STARGATE: EXPLORER

by Lady Grey
Alpha/Beta by Jude

December 29

Early Next Morning

Olympus

Standing on a balcony on the upper floor of the Artisan house in the Olympian marketplace and sipping water through a straw-like apparatus inside the helmet of his s’resh, Daniel looked down at the passers-by and vendors.  He supposed he was eavesdropping, but he almost felt entitled as he listened in on a conversation that was taking place downstairs between the Furlings and the five Jaffa Daniel had rescued.  He knew Teal'c and Colonel MacFarland were both present, following what everyone was saying with the aid of the translators in their helmets, but Daniel couldn't show his face on that planet without risking being recognized, not even to the people whose lives he had just saved.

The old man was called Bathys. "I was a librarian," he told Scout in a shaky voice. "My crime was blasphemy against the one called Zeus. I dared to tell others that he is not a true god."

"You were wise to disbelieve," Teal'c rumbled gently, his s'resh both disguising his voice and providing a Latin translation for his response. "The Goa'uld are not gods. They are tyrants."

"I do not know the one whose symbol you wear," Bathys continued. "Do you not seek to sway others to follow this serpent-god of yours, First Prime?"  Daniel imagined the old man had already studied Teal'c's golden forehead tattoo, revealed when he’d opened his helmet earlier.

"The Goa’uld Apophis is dead," Teal'c declared with a note of pride in his voice.  "Though I served him and called him my lord for many years, eventually I chose to lead my people in revolt against him and all others of his kind.  On many worlds in this galaxy, the Jaffa live free of the tyranny of the System Lords.  We stand ready to offer your people their freedom as well."

One of the young men spoke. "There are many here who hold this same belief, Teal'c. The Jaffa of Olympus have already been working toward throwing off the rule of Zeus, but the Ting-sha are many and powerful. They blindly follow their god and are quick to act if they hear a breath of rebellion."

"That is why we were cast into the arena," said another male voice. "We were caught attempting to free some of the gladiators condemned to die in combat."

"We will take you to a safe place," Scout offered. "One of the free Jaffa worlds, perhaps?"

Daniel expected that question had gone to Teal'c.

"Indeed," the big man replied. "I will escort them to Chulak and see them settled there."

"I cannot thank you enough for our lives," said the young woman, "and for the life of my child. Will it be possible to speak with the one who risked his own life to save us?"

"He can hear you," Scout told her. "Say to him what you will."

Head bowed, Daniel listened to the five Jaffa express their gratitude, each wishing they could offer him more than mere words. He adjusted the controls to connect to Teal'c's comm device. "Tell them no thanks is necessary, and I'm just glad they're alive."

Daniel smiled as Teal'c's repetition of his message was much more elegantly put than his own simple words.

"We welcome you to the Artisans' house," announced Janet's voice through the speaker. "Please come with me, and I will show you to rooms where you may bathe and rest. A meal will be served shortly, and tomorrow we will be leaving this world."  At that point, Daniel knew the conversation with the rescued Jaffa was over. Their guests would be made comfortable for the night until departure time arrived.

He thought about what he and Scout and the others had accomplished, and what remained to be done. These refugees would be an excellent source of information about the culture of the people under Zeus' rule, and since the Goa'uld himself was no longer present, Daniel couldn't see any valid reason to remain on Olympus. The Furlings who now lived and traded there would remain as a conduit of intelligence, and would no doubt soon make connections with the Jaffa underground.  A seed had been planted and would be tended with care.

Meanwhile, no one but Daniel's companions would ever know that he had even been there, and the great statue of Zeus would remain intact, revered by those who lived in awe and fear of their false god.  That gnawed at Daniel, but he knew announcing his presence would put the Artisans in danger, if there were any way he got connected to them. His actions in the arena had already done more than enough potential damage. He needed to keep his face covered, and his mouth shut, even though that went against every fiber of his being.

