'Did you see what Colonel Carter did? Did you Thor?' One glowing
orb of pulsating light bounced in place with excitement, its flickering
tendrils intertwining with that of his neighbor.
'Yes, I did. And it was remarkable,' Thor answered as he allowed
the unaccustomed touch of his Ascended Asgard colleague. 'She has proven
herself most worthy to continue the work that we began and earned her
place alongside O'Neill as a member of the Fifth Race.'
He hovered in a more sedate manner, his undulating tendrils of
energy shone with a bluish brilliance that befitted his previous rank of
Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Though that accolade was long
gone, his overall experience in dealing with various races over the
centuries had been of immense benefit when he found himself unexpectedly
inducted into this new dimension.
To say that it had come as a surprise would be an understatement.
He had truly resigned himself to the death he and his race had planned
for themselves. So when he discovered that he was not dead and had
instead ascended... it had been quite unexpected. The one thing he was
certain of was that he was unsure of his exact feelings on the matter,
and his continued state of ambivalence was owed in part to the
ever-present Eir.
Thor gently disentangled himself so that he might conceal his
sudden feelings of discomfort from the enthusiastic ball of glowing
energy. Though he had grown accustomed to Eir's constant presence, his
friend's unbridled passion regarding anything connected with the Tau'ri
still tended to grate on his sensibilities. If he could borrow a phrase
from O'Neill - and he believed his Tau'ri friend would not mind - the
little guy got on his last nerve.
Even as an Ascended Being, Thor viewed himself as being more
knowledgeable than his impetuous companion. It seemed only natural that
he would do everything possible to prevent Eir from invoking the ire of
the Ancients who had long ago adopted the viewpoint of non-interference
in the matters of mortals less than themselves... especially the
irrational and primitive Tau'ri.
It had been only through the intercession of Oma Desala that any
of his race had been granted the unexpected boon of ascension. When he
attempted to remember his first contact with Oma, he only found vague
feelings of puzzlement, confusion, and a sense of wonder.
The sense of wonder, he could understand. After all, he had to
learn how to deal with a whole variety of sensations that he had never
experiences before. However, he had concluded that his feelings of
confusion were to be avoided whenever possible.
'After all,' Thor thought with some disdain, 'Supreme Commanders
are not supposed to feel confused or puzzled.'
Eir snorted and Thor ignored his comment as beneath his dignity.
Instead, he focused on the matter of their ascension.
Thus far, Thor had discovered only a few other Asgard that had
been granted this reprieve. Oddly enough, the one common factor of those
who had ascended had been their frequent interaction with the Tau'ri in
the past. Freyr, Hermiod, and Heimdall had briefly joined them in the
beginning, but had soon left for their own pursuits. Since no others of
their race had made their appearance known to him, he had to assume that
there had been no others.
In the interim, eavesdropping on Thor's thoughts seemed to occupy
an inordinate amount of Eir's time, and as usual, he had added his
opinion on that score. 'I agree with you, Thor. The only reason that the
others ascended had to have been because they all spent a lot of time
hanging around the Tau'ri,' Eir expounded for the tenth time in as many
time periods. 'It just goes to show you that the Tau'ri were on the
right track after all.'
Thor resisted his initial impulse to go elsewhere, knowing from
experience, that Eir would only follow him and tried placation instead.
'Yes, Eir, you have said this before. Many, many times,' He sighed, his
energies dimmed for a moment. 'And, much as I hate to admit it, I have
to agree with you.'
Eir brightened and bobbed with excitement. 'I knew it!'
If Eir stayed true to his previous habits, Thor knew he was only
getting started on his favorite subject, the stellar qualities of the
Tau'ri in general; and O'Neill in particular. He only had to wait for it
to begin. Once again, Thor was absolutely correct, to his chagrin.
