Female of the Species

by Geonn Cannon

  “A ship approaches our position,” Teal’c reported.

  Cam and Daniel moved forward and flanked Teal’c’s seat. Cam craned his neck to look out the view screen as if something might be visible. “Anyone we should be concerned about?”

  “No, no,” Pemphero said dismissively. “Just a supply ship on its way to Viaxeiro. You can tell from the size. They need all that extra cargo room.”

  Daniel said, “What are they bringing in?”

  “Standard rations, clothing, whatever the Overseers think they might need. There isn’t a schedule. Sometimes you get two in a week, sometimes there’s just one in a cycle. Feast and famine, it’s the same all over now that the Goa’uld are gone.”

  “I thought you hated the Goa’uld,” Cam said.

  “I despise those gold-eyed bastards. But…” He sighed and cocked his head as he considered what he wanted to say. “The Goa’uld treated us all like cattle. But sick cattle doesn’t do the butcher any good, mm?” He looked to make sure they were following him. “They weren’t kind and they weren’t generous, but they had a vested interest in keeping us alive. They didn’t do it out of the goodness of their hearts, of course. Everything they gave us came with a cost. End the drought in exchange for a few potential hosts. That kind of thing. A lot of people are close to forgetting that part now that we have to scrounge for everything when times are tough.”

  Daniel said, “I suppose that makes it easier to fall into… less than moral choices.”

  “Mm,” Pemphero said. “And falling in with the Ori makes a lot of sense, too. Same deal we had with the Goa’uld, but no threat of being turned over as a host. It’s appealing.”

  Daniel and Cam exchanged a look. Pemphero grinned.

  “Fret not, fellows, I’m not one of them. I found a niche that works for me and I’m happy here. I don’t need to bow to anyone just because they have superior technology and fancier ships.”

  “Good to know.” Daniel turned his attention back to the sensors. “Will they be able to see us?”

  Pemphero shrugged and shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. “Might, but could not. I’d have to know more about their ship to make a guess. But it shouldn’t matter. Every time we make a trip to Viaxeiro, it’s in a new place with different star systems and traffic patterns. If they notice us, they won’t think it’s unusual.”

  Cam narrowed his eyes. “The prison isn’t expecting that ship to arrive at a certain time?”

  “No one ever expects a ship on Viaxeiro,” Pemphero said. “There’s no way for them to know when someone is condemned.”

  “So if it was delayed, no one would ever know.”

  Daniel said, “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking that ship is going to land so it can offload some supplies,” Cam said. “I think if we were able to get aboard that ship, it would be our ticket into the prison.”

  Pemphero said, “That prison is full of women, Colonel Mitchell. No matter how you arrive, you’re going to cause a fuss. There’s no need to sneak onto the supply ship. I could drop you down right now and get the same results.”

  Teal’c said, “Perhaps we would not have to be visible to enter the prison.”

  “You didn’t happen to pack those Sodan armbands, did you?” Cam said. “Because radiation or not, those things would come in pretty handy right now.”

  “I did not.” Teal’c turned away from the screen. “There is a tale of a war waged between Ra and Shaq’ran over a planet which bordered both of their territories. Both claimed it belonged to them but Ra was the first to establish a presence. He knew that he was at risk of an invasion so he immediately fortified his temple. But Shaq’ran was clever. He concealed himself within an offering to Ra. His Jaffa brought the alleged offering into a room of the temple allocated for these treasures, unaware that several of Shaq’ran’s Jaffa were concealed within. They waited for their opportunity and then emerged, taking over the temple from within.”

  “A Trojan Horse,” Daniel said. Teal’c looked at him. “We, uh, we had an army do something similar on Earth. Pemphero, is there anything on that ship which would be large enough to conceal us?”

  “No,” Pemphero said. After a moment, he said, “Not all of you. One…? Maybe. Possibly. I’ve seen some of the supplies being loaded at the Overseers station. There are usually crates that would be large enough to accommodate a human person.” He looked at Teal’c. “I’m sorry to say you’re out of the running, my friend.”