Daniel wanted Zeus to know he had been there, but he couldn't risk exposing his identity and being associated with the Artisans. He wanted to destroy that statue, but the very thought was abhorrent; it was a piece of Earth's lost history, and Daniel's entire life had been about preserving the past. He was at war with himself, and there would be no resolution to that impasse, not in the foreseeable future, if ever.

The s'resh he wore kept him from feeling the light caress of the increasing wind, but the weather data scrolling up inside the helmet visor indicated decreasing barometric pressure and a spike in the relative humidity. A storm was coming, and already dark clouds were gathering overhead, blotting out the stars. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled a distant warning as Daniel turned and walked back inside. 

Claire regarded him sleepily from her bunk shelf above his bed.  "Something troubles you.”  Following close on her words, there was a violent crack of thunder, a bolt of sizzling white light illuminating the sky and the room for an instant.  She sat up and dangled her s'resh-clad legs over the edge, leaning on her hands as she studied him.

Daniel stepped off the balcony and into the room. He opened his helmet, glad to breathe from the freshening breeze preceding the storm, and patiently explained what he’d been pondering.

The Sky Clan female closed the helmet of her uniform and adjusted the volume on her broadcast so he could hear her more easily.  "This is an interesting dilemma," she observed, pushing off the shelf and dropping into a free fall, her wings catching her in midair and lifting her closer to his face. "You want the statue preserved, yes?"

"Yes, but not so it can continue to be part of Zeus's worship," Daniel agreed, nodding.  "As far as that monster goes, I only want people to see what kind of pathetic posturing creature he is, and have him remembered for that.  But the structure is so old, so fragile; I doubt it could be moved without destroying it.”

Claire pondered his statement, her hands clasped in front of her in a contemplative pose.  "One moment, please," she told him. 

As Daniel sat quietly, watching and waiting, her hands waved in the air, and he knew she was having a private conversation with someone else in the Furling network.

Finally, she spoke to him, a smile in her voice. "Rest easy, friend. We have a solution to your problem."

Daniel raised his helmet once more and asked for details. Inside the privacy of his helmet, he heard Scout's voice describing the plan.  The Furlings intended to bring one of their cargo ships to Olympus, one large enough to haul the massive statue of Zeus.  Using their transporters, they would bring it into the hold and fly it back to Furdani, where it would be beamed directly into their museum, so that every Furling could see the face of the fiend who had destroyed the world of their liberator and friend, Daniel Jackson.

In that place, Zeus would never be worshipped as a deity but would instead become a marked man, whose face was known to every Furling who lived and breathed.  That, Daniel decided, would be an acceptable fate for one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of Earth, the only one to have survived its destruction. It would serve as an intergalactic wanted poster, and there would soon be no place for Zeus to hide from the Third Race.

"I'm in your debt," Daniel told his friends softly.

“As we will always be in yours, Daniel,” Scout gently reminded him with a smile in his voice.

December 30

The Next Day

Olympus

The Artisan lord, his pair of retainers, five new slaves, and three helmeted bodyguards stood patiently in the shade on the patio, watching the stargate, where Ting-sha solders still stood guard, checking each departure and arrival. 

Scout had recommended they take their time leaving the planet, making it known they were in no hurry to begin their journey home. Jaffa passers-by gave them long looks, pointing and whispering as they stared, no doubt gossiping about the dramatic rescue that had taken place in the arena the previous night.

Scout finally gave the order to move out, and the bodyguards took their places. This time, Daniel stood first in the line, taking point for their return to the ship. Smiling inside the confines of his helmet, he turned to the Mountain Clan Artisan who had been their host and gave him a respectful bow.

Daniel glanced to the left at the massive white marble temple with its colorful mosaic across the top, imagining how his message would appear.  The Furlings had presented him with an ingenious plan, one that would serve his purposes well. He had spent several hours composing the message he wanted to send to Zeus and his followers, and finally decided on something simple and brief, written in his own hand, and displayed in an incredibly public and impressive manner. 

He only wished he'd be able to see Zeus's face when he read it.

