“You, Sam, and Daniel?” he asked. “Jack, you never looked in a guy’s direction.”
Jack went to the library, hunted for the hand-fasting DVD, and handed it to him. “Here. I want it back. No commentary on the music.” He called for a 302 to pick up Mason as soon as possible.
Much to Jack’s surprise, their nanny walked through the door an hour later, not minutes after Mason left.
“Hi,” Jack said, watching Jerrie drag her bags in.
“Hi,” she responded with a tired smile. “I got back as soon as I could; I figured you guys would be busy with everything and would need an extra hand.”
“Actually, there isn’t too much I’m doing, at the moment,” he said. He got up and helped her with a heavy bag. “All the 303s are in orbit doing whatever they can to help, Sam is now in command of Area 51 and is getting her office together, Daniel is glued to a monitor watching the excavation of an alien ship buried in the Alps, and I’m on Olivia-watch. But it was nice of you to consider us.”
“Oh,” Jerrie paused and then shrugged. “Oh, well. Hi, sweetie.” She plucked Olivia from her playpen. “Ooof. I think you gained weight while I was gone; what have Mommy and Dads been feeding you, rocks?” Olivia was happy to see her, too, and pumped her legs excitedly as she was dangled in the air.
“I do need to get a report together, so I’m glad you’re here,” Jack said. “She’s about due for a nap, if you want to take one, too. You look tired.”
“I’m exhausted,” Jerrie admitted. “Duncan’s wife is Korean, Jack. She’s pretty broken up. Duncan, Mom, and Dad are all headed over to Los Angeles for a memorial with Dae’s parents. My presence upsets them. Being lesbian, or any of the alternatives, is a very taboo in their culture. It’s important for Duncan and the folks to show their unity, though, so they went to L.A.”
“I’m not sure what to say,” Jack admitted.
She waved a hand at him. “You don’t need to say anything,” she said. “Dae accepts me, and I know my parents and Duncan support me, so I’m fine.”
“It isn’t fine, Jerrie,” he pointedly told her. She glanced away for a moment.
“I’m not Korean, Jack, and I have no one to answer to about my private life. There is a greater concern, at the moment, and that’s making nice with Dae’s family. I insisted that my parents go.”
It wasn’t fine with Jack, and it also wasn’t his life. Reminding himself that Daniel snaps hard when he butts in, Jack backed down. He went into his office and put in an internet call to the United Nations. He had to go through a few admins and assistants, but he finally got through to the UN president and told him what his concerns were. Terebka nodded, the lines on his face more pronounced from the lack of sleep.
“We have been discussing that very issue, General,” he said. “So far, the only thing we can come up with is using napalm to sterilize the entire area. There are so many millions of bodies laying dead.”
“No, don’t do that,” Jack said. “If I can get the go-ahead, I will order my ships to use lasers. We will vaporize all the bodies. My concern is how the living will feel about it. Will they want to bury their dead?”
“Not necessarily,” Terebka said. “They usually bury their dead; in the past the dead were cremated. For religious propriety, our council from the Vatican suggested taking a Catholic priest and a Buddhist monk up on a helicopter and having them do a ceremony over the entire peninsula. Those are the two main religions in Korea.”
Jack sat back, drumming his fingers on his desk as he considered the suggestion. “That’s ambitious,” he commented. “It’s possible, though. A ‘copter will kick up dust and poison; my people can handle the fly-by.”
Davis was called in and the afternoon was spent making phone calls and arrangements. Jack paced the living room, talking into the earphone and wheedling his way up the Vatican food-chain.
“Look, Cardinal whoever you are, I’m being nice, here,” he explained. “I could beam myself into his popeness’s office or I could beam him to me. It would probably be easier on the Swiss cheese guys if you just told him I was on the line. General Jack O’Neill. He knows me.” Davis winced and went in search of aspirin.
The kids came home and greeted Jack before running off to find their own entertainment. Sam came in soon after and pecked his mouth as he paced.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Trying to get the Pope on the phone,” he said. Sam nodded, accepting the preposterous statement. Davis stuck his head out the door.
“Sir, the Dali Lama is a go,” he said, holding a thumb up.
“Your Holiness,” Jack said into the phone, looking at Davis. “Thank you for taking my call. We need a favor. Yes, sir, I could. Why, would you like to come over? We’re having spaghetti for dinner.”