'Their stubborn tenacity, boundless curiosity, and a passion for
living life to the fullest despite their relatively short lifespan is
something we could learn from. After all, we gave up the messy business
of sexual procreation for the humdrum and far more predictable method of
cloning to prolong our lives. And look where it got us,' Eir bubbled in
his excitement. 'It makes you wonder just who is the advanced race and
who is the primitive?'
Now, as in the past, Thor had been unable to refute that logic,
but believed he could, provided he were given the time and solitude to
formulate a rebuttal. Not that Eir would grant it to him, but it was a
fond wish of his. Becoming Ascended did have its drawbacks, and one of
them was his inability to shield his thoughts from anyone who was
determined to see them. And Eir was very determined.
Eir flared a brilliant orange and chartreuse as he continued, his
orb of energy bobbed and bounced with unconcealed enthusiasm. 'And you
said she couldn't do it,' Ernie, as he still insisted on calling
himself, snorted derisively. 'Are you sure she didn't have any help?'
His yellow and orange tinged tendrils attempted to intertwine more
closely with that of his friend, far more intimacy than Thor desired.
Thor blazed a fiery red before settling to his former brilliant
blue. 'You know the rules here, absolutely no interference from us. Oma
was absolutely adamant on this point, even you could not claim to think
otherwise. And I fully intend to abide by their rules.'
Ernie's ebullient energy dimmed to a pale yellow and stilled for a
moment, taken aback, as he remembered the warnings about what was
allowed - and what was not.
Oma had cautioned them... repeatedly about the risk they incurred
if they interfered in the development of the Tau'ri. They had been
informed of the consequences that lay in store for those who chose to
ignore that fundamental rule - expulsion. It had happened to Daniel
Jackson… twice. And while it was tempting... very tempting - Thor did
know that his present state was preferable to the alternative - being
dead. Ascension had its perks and he certainly had no desire to return
to the nothingness that he had envisioned as his future.
Moreover, he was certain that Eir, despite his failings and
impetuous nature, also understood the risks and would behave himself, so
long as he received adequate reminders of what would happen if he were
to give into temptation.
As they had done for centuries in the past, Thor and Ernie had
kept watch over Colonel Carter and the rest of the Tau'ri while they
were trapped inside that time bubble. In particular, they had been drawn
to the passion-filled struggle of Colonel Carter as she strove to save
her shipmates from certain annihilation by the Ori.
Thor had been very impressed with her refusal to concede defeat,
despite repeated setbacks - not the least being his hologram's
insistence that what she proposed was impossible. Because of his long
association and study of this promising race, he was keenly aware of how
long it took Colonel Carter to achieve her breakthrough, and the toll it
exacted on her mind and body. A lifetime's work, with very little time
off for recreation, save when the haunting notes of her cello sounded
through the space vessel that had become her prison.
And, Eir, being who he was, could not help but be drawn to observe
Daniel Jackson and Vala, as they emitted another form of passion that
colored the very air with its intensity. Their joining involved a form
of physical intimacy that Eir had longed to witness for years, but
O'Neill had not allowed it. The distraction had come at a most opportune
time for Thor, and he was extremely thankful that it had occurred. If it
had not, he would have needed to formulate something on his own.
So, with Eir fully engrossed in the romantic endeavors between the
male and female Tau'ri, Thor was able to aid Colonel Carter in her
search. If his hologram was able to provide assistance in her quest to
save herself, her friends, and the technology that had been gifted them
by his race, so much the better. So long as it was only his hologram -
and not his new form of existence - he had not broken any rules.
No matter what Eir might think, he had not interfered. And he
would not do so in the future.
oOo
Jack stood, which seemed to be the signal for everyone else seated to
push back from the briefing room table. He took his time, memorizing the
faces of everyone in the room. Despite what he'd just been told, Teal'c,
whose swath of white hair gleamed in the florescent light, was the only
one who showed signs of aging. Yet, the T-man had insisted that he told
the truth. And in all his time with the Jaffa, he'd never had cause to
doubt his word.
