STARGATE SG-1 29 Hall of the Two Truths (4 page)

Through the tinny radio speaker, Hammond repeated himself. Jack winced. Nope. Just what he’d heard him say the first time. Damn it.

“But sir, it’s
just
a planetarium.”

“
Which is why it’s of such interest, Colonel
.” Hammond’s voice was firm. “
Apparently it’s the only one of its kind ever discovered. We’ll redial in ten. Be prepared to receive your guest. And I hope I don’t have to remind you, Colonel, to play nice.
”

“No, sir,” Jack muttered, kicking the grass at his feet as the Stargate’s blue puddle shimmered out of existence. Wonderful. Just how he wanted to spend his last few hours on this rock: hosting the very people who’d sent him here in the first place.

Or person. When the blue puddle reappeared, a lone figure stepped through. He was young for a Tok’ra, probably not far into his twenties. Of course, that was only the host. God knew how old the snake inside his head was.

“I am Jenmar, of the Tok’ra,” he said, walking up to Jack and bowing slightly.

“Jack O’Neill,” he replied curtly. “And this here is Teal’c.” The big guy returned Jenmar’s bow with his own precisely timed head nod. Birds of a feather, in an odd sort of way.

“It is an honor to finally meet you both.” Jenmar smiled. “Your exploits are legendary among the Tok’ra.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “Legendary, you say?”

Jenmar’s smiled broadened. “Quite. And now that you have discovered the Dome of Anu —”

“Excuse me?. ‘Dome of Anu’?” Jack frowned. “Where’d you hear that?”

The smile on the Tok’ra’s face froze for just the blink of an eye and Jack didn’t think he was imagining that the guy suddenly looked just a bit nervous. That nagging feeling that had been flitting around in the back of his head ever since this whole thing began was starting to get a whole lot naggyer.

“I… I was only recently able to decipher some of the writing in photographs your General Hammond so kindly provided me,” Jenmar explained, apologetically. “The study of languages is something of a specialty of mine.” Funny. Jack didn’t recall Daniel making any mention of the Dome of anything, although he might have missed it. He tended to tune Daniel out quite a bit these days. Still —

He nailed the Tok’ra with his best suspicious look and noticed that the guy wouldn’t meet his eye.

Right.

“Yes. Well. It’s a hike, so we better get moving.” Jack waved the guy toward the trailhead with the barrel of his P90. Jenmar scurried behind Teal’c, who took point. Jack brought up the rear so he could keep an eye on their guest. That nagging feeling was still there and if he’d learned anything in all these years, Jack knew better than to ignore it. No matter what everyone else thought.

“So. How long you been with the Tok’ra?” Jack said after they’d walked for a while.

“I have been Tok’ra all of my life, since I was spawned of our beloved queen Egeria, millennia ago.”

Jack was confused. If Jenmar was the snake, where was the booming baritone voice?

“You do not choose to speak as most Tok’ra do?” Teal’c took the words right out of his mouth.

Jenmar smiled slightly and shook his head. “We do not. Keyleb and Jenmar speak as one. Our blending is… unique.”

“Sounds like a Goa’uld,” Jack grunted. “No offense.” Something about this guy didn’t read right. Maybe this was why.

“I assure you, Colonel, I am no Goa’uld. But to answer the question I think you meant to ask, I am Keyleb, formerly of Wasir, and I have been host to Jenmar for what would amount to about seven of your years.”

“I am familiar with Wasir,” remarked Teal’c. “Was it not destroyed in a battle between the forces of Ra and Cronus?”

Jack saw Keyleb — Jenmar, whoever — tense slightly. “It was. Very few of us survived. I was among those who were mortally wounded. The Tok’ra found me and saved my life.”

That always gave Jack the creeps. Sure, he was grateful that Selmak had saved Carter’s dad. He’d come to like Jacob a lot and he knew how much having him involved in their work, even as a Tok’ra, meant to Carter. But to willingly let a snake into your head, even a supposedly good snake? Personally, he’d die first.

“So, if you don’t change your voice, then how do we know which one of you is talking?” Jack wasn’t sure what bothered him most, knowing he was talking to a snake, or not knowing if he was talking to a snake.

