Chapter Sixteen

22 May 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 19:30 hours

 

It was late, ship time at least, and Jack O’Neill was alone in the mess hall, nursing a cup of coffee.  He was flexing the fingers on his casted hand, a remnant from his run-in with the briefing room window.  The door swished open and a very haggard Vala stepped in, closely followed by Aisling.  She looked around and saw him.  As she walked towards him, he looked up and gave her a thin smile.

 

“Empress…” he said softly and motioned for her to sit down.  “You want something… coffee?”

 

“No, thank you,” she said as she took a napkin from its holder and proceeded to rip it up slowly.

 

“Something on your mind?” the General asked.

 

“You mean other than how infuriatingly slow this space bucket moves?” she said as she reached out and took his coffee to have a sip.  Grimacing, she gave it back and leveled a look at him.

 

“Yeah, well, other than that,” Jack said with a shrug.

 

“We’ll get him back… right?”

 

“Yes…” he said.  “We won’t leave him there, no matter what.  And then I’m chaining his ass to his office desk so he can’t get hurt, lost, or dead.”

 

Vala nodded distractedly, “Doubt that’ll happen.  He’s much too mulish to be cooped up… You know that.”

 

Jack let out a short laugh, “Yeah… I certainly do.  That’s one of the many reasons I like Daniel so much.  His tenacity and strength of conviction—  He may be a rat-bastard sometimes, but I admired Daniel.  Even his altruistic mindset for saving anyone that needs it.”  He took a sip of his coffee, then said, “that includes me.”

 

Vala smiled, and added, “I think what drew me to him was his passion and willingness to accept people for who they are… without judgment.  That he would stick with me— even after everything I’ve pulled.  And the doggedness to maintain his own belief, yet open minded enough to consider other ways of thinking.  Gods, Jack… I really love that… what’d you call him?”

 

“Rat-bastard” O’Neill laughed.

 

“Yeah— I really love that rat-bastard!”

 

They sat in reflective silence for a time, watching the stars race by.  Aisling jumped onto the table and stretched out, waiting to be petted.  Vala accepted the cat’s invitation.  With a weary sigh, Jack leaned forward across the table and took Vala’s other hand.

 

“I promise, Vala, we’ll get him back.  No one gets left behind.  That’s not just a catch phrase— it’s what I’ve always lived by.  I just hope we’ll avoid a major interplanetary incident.”

 

“Have the— what did you call them?  Ferrets?  Hyenas?  Have they found anything to help yet?” Vala asked as she stole another sip of his coffee.

 

“Sharks… and no, not that I know of.  We may have to just snatch him up.”

 

“He won’t like that.”

 

“You know… I don’t give two flying fucks what he’ll like right now.”

 

Vala nodded her head with a slight grin, “Good to know!”

 

Aisling meowed her approval also.

 

***

 

22 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 12:10 hours

 

Bran sat with Daniel by the well while the man solemnly considered his hopeless situation.  His heart ached and he could stop the utter despair that filled him to overflowing.  The boy would pat the man’s knee every now and then.  For as young as Bran was, Daniel could tell he had a lot of empathy.  With sad, red rimmed eyes he looked at Bran.

 

“You must think I’m a total wimp… sitting here for feeling sorry for myself, huh?”

 

Bran shook his head, “I’ve seen lots of men cry when someone they love is killed or taken from them.  My Mama says it’s good for the soul to cry when nothing else will work.  She says it’s better than hurting someone… or yourself.”

 

“You have a very wise Mama, Bran.”

 

The boy smiled at his new friend, then looked puzzled, “Daniel, what’s a wimp?”

 

The man couldn’t help but laugh.  He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, “What do you call someone that… um, that doesn’t live up to expectations?”

 

“Verlierer, I guess.”

 

“That’s fitting,” Daniel said with a sigh.  He knew the word without even trying.  It was German for ‘loser.’  “Okay, enough of my pity party now.  I have to figure out how to get home.  Bran… do you know if anyone here might have a copy of the Laws of Ertieg?”

 

The boy thought for a while then stood up, “Come on, Daniel.  We don’t have any of the laws written down, but old Nesterio may have them in his head.  He can remember anything he’s ever read.  We always try and fool him, but it never works… He’s too smart!”