The news of the explosive end of the Asgard had been a bit much for
him to digest. He still could not - would not - accept that the
meddlesome but well-meaning race was no more. And as for his buddies
Ernie and Thor - well he refused to believe that they were really gone.
Surely they, of all... people... could have figured a way out of the
corner they'd painted themselves into.
No, Carter must be - had to be - wrong. They weren't gone, and were
probably just waiting to show themselves again, just when he least
expected it. For all he knew, he might be beamed up before he left the
room... business as usual with his little gray buddies.
Jack resolved to speak to Carter about this... and other things...
when they had a private moment. As for her revelation that Thor had
named them the Fifth Race - why was he not surprised?
Jack shook his head in wonder. "I'll admit I've heard some stories in
my time, but this one... this one takes the cake, Teal'c." Jack smirked
at his pun. "Speaking of which..." he paused meaningfully.
"Yes, sir, there is cake. And we've only been waiting for this
debrief to end so that we could all dig in," General Landry assured him
with a smile.
"For me?" Jack grinned and patted his stomach. "Then, by all means,
let's eat."
He mentally crossed his fingers that Thor wouldn't choose that moment
to beam him up, and stiffened, awaiting the inevitable disorientating
flash of incandescent light. When nothing happened, he allowed himself
to relax a hair, and focused his attention on the people in the room.
After all, there was cake awaiting his attention - and 'other'
things too.
As they filed from the room, Jack studied them, and the way they
interacted with each other. They were a team, close - the way they had
to be in order to function effectively as a unit. And that only
reinforced the unavoidable fact that there was a gulf that had opened
between him and them.
He was the outsider now, The Man. Mentally he hung quotes around the
hated phrase that had come to symbolize everything he had rebelled
against - and all of what he had become. He sobered for a moment,
feeling very old and alone.
As he watched, Carter paused, glanced back at him and smiled, her
eyes lit with pleasure at seeing him - as always it sent shivers down
his spine and suddenly the world wasn't the bleak place it had been the
moment before.
"You coming, sir?"
Carter was the perfect distraction from his worries. Her eyes were
blue, the same color as the sky on a clear Colorado day in mid-Spring.
The same color as the atmospheric envelope that ringed his home planet
as viewed from space. That image recalled the first time he'd been
beamed up to Thor's ship - and the still absent Asgard. That topic was
one he preferred to avoid for now, since there was absolutely nothing he
could do about it. Nope, it was far less bothersome to focus on
something pleasant... so Carter's eyes it was.
He decided then and there that he had to revise his list of favorite
things, and Carter's blue eyes would be near the top of the list. First
place was reserved for more private things, but the smile that lit up
her eyes would do for now.
"Sir, are you all right?" Distracted from his private reverie, he
took a good look at the woman who stood before him, her head cocked to
one side.
"Yeah sureyabetcha," he beamed, his dimple showing for effect. "Never
better. Let's get some cake."
Her presence was enough to help him shed the morose feelings of what
was no more. While it was true that he was no longer part of SG-1, he
was part of their history, and the training and wisdom he had given his
team as their leader had paid off. His kids had grown up and were flying
on their own. And that was as it should be - the natural way of
things.
As he followed his kids down the stairs, he watched each of them,
their banter, who they spoke to, and what was said. 'Yep, they made
it, even without me.' He winced as his knee chose that moment to
protest the stairs. 'Dang,' he thought with indignation. 'To
think there was a time I used to climb these things several times a day
and think nothing of it.'
He shook his head and continued down the stairs, trying to ignore the
ache of his protesting knee, while he placed a steadying hand on the
rail. 'Face it, Jack, you're getting old. At least Carter didn't see
it. Wouldn't want her to think I'm getting old and decrepit, even if
it's the truth.'
Teal'c seemed to appear from out of nowhere, "O'Neill?"
'Dang, his eagle eyes don't miss anything.'
Jack feigned innocence but he changed his grip to a brush of the
rail, and then raised his hand to brush his hair, hoping his friend had
not seen his moment of weakness. "Yeah, T?"
