STARGATE SG-1 STARGATE ATLANTIS: Points of Origin - Volume Two of the Travelers' Tales (SGX-03) (STARGATE EXTRA (SGX-03))

by Karen Miller

  “They never have sour apple,” Jack grumbled.

  Janet asked Lieutenant Evans to continue filling in for her, and thanked her for calling General Hammond. Daniel was waiting for her in the corridor.

  “Busy morning? Usually it takes at least an hour before you’re that irritated with Jack.”

  She sighed. “I was late because Cassandra and I had an argument this morning. Actually it was more like the greatest hits of five other arguments we’ve been having lately.”

  Daniel smiled and stepped into the elevator with her. “Well, she’s an incredibly bright teenager and you’re just her mother. What do you know about life?”

  Janet chuckled. “Exactly. We finally reached a stalemate, but I’m sure it’s going to explode again once I get home.”

  “Like I said, she’s a smart kid. Eventually she’s going to figure out you were right all along. Just try not to rub it in her face when she apologizes.”

  “Thank you, Daniel.” She looked at him. “You know, he wasn’t exactly wrong about you. The only data we have on unascended beings is what little we were able to glean from Shifu. There could be lingering side effects we can’t run tests for.”

  “At the risk of sounding like Jack, I feel fine. And unlike Jack, I would definitely come running to you if anything felt even the slightest bit off.” They arrived at their destination and stepped out of the elevator. Daniel put a hand on her arm to keep her from continuing into the briefing room. “While we’re on the subject, I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me last week, after the Stromos incident.”

  “I did what any doctor would have done.”

  “No,” Daniel said. “You definitely went above and beyond the call of duty. I’ve only been back a month, and it’s no secret that my memory is still spotty. It’s better than it was at first, but there are blank spaces. Having a dozen other identities dumped into my head could have been a disaster. I don’t want to think about what might have happened if you hadn’t been there to keep everyone in line.”

  Janet shook her head. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You saw what happened to Pharrin. Every personality swarming at once, his own lost somewhere in the shuffle. It was a… it was a whirlpool with the jets turned on high. But you kept each of the personalities in my head focused. The lines never blurred. That’s why I know the memories and the personality I was left with were wholly mine. I don’t think I ever thanked you properly for that.”

  “Well… you’re welcome, Daniel. But once you’ve downloaded one friend from the base computer, anything less is child’s play.”

  They started walking toward the stairs. “And for saving my glasses while I was…” He gestured vaguely toward the ceiling and wiggled his fingers. “At the time I didn’t remember what a hassle it was to replace them.”

  Janet smiled. “We had them in the infirmary after you, um.” She didn’t want to say ‘died,’ but every other word didn’t seem big enough. “After. Then enough time passed that throwing them away seemed like giving up. We’ve all seen enough miracles here to know better than that.”

  General Hammond was seated at the head of the briefing table when they arrived. He was engaged in conversation with Sam, while Teal’c sat on the General’s other side with his hands folded in front of him. Hammond ended his conversation with Sam and nodded to her. Janet took a seat and opened the folder that had been left for her.

  “Glad you could join us, Doctor. I’ll let Dr. Jackson explain why you’re here.”

  Daniel cleared his throat and moved to stand next to the projection screen. “Three years ago, SG-1 visited a planet called Ialara. It’s a fairly developed society on par with Earth in the late nineteenth century. The main continent was broken up into eight different districts called cantons. When we visited, the Stargate was controlled by Banu Canton. Their leadership was interested in establishing a relationship with Earth. Unfortunately, not long after that first visit, a civil war broke out. Their closest neighbor overtook Banu’s capitol and captured the Stargate. The Banu government was able to get one last message through, warning us to stay away, before they sealed the gate and went into hiding. This morning, we received a new message. The Banu have recovered their territory and negotiated a ceasefire with their enemies.”

  Sam said, “I assume that means they’re not asking us for arms.”