  “I’ll do it,” Cam and Daniel said at the same time. They looked at each other and, again in stereo, said, “Why you?”

  “Because from a physical standpoint, there’s no difference between us,” Daniel said. “Same height, same build. But if we’re choosing which one of us should stay on the ship we just hijacked and who should go down to the planet and be sneaky…”

  “You think you’re sneakier than me?”

  “I’m better at talking my way out of a confrontation if I get caught. And if anything goes wrong on the ship, I’d much rather have you there to deal with it, because that situation is more likely to involve flying and-or fighting.”

  Cam thought about that for a moment. “Damn, that makes a lot of sense. All right. Jackson will be the one to go down. Probably for the best. Vala will be happier to see him anyway.”

  Daniel froze. “Wait, let’s rethink this…”

  “Too late. Plan is already underway. We’ve gotta figure out a way to hijack that ship before it gets to Viaxeiro.” He patted Daniel on the shoulder. “Let’s go be pirates.”

  ~#~

  Sam hesitated at the threshold before entering Lokelani’s stronghold. There were no Cai Thior nearby that she could see and, even though she was wearing the uniform, she felt like a thief sneaking through the quiet rooms. She knew she was welcome, but was there a probation period? Would Lokelani expect her to have escorts until her loyalty had been proven? She didn’t want to draw suspicions if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. She decided to take the risk in order to gather intel. Knowing the layout of the house could be useful if they were required to fight in its rooms.

  As she explored, she tried to mentally picture the layout of the prison. From what she’d seen, the city occupied a good patch of the planemo. Maybe a few square miles? Whatever was generating the force field had to be somewhere near the center in order to cover the outer edges. And it had to cover a space large enough to include the vast open desert where ships dropped off the condemned. That would require a staggering amount of energy. If it was true that the only people who came to the planet were prisoner transports and supply ships, then it meant that generator had been running without requiring service for… well, longer than she could calculate. If she got a chance to examine it, there was a chance it would revolutionize…

  Lokelani stepped out of a doorway ahead of her and Sam’s rambling thoughts immediately went silent. The Goa’uld had changed clothes again, now in a dark blue cloak with a yellow border. The collar was open to reveal a black blouse underneath. She smiled when she saw Sam.

  “Sri Fraiser. How lovely to see you. I trust our new residents have found suitable accommodations?”

  “They’re settling in now, Lokelani, yes.” There was something about her smile that made Sam uneasy. “I thought I would come back here and see if anyone needed my help. When we received word of the new arrivals, I was helping Aalid and two other women with the supplies.”

  Lokelani shook her head and reached out, putting her hand on Sam’s shoulder and turning her around. “There’s no need for that. Come.” The hallway was just wide enough for them to walk side-by-side, but Sam still felt crowded. “I feel like I didn’t quite explain to you just how treacherous Vala Mal Doran could be. The woman has a horrid reputation throughout the galaxy. I myself didn’t know the full extent of it until a few moments ago.”

  “Is that so,” Sam said.

  “Mm. It seems that she’s found herself conscripted into an army. I was hesitant to
believe this at first, because Vala hardly plays well with one other person. An army would be unheard of. But you know what they say about rumors. If you feel enough raindrops, you must assume you are standing under a storm cloud. Have you heard that saying before, Fraiser?”

  They had reached the end of the hall. Curtained doorways stood to the left and right, and a flight of stairs directly ahead led underground. “I can’t say I have,” Sam said.

  “Well, perhaps it hasn’t spread to the Tau’ri yet.”

  “I’m…”

  Lokelani moved her hand to the back of Sam’s neck and squeezed. Sam hunched her shoulders and bit back a cry of surprise as Lokelani stepped in front of her.

  “You were followed when you left this house. You were seen speaking confidentially to the new prisoners, and meeting with Vala Mal Doran and her cronies. Did you think I was a fool who would trust you completely? You are not Cai Thior. You are just a woman in a uniform until you have proven yourself. You failed your trial miserably.”