"Are you in need of assistance?"
Jack shook his head and waved him away. "Nah, I'm fine. Besides, look
who's talking. You look older than I do, but the gray is a nice
touch."
"I am fine; however I find that I am no longer as limber as I once
was. I suspect you have made the same discovery." A slight smile that
turned the corners of his mouth upward made Teal'c's ebony face look
much younger for a fleeing instant.
"Yeah, I have." He paused as he searched for the right words, "Tell
me, T. What all really happened all those years? How many was it?"
"Approximately fifty years." The smile had disappeared and his face
became impassive, guarded.
Jack's eyebrows rose, "Fifty?"
Teal'c inclined his head regally, "Years."
"That's a long time."
"Very."
When his friend did not elaborate, Jack tried changing the subject.
'What's he hiding? But then again, a lot can happen in fifty years -
a whole friggin' bunch of things.'
"How old does that make you?" Jack ticked off numbers on his fingers.
"Let me do the math. Carry the two..."
"One hundred thirty years old."
"Wow! You don't say?"
"I have said it." Teal'c's eyebrow raised and the smile returned.
"And?" Jack encouraged him to elaborate with a wave of his hands.
Teal'c stopped and allowed the rest of the group to continue down the
corridor without them, the smile gone as if it had never been. "You have
questions?"
Jack nodded, shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to look
harmless. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"About what?" His hands clasped behind his back, his face was once
more inscrutable and impassive as his dark eyes glittered stubbornly.
Jack paused and pursed his lips in thought. "What happened all those
years? I mean, besides what you put in your report." When Teal'c raised
one eyebrow, he took that as permission to continue and plowed onward.
"I mean, you and I both know that not everything makes it to the mission
reports."
"My report included everything that you need to know, O'Neill."
Jack cocked his head, "Nothing else you want to tell me?"
Teal'c shook his head decisively. "No, there is not."
Jack studied his Jaffa friend for a moment and then clapped him on
the back as they resumed walking down the corridor. "I've missed you, my
friend."
"As have I," and Teal'c's smile was genuine. "It has been many years
since we first made our acquaintance. A great accumulation of liquid has
passed under the river crossing."
"Water under the bridge, T. Water under the bridge," Jack grinned.
"You ready for that cake?"
"Indeed. I have grown to appreciate your confection
called cake. I heard that this cake was made to celebrate our return... and
yours."
"I've missed this place. The place - and the people," Jack shrugged,
"I'm not a part of it anymore, not like I was before. This place has
changed and you've all moved on."
"As have you; you now do battle with a foe on a different battlefield
- in Washington D.C."
"You could put it that way," Jack replied with an uncomfortable
feeling that his friend could still read him like a book, even after all
this time apart. "But they don't use bullets, zats, or space guns, and
they certainly don't fight fair. There's times when I would prefer the
bullets to what I do now. At least you know who your enemies are. In
DC..."
Jack shook his head as he remembered the meetings where he'd had to
fight tooth and nail for the funding the SGC needed, whereas the bean
counters had no clue as to what was really going on there or why the
money was needed.
"I too experienced this to be true when dealing with the Jaffa
Council. More wounds were dealt to me by my own people than in all the
years I fought our common oppressors," Teal'c shook his head sadly. "It
was an experience that I would not wish to repeat."
"Yeah, well somebody's got to do it, and these stars on my shoulder
says I'm it. So whether I like it or not, that's my job now."
"You are not happy?"
By this time, Jack and Teal'c had entered the Gate room where the
Stargate stood, magnificent in its simplicity and promise. "Oh, life in
DC has its moments, but I miss this place, the people, and the action.
Believe it or not, what I miss most is going through that gate not
knowing what or who is waiting on the other side."
Teal'c remained silent, and nodded.
'You know, this is the one of the few people who I know really
understands what I'm trying to say, even if I'm not completely sure of
it myself,' was the thought that ran through Jack's mind.