  “No,” Daniel said. “While the Banu were able to recover control of their cities, their people suffered greatly during the time they were exiled. Their people are sick. Their doctors don’t know why.” He nodded at Janet’s folder. “After they made contact with us, a MALP was sent through to make sure there was no airborne contagion.”

  “Dr. Fraiser, despite Dr. Jackson’s assurances that this situation is safe, I won’t order you to take this mission unless —”

  Janet stopped him with a raised hand. She had been skimming the MALP readings while Daniel was talking and she could confirm whatever disease had struck these people wasn’t airborne. “I can have a team ready in half an hour, sir.”

  Hammond nodded. “That’s what I thought you would say. But I wanted you to know you had the option.”

  “Thank you, sir. But I don’t believe there is an option here.”

  “SG-1 will accompany your team to the planet. You’ll leave as soon as Dr. Fraiser’s team is assembled. Major, I assume you can handle this one without Colonel O’Neill.”

  She smiled. “We’ll try to make do, sir. Teal’c has been practicing his pop culture references to take up some of the slack.”

  Teal’c glanced at her and Sam had to fight back her laughter. Hammond dismissed them, and Janet began compiling the list of who she would take with her. Sam hurried to catch up with her as she walked to the elevator.

  “Hey. Rough morning?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  Sam wrinkled her nose. “Ah, not really. Cassandra sent me a text message. Apparently you two have been going at it pretty hard, huh?”

  Janet rolled her eyes. “You could say that. Tell me again why I thought it was a great idea to be a single mother to a genius?”

  Sam rubbed Janet’s shoulder. “Because she needed someone and you have a big heart. And because you love her.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Janet said.

  Sam laughed. “And because you know you’re not really a single mother. You know she has her uncles. And I’m just a phone call away.”

  Janet smiled and squeezed Sam’s hand. “I know. And I’ll be eternally grateful to the four of you.” The elevator arrived. “For now I need to put together my medical team and find someone to watch her while I’m off-world.”

  “Never a dull moment,” Sam said.

  “I’d kill for a dull moment.”

  “When we get back, I’ll take you and Cassandra rock climbing. You’ll be too tired to fight, and I can act as an arbitrator.”

  Janet sighed blissfully. “That sounds amazing. Thank you, Sam.”

  “Sure. I’ll see you in an hour?”

  “Should be plenty of time.”

  Sam nodded and headed for the stairs while Janet took the elevator back to the infirmary.

  Janet sat on one of the benches in front of her open locker. She had changed into her desert BDUs, her cap sitting beside her on the bench on top of the heavy tac vest. She dialed Cassandra’s number even though she knew it would be turned off and buried deep in the bottom of her book bag while she was in school, but she had made a promise that she would never go off-world without letting Cassandra know. She listened to the brief message and waited for the beep.

  “Hi, Cassandra. It’s Mom. A mission came up, and I have to go away for a little bit. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. It shouldn’t be too dangerous but SG-1 is going with me, so I’m sure I’ll be just fine. I’ve already calle
d Mrs. Bernthal from next door and she’ll check in on you tonight.” She looked down at her boots. “I’ll see you soon, or I’ll have General Hammond call you if we can’t come back right away. Sam said she wants to take you rock climbing when we get back, so that should be fun. I love you, Cassandra. Be good.”

  She closed the phone and put it in her locker. Her medical team was busy gathering what they would need for work in the field. They were bringing everything necessary to diagnose and hopefully treat whatever was ailing the Ialaran people, but also antibiotics, bandages, gloves, and hydrocortisone to ensure their hospital was properly stocked.

  Everyone else on the base thought the Stargate was the best ride in the universe. It certainly was thrilling. But she couldn’t shake the twinge of anxiety she always felt before going through it. She understood the science well enough to know how dangerous it was, but the Ancients were certified geniuses and, in the seven years she’d examined SG teams, there hadn’t been a single instance of physical deformities caused by wormhole travel. But knowing it was safe and preparing to walk through that big blue puddle to an alien planet were two different things.