“It is quite simple, Colonel. Both of us are speaking.”

“Right…” Somehow Jack didn’t find that reassuring. Just another reason to keep his eye on this guy. Guys. Whatever.

They didn’t bother to stop at the camp. It wasn’t there anymore anyway; just their kit remained, bundled up and ready to go. He hadn’t let Carter or Daniel anywhere near those ruins until everything was packed. Daniel had complained loudly about wasting valuable morning light, but he’d complied eventually. Carter had said nothing.

In the distance Jack could see Daniel peering at one of the ruined wall sections and writing in his notebook. Carter had her head inside the base of the planetarium thing, her body twisted in an awkward position that made it look like she was being eaten by the darn thing.

“Look, kids. Company,” Jack called out to them as he, Teal’c and Jenmar slogged through the high grass. Carter extricated herself from the Ancient device and stood up. Daniel finished his writing before joining them.

“This is Jenmar, of the Tok’ra. He’s come to check out all the fun he’s been missing.” Jack plastered an exaggerated smile on his face.

Jenmar did that bowing thing again.

“I merely wished to see for myself what a great discovery this is. When General Hammond told me that you would be returning early, I asked if I might be able to come in time to see it.”

“I’m not sure I’d classify it as a great discovery,” Carter observed. “Interesting, certainly, but not terribly useful, I’m afraid. Especially since we can’t get it to work consistently.”

“Pish, Carter!” Jack chided. “Don’t you know you’ve been tinkering with the infamous Dome of Rectu?”

“Anu,” corrected Jenmar. “Dome of Anu.”

“Yes, that.” At Daniel’s puzzled look Jack added, “It seems Jenmar here speaks the same language you do, Daniel. Or, you know, languages, I guess.”

Daniel’s features resolved into recognition. “Dome of Anu — yes! I did find that somewhere.” He started flipping back through his notes. “Which makes sense, when you think about it. Anu was the Akkadian’s god of the sky. There’s a —”

“Great!” Jack slapped Jenmar on the back, much to the Tok’ra’s surprise. “The two of you go knock yourselves out. Just remember, we’re out of here in —” He checked his watch. If he didn’t know better, he’d have sworn time ran slower on this planet than anywhere else in the galaxy. Who knew? Maybe it did. It was all relative, after all. At least according to Carter. “Three hours,” he told them, holding up three fingers for emphasis. “Don’t make me wait!”

“Sir —” Carter hurried up to him as Daniel took Jenmar off to look at some rocks. She was somewhat dusty and her hair was every which way from having been inside the base of the planetarium. Not that he noticed.

“What is it, Carter?” He readjusted his sunglasses. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky this morning.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“I’m shocked.”

She looked more annoyed than amused. “I think we ought to consider taking this device back with us. Or, at the very least, sending a team of engineers back to retrieve it.”

Jack studied her. “I thought you said it wasn’t such a great discovery?”

“From a utilitarian point of view, it’s not.” She spoke quickly, a sign she was nervous. “But I still don’t know why it won’t work for anyone but you. And any chance to study Ancient technology, even if it is just a device for displaying the stars, shouldn’t be wasted. The scientists at Area 51 would have a lot more resources to figure this thing out than I do. Especially given that I’m on the clock,” she added, in a half-accusatory tone.

Jack studied the device. “Well, it’s too big to cart back with us now, but give Hammond your recommendation and —”

He thought he heard a sound, an all too familiar sound. Glancing at Teal’c, Jack knew he’d heard it too; Teal’c was already assuming a defensive stance as he scanned the skies. A heartbeat later Carter picked up on it as well. She dove for her weapon, which she’d left lying next to her backpack by the Dome.

“Daniel! Jenmar!” Jack shouted, unslinging his P90 and flicking back the safety. “We’ve got company! Take cover!”

The two men looked up, confused, until they heard the distinctive whine of the engines. Daniel grabbed Jenmar by the sleeve and hauled him off into the nearby brush. Carter too was scrambling for cover. Jack followed her lead and hunkered down behind a pile of Ancient rubble. Teal’c alone stood unprotected, his staff weapon raised in anticipation.