 

The man took the boy’s hand and stood up.  Without another word, Bran led him to Nesterio’s hut, never letting go of Daniel’s hand.  It felt good to Daniel; he could imagine what it would be like if he had his own son.  This was the first time in many years that Daniel thought about having children of his own.  Not since Sha’re had the thought crossed his mind.  Now, his love for Vala had him entertaining thoughts of family again.  All he had to do was get home to her; and the sooner, the better.

 

“Bran, how long has it been since your father, um… you know…”

 

“Died?  I think that’s the word you’re looking for,” Bran said with a smile.  “He’s been gone for three seasons.  It was a long time before my Mama smiled again.”

 

“I bet.  You miss your Dad?”

 

“Yeah, he and I went fishing together all the time.  He was teaching me how to carve too.  And we went riding on our kôň.  Mama had to sell him, though.”

 

Daniel smiled at him, “On my world, we call them horses.”

 

“Horses,” Bran tasted the word.  “Do you know how to ride— horses?”

 

“Oh yeah!  My father taught me when I was very young.  I can also ride camels.  Those are like horses only much taller and they have humps on their backs.”

 

Daniel stopped walking and squatted down, Bran did likewise.  The man took a stick and drew in the mud a camel.

 

“Some camels have two humps and some only one.  They are desert animals and can go for long periods of time without water.  Do you know what a desert is?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Well, it’s an area that is very dry because so little rain comes, unlike here.  Only meager plants can live there and sometimes none at all.  Some deserts are sandy.  That’s the kind I grew up in.  Sand as far as the eye could see.  Big rolling dunes of sand or vast, flat windblown plains.  And it got into everything you owned.  During the day it was so hot that you had to have every inch of your skin covered or you’d burn.  The nights, though— they were frigid.

 

“Other deserts are under a cover of snow so thick that vegetation can’t get through.  The only animals that can live there have to be very tough and be able to go a long time between meals,” Daniel told the young boy.  He was having a great time imparting his knowledge— without someone either rolling their eyes or yawning.  Jack O’Neill sprang to mind and he grinned.

 

Bran was fascinated with the rough drawing and all the facts his new friend was sharing.  The boy wished he could see all the places that were being described.  He smiled, turning towards Daniel; his smoky colored eyes were… like Vala’s.

 

Shaking his head to dissipate her image, Daniel continued, “I was born in the desert in a place called Egypt.  The first five years of my life were spent there.  When I was six, we moved to a big city, and oh boy, was it scary for me!  It was so different than Egypt.  Then both my parents died when I was a little younger than you.  I understand your feelings about missing your dad.  But you have your mom and she’s very proud of you!”

 

“I’m sorry for your parents, Daniel.  I am very happy to have Mama.  Even when she’s angry at me.”

 

They began walking again, talking about all sorts of things.  Bran told the man about his school and what he liked to play.  Daniel spoke of his schooling and some of the sports that he knew about.  It was a pleasant passage of time.

 

“So, how far is this Nesterio?” Daniel asked as it started to drizzle again.

 

They turned a corner and Bran pointed at a tiny shack with a small garden of flowers in the front yard, “There’s his place.”

 

Branimir knocked on the rough-hewn door and waited for an answer.  When a voice that sounded as old as the hills bade them to enter, they went into the dark dwelling.

 

“Ah, Branimir, my boy!”

 

Daniel thought the voice was old, but the image it conjured up in his mind fell short by several decades compared to its owner.

 

“Welcome, welcome,” Nesterio beamed at them.  “I see you’ve brought me a new member of our little community.”

 

“This is Daniel, Nesterio.  He came as a prisoner from Ertieg.  He has some questions about the laws,” the boy said happily to the old man.

 

Daniel smiled at Nesterio.  He reminded him of Ma’chello… when Ma’chello wasn’t looking like Daniel.

 

“Sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he shook the old man’s hand.

 

“Ah… such politeness!  You must be from somewhere else.  Surely you are not from Ertieg,” the elderly man said as he waved the two young ones to sit beside his fire.

 

“I’m from another planet.  It’s called Earth.”

