Hargrove started the briefing as soon as everyone was present. A few bleary eyes greeted him, and more than a few people were carrying cups of coffee, or at least the Deuca approximation of it. The Pyrta had received about a billion requests for coffee in the early months back on SR, and the Deuca had eventually responded with a reasonable facsimile. It had the right effects, but the taste was still a bit off.
Suna had told him that some people had been unable to hear him on his previous briefings, so he tried to project. "Some of you know Captain Page. He's been doing undercover recon on P7Z-117 for the past week and a half. Captain?" He beckoned.
Page stepped up, and nervously cleared his throat. Small wonder, as there were over twenty people watching, including the Colonel. "117 is a jungle planet near the edge of the Milky Way. It's mostly uninhabited, except for a village about fifteen clicks west of the 'gate and a small Jaffa garrison about another half-mile past it. There's evidence of an old mining operation there, but that's long since done. Otherwise, it looks like some backwater outpost in the middle of nowhere."
"'Looks like' being the operative phrase here." Hargrove stepped in with a nod to Page. "With scanning equipment finally provided by our scientists-" someone gave a quiet cheer, and Blake took an abbreviated bow to the laughter. Hargrove waited for the chuckles to subside and continued. "Page discovered that the garrison is actually protecting a concealed subspace comm array belonging to Apophis.
"Now I know our usual response to finding one of these is wanting to blow it up or at least disable it, but that's not the plan this time. This mission will be covert. If everything goes according to plan, you'll be in and out of there without anyone even realizing you were there. Of course, you know how often things go according to plan." He added drily.
The Colonel held up a small device that looked like some kind of exotic hairpin. "Another little toy assembled by our dedicated scientist corps." He announced. "Think of it as a subspace wiretap. Jahu, your team's job is to attach this to either the subspace transmitter or to the array's computer core. Once it's in place, it'll start recording every transmission in and out of that place. Then, all we have to do is open the 'gate to retrieve all its information remotely."
Palkewa, a young woman recently added to SR-2, raised her hand and was acknowledged by Hargrove. "How are we supposed to get in close enough to plant it without being spotted? Jaffa aren't known for sleeping on duty."
"You're right." Hargrove nodded at her. "We'll be borrowing a trick from Suna and Cayo on this mission; using a distraction to keep them off balance long enough for you to get in and out safely. Still, if you're spotted, we'll be prepared to hit the facility hard and take it out instead."
He looked at Page, who flushed slightly under the attention as he spoke up. "There's a local animal there, kinda like a bat, except it's not nocturnal, and it's about five times as big. Anyway, I found out that these critters can apparently 'hear' some radio signals on specific frequencies. When I was checking my radio, they swarmed all around me. They're not carnivores, so I wasn't in any danger, but they definitely startled me." He finished awkwardly and moved back to join the others.
"Captain Page suggested that we use this as a distraction, and the Colonel and I agreed." Hargrove concluded for him.
"But if they find a radio, they'll know we were there." Palkewa protested again.
"That's where Exhibit B here comes in." The Colonel fished out another small device from his pocket and held it up. It looked like a slightly concave silver coin about an inch in diameter. "I have no idea how this one works, so I'll call in an expert witness to testify. Blake?"
The red-headed scientist stepped forward, amused. "It's an idea I borrowed from the Goa'uld, actually. It's an energy projector, but instead of blasting a wide area with radiation, it basically just zaps a single target three times with a 'zat' blast. If you attach it to a radio and trigger it remotely, the radio and the projector will disintegrate, leaving nothing behind to find."
The Colonel's expression showed concern, and he carefully put the coin-shaped death machine down on the table. Blake smiled at him. "Don't worry, Tony. It's not charged yet."
"Always good to hear," he responded to some laughter.
Page raised his hand as the laughter died down. "I heard our only MALP was broken. We didn't leave anyone there on 117, so how do we check if it's safe to go back?"
"It's true, our faithful, long-suffering MALP gave up the ghost last week," Blake responded immediately, "but it won't be a problem. I found a bunch of these in storage. They're Goa'uld MALPs." He produced a metal sphere with a curved indentation on one side, about the size of a softball.
"According to the records, the Ancients used a flying spherical probe the same way we'd use a MALP. These are the Goa'uld knockoff versions created thousands of years later. These can't fly, but they can roll around like a hamster ball to take mobile readings. They can also be modified into being stun grenades, or even bombs. Laser weapons, too," he said thoughtfully, unconsciously holding a hand to his left side. "Don't worry, though. These are configured only to scan environments. Just turn it on and toss it through the 'gate and I'll be able to get real-time telemetry from it."