“Teal’c, get down!”

Teal’c ignored him and Jack could see the crackle of energy at the tip of his weapon as he took aim.

The first death glider strafed the ground around them, kicking up jagged bits of stone and dirt. A large chunk of shrapnel hit the rock just by Jack’s head and he ducked reflexively. Coughing, he swung out from behind the boulder and took aim at the second glider coming in from behind the first one. Jack could hear the pings of his bullets ricocheting off the ship’s hull as it zoomed overhead.

From the pitch of the sound, Jack knew they were circling around for another attack. He’d heard the sharp staccato sound of Carter’s P90 as she fired too, but her weapon was as worthless as his against such an attack. Only Teal’c had any chance of bringing down the ships.

Jack assessed their options. They were sitting ducks out in the open like this, but if they all made a break for the tree line they’d never make it before the death gliders swung around again.

They were screwed.

The hum of the gliders’ engines was growing louder again. They were coming, like two great predatory birds. Jack gauged the distance to the tree line one more time. Maybe if he gave the ships a specific target, the others might have half a chance.

“Carter!” She looked over her shoulder at him while reloading her weapon. “When I say so, you, Daniel and Teal’c run like hell for those trees.” He’d almost forgotten. “And take the damned Tok’ra too.”

Her brow furrowed. “What about you, sir?”

“Just do as I say, Major. That’s an order.”

Throwing him a look of belligerent resignation, she radioed the message to Daniel and Teal’c. The big guy had finally taken cover near the center portion of the ruins, crouching behind his own pile of stones and brambles. His head snapped up sharply and he frowned at Jack when Carter’s message came through, but finally he nodded and acknowledged the order.

Good. He didn’t need last minute heroics from any of them.

Jack picked his destination. There was a small cluster of pines maybe a hundred yards from his position. It wouldn’t be much cover, even if he made it, but it was at a right angle from the flight path of the gliders. They’d have to bank sharply to follow him, and that would take both their time and attention. Carter and the others could escape to the tree line in the opposite direction and, if he were lucky, he’d make cover before the pilots actually got him in their sites. Throw in the fact that the run of the mill Jaffa was usually a lousy shot, and he might just survive this.

Emphasis on
might.

Spotting a better location from which to launch his sprint, Jack scrambled to a nearby mound of rubble. Amidst the screech of the oncoming gliders, he heard what sounded like a zat, but that didn’t make any sense.

Unless they were being flanked by ground troops as well.

If that were the case, then they really were screwed.

Jack hesitated. There was no point in running decoy if he was just as likely to get a staff blast in the back for his troubles. He clicked on his radio.

“Carter, did you —?”

There was no need to finish. He heard the zat fire again. Grasping his weapon, Jack leaned around the pile of stones just in time to see a blue arc strike Carter from behind. His brain registered a motionless form where Teal’c had been and no longer any sign of the top of Daniel’s head. Crap.

Jack heard it before he felt it, even as the strafing from the death gliders started spattering the ground again. His body half-tensed in anticipation a split-second before the zat blast set his nerves on fire. There was a jolt of acute pain paired with a flash of self-loathing, and then Jack’s vision faded to black.

“WE’D LIKE to go back, sir.” The determination in Colonel Reynolds’ voice belied how weary he and the rest of SG-16 appeared. “And I’d like to request a UAV. SG-1 might just be out of radio range.”

“I’ve already authorized the UAV, but, for now, I’m suspending any further search and rescue.” It was the last thing Hammond wanted to do, but based on the evidence of a Goa’uld attack, he wasn’t about to put another team in harm’s way. Not until he had a better idea of what had gone wrong on P4C-679. “Get some rest, Colonel. All of you.” He dismissed them with a nod.

Back in his office, Hammond watched SG-16 slowly file out of the conference room. He understood their frustration. He shared it. This was supposed to have been an easy, no-stress mission for SG-1. Something that would ease them back into the saddle after the debacle on K’tau. He’d meant it as more of a team-building exercise than anything else.