  There was no question, however, that the fear was worth it for the job she was doing. It was the job she was always meant to do. She remembered being young, fresh out of high school and thinking about her future. She was married young to a man she thought was the love of her life, but she’d made the mistake of choosing someone like her stoic, Army officer father and wound up with a controlling chauvinistic pig.

  Her dream was to be a doctor. Unfortunately it was an expensive, almost unrealistic dream. She knew her parents would find some way to make it happen for her, but Janet came up with a better idea: the Air Force would pay for her medical school and she would get to practice real medicine. No paperwork or insurance or bureaucratic headaches that came from working in a hospital. She was fascinated by exotic diseases, and being a doctor in the military would let her travel all over the world to find and treat them.

  Janet smiled and looked around the locker room. If only she had known the scope of what she was getting into, the mysteries that awaited her. She stood up and pulled on the rest of her gear. Her team was probably almost ready to go, and she didn’t want to keep SG-1 waiting. She fitted the cap onto her head and took a deep breath before she stepped out into the corridor.

  Sam, Daniel, and Teal’c were waiting at the base of the ramp when she arrived. Two of her nurses, Sarah and Wendy, were loading the last few medical kits onto the FRED. Sam noticed her arrival first and signaled the technician in the gate room. The sergeant acknowledged her and began the dialing procedure.

  Sam approached Janet. “Did you call Cassandra?”

  “I left her a message.”

  “I know it’s tough for you going off-world without talking to her.”

  Janet nodded. “Yeah. But this is just a humanitarian mission. Reestablishing ties and providing medical care to the wounded. No cause for alarm.”

  Teal’c eyed them warily. “I believe if O’Neill were here, he would admonish you for tempting the fates in such a manner, Dr. Fraiser.”

  Sam said, “Well, it’s a good thing he’s not here.”

  The Stargate blossomed to Janet’s left, and she turned to face it as the explosion settled into a shimmering pool of blue light. Seven years after the first time she watched it happen and it still seemed impossible to her. Sam and Teal’c led the way up the ramp, followed by Daniel guiding the FRED. Sarah and Wendy were on one side of the supply transport with Janet on the other. She watched as Sam was swallowed by the rippling event horizon. Sam, who was smart enough to know exactly what was being done to her on a molecular level, didn’t even flinch as she went through.

  Janet still closed her eyes. In her mind it was a bit like jumping over a wide puddle; just push off and let momentum carry you the rest of the way. The tip of her nose tingled before the sensation spread to the rest of her head. She felt as if something grabbed her and pulled her forward. Both of her feet were off the ground for a few seconds longer than she anticipated but then she felt hard stone under her boots. She put a hand against the FRED so she wouldn’t stumble. The Stargate disengaged behind her, and she adjusted the brim of her cap as she examined her new surroundings.

  The Stargate was standing in an open-air plaza constructed of brown stones. There were eight arched entryways, two in each wall, and all of them had been fortified with iron bars and sandbags. Through the palisades she could see the sky was darkened by a field of thick, cottony storm clouds. The air was cool and sweet with the smell of a recent rainfall, but Janet could feel the humidity rising.

  Daniel was already introducing the team to their welcoming party. He turned and gestured to her. “And our Chief Medical Officer, Janet Fraiser. Janet, this is Amos Magasi, Taoiseach of the Banu Canton.” The man was shorter than Daniel, with thinning red-blonde hair and a friendly smile. He and the rest of his party all wore variations of the same suit. His epaulets were larger, however, denoting his rank, and he offered his hand to her.

  “Dr. Fraiser,” he said. “I thank you for coming so quickly in our time of need.”

  “Of course. I hope we’re able to help.”