The group looked at Blake and the sphere with some appreciation.
"All right," the Colonel broke the silence, "Page, you'll lead Jahu and the rest of SR-2 back to the array and plant the bug. Posain, SR-4 will back them up and move in if things go south- go badly, I mean. Any questions?" He looked around. "Dismissed."
-.-
As they filed out of the ad hoc briefing room, Tony caught Blake by the arm, stopping him. "I need a word."
Blake's smile faded a little. "Am I in trouble? That's what Hughes used to say when he was upset with Haley or me."
"Not at all. I wanted to say I'm impressed with what you've been able to piece together from the Goa'uld equipment you've found here. You've done quite a job."
Blake looked a little uncomfortable. "I can't take all the credit. Haley's had some brilliant insights into how it all works, and that wiretap thing was actually Govis' idea. Plus, we've had that Goa'uld Seraus' notes to work with, giving us a head start on understanding it all." He straightened up. "That reminds me. The host is awake again, and he's a lot more coherent now. Archie said he wants to talk to our 'chieftain' which I guess is you."
Tony considered for a moment. "All right, I'll talk to him in a minute. He'll almost certainly want to go home, and we've never actually visited his planet, so I want you to get another one of those Goa'uld MALPs ready, ok?"
Blake nodded.
"I also wanted to talk to you about this, actually." Tony lifted the 'coin' he'd put down earlier. "How hard was it to put together?"
"Not very. I had to disassemble a zat gun to get some of the parts I needed, but the rest was just some rewiring. Why?"
Tony smiled, trying to sound casual. "Now that you know how to put one together, could you make more without using actual zat parts?"
Blake shrugged. "I suppose. There's a basic Goa'uld manufacturing machine downstairs that could probably be configured to build the proper parts, if you need more. But why would you-" He stopped short as he looked at Tony in confusion. "Wait, you're not saying what I think you are-"
"Get started." Tony cut him off. "We'll need at least a dozen for now, and probably more later on. I'll be downstairs."
Still looking troubled, Blake nodded and took off. Tony felt a sense of gloom settle over him. Blake was no fool; he knew that these devices of his had another use. Ordinarily, Tony would never consider handing out what was essentially the equivalent of a cyanide pill to his people, but the missions they were undertaking now were against the more powerful and dangerous Goa'ulds. Now, every Survivor who went on a mission had a much greater risk being made into a host. Tony couldn't blame them if they wanted a quick and easy way out of that kind of hell. He'd bring one along himself, even if he wasn't entirely sure he'd ever actually use it.
-.-
For what seemed to be the umpteenth time in the past two weeks, Nelson stepped into the large infirmary room to check on their guest. Like most other rooms in the underground facility, this one used to be a research lab. When they'd gone through this place the first time, the Survivors had been hesitant to describe what they'd seen here. The boss had then ordered Hargrove and the Deuca to clean it up, out of sight of the rest. It must have been pretty grisly.
At any rate, the Goa'uld diagnostic equipment here had been apparently useful to the Healers, because they hadn't cleared it out when they set up shop. Nelson found that both disturbing and comforting at the same time.
Their guest was awake again, this time calmly staring up at the ceiling. From the doorway, Nelson could see that his hands weren't spasming like the last time. Across the room, one of the Hovakian locals rested in another bed. He'd broken his leg doing some rock climbing, and Tony had offered him the Deuca's healing services in an attempt to win some goodwill with the Conclave. The Pyrta had been hesitant at first, but had come around when Tony had explained the why to him.
Nelson quietly approached Archie, who was working on one of the terminals near the entrance. "Hey, Archie. You called me down here, so I assume he's doing better?"
"Much better, it seems." The Deuca replied. "He seems to be lucid for once, and asked for the one in charge. The Colonel is on his way." He sounded puzzled. "I don't know why his recovery was delayed, or why it happened so suddenly, right now of all times. Perhaps it's the result of the asgard method used to remove the symbiote, or the fact that he was a host for so long."
"Does he remember, well, anything?"
"I assume so. He's been reluctant to answer any questions I've put to him; he only asks them." Archie tapped a couple of Goa'uld keys, and the display screen showed an image of a human brain. "Electrical activity within his brain has almost completely returned to a human norm, and neurotransmitter activity seems to be leveling out as well." He gave a wide grin. "I must admit, I've learned more about the effects a symbiote has on the human brain in the last two weeks than in the last ten years of theoretical research! Perhaps I'll get the chance to study this effect again."
Nelson stared at him, a little disturbed. He was about to remind the Pyrta that they were actually talking about a person here, when Tony stepped in. He conferred with Archie privately for a few seconds, and then approached the man's bed, beckoning to Nelson.