 

Nesterio’s eyes widen and he leaned forward, “Surely… you are of the Tau’ri?  I never thought I’d meet one before I died.  Your people have been a great blessing to the universe, Daniel.”

 

Bran’s eyes grew wide and looked as if he’d seen a ghost.  Quietly he asked, “Are you really a Tau’ri, Daniel?”

 

Eyebrows furrowed in concern, he nodded.

 

“But… but, the Tau’ri are five meters tall, have fangs dripping with blood and can kill a Goa’uld with just a glance of their eyes!!”

 

“Ah, Branimir!” the old man said admonishingly, “how many times have I told you not to believe in those older boy’s stories?  You are much smarter than that.  The Tau’ri are just like us.  Human.  I’m sorry, Daniel… campfire stories of your people grow wilder every year.”

 

Jackson gave the boy a smile.  He would have to remember that description of the Tau’ri to tell Jack.  It was something that the General would love.

 

Drawing the younger man’s attention, Nesterio asked, “Our small friend here said you have questions.  What is it that I can do for you?”

 

“I wish to know if there is a way I can have the chip taken out without killing me?” Daniel jumped right to it, not wanting to waste time with the laws if he couldn’t leave anyway.

 

“Oh, my son,” Nesterio said softly, “I wish I could tell you that there was.  When I invented the chip, it was for a way to protect our herds that graze in the mountains, and it didn’t kill.  Like all benign discoveries, the High Guard took my idea and turned it into this— weapon of control.  In the beginning, when it was only prisoners here, some of the more foolhardy tried to flee The Island in handmade rafts only to die as soon as they left the fishing zone.  I don’t wish to see that happen to anyone.”

 

The younger man dropped his head down.  That was not the answer he had been hoping for.  “Then there’s nothing I can do to stop it from working?  Jam the signal or something?”

 

Nesterio reached a hand across to him and patted his knee, “Ah, my boy, don’t despair.  You’re from another world and I’m sure that there are those that wish to have you home.  All is not lost.”

 

“It sure feels that way, sir,” Daniel sighed.

 

“Nesterio, he has a woman back home that’s his promised mate.  Surely the Proctor will do everything he can to help Daniel… right?”

 

“The Proctor is impeded by the laws, Bran.  He cannot do anything that the committee doesn’t agree too.  Why were you arrested, Daniel?”

 

With a long exhale, Daniel steeled himself to tell the story.  When he was finished, Nesterio had a smile on his face and a tear in his eye.

 

“You may have sparked something in Ertieg, my boy.  What you did will stir the sleeping giant and things will change.  Your sacrifice will be whispered throughout the land.  Men and women will call for justice and new laws,” the old man said with high hopes.  “There may yet be a way to get you home to your mate.  Maybe the time has come for our little island to rise up and be counted among the countries of Volzar.  And when that happens, we’ll no longer be considered prisoners, but free men and women.”

 

“I don’t want to start a revolution— I just want to go home, Nesterio.  I… I just want to get back to Vala,” Daniel said as he closed his eyes.  And then intense pain shot through his brain.

 

Jack in full battle gear with Teal’c— Mitchell right behind them.  They were on a planet, but Daniel couldn’t tell which one.  Then he saw a mob of men trying to keep them from moving forward and knew that they were here.  A firefight broke out— he saw Jack go down.  Mitchell attempted to pull him to safety only to be hit himself.  Teal’c laid down cover fire and the mob backed away letting the soldiers come forward with their weapons.  Teal’c was shouting something over his shoulder and the team started back to back up.

 

Next, he saw the infirmary of a ship with Jack and Mitchell under care.  Vala was standing beside Jack’s bed and seemed to be yelling at him.  The vision fogged and when it cleared, Daniel saw Vala at the controls of an F-302 flying in a low cloud cover when the ship  exploded into a million pieces.

 

“NOOOOO!” he cried out, startling his companions.  He fell to the ground, trying not to lose his lunch on the floor.

 

“Daniel, what happened?” Bran asked as he jumped up and went his side.

 

Taking several deep breaths, the man got himself under control, “I’m sorry, Bran.  I really can’t tell you.”