  “Does that trust go both ways?” Sam asked. “Does your Cai Thior know they’re serving a Goa’uld?”

  There was only a quick twitch of surprise on Lokelani’s features, but she covered it quickly by widening her smile.

  “Clever. And I suppose if it is true that Vala joined forces with the Tau’ri, it stands to reason that you are a member of SG-1. Female, blonde, with the ability to sense Goa’uld? It took me a while to recognize what I sensed from you. It’s been so long since I was around a former host.” Lokelani’s eyes flashed gold. Her voice became a hollow echo. “Hello, Colonel Carter. I have been waiting for a moment like this for quite some time.”

  ~#~

  “I don’t want to jinx anything,” Vala said, “but I think things are going very well.”

  Tanis said, “What makes you say that?”

  “Just a feeling.”

  The guards they were following had stopped, so Vala and Tanis moved to stand against a nearby wall. They had split up when Tanis noticed another pair behind them, curious about why such a large group of prisoners was wandering together. Shein had taken Carolyn and Koty’r, because she knew the larger group would attract more suspicion, and set out to lead them on a pointless chase through the city. Vala suggested turning the tables, following the guards to find where they might be hiding emergency supplies to use in the event of a riot.

  “You and I have always worked well together, right?” Vala asked. “Whether we had time to plan or if we had to improvise, we always came out on top. And this time we have SG-1 backing us up! I know you have some issues with them, but they’re on your side this time.”

  Tanis scoffed. “I’m starting to think those women we used to be are long gone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Look at us!” Tanis said with a laugh. “I’m nesting in prison and you’re hanging out with the good guys.”

  “That doesn’t mean we’ve gone soft,” Vala said. “SG-1… the Tau’ri…” She struggled for an argument that would work on her friend. “You hated the Goa’uld, right?”

  “Any human without a snake in their head hated the Goa’uld.”

  “SG-1, Earth, the SGC, the people I’m working with now? The whole reason they started running around the galaxy in the first place was to stop the Goa’uld. They succeeded - yay! - and the universe became a much nicer place to be a criminal in.”

  Tanis said, “And now they’re trying to take down the Lucian Alliance.”

  Vala rolled her eyes. “Do they have irritating morals that sometimes get in the way of a good time? Of course they do. That’s what makes them the good guys. But they’re just trying to give everyone a chance. You have to admit that we were always very self-centered. Working for our own goals and damn anyone else. The Lucian Alliance is the same way. The SGC isn’t like that. They want what’s best for everyone. The Ori are an incredibly dangerous threat. I know better than most what they’re capable of. That’s why I’m working with the SGC.”

  Tanis examined Vala’s face for clues to what she’d just said. “What do you mean you know better than most?”

  “Nothing,” Vala said. “Forget about it. You weren’t the only one that had adventures after we parted ways.” She pushed away from the wall. “The guards are on the move again. Come on.”

  They were working on the assumption that the guards had some sort of protocol in the event of a catastrophic emergency. According to Carolyn, the Overseers who kept the prison running were really just a bunch of holograms with a very basic AI program, but there still had to be precautions. Shein, working with Carolyn and Koty’r, would stage a false alarm which Vala hoped would send their prey running to whatever safety gear they might have stashed.

  “As for you nesting,” Vala said, “that’s much easier to explain. You finally found a treasure you couldn’t steal because it’s inside you and it only exists when you’re near Shein. You’ve never been content abandoning treasure. You’re not settling down, you’re protecting the score of a lifetime.”

  “Huh,” Tanis said softly, not fully acknowledging the theory but also not ignoring it.

  The guards had stopped again and Vala sighed wearily. “Do these dullards ever actually do anything or do they just wander?”

  “The Overseers run a tight ship. No corruption, no perverts, no one who might cause problems. I suppose now it seems obvious that it was a computer system working to keep things running smoothly. But the end result is a bunch of armed men in uniforms who don’t have much to fill their days. They’re scenery.”

  Vala was about to respond but she was cut off by a sudden low moaning noise that echoed off the nearby buildings. Tanis had warned her about the horns, but she hadn’t expected anything quite so unsettlingly mournful. It reminded her of whale song.