That pleasure, he decided, would be far less satisfying than the build-up of tension and frustration in the Goa'uld as Daniel's warnings accumulated. In time, the trap would be sprung, but not until the reputation of the false god lay in tatters around him. Daniel’s dream was that Zeus would be discredited, embarrassed, and driven to rash decisions that would ultimately lead to his downfall at the hands of those he ruled.

And with the Third Race at Daniel's side, he had little doubt that dream would come true.

January 1

Two Days Later

Aboard the Gaia

Following several paces behind Bathys and the other rescued Jaffa, Daniel strode alongside Teal'c, his heart heavy as they made their way toward the transport deck and the ship's stargate. His old friend would be taking the refugees to Chulak to see them resettled, then make his way back to Dakar to report the latest developments with the Furlings to the Jaffa High Council. There had even been talk recently, messages received and returned as they traveled, of Teal'c taking a seat on the council himself.

This was important work, but Daniel would miss his comrade while they were gone.  "How soon do you think you'll be back?" he asked Teal'c hopefully. Daniel tugged at the collar of his black tunic, uncomfortable to be back in his normal clothing, now that he'd become accustomed to the weightless fabric of the s'resh.

Teal'c, too, had switched back to his Jaffa robes in preparation for returning to his people.  He walked with his hands lightly clasped behind his back. "I do not know," the big man answered. "It will depend on how well the High Council accepts the idea of aid from an advanced race.”  He shot a meaningful glance at the pink-haired Sky Clan Jack, who was leading a group of three other fairies, buzzing along in front of him and Daniel.  Those four members of Sky Clan would be accompanying Teal'c as liaisons to the Jaffa.

Daniel caught his buddy's unspoken message, evident in the shadow of a smile and twinkling eyes. "You like them," he surmised.

Teal'c nodded. "I believe O'Neill will soon understand that these people will scrutinize your six, Daniel Jackson."

"That's 'watch my six,' " Daniel corrected, his own grin widening, "and yeah, they have so far. I trust them, and Jack needs to learn to do that, too."

Teal'c stopped walking, letting the flight formation move a little farther away, out of hearing range. He arched one eyebrow, his expression serious now, but curious. "I have known you for ten years, so I am well aware that it is your instinct to trust others, especially when they have been as kind as the Furlings have been.  But do not ignore the fact that long ago, the other races thought it best to almost eradicate them from the galaxy.  They saved only a few, and those were sent into exile. Surely there must have been a good reason for such devastating action."

Daniel sighed. "I haven't forgotten about that, Teal'c. I'm still looking into their history. That's why I went to the Nox.  Only they didn't have the answer, either."

"You could always follow the example set by the Furlings," the big man suggested. "Search through their recorded memories and learn their true motivations. They have already admitted they are withholding secrets from all of us. It would be a simple matter to research."

Recoiling in dismay, Daniel shook his head. "I'd never do that!" he shot back. "Even though it's part of their culture, it's not part of mine. We respect privacy and don't pry into the intimate thoughts of others.  I just...” He shook his head again.  "I couldn't. That idea goes against everything I believe. Sorry." Daniel grinned and gave a little chuckle. "You couldn't do it, either, huh?" 

The Jaffa's expression was grave. “I could not.” He shook his head. "But be careful not to trust too much."

"I'm not as innocent as I was when you first met me." Daniel gave him a sad smile.

Teal’c gave him an approving clap on the shoulder. "No. You have become a fine warrior now. Zeus should be afraid." He smiled, a glimmer of contentment in his dark eyes. "I would not want you hunting me, DanielJackson. You are an excellent comrade, but you would be a formidable enemy."

Daniel wasn't sure how he felt about that statement, but he was certain it had been meant as a compliment. "Thank you?"

The two men continued down the corridor toward the transporter room, where Daniel wished all the travelers a good journey and watched them disappear through the ship's stargate.

Once the wormhole shut down, Daniel thanked the transport crew and strolled back toward his office, thinking about the research he'd be tackling once he was settled behind his desk. Abruptly, he found himself turning toward Scout's quarters, just wanting a couple of words of sociable chat to ease the parting between companions. Daniel had enjoyed having Teal'c around, and the big guy would be missed.  Daniel was lonely already.