 

“He had a vision, young one, of something that has caused him fear and pain.  Bran, fetch some water for him.  Is there something I can do to help you, Daniel?”

 

Looking up at the older man, he wondered.  Would the Tuatha consider this a breach of trust that the other man had guessed his gift?  He sat in silence for several minutes, waiting for blindness or insanity to overtake him, but nothing happened.  Maybe because Nesterio didn’t know that it was a gift and assumed it was an isolated vision, the archeologist suffered no damage.

 

Daniel let out a sigh of relief and shook his head as he got back into his chair.  “Nesterio, how do people that aren’t prisoners get here?  Like the ones that defect.”

 

“There is only one place where they can cross over to The Island without the guards knowing it.  It has to be done by boat and under cover of darkness.  And must be well planned out.”

 

“What happens if a flying ship tries to land here?”

 

“We don’t have flying ships, Daniel,” Bran said matter-of-factly.

 

“No, Bran— but we do.”

 

Nesterio’s eyes widened, “Oh, no.  A flying ship cannot come here.  The dome over the entire island will incinerate anything that tries to go through it.  We find parts of birds all the time that have flown too high.  No, that would be the death of any who try.”

 

Daniel’s face blanched.  How could he stop her from coming here?  How could he let her know that she was in danger?

 

“Serin said you have a way to communicate with Ertieg… can we get a message to Odoaker to let him know that my people are on their way to rescue me by a spaceship?” Daniel asked urgently.

 

Nodding his old and grizzled head, Nesterio said, “We will go to the station tonight and get a message out.”

 

***

 

04 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 14:50 hours

 

Two weeks later, Colonel Adam Freeman sat in his captain’s chair looking out over a blue and white planet.  He had already called for SG-1 to come to the bridge and was now waiting for their arrival.  They all paraded in a few moments later, coming to a stop beside the commander.

 

“General, we are at P5X-221.  The country of Ertieg has already radioed that they have detected our arrival.  They want to know why we are here.”

 

“Tell them this is a follow-up to the meeting they had with SG-1 two weeks ago,” Jack told him.

 

Freeman nodded to his communications operator and the message was sent.

 

As they waited, Jack turned to Sam and asked, “Who was the head honcho down there, Carter?”

 

“Proctor Odoaker,” she replied.  “I believe he’ll be sympathetic towards Daniel too.  I got that vibe off of him.”

 

Jack ran his good hand through his hair and looked at the view screen.

 

“Just to be clear… you two will not be going,” he said to Vala and Carter.

 

“Kinda figured that, Jack,” Vala said sarcastically.

 

Before the General could snark back at her, the communications operator interrupted, “There’s a message coming in from Ertieg, sir.”

 

“Put it on the main screen, Lieutenant,” Freeman said.

 

The image jumped and stuttered, but it was clear enough that Sam recognized the Proctor.  She whispered that to Jack.

 

“Proctor Odoaker, I presume,” O’Neill said in a firm voice.  “I’m General O’Neill.  I’m here regarding a member of my team that you have imprisoned.”

 

The old man nodded his head, “I assumed as much, General O’Neill.  Our laws were given to you before your team came to Volzar.  I’m afraid that there is really nothing I can do to help you.”

 

“I really don’t want to hear that, Proctor,” Jack said angrily.  “There has to be something we can work out.  That is… if you still wish to have a trade agreement with our planet.”

 

“Then I’m sorry, General, we will not be able to broker a trade,” Odoaker replied.  “I see now it was a mistake to even think that this would work.”

 

“Aht!  Wait, wait… hold on a minute,” Jack paced in front of the viewer.  “Okay, let’s start this over.  Proctor, will you… please, meet with me about Dr. Daniel Jackson?  We can beam right to your office now.”

 

“I will arrange for you to be picked up at the ‘No Man’s Land’ gate in the morning.  That is where all visitors must enter our world,”  the old man let out a long sigh and wiped a hand over his deeply lined face.  “And General, do not bring any of your women, please.  I’ve had enough difficulty to last me the rest of my life.”

