Warner nodded, then all traces of humor vanished. He cleared his throat and folded his hands on the desktop. “Have you completed retrieval of Doctor Jackson’s requested samples?”

“Not yet.” She shook her head, shuffling some papers on her desk to avoid eye contact. “It’s complicated, Karl, but I’m working on it.”

Carolyn didn’t tell him that Daniel wasn’t even on board the ship. If the Alpha council learned he’d gone off-world on missions to hunt down Zeus, they’d have her head on a platter, and Daniel would be summoned back to Alpha permanently. Somehow, she doubted he’d obey that order, but she didn’t want to put him into that position.  Provided, of course, he didn’t get killed while he was on Olympus. If that happened, she'd be in some very serious trouble.

“I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we have it, sir,” she told him coolly. “Lam, out.”

She severed the connection immediately and buried her face in her hands.

Earth had required a lot of Daniel Jackson over the past ten years of his life, and to her knowledge, no one had ever publicly acknowledged his contributions. Now the survivors of his planet were making demands that, in her opinion, they had no right to ask. Maybe it was time for the military to stop giving orders, and to think about what was right for the people. Maybe it was time they just left Daniel alone to do what he wanted for a change.  He’d earned that.

Carolyn sighed and opened up the holographic interface with Gaia’s immense data banks, pulling up records on Furling physiology to look for traces of the alien virus and antibodies in their systems, to see how they managed to avoid the illness. She ate mechanically while she studied, part of her mind working on the problem with completing her mission and her duty to her patient’s rights. There had to be a way to service both, where everyone would be satisfied with the results.

Olympus

As soon as Daniel exited the stargate, he started to sweat in the temperature-perfected environment of the s'resh. Ahead of him, Teal'c stood with his feet braced, his identity concealed behind the helmet of his new uniform. To his left, Rose was equally disguised, both of them looking every inch the professional soldier. Jet and Janet, the Furling retainers, were just behind the Jaffa, positioned to protect Scout, who stood at the center of their group. The three humans wore helmets, but the Furlings had left their heads uncovered so they would be recognized as Artisans on that alien world.

The away team was surrounded by Ting-sha soldiers – twenty of them – on guard duty at the ‘gate.

One of them approached Jet, studying his face with narrowed eyes. “You ‘uman?” it asked in a low growl of mangled Latin. It reached out and placed a thick-skinned palm against Jet’s chest to stop him from advancing further.

Jet’s reaction was instantaneous and savage. He grasped the Ting-sha’s wrist, twisted it and forced the alien soldier down on one knee. “How dare you confuse us with slaves!” Jet snarled, his Latin perfect and cultured.

The other Ting-sha lurched toward them, weapons lifting to firing position.

Teal’c, Colonel MacFarland, and Daniel stepped closer to Scout, taking up defensive stances.

From that posture of submission, the wolfish commander growled over its shoulder at the other Ting-sha, forcing them back. It stood as Jet released the wristlock, giving the entire party a closer look. “Artisans?” it asked, head lowered slightly in humiliation.

Jet reached out again, his fingertips flicking a brooch fastened to the silvery scales covering the Ting-sha commander’s chest. “You wear our handiwork but do not recognize us,” said Jet haughtily. “We will inform our merchants not to trade with you until you can tell the difference. What is your name, Ting-sha?”

For a moment, the alien’s pointed ears pitched forward, its yellow eyes widening in surprise and dismay. Then its ears folded contritely back against its furry head as it gave him a slight bow. “Pardon, Artisan. Forgive Hamuk?”

“Your request will be considered.” Jet lifted his head and looked around the busy city square. “We are to be met here by one of our people. Show us where we may wait comfortably.”

“Hamuk cannot leave post,” said the commander, its voice colored with genuine regret. “Grak take you.” The Ting-sha turned, growling and snapping orders to one of its underlings and making gestures that indicated haste to obey, speaking in their own alien language.  The one called Grak bowed toward its master, head cocked to one side, exposing his throat in a gesture of submission.

Daniel was surprised to see a translation of the Ting-sha verbal commands, written in English, begin to scroll up on the inside of the visor of his helmet.