The host propped himself up in bed upon seeing them. He ran one of his hands through his short blond hair and rubbed his eyes, waking up further. While he was thin, and relatively spindly for his height, he had an intensity in his eyes that gave him a kind of presence that made up for it.
Tony looked down at him evaluatively. "Welcome back. We weren't sure when you'd wake up again."
"Are you the chieftain here?" His accent sounded a bit strange, almost German in intonation, but his voice was steady and confident.
"I'm in charge, yes. I'm Colonel Antony Marcus, and this is Major Nelson Ahardt. What's your name?"
"I am Pol." The man closed his eyes for a second. "I'm not sure how to say this, but are you… real?"
Tony looked at Nelson and then nodded, slowly. "This is real, Pol. You're not dreaming any of this."
Pol let out a sigh of relief, and slumped back in his bed. After a moment, he asked, "And the… creature within me?" His voice shook, but only barely noticeably. He was obviously putting up a brave front.
"It's gone." Nelson responded quickly. "Dead. It can't hurt you any more."
Their visitor gave a long sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, and Nelson could see tears form in their corners. "I have lived an unending nightmare for a very long time now. The Healer told me that you'd freed me, but I couldn't believe him at first. Forgive me for being suspicious."
"Not at all." Tony put his hand on Pol's shoulder. "I can only imagine how I'd react in your shoes." He looked across the room to Archie, who nodded. "You've been off your feet for weeks, now. The Healer says that a walk would do you good. Feel up to it?"
Pol nodded and tentatively slid out of bed. He swayed a bit at first, but improved rapidly as he walked a few wide circles.
"Nelson, why don't you give him the ten-cent tour? I've got a lot to take care of upstairs."
"You got it, boss."
Tony started to move away, but Pol caught his arm lightly. "Chieftain… I mean Colonel. Thank you. I never thought that I would be… myself again. This is truly a wondrous feeling!" Despite his words, his voice still seemed to be tentative. Probably waiting for the other shoe to drop, Nelson decided.
"You're welcome, Pol." Tony smiled slightly as he extricated his arm from Pol's grip. "I'll talk to you later, all right?"
-.-
Pol's eyes widened as Nelson led him out of the makeshift infirmary and around the facility. He gaped with surprise when Nelson pressed the various door controls and they slid open vertically for them.
Nelson kept his tone light, as he told him about the facility and how they'd come to be there. He downplayed the fighting, and instead focused on how they were trying to understand the technology they'd seen.
Pol slowly came to a stop at one of the corridor intersections. "I have never seen such a place before. It is larger than my entire village! Yet… I feel as if I know it, somehow." He suddenly pointed to the northbound passage. "That way leads outside, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, that's right." Nelson said delicately.
"How did I know that? Have I been here before?"
Nelson grimaced. "In a way. The creature you talked about before lived here, while using you as a puppet. As… a host."
Pol gripped his head and closed his eyes. "Yes, it's starting to come back to me now. I feel as if I could walk these halls blindfolded and not so much as stub a toe." He looked pained. "I… I remember other things as well. So many things jumbled together." He gripped his head even more tightly.
Nelson looked at him with concern. He was breathing a lot faster, and he'd started sweating. His hands had started convulsing again, as well. Nelson reached out and took his head, gently, turning it to look back at him. "Pol! Snap out of it, buddy! You're safe now. Remember that, ok?"
Pol seemed to pull himself together, at least a little. His breathing slowed slightly. "Safe. Yes. Yes, I remember. Is there… a place we can see the sky? I could use some air."
"You got it." Nelson carefully began to lead him up the passage.
Outside, the suns had just begun to set. The sky was a riot of orange and red, with white from the clouds mixed in. Pol allowed himself to be shepherded to the treeline, and then sank down on his knees, sitting on his ankles. He closed his eyes and remained in silence for a long while, and eventually Nelson sat down next to him, enjoying the double sunset.
Finally, Pol stirred, opening his eyes. Nelson followed his gaze over to the relocated Stargate. "At least I remember that. The chappa’ai on my world was used a great deal, by the Jaffa and Goa’uld."
Nelson thought back about his own first experiences with the ‘gate on Earth. "It’s funny, you know."
"What is?"
"I used to go through the 'gate once or twice a week, max. And when I did come home, we went through lots of examinations and tests just so they could make sure we were ok. Now… we step through three or four Stargates every day! It's very easy to start taking it for granted, but each time we step through that event horizon, it's a wonder. A miracle, as the Colonel might say."
He sighed.