 

“It will just be myself, Colonel Cameron Mitchell who is Dr. Jackson’s team leader, and I will need your permission to have my personal bodyguard, Teal’c, accompanying me.  I’m aware that you do not normally let Jaffa into your country, but I’ll be insisting on this due to the treatment of my people the last time we were there.”

 

The Proctor nodded his head, “It is not customary to allow Jaffa entrance, but I will permit it this one time.”

 

***

 

05 June 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 08:00 hours

 

The next morning on Ertieg, Jack adjusted his sunglasses as he waited for the car to come and pick them up.  He had The Eos beam them right beside the Stargate.  He was still trying to figure out what he was going to do to get his friend back.  Shaking his head, he sat wearily down on the steps that led to the ‘gate.  He really was getting too old for this, he thought.

 

The car pulled up and stopped.  As Jack stood up the little rat-faced man, Sitrik walked into the ‘No Man’s Land.’  He seemed very giddy about something and that set Jack on his guard right away.

 

“You are the men the Proctor has sent me for?” he asked in his squeaky voice.

 

Jack made a show of looking around the empty ‘No Man’s Land’ and then back.  “Appears so.”

 

“I’m Sitrik, newly appointed Regent of Ertieg.  I’ll be taking you to the Proctor.  The Jaffa has to stay here.”

 

Jack knew that was not what was agreed on and thought, by the look of this weasel, he was trying to pull a fast one.  “The Jaffa comes too.  Proctor Odoaker has granted this already.  I’ll hear no more about it,” he said firmly.  He smiled as Sitrik went slightly pale.  “Okay then, take us to your leader.”

 

As the three men followed Sitrik, Cam whispered to Teal’c, “So how long do you think he’s been wanting to say that?”

 

Teal’c gave a grim smile, “I believe since the Chaapa’ai was first opened on Earth.”

 

Sitrik escorted the trio directly to the Proctor’s private chambers.

 

“You may leave, Sitrik,” Odoaker said firmly.  The Regent began to protest, “I will be quite safe.  The business these men have is with the Proctor alone.  I do not need any council members present, no matter what their titles may be.”

 

Sitrik scowled at him and slipped out the door.  With a nod of his head, Jack told Teal’c to stand guard by it.  Then, looking at Mitchell, the young colonel pulled out a handheld device and walked around the small room.  The Proctor sat and watched… amused.

 

“All clear, sir,” Cam reported.  “No electronic devices anywhere.”

 

With a satisfied smile, Jack turned to the old man.

 

“General O’Neill,” Odoaker began, “I have a message for you.”

 

Jack lifted one scarred eyebrow, “Really?  From whom?”

 

“Dr. Jackson.  He contacted me two weeks ago and begged me to warn you.”

 

“Do I sense a threat, Proctor?”

 

“Not from me, General.  Has your ship the ability to transport people from one point to another?” the old man asked.

 

Shifting uneasily, Jack said, “Yes— why do you ask?”

 

“How, if you will indulge me, do you locate the person you wish to move?”

 

“Okay, Proctor,” O’Neill was getting irritated, “I can see you know something about our beaming capabilities, so let’s cut the bullshit.  You folks have some pretty advanced technology yourselves.  But I also know, you know— that we have superior firepower, in orbit as we speak.  How about we quit with the games.”

 

Odoaker couldn’t help but offer a slight smile at the military man.  Daniel had told him how incorrigible his friend was.  Seeing there was no need for rhetoric, he said, “When Dr. Jackson was processed as a prisoner, he had a chip inserted below the skin.  This chip can negate any other form of electronic signal.”

 

O’Neill looked over to Cam, who keyed his radio, “Mitchell to Eos, come in Eos.”

 

“Eos here, what can we do for you, sir?” the tinny voice of the operator came back.

 

“Please scan for Dr. Jackson’s locator beacon.”

 

There was a moment of silence as the four of them waited.  “I’m sorry, sir,” the disembodied voice broke the quiet, “something is interfering with the locator.  We can’t get a lock on him.”

 

“Roger that, Eos, stand by,” Cam looked over to O’Neill and saw the anger brewing beneath the surface.

 

“What gives, Odoaker?” Jack asked in a clipped voice.