“This is so cool,” said Rose’s voice in an admiring whisper through the speaker at Daniel’s ear.

“Indeed,” agreed Teal’c.

Though the sky was clear, and it appeared to be a warm day in the city, Daniel was perfectly comfortable inside the s'resh and marveled at the extent of Furling technology. The suit was weightless and comfortable, equipped with extensive technology, offering climate control, weaponry and defensive capabilities, and it looked damn cool at the same time. Rose was right about the s'resh, and Daniel made a mental note to thank his alien friends for the gift.

Jet turned with a small bow to Scout. “This way, my lord.”

The party started off toward a large marble hall two hundred feet away. The façade was graced with a wide porch lined with columns, offering shade from the noonday sun. The structure appeared to be some kind of reception station where information and refreshments could be had.

Daniel felt as he often did when visiting other planets – a sense of traveling back in time in a weird juxtaposition with the strangeness of the utterly new and alien. They might have been in Athens, strolling past the Acropolis, except for the presence of strange creatures like the Ting-sha leading beasts of burden that resembled horse-sized greyhounds with vulture heads. Jaffa were dressed in togas of a multitude of solid colors, belted at the waist, covering tight leggings tucked into boots. The buildings surrounding them were grand and massive, but further down the streets leading away from the main square were smaller, more modest structures with plaster walls and clay tile roofs.  It was Rome and Greece, ancient and familiar, but also somehow new and alien.

Daniel studied everything he could see, following the others in his party as they headed for the portico.

“Dan’l, heads up,” called Rose through the earpiece. “Folks are movin’ in a little close here.”

He’d forgotten all about being a bodyguard.  “Sorry.”  He put a hand out, warning people off, putting more space between Scout and the crowd. Once they reached the portico, Grak gave them a bow and left to return to the ‘gate, and Janet found a couch where Scout could sit in the shade. The rest of the team gathered around him, retainers out front, Teal’c at point, Rose and Daniel behind the couch.

They didn’t have long to wait for their contact to arrive.

He was from Mountain Clan, his russet hair pulled back at his nape with a silver clasp, his red tunic showing off a large expanse of massive chest. His gray eyes were lined with kohl, and his mouth tinted with vibrant crimson. He smiled and bowed in greeting. “My lord,” he rumbled, addressing Scout with a deep bow, “the People make you welcome on Olympus. Please follow me to your humble lodgings.”

“Greetings, Friend,” Scout returned cordially as he rose from his seat. “We hope you will share what you have learned of this city on our way.”

Mountain was happy to oblige and an excellent guide. He pointed out sites of interest, prominent buildings, places of historical import. They walked across carefully laid stone streets, and as the architecture simplified and buildings grew smaller in stature, the streets turned to cobblestone, and finally to hard-packed earth. Half an hour from the ‘gate, they were in the marketplace.

The street was lined with shops. Small kiosks took up space in the center of the avenue. There were hawkers with handcarts selling their wares, and a river of people passing up and down in orderly chaos. The rich rubbed elbows with the dangerously poor, Jaffa with Ting-sha, master and slave. In the market, all had needs they meant to satisfy.

Daniel's senses perked up. As a boy, he'd spent time in Cairo's bazaars and knew well what to expect here. There would be thieves, assassins, and cutthroats everywhere; one glimpse at Scout in his finery would make him a target.  Daniel stopped taking in the sights and watched the people around them instead, concentrating on facial expressions and whether or not hands were in plain sight.

Soon enough, they stepped into a walled courtyard beside a small jewelry shop. Once the gate closed behind their party, Daniel relaxed a little, but it wasn't until they were indoors that he felt himself let go of the tension he'd been holding in his body, ready to act in Scout's defense. He smiled at himself a little in the confines of his helmet, realizing he'd been a real bodyguard for a few minutes.

Mountain turned to give them a slight bow. "You may unmask while you are inside our villa."

Scout nodded in agreement, and the humans deactivated their helmets, baring their faces at last.

"Whew," Rose sighed with a relieved grin. "Gets a little close in there after a while."