"We don't have the luxury of following all the old protocols we used on Earth, but some habits are hard to break. They were put in place to safeguard us and Earth, after all."
"And for good reasons, I think." A voice spoke up from behind them. Nelson looked back in surprise. Haley was standing nearby, looking at them apprehensively.
"I'm sorry. I just came up to catch a breath of fresh air. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"No problem." Nelson rose, and beckoned Pol over. "Haley, I want you to meet our newest visitor, Pol."
She smiled as she took his hand and shook it. "Just… Pol?"
Nelson thought over the other alien names he'd heard from the Survivors. All of them either had longer names, or various suffixes, or added indications of where they were from at the end.
Pol looked confused. "I have no other name, but I am a known herdsman. My father owns one of the largest flocks in the region."
"Pol Den Herder, you think?" Nelson joked, and Haley looked at Pol appraisingly.
"Well, he does look a bit Dutch, doesn't he?"
Pol shook his head, even more confused, and Haley laughed. "Come on. It's chow time inside, and you look like you could use something to eat. I'll explain on the way."
-.-
Jahu crouched behind a tree stump, just outside the clearing, and fiddled with the scope mounted on his new PL90. They'd skirted the village by a wide margin on their way out to the Jaffa post. Despite their local dress, they'd probably raise a few questions among the local people if spotted. It had delayed them slightly, but Captain Page had led them true.
He gave the new tau'ri a quick sidelong glance. When he'd heard that a few more tau'ri would be joining the Survivors, he hadn't known quite what to think. So far all of the people from Earth had been confident and skilled. Their scientists had used their vast knowledge to pierce the mystery surrounding the Goa'ulds' magic, and had found the Deuca allies who'd proven so very useful. He'd been proud to have passed Major Ahardt's training, fought shoulder to shoulder with them, and been granted control of his own team. It was an even greater mark of trust that he had been put in charge of this mission, without any tau'ri overseeing him.
Still, these new tau'ri reminded him more of himself and his team when they'd just started. Page and Avery had been apprehensive before missions, careful with what they said to the other Survivors, even soft-spoken to the other tau'ri. Even now, Page seemed just as nervous as Jahu and his team.
Perhaps these Earth-men weren't so different after all.
With difficulty, Jahu pulled his attention back to the mission. The Jaffa compound here was different than Nereus' outpost on P2V-171. These walls weren't palisades but actual stone, with two closed metal gates. He whispered a question to Page, who pointed out where he'd seen the concealed subspace antenna. Jahu had gone through the entire briefing not having even a faint idea what a 'subspace array' was, but he was comfortable with that. He had a job to do, a job that would harm the Goa'uld, and in the end, that was all he really needed.
He started to give a hand signal to his right, to alert his team, when he heard branches rustle behind him. He looked back swiftly, and found himself staring into the business end of a zat gun.
By reflex, he had his own weapon pointed at the stranger's midsection before he even got a good look at the man. He could peripherally see Page following suit, albeit a bit more clumsily.
The stranger was dressed in a brown and gray tunic and shorts, with matching wrapped shoes. Though middle-aged and balding with graying hair, he had a calmness to his gaze that hinted at both skill and experience. He spoke first.
"Easy, now. I don't want to hurt you."
Jahu kept his aim steady. "Then lower your weapon."
"You first."
Jahu heard more rustling, and the rest of SR-2 burst through the low-slung branches with weapons at the ready. "I insist." He added with some satisfaction as his team surrounded the man.
The stranger's expression didn't waver, but he slowly lowered his zat, and permitted it to be taken. His gaze did linger on the PL90s pointed at him, though. "I think I should talk to your CO."
Page's jaw dropped.
Jahu could hear the surprised exclamations from his team, and shushed them as best he could. "It's a trick. He probably overheard us talking earlier. Palkewa, take him back to SR-4, quietly. We can't risk him endangering the mission. If he resists, shoot him."
"Wait!" The old man urged in a low voice as Palkewa took his arm. "If you go ahead with this mission, you'll be lucky to get out of here alive! Come with me back to… SR-4, and then you can all hear me out, together. Just don't go out there yet, ok?"
Jahu nodded at Palkewa, who began taking him away, but Page stepped in to stop her. "Wait, I think we should hear what he has to say. The mission can wait until the guards' next shift change."
Jahu cast an angry glance in his direction. "For all we know, he's a servant of Apophis, and came here to distract us! We can't trust anything he has to say, not until the Deuca have cleared him, and perhaps not even then."
"I think we can." Page persisted, strangely confidently.
"And why is that?"
Page looked back at the stranger, his voice softer than usual. "Because I recognize him."