 

“When men become prisoners, they are banished to The Island.  We feel this is better for them as they are not cooped up in a jail vault, and better for us, as we do not have to feed, care, or guard them.  On The Island you can hunt, fish— there is plenty of timber for shelter, all that they need to make a… tolerable existence.”

 

Jack held up a hand stopping the man, “This sounds like a thrilling tale and all, but what’s this got—”

 

“Please, General O’Neill, listen,” the older man emphasized.

 

All the off-worlders glanced at one another surprised.  Then something seemed to click for Jack.  Pulling up a chair, he sat down and said to Mitchell, “Take notes.”

 

“Ah… oooooookaaaaay…”

 

The Proctor nodded, knowing his intention was received.  He continued, “The Island is massive, and we do not have the resources to keep soldiers there to watch over the populace, so the chip was introduced.  This way, we no longer need to keep any more than a dozen men to guard the road to the prison.  Moreover, the chip has a far more sinister function than jamming frequencies.”

 

“And that would be?”

 

“If Dr. Jackson tries to leave The Island, his heart will explode.  If he tries to take the chip out—”

 

“The same thing will happen,” Jack said taking his cap off and running a hand through his hair.  “OUTSTANDING!” he barked in frustration.

 

“Daniel got a message to me to warn you not to try and retrieve him.  He also wanted you to make sure that, ah… Vala doesn’t attempt to fly a… what did he call it?” Odoaker scratched his head, “an F-302 down to get him.”

 

“Why?” Mitchell asked, “it does sound like something she would try.”

 

“There is a dome covering the entire island that will incinerate anything that tries to fly in or out.  It cannot be seen, and it does not show on any radars.”

 

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose.  “What a minute.  How did Daniel know we were coming on a ship?”

 

Odoaker raised his eyebrows at him, “Dr. Jackson said he knew you, quote, wouldn’t leave it alone, end-quote.  He considered that coming through the Stargate, you would not be able to overcome our forces.  The only other way would be by ship.”

 

“Okay, I get we can’t barge in and rescue his ass.  What can be done, Proctor?” Jack said as he replaced the cap back on his head.

 

The old man looked over to Teal’c, a look of suspicion on his face and quietly said, “Please open the door.”

 

Teal’c bowed his head and opened the door.  Sitrik was standing right there, looking very much like a deer in the headlights.

 

The Proctor said, “Ah… Sitrik, I’m glad you are there.  Please run to the kitchens and tell them to bring up refreshments.  Do not forget to add the good wine.”

 

“Proctor, I really must protest!” he said as he pushed his way past Teal’c.  “I have been elected as Regent and it is my duty to be included in these proceedings, not fetching refreshments!  I will not stand by and let these… off-worlders manipulate you to free that… that… skrunilec!”  Sitrik directed a disgruntled look at the General.

 

Odoaker stood and leaned onto his desk.  With a very intimidating voice, he said to Sitrik, “I will not have that kind of language in my chambers!  And as newly elected Regent, you are still under my leadership.  Also, that post was just made and we have yet to decide what your duties will be.”

 

The tension was as thick as custard.  Jack stood up and asked, “What’s a skrewlose?”

 

“Skrunilec is a derogatory word used for those that support anti-separation laws.  I do not approve its use.”

 

Sitrik’s lip curled into a sneer, “It best describes that filth you sent to represent your planet.  It may call itself a man, but it is as unclean as any female,” he spat on the floor near O’Neill’s boots.

 

Jack looked at the spit by his boot, then at Teal’c, who raised an eyebrow, then at Cam, who’s eyes were wide.  Returning his focus back to the pasty man, O’Neill smiled and said, “Do you want to know what Daniel is?

 

“Daniel is a dreamer.  He is an idealist who has a love of humanity and life in general.  He’s an eternal optimist.  The kind of guy who is always looking for the best in people.  He may walk a fine line between obsession and diligence, and he can be a royal pain in my ass—but there is no one, NO ONE that is a finer or more compassionate man.”[1]

 

The General then stepped into Sitrik’s personal space.  Glaring down on the man he said, “And if I ever hear you call him an ‘it’ again, you will be breathing, eating and shitting through a tube.  Understand?”