With a common thought, they both stopped at the steps leading up the
ramp. "Yeah, I never thought I'd say it, but I miss this whole traveling
through a wormhole to another planet thing."
"We have spoken of this matter before," Teal'c admonished his friend
gently. "And we both know it will conclude in the same manner."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," Jack shoved his
hands in his pockets and kicked at the foot of the ramp, the metal
wranged at his blow. "Does it?"
"It does not, my friend," Teal'c's face creased in a smile. "There is
much to my life that I would prefer to be different, but..." his shrug
spoke volumes.
"Ain't that the truth?" Jack shrugged, as his mind reviewed their
history. "But we've always been up front with each other... right?"
Teal'c seemed to hesitate a moment, and inclined his head, "We
have."
Jack paused a moment, and touched his friend's shoulder, then bent to
speak in a voice meant only for his friend, "And there's nothing that I
need to know? About those fifty years?"
Teal'c moved out of reach, his face closed and cold. "I have said it,
and I do not wish to speak of it again."
Jack held out his hands, placating, "Sorry, I had to ask."
Teal'c was silent, his eyes dark and unreadable.
"And I won't bring it up again," Jack added, his voice husky with
suppressed concern. Then he sobered, "About the Asgard, its true then?
They're gone?"
Teal'c's stiff demeanor softened as the subject moved to safer
ground. "They are, but Colonel Carter spoke with Thor before..."
"They killed themselves?"
"The blast that destroyed their world was quite spectacular, and left
no hope of any survivors."
"Crap, I was hoping..." Jack shrugged, "Anyway, what was it that
Carter said? Something about the Fifth Race?"
"Indeed, she did, O'Neill, Thor named the Tau'ri as having gained the
title of the Fifth Race."
"I would've loved to have been there for that," Jack said solemnly,
his eyes studied the cement floor, "Just to say..."
"Good-bye?"
"Yeah, I guess. I mean - me and those Roswell look-alikes - we go way
back," Jack waved at the back wall with one hand, "we have history."
"I agree," Teal'c's smile was gone but his dark eyes glittered with
pride and deep abiding respect for his friend. "You had the knowledge of
the Ancients downloaded into your brain, not once, but two times. It was
only through their intervention that you survived the encounters. In
addition. it was to you that the Asgard turned when they sought a
champion to represent your world. And it was the Asgard who brought it
to our attention that you were more than you seemed." He smiled, and for
once, his dark eyes seemed to glow with pleasure.
"Yeah, and what did all that get me? One huge honkin' headache and I
still don't understand half of what I did then. And, as for the Asgard,
well, look what happened to them. They're gone now, so I guess they were
wrong about a whole lot of things."
A gentle breeze seemed to come out of nowhere that brought with it
the scent of spice, reminding him of a Thanksgiving dinner complete with
turkey, stuffing, and apple pie. It ruffled his hair and jacket
playfully before it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
His hands out of his pockets, Jack spun in place, as he tried to
locate the source of the sudden gust of air. "What just happened
here?"
"I do not understand," Teal'c replied.
"That little breeze," Jack studied his friend's face. "Didn't you
feel it too?"
'Yes," he paused, "But am at a loss as to its explanation."
"Yeah, it's not as if somebody left the window open, not down here.
And it reminded me of something..." he pursed his lips in thought, "but
I can't quite put my finger on it..." Jack's words trailed off as he
scrubbed his face with both hands and then shook them, imaginary
droplets of tension and frustration raining down on the concrete floor.
"Ah, it'll come to me."
"Perhaps after some nourishment?" both Teal'c's eyebrows rose and he
gestured toward the cafeteria.
"Ah, yes, the cake!" Jack scrubbed his hands together with
ill-concealed glee, "Or maybe even pie? We mustn't miss out on
that."
Teal'c bowed his head with regal grace, "Indeed, we must not,
O'Neill."