DANIEL* RETURNS TO THE BETA SITE FROM THE SGC

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Daniel* appeared out of subspace. Still hugging the poster tube and still trembling, vigorously. The Logistics officer kindly gave Daniel* his books back.

"O'Neill*, Daniel Jackson* appears to be intoxicated. Perhaps by alcohol."

"Dubious.. ..or shock Teal'c*, shock. I've seen that look before."

Colonel O'Neill* ran from the side of the stores warehouse, passed the descending Logistics personnel and bounced up the StarGate arch steps to where Daniel* was still shaking.

"Come on put that stuff down. Let go."

He took the poster tube off Daniel* and with his other hand pulled the books away from him.

"Addresses!"

"What in here? Nice."

He stuffed the poster tube under the arm he was carrying the books with and with his free hand firmly held Daniel's* arm.

"Okay Daniel* there we go. Come on lets go down. Whats happened back there? Are you alright?"

"Em I think so."

"Daniel*?"

"Oh hi Jack*."

The Colonel began to laugh.

"Hey Daniel*, come on you made it, well done."

"Oh it was easy.. ..right?"

"Sure was. Really? Did you get my hat?"

"I don't know. Erm I don't think so."

"Daniel* You're shaking."

"I know Jack* I can't stop."

"Its being in close quarters, its never an easy issue. I remember that feeling Daniel*, you've done extremely well, and don't worry, the shaking will stop. Once you get back to our new home, you'll feel the dangers over, you'll be just fine. Just fine. Take it easy okay."

Jack* wondered if this wasn't some un-oiled side effect of their androidal state. Daniel* never reacted like this in all the danger situations they'd been in, and they'd been a great many of those.

"Thanks Jack*. Thank you. I looked for your cap."

"Hey I was only joking, maybe next time."

"Next time?"

"Well next time we'll all go, hows that?"

"I don't know, I might be out on a dig somewhere with Harlan."

"Gotcha."

"Maybe next time they'll invite us."

"May be. Who knows. Have you thought of a name for our new Home-World yet?"

"Ou erm, no."

"Well maybe you and Sam* can put your heads together and come up with something, soon."

"Yeah, yeah, that'll be fun."

"But not funny, eh?"

"I almost.. ..Jack* they almost saw me."

Major Carter*, who had been remaining quiet, had just begun to make her way from the side of the warehouse over to her team-mate's position.

"Dial it up Carter*. Its alright Daniel* don't worry, we'll have you home in just a second. Well done. Nice one. You've done a great job Daniel*, really."

Daniel* was staring out across the compound at nothing in particular. Under the jurisdiction of The SGC he had face many many difficult and dangerous situations. But he'd honestly never faced a situation where he had had to hide from, and deceive, his own people. It was one of the most distasteful things he'd had to do.

Added to which he'd almost been caught. The feeling that he'd almost been compromised, in se, they had all nearly been. The whole matter left him feeling shaky and sneaky. And he really didn't like it.

"Daniel Jackson* it is good to see you. Are you not well?"

"Em I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. Can we go home now?"

Teal'c* took possession of the books from Colonel O'Neill*, he placed them down on top of some packing crates.

As Major Carter* dialled the StarGate a number of personnel began to approach her at the D.H.D., seemingly on their way to Earth.

"Teal'c*!"

"Indeed O'Neill*."

Teal'c leaped into their pathway and produced an authoritatively forbidding palm.

"Airmen, it is essential for the purpose of security that you proceed no further."

The Airmen in concert, "Yes Sir." Together they did an about face, jumped to attention and stood as statutes.

Colonel O'Neill* joined Major Carter* at the D.H.D.

"How did it go today Major*?"

"Sir you did a fine Job."

"And Harlan?"

"Sir he's safe. He'll be Gating through to the Home-World by tomorrow p.m.. SG-5 are there now tying everything up. Em, a team of Techs have been sent to sweep the StarGate, make sure its viable. Extensive fire damage, mainly from staffs, mainly ground floor and basement. No casualties. Thirteen down. Three captive. One Goa'uld, downed by you."

"In the next day or two I want a full written Mission report."

"Yes Sir."

"Carter*, Major*, a full debrief, all the details, start to finish. All the details!"

"All Sir?"

"All the details!"

"Yes Sir."

"What was it like?"

"What Sir?"

"Don't give me that Carter*, you know what I mean."

"It was nice to see him Sir. It was nice to see.. ..you Sir."

"Yeah I know what you mean."

"You do?"

"Look Carter*, the Gates open."

Whooosh!

"Okay Daniel*, you two split and err, we'll see you back at the Home-World later on this evening. We're not going to be going back to nine eight niner just yet, Carter* will explain everything to you. Nice work Daniel*. Nice work Major*."

"Sir."

"Thank you.."

Daniel* could hardly talk. He sounded completely exhausted. If he could just sit down and.. ..sit down, stop shaking, he'd be fine.

"Okay Jack*. Okay Teal'c* see you later. I've got some things in my pockets."

"Okay Daniel* we'll sort all that out later. You go back with Carter* and have yourself a nice long rest. Take it easy okay."

"Thanks Jack*. I feel really tired. Bye. Bye Teal'c*."

"Indeed Daniel Jackson*. I look forward to learning the details of your accomplished Mission to The SGC."

"So do I. Debrief seventeen hundred tomorrow!"

"Yeah Daniel* so do I. You've done great. Come on lets go. See you Sir. Teal'c*.

Colonel O'Neill* handed Major Carter* Daniel's* stack of books. He kept on to the tube containing the StarGate addresses.

"Carter* I'll scan these StarGate Addresses so that we've got a stored copy."

She was slowly walking up the steps towards the light.

"Sir that's perfect. That's the most important bit of Intel we have. Well that and our stored images."

"We've still got approximately eighty percent of the download to transfer. It shouldn't take to long should it?"

"Definitely not Sir. That system tasks at an incredible rate, the digital frame encoding buffers just suck everything in, it shouldn't take you very long at all."

"Okay then. I think what Teal'c* and I will do is finish the transfers. Get this stellar stuff scanned in and then kick back for awhile, wait until the coast is clear and then we'll Gate through later on this evening. Hey Carter*, you we're right about preparing the Home-World in advance. Good thinking."

"Thank you Sir."

"Carter*."

"What Sir?"

"Don't worry about that close call."

"I know, but theres a lot at stake."

"There is a lot at Stake Carter*, but its passed now. You didn't get caught. Don't let it play on your mind."

"Can you tell?"

"I think we can all tell Carter*."

"Okay Sir, thanks, I'll try my best. Oh Sir, I completely forgot, em there was err, an Al'kesh. Slight damage, salvageable. Orbiting the planet. We may be able to bag it, only if we act quickly though. I've actually got the Rings activator here with me, your other you let me take it."

"Did you tell him why you wanted to take it?"

"No Sir, I didn't mention that part."

"Um."

"Here it is Sir. Turns out theres a set of rings in the plant next to the StarGate, debrief tomorrow Sir, you can see them now there uncovered."

"The Gate, Carter* you'd better go."

"Yes Sir. Have you seen my bike?"

"Not recently."

Major Carter* and Daniel* left the Beta Site for the new Home-World. A lovely new horizon.

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© Richard Dean Anderson all rights reserved June 2006