  He glanced at Sam and Daniel. “I am afraid that you may not have the chance. Major Carter, I must confess that the stalemate we mentioned when we contacted you this morning is already beginning to crumble. The delegation we sent to negotiate a more lasting peace was attacked before they arrived at their destination. We’re not sure if the truce was a ploy all along, or if the attack was carried out by a splinter group. Either way we cannot guarantee your safety during this visit.”

  Janet and Sam exchanged a look. Sam said, “We can call this off until the climate is a little calmer, but I’m leaving it up to you, Doctor. If you and your people are willing to stay, we’ll stay.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but we’re already here. These people need our help. I’d like to stay.”

  Sam nodded. “Then we’ll stay. I’ll contact General Hammond for a backup team just in case things get hairy. Mr. Magasi, if you’ll show Dr. Fraiser where she and her team can set up…?”

  “It would be our pleasure, and our great relief.”

  Sarah and Wendy unloaded the heavy medical kits from the FRED, taking only what they could carry for the time being. Teal’c lifted the kits without being asked, and Janet nodded her thanks to him. One of the Ialaran men remained behind with SG-1 while the others fell into position around Magasi. Janet realized they were a security detail and warily scanned the world beyond the arched doorways. The plaza was surrounded by rolling green hills that looked vibrant under the thick blanket of clouds. There were no signs of imminent danger, no echoes of cannon fire or pillars of smoke in the distance, but she was grateful she had Teal’c by her side.

  They paused so one of the guards could unlock a door that presumably led into the building. Magasi turned back to look at her. “I will take this opportunity to again thank you for coming to our aid, Dr. Fraiser. I could say it a hundred times more and it would not be enough. We are extremely grateful your people allowed you to help us, given the current state of affairs.”

  “I’m a doctor,” Janet said. “My people understand that I’ll go where I’m needed.”

  “Dr. Fraiser is also a soldier,” Teal’c added when it was clear Janet wouldn’t do it herself. “She is more than able to defend herself if the situation arises.”

  She smiled and he inclined his head to her.

  “A soldier and a physician? That is an interesting dichotomy, is it not?”

  Janet said, “I suppose it can be. But I’m helping people who put their lives on the line every day. Being a soldier myself means I don’t have to rely on them to worry about me if things go bad.”

  Magasi nodded and led them into the building. The corridor was narrow and compl
etely dark due to the fact its windows had been boarded over. The guards produced handheld light sources to push back the shadows and the group was forced to move in a single-file line so they weren’t bumping shoulder against shoulder.

  “I truly do wish we had waited to contact your people. We assumed the Faratar Canton was well and truly beaten back. We underestimated their tenacity, it would seem.”

  “Your people must be in dire need of assistance,” Teal’c said.

  Magasi sighed and nodded. “Our physicians are flummoxed, and people seem to be getting worse every day.”

  “Hopefully we can find what’s causing it,” Janet said. “Our instruments indicated the air was free from contamination. Have there been any signs that it’s become airborne?”

  “No, we do not believe so. The ailing have had visitors who have shown no signs of contracting the illness. And our doctors are able to tend to the sick without succumbing themselves.”

  Janet said, “Okay, that’s a good sign. We’re still going to use level-three precautions until we know what we’re dealing with.”

  They moved through a wide foyer, down a flight of stairs, and into a large room which had been converted into an infirmary. Janet did a quick scan and counted twenty beds, all but a few of which were filled with patients. Magasi paused at the foot of the stairs and pointed at an arched doorway on the opposite side of the room. “There is another room through there with just as many people.”

  “Are the patients coming from any specific part of the city?” Janet said.

  Magasi said, “The city is surrounded by farmland. The majority of the ailing are from there.”

  Teal’c said, “Would your enemy not have passed through those farms upon their retreat?”

  “You’re thinking biological warfare?” Janet said. Magasi looked confused, so she explained. “There’s a chance your enemy is using this disease as a weapon. They might have poisoned the livestock or the water supply so these people would get sick.”