I glanced around to the other tables, only a few filled with people. I looked back down at the print out file that I had escaped to the mess hall with. My life was rapidly looking like a TV show.
Cam's co-workers, and on the fringe girlfriend, finally knew the secret that was only dwarfed by the Gate itself: we were twins. After that bombshell had exploded I had quipped that since we were fraternal twins, only a few people could tell we were twins - or even related sometimes. Cam said he was glad too; he had been called a 'pretty boy' all his life, and was sure I had something to do with it. I had shrugged and said that I was glad I could not be mistaken as a man. Once everyone recovered they asked us why we never said anything.
"It does not matter. We lead separate lives -"
"Or so we thought," Cam had cut in.
"And we grew up apart -"
"For the most part."
"Since I was in the Program and out ... sailing, I could not really tell Cam what I did."
"But I found out. It has to be a twin connection," Cam had said, smiling.
But now the 'reality TV' part of the program had ended and the 'Next Generation' had begun. Daniel and Carolyn had contacted me earlier in the day to tell me of an 'experimental lab' SG-1 had found. An unusual part had caught their attention - a man in a stasis chamber. Cam had pulled him out, brought him to the SGC for Carolyn to attend to, and had found out that the man - Khalek - was no ordinary man.
"He has identified himself as the son of Anubis," Daniel had said, pushing his glasses up. Reminded me slightly of Cam when he was in his 'glasses attracts chicks' phase. "Khalek is not giving us anything. No lead, no information... however Dr. Lam has found something interesting."
Carolyn came into view. "I transmitted the data I have so far. If you notice that the gene matching does indeed show that he is the son of Anubis, however something else is causing some higher brain functioning chemicals to be forming."
"It looks like they are in the 'higher functioning' regions," I had said, studying the transmitted chart
"Khalek is claiming he is 'learning how to ascend.' Now apparently Anubis had found this Ancient lab, made a son for himself, presumably to have a body to be able to take over and then ascend with, and gave Khalek his memories." Daniel had again shifted his glasses.
Carolyn had asked me to consult on this case - from light years away. Genetically altered DNA, evolving humanoids that potentially had more 'powers' then we wee mortals, ascending by learning? It's one for the sci-fi scripts. I got up for a third refill on my coffee and thought about it.
A question that stuck in my mind, and knowing Daniel to be the curious always thinking kinda guy, I'm sure I was tapping into him, when I kept coming back to the question. Why? Why would Anubis want to create a human - for the sake of my brain which, even though had caffeine, still could become sluggish - to 'learn' how to evolve and ascend, when he himself was halfway ascended?
"Oh my gawd," I muttered as I grabbed my notes and files. I probably was a bit behind in the thought process, but with Daniel and Carolyn, I could help bounce ideas off of them.
- - -
"Jackson and Carolyn are out," Cam said, looking away from the screen. "Something about food."
"Jealous?"
"Quiet. You said you had information?" Cam said, sitting back, arms folded and a smirk on his lips.
"Ya I have some thoughts, not really information. I was just going to run by Daniel a theory: Anubis was a half ascended being sent away to be in mid-ascended form," I started.
Shrugging Cam flipped a file open. "Never met the guy; heard he was rather nasty. Jackson was up against him at one point, some lady named 'Oma' told him 'no.' Wonder if he had that hurt expression when she told him that."
"Focus, Cam, focus. Anyway, Nubbie could be tricky, tricky enough to try a second time... in the body of his own son. Or," I paused and thought for a moment. "If he was really PO'd, he could ascend and do an Ascended drive-by."
"Where do you get these ideas? Are you sure you're my sister? Call me weird, but growing up in Tennessee seemed to ground me more then you up in Wyoming with the horses ever did."
"Hey, who got into the program first?" I eyed him over the screen. "Yup, that's what I thought. Talking about the ranch, have you heard when Billy's retirement party is?"
"You don't know?" Cam said, putting the file aside. "He is your step-father and you don't know when his retirement party is?"
"Cameron Mitchell..."
"Bailey Mitchell DeBarr..."
"How about you ask, pass the thoughts to Daniel and finally ask her out?"
"You make the world seem so easy," Cam sighed.
"Well, when you are floating around in a ship no one knows exists, it's pretty easy to see how small our mighty planet is," I laughed. We signed off and I turned my thoughts back to the Prometheus: Destination Unknown 2000, a Space Odyssey.
- - -
After action summery: Khalek forced Landry, Cam and even Daniel's hand after he tried to smoosh them in various ways. I was surprised when Daniel, a peace loving, can't the universe get along, kind of guy advocated Khalek's destruction. Maybe he realized the drive-by threat was real. As a doctor I have an oath that starts with: "I will do no harm" and I was glad that Carolyn and I could keep that.
Cam, however, rationalized his part, as he is the soldier. I have been with tough fighter pilots who, in a moment of confidentiality, have spoken of the fear they have when faced with the nightmares of those who they have killed. I told him to take time off if he could.
Sam has been adjusting to life in the SGC and being back on SG-1; she seem to glow a bit as she showed off her newly (re)issued patches. She came tapping Daniel on the soldier and seemed to smile brighter when he turned to answer her. Ah the easy of looking into the inside of the box.
Teal'c and Landry did not have much to say to me about anything. Teal'c simply since he does not talk much anyway, and Landry since he seemed to give up asking me how my job was and if I missed Earth.
I still don't know when my stepfather's retirement party was, so I told Cam to buy a nice bouquet of flowers and a new shovel.
"A shovel?" Cam asked, dismayed.
"It's a farm."
"Ya, but doesn't he have enough of them?"
"This one is to help him dig his way out of the shit hole of retirement," I said smiling.
"You are so loving," Cam said, barely breathing after he whooped and hollered.
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The Fourth Horseman Pt1