The lights were low when he arrived in the lushly decorated entry room. These quarters were simple but elegant, filled with the finest Furling artwork and furniture, befitting an elder of the Forest Clan. Each of the walls held a holographic screen filled with images of an ancient woodland on Furdani.  Entering the room was like stepping into a tree-lined glade. Even the air was scented with leaves, flowers, and rich soil.

Scout wasn't in the foyer, so Daniel announced himself quietly. None of Scout's personal staff appeared, so he continued cautiously into the apartment, calling out the elder's formal name. He found his friend in a small alcove off the bedroom, just settling into a contemplative posture that reminded Daniel fondly of Teal'c.

"Greetings," el-Mikha responded with a warm smile.  The nook was lit by dozens of palm-sized crystals affixed to the walls, and there was a spare cushion facing him. 

"Mind if I join you?" asked Daniel. He, Scout and Teal'c had often meditated together during the few weeks the Jaffa had been on board Gaia.

"Please do," said Scout cheerfully, gesturing invitingly toward the other seat. "In fact, I intended to speak with you later today. There's a subject I'd like to discuss with you."

Daniel lowered himself onto the extra pillow, his legs crossed, wrists propped on his knees.  "Okay. What's up?"

Scout's expression was composed, unreadable. "Do you remember the storms on Olympus?"

"There were storms?"

"The first one was during the gladiatorial contest. Didn't you see the clouds gathering overhead, or feel the wind pick up?" Scout was smiling, just a tiny bit.

"I didn't pay much attention to the weather, no," Daniel admitted. "I was focusing on what was happening in the ring. Why do you ask?"

"Before that, as were preparing to leave Furdani, do you recall any of the weather reports over the city of Shahr?"

He shrugged. "Why would I? Shahr is underground."

Scout tilted his head. "At first, we didn't notice it much either, until a pattern began to be established. You see, whenever you returned to Alpha, skies above the city were clear, and the weather was appropriate for the season. On the other hand, when you were in residence at Shahr, the more disturbed you became, the more violent the atmospheric conditions on the surface. That's why I came to you and took you to Ahmega, to show you the ships and make our offer of support for your cause."

"Are you telling me I'm affecting the weather?”  Daniel frowned.  “Sorry, but that's not possible. I don't have that kind of power."

He shook his head, refusing to believe what he was hearing, but his gaze slid guiltily to the floor. Part of him knew he was capable of that, and of much more. He had cast lightning from his fingertips in the middle of building Merlin's weapon to fight the Ori, and he had also performed telekinesis, moving a canteen through the air with only the power of his mind.  But he'd believed he'd lost the ability to do those things when he'd left Merlin's repository machine behind on the world where they'd found it.

"I've studied many of your memories," Scout went on quietly. "While you're not able to access the events or abilities you had while you were ascended, the information's still there, still part of you. It's something you close off from yourself, because much of it is so painful to recall."

Daniel ducked his head, pulling at a tiny piece of cuticle sticking up beside a fingernail. "Look, I'd really rather not talk about that."

Scout nodded. "I know, Daniel, but these abilities are growing, along with your level of disquiet. If you don't explore them and learn to harness them, you may become a danger to all around you." He hesitated, his eyes filled with sympathy as Daniel met his concerned gaze. "There's atmosphere in this ship. Already there have been a few incidents with energy overloads, always in your vicinity, always when you're in anguish. We're asking you to let us help you learn to control either your emotions or this power, which we don't truly understand, for your own safety and that of those around you."

Bowing his head, Daniel knew the elder was doing his best to be as diplomatic as he could with this news, but it was still a shock. He took a deep breath and let it go, his shoulders slumping. "What do you want me to do?"

"For the moment, nothing," Scout advised. "Sit still and feel the quiet all around you. Have no thoughts, and let your feelings settle within you. Just breathe, and be."

Closing his eyes, Daniel sat up straight and settled into the meditation posture. He followed his friend's advice, taking the first step on a journey toward opening up his mind to the one place he never wanted to go for as long as he lived.

End Chapter 25

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