Daniel grinned at her. He'd been so comfortable in his helmet, with all the information constantly available to him inside it, that he'd barely noticed being enclosed. He felt a little spoiled by the constant but unobtrusive technological feed on the visor display, and reluctantly opened his helmet.

"Come. We have food and drink prepared." Mountain led the way into the house with its high ceilings and terracotta walls, gesturing them toward three couches around a long rectangular table piled with fruits, meats, fish, cheeses, breads, and seasoned vegetables, with beautiful silver pitchers of cold water sweating on each corner beside etched multi-hued glass chalices.

Scout was first to take a seat, and Jet knelt to serve him, as was his place in Scout's household. Daniel and Teal'c shared a sofa, and Daniel began pouring water and handing the goblets to the others as they took their seats. Mountain remained standing at the end of the table facing the group, his hands clasped loosely behind his back.

"The level of savagery in this society is impressive," he commented idly in his own tongue.

" 'Scuse me," Rose interjected with a nod toward the guide, her gaze shifting from Mountain to Daniel, "but what'd he say?"

Daniel translated, keeping his voice low so she and Teal'c could understand the account.

"War is the primary industry here," Mountain continued, "and every young person capable of participating is trained to fight from an early age. Those who do not excel are quickly routed into other supportive industries, such as forging armor or crafting weapons. Those who show an aptitude for battle are quickly added to Zeus' army, but others are used for entertainment."

Daniel's head came up, making an instant historical connection. He addressed the guide in Ancient. "In antiquity on Earth we called them gladiators."

Rose sighed and reactivated her helmet, speaking to the group through the communication link they all wore over their left ears. "I'll just read the translation on my visor, hon," she called into his earpiece.

Teal'c followed suit, picking up on her idea.

Mountain's expression was grim as he continued his report. "The warriors fight to maim or kill. Only the best survive, and those who do are rewarded with special privileges." He turned to address the Forest elder. "We are just beginning to hear whispered words regarding a system for smuggling those condemned to death in the ring to freedom. It is something we wish to pursue."

Teal'c made a noise, a deep, disapproving growl in the back of his throat. "I wish to assist in this endeavor. Perhaps the Jaffa will offer deeper trust to one of their own."

Jet stepped close to the Mountain guide to translate the humans' remarks for their host.

Scout studied Teal'c's shiny helmet as if he could see the dark eyes behind the visor. "Daniel has told me you were once the servant of a Goa'uld called Apophis." He shifted his gaze to the Furling giant. "Is that name known here? Will Teal'c be treated as a friend or enemy?"

"I am Jaffa," Teal'c declared proudly through the comm link, his posture straightening slightly. "I will be welcomed as a brother, even if my allegiance is unknown."

Daniel wasn't so sure, and shook his head. "You might also be mistaken for a spy, Teal'c. Maybe we should investigate a little more before you show off your First Prime tattoo. Otherwise, you might end up in the circus yourself." 

"And if you are identified as Jaffa while wearing the s'resh, you might endanger all of the People on this world," added Scout sagely. "We will be cautious. We will be above reproach. We will be honored guests and valued artisans, until the time comes when it becomes necessary to reveal our true purpose here." His orange gaze shifted back to Teal'c. "When that day comes, friend, do not doubt that the Jaffa will have their opportunity to taste freedom. That is my promise to you." He smiled, leaning forward slightly to emphasize his words. "Be patient. Everything in its own time."

Teal'c's helmet and left shoulder inclined in a slight bow of acquiescence to Scout's authority in the matter.  Daniel didn't have to see his friend's face to know he was pleased by that acknowledgment from the Furlings.

Movement at his left made Daniel glance toward the floor. A gray furry thing about the size of a large house cat approached on four silent, stubby paws, head and tail up in curiosity. Large, beady black eyes gazed at him, and two rounded, translucently delicate pink ears on top of its elongated head pitched toward him in interest. It sniffed at the leg of his s'resh and then rubbed itself against him.

"Hello," he said to it gently, reaching down to pet its fur. The amazing gloves of the s'resh translated an approximate feel of the softness through to his hand. "I didn't realize the People kept pets."

"We do not," Mountain told him with a wry grin. "This creature is called a katen. They are native to this planet and have a great dislike for Ting-sha. Their senses are quite sharp, and we keep them to provide us advance warning when the Ting-sha are coming."