 

What little color the Regent had drained away.  He looked over to the Proctor and seeing no help coming from that quarter, he shrank away from O’Neill and scurried out of the room, mumbling about getting their refreshments.

 

Teal’c stepped into the hallway and watched the man disappear around the corner.  As Cam started laughing, he went to the door and closed it, leaving the Jaffa to stand guard outside.

 

Jack turned back to the old man and smiled.  “Okay, Odoaker, what do we have to do to get Daniel?”

 

Proctor Odoaker could not hide the grin on his wrinkled face.  As he resumed his seat, he said, “There is a demonstration scheduled to happen in two days time.  It will be a massive street protest.  What Daniel did, sparked a fire of action.  Those against the laws of separation are going to march here, on the capital.  The council will have no other recourse than to call all the soldiers here to protect them.  During that time, you will be able to cross the bridge to The Island.”

 

“Can’t we just beam in?  And what good will that do if Daniel can’t leave without dying?”  Jack asked.

 

“The shield that covers The Island is from the old Goa’uld regime and, as far as we can tell, impenetrable by any other means than our codes.  All of our vehicles have them.  Also, Dr. Jackson had an idea about the chip, General.  He told me you have a weapon that will send an electrical charge to incapacitate someone.  I think he called it a—”

 

“A zat gun,” Mitchell and O’Neill said together.

 

“If we zat him, I bet the chip will burn out before it has time to send the kill command,” Cam said.

 

“Yes, I believe it will,” said the Proctor.

 

“But what if it doesn’t?  You don’t know for sure, right?” O’Neill countered.

 

“No, I do not know for sure, but the person that invented this device is on The Island with Daniel.  He said even if it does not completely shut it down, the mechanism will not work correctly, and he is almost positive that the kill command will not fire.

 

“But… it can reset itself so you will have to move quickly.  There is a red light, just under the skin on the inside of his arm, between the wrist and elbow.  If the light is steady, the chip is working correctly.  If it starts to blink, speeding up over a two-minute time, that means, it is counting down to execution.  You will have to get him away from the borderline as quick as you can.  If it is off altogether, then the chip has been rendered inert.”

 

“But it could reboot… If we take him out of there, it will still kill him,” Jack stated.

 

“Not if you cut it out when you hit him with that zat gun.  Or…”

 

“Or?” said O’Neill when the other man paused.

 

“Or you could kill him first,” Odoaker said quietly.

 

“Wait…what?” Mitchell nearly shouted.

 

“Daniel said that two shots from the zat will kill him and that will deactivate the chip completely.  He told me that you have the capabilities to resuscitate him aboard your ship.  But if the kill is from the chip, his heart will be beyond repairing.”

 

“That’s a lot of variables, sir,” Mitchell murmured.

 

“I don’t know of any other way for you to get him back, General O’Neill.”

 

Ripping his cap off his head again, Jack paced around the small room, “You got any better ideas, Mitchell?”

 

The young colonel shrugged, “Well… it’s not like he’s never died before.”

 

Jack held up his hand and looked shrewdly at Odoaker, “If we do get him out… what will happen to you?”

 

“That is the beauty of it, General.  No one will know.  Ertieg drops off the prisoners and doesn’t think twice about checking to see if they are still there.”  Odoaker smiled, “That is how The Island has become a country of its own.  There are very few real prisoners there.  And because of what Daniel did, the Islanders may now be ready to come forth as a nation and declare its independence.”

 

“Do you really think it will be that easy?” Jack asked.

 

“Not easy… but achievable.”

 

With a resigned sigh, Jack nodded, “We’ll get the ball rolling on our end, Odoaker.  You said this street protest was to take place in two days?”

 

“Yes, and that will give me time to let Daniel know that his plan is in action.”

 

“HIS PLAN?” Jack growled, “now it’s all so clear.  Only Danny would come up with something this cockamamie.  Okay— we’ll head back to our ship.  What will you tell your council members the reason for us not leaving?”

 

“That you have decided to honor his sentence and wish to begin our trade talks again.”

 

Just then, Teal’c opened the door loudly and let Sitrik enter with refreshments.

 

“Ah, good.  Food.  Trade talks are always better on a full stomach,” Jack said as he perused the tray.