  “Looks like Shein came through,” she said.

  Tanis nodded, watching the guards carefully. They lifted their heads as the sound of the alarm rose and fell in a peculiar rhythm. Shein’s plan was to scale the exterior wall of the city and then drop down to the other side, out of sight. Based on past experiences, that would be enough to send up the alarm. Any guards nearby would investigate and the others would prepare for a worst-case scenario. Shein had only seen it happen once in the time she’d been incarcerated, but she was confident they would lead Vala and Tanis to a stockpile of gear they could use for Sam’s plan.

  The two guards consulted briefly before moving off in a hurry. Vala and Tanis pursued. Vala twisted to look over her shoulder and aimed a warning finger at Tanis.

  “No killing!”

  “No promises!” Tanis replied, grinning.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  WHEN DANIEL was completing his PhD, he never dreamed that one day he would travel the galaxy exploring civilizations descended from the people he was reading about. Similarly, as a member of SG-1, he never dreamed the day would come when he would be crouching by a cargo hold waiting to hijack an alien supply ship on the way to a prison. Life could be funny that way.

  He looked across the hatch at Mitchell. Teal’c was staying behind to keep an eye on Pemphero, just in case his enthusiasm was a ruse. He seemed sincere, but he had also risked his own life blowing the hatch when he discovered they were lying. Daniel didn’t want to take the risk of being stranded just because the guy happened to know a few stories.

  The floor pushed up against the soles of Daniel’s boots, and he felt a twist of vertigo as they seemed to twist into a forty-five degree angle. Pemphero was lining them up with the supply ship, which was coming in at a slightly different trajectory.

  “Aren’t they also coming from the Overseers?” Mitchell asked, raising his voice to be heard. “Wouldn’t they automatically be lined up with us?”

  “We moved to stay hidden,” Pemphero explained without turning away from the controls, “and I got creative about how I parked us. You’d be amazed how often people forget space is three-dimensional.”

  Daniel’s stomach wished Pemphero had
been more linear in his thinking. Even Teal’c reached out a hand to steady himself against the bulkhead.

  “I’m sending out a distress call,” Pemphero continued. “Their crew thinks my life support has failed and we’re choking on the last bit of our oxygen. They’ll send out an umbilical when we’re lined up. Once it’s secure you can open the hatch and slide through.” He spun his chair to look back at them. “Are you sure you want to use those zats? Hardly anyone uses them anymore, and you’ll be much more threatening with deadly weapons. I have some you can borrow.”

  He started to stand. Teal’c crossed the distance between them in two strides, placed his hand on Pemphero’s shoulder, and gently pushed him back into the seat.

  “They do not require more powerful weaponry.”

  “And you don’t want me opening my weapon closet.” Pemphero winked and nodded. “I understand, big guy. Playing it safe. SG-1 didn’t get their reputation by giving weapons to the people they’d just met. But just in case this goes wrong and we need to arm up, the armory is in that wall. I’ll let you get the guns out when and if the time comes.”

  Mitchell said, “How long until we’re hooked up?”

  “We’re on a final approach now. Are you ready?”

  “As ready as we’ll ever be.”

  They both lurched as the ship came to a stop. Below, they could hear mechanisms snapping into place as they were connected to the other ship. Daniel looked at Pemphero to make sure he wasn’t taking any precautions for another loss of atmosphere, then reached down and opened the hatch. A wave of air shoved up though the opening, just a quick puff of solid air that moved his hair and flapped the material of his shirt but was otherwise harmless.

  Mitchell leaned forward and looked into the tube. He seemed to agree with Daniel’s assessment that it would be a tight fit, but they could make it. He sat on the floor, dangled his feet over the ledge, and pushed off. The sound reminded Daniel of a waterslide: a quick zipping whistle as the material of the tube brushed over Mitchell’s clothes. There was a quiet thump as Mitchell reached the other end. A moment later, the radio Daniel was holding crackled.