The katen leaped lightly onto the sofa and curled up in Daniel's lap. Another one appeared and stretched out beside him. Then an adult katen wandered into the room, and Daniel could sense everyone in his party holding their collective breaths.

"Dan'l, maybe you oughtta leave that thing alone," Rose advised. "Mama might not take kindly to you messin' with her babies, there."

The creature striding into the room was huge, as large and heavy as a full-grown lion or tiger, with a similar build. A shaggy mane framed its muscular neck, and down its back a row of wickedly curved spikes extended out of the thick, soft fur. It moved on silent paws with cat-like grace, head lowered, aloof but watchful black eyes scanning the new arrivals. Then its nostrils flared. Its head came up, and a look of satisfaction brought the corners of its mouth up, eyes half closed.

Daniel stared at it, his heart fluttering with excitement. He'd never seen a live big cat up close, and had always wanted that experience. These alien animals were beautiful creatures, full of life and incredible power. It never occurred to Daniel to be afraid of the beast. He just wanted to touch it, feel the texture of its fur, the warmth of its body heat and the subtle thudding of its beating heart through its ribcage.

It walked regally to him and plopped down on its side at his feet.

"Reckon that's some kind of cat?" asked Rose, her voice breathless with wonder, and maybe a little fear.

"Not even close," Daniel replied, smiling. "Something completely alien, but every bit as magnificent. Don't you think so?"

"I guess the hell!" Rose eased off the sofa, squatted down and held out her gloved hand toward the mother, hoping to get close enough for a pat. Disdainfully, the beast turned its face away from her and rested its chin on Daniel's knee.

The guide chuckled. "The female likes you, friend," he observed bemusedly. Then he turned to eye the Forest Clan elder and murmured quietly in the Mountain dialect, "Furben tara shushen furdani fur-el."

Daniel understood the literal construction of the sentence, but wasn't sure what the giant meant by that enigmatic statement. 

Rose's voice sounded in his ear. "You wanna take a shot at explainin' that, Dan'l? Somethin' must've gotten lost in translation."

Janet, the Forest Clan female, answered her. "Fur is an identifier denoting a specific thing, rather than something general. Your word would be 'the'. El is our concept of God. That which created all is neither male nor female, yet both; no gender, yet all genders." She smiled. "To our understanding, of course."

Daniel looked down at the mother katen reclining at his feet and bent to rub his hand over the creature's powerful shoulders, pondering the meaning of the Furling's private comment. He scrubbed the animal’s head and ears as he spoke to Rose in English, "The agent of destiny recognizes the Creator's judge. At least, that's what I got from it."

"Oh…kaaay," said Rose. "That's still a little cryptic to me."

"The message is clear," Teal'c rumbled with a note of certainty, nodding slightly.

"I am not certain I understand it, either," Daniel commented to his host in Ancient. "Who is 'the agent of destiny'?"

Scout glanced down at the katen, then up at Daniel's pensive frown. "Animals have a unique ability to sense many things beyond our understanding," he explained. "We look for such signs. The katen are drawn to you."

Feeling terribly self-conscious, Daniel straightened up, taking a big gulp of cold water from his goblet. He shrugged, as if that gesture could dislodge the attention suddenly being cast upon him. "I've just… always been good with… animals."

He decided he didn't want to pursue any deeper meanings, and a change of subject was in order. "So what's our next move?" he asked no one in particular with an uncomfortable, false smile.  He shot an embarrassed rescue-me-now glance to the man seated beside him. 

Teal'c opened his helmet to pop a small fruit into his mouth and take a long draught of water. When he turned to face Daniel, his left eyebrow was lifted, and he was looking terribly smug for some reason. 

"Now," Scout answered in English for his teammates, "we will go to the temple of Zeus and make a sacrifice to the god of the Ting-sha, if our gift is ready."  His smile was cool and calculating. 

"It is," Mountain assured him with a nod, after Janet posed the question in a language the giant understood.

Daniel knew the elder had something up his gilded sleeve, and Daniel was eager to find out what it might be.

End Chapter 22

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