Five minutes later, the pope was standing in Jack’s living room, staring in amazement.
“Oh, my,” he breathed, patting himself down. That seemed to be the usual reaction for first-timers. Davis poked his head out again, eyes widening, and he shook his head.
The pup gave a bark and wagged his tail. The pope reached down and gave him a pat.
“Welcome,” Jack said. “How was your trip?”
The pope looked at him. “That is humor, right?”
“I try,” Jack shrugged. “That’s Fang. He’s new around here, so excuse any bad manners. Colonel.” He waved Davis forward and introduced him. “Colonel, get our other guest back on the phone and see if he’s interested in a spaghetti dinner.”
“You work from home?” the pope asked.
“Don’t you?” Jack returned. The pope conceded that point.
The door opened again and Daniel came in. He stopped short, seeing their guest.
“Did he at least invite you before beaming you over?” Daniel asked, politely bowing over the pope’s hand.
“I was invited, yes, Dr. Jackson,” the pope assured him.
“Daniel, please. Jack, what are you up to?” Daniel asked. Jack touched innocent hands to his chest.
“Moi?”
“Oui, tu,” Daniel said, crossing his arms and waiting.
“Danny, Danny, Danny. Still no trust,” Jack sighed. “Can’t his popeness just come for dinner?”
“No, he can’t, actually,” Daniel said. “Not without an entire entourage and months of pre-scheduling and secret service covering the entire city.”
“You need food,” Jack decided. “I think the meatballs are ready. Jerrie’s home.” He turned to the pope. “Our nanny. She’s been on vacation. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
Jerrie almost dropped a pan when she saw their guest.
“You’ve outdone yourself, this time, Jack,” she informed him. Someone beamed into the living room. “No, I stand corrected.”
The holy men greeted each other and the children wandered in to see what the commotion was about. Stacey ran to hug the Dali Lama and he patted her, smiling like a kindly old grandfather.
“General O’Neill.” The Dali Lama held out a hand, which Jack took. “Thank you for giving me my country back.”
Jack shook his head. “Wasn’t me,” he insisted. “I didn’t know about it until five minutes before the public announcement.”
The Dali Lama smiled and shook a finger. “You had a hand in it somewhere, I can sense it.”
“Miracles happen,” the pope said.
“Yes, they do,” the Dali Lama responded.
The kids were fed and then the adults sat down to eat. The front door opened and Michael walked in. Someone had called him. He was trembling slightly as he knelt before the pope to be received.
“Come on and eat, Mikey,” Jack said, taking a plate from Jerrie.
“So. Folks.” Jack waited until he had their attention. “Here’s the situation.”
There were no arguments or discussion of payment; both men agreed to participate in the sanctification of the Korean peninsula.
“Do we know what started it?” the pope asked.
&n
bsp; “No, we don’t,” Jack said. “If anyone in our intelligence community knows, I haven’t heard.”
“I met with President Tien yesterday,” the Dali Lama said. “He also does not know why the bombing occurred.” He twirled a forkful of noodles around the bowl of the spoon like a pro.
“When are you going home?” Daniel asked.
“The Chinese military is being recalled as we speak,” the Dali Lama said, smiling. “My people are preparing my home and I will be going home in four days for the first time in almost fifty years.” He took a napkin and patted his eyes.
The phone rang and Jerrie picked it up in the kitchen.
“Daniel, it’s Colonel Sheppard,” she said, hesitant about interrupting. Daniel excused himself and went into the kitchen. He came out a moment later, a man on a mission.
“Jack, I need to take this in your office,” he said. “I’m sorry, it can’t wait.”
“What is it?” Jack asked in Goa’uld.
“They found what looks like writing in the ship,” Daniel said. “From the colonel’s description, it is definitely not Ancient. I need to look at it, so I need your computer.”
“Go,” Jack agreed. Daniel knew his code to get into the monitors.
Chapter 50
“Jack, you are so full of shit.”
Hayes would believe in aliens popping in for dinner, but not the Pope and the Dalai Lama. Jack had called him to find out if he wanted to join the ceremony on the Prometheus. When Henry asked how Jack had gotten the two men to agree, Jack told him about negotiations over pasta.
“Jack.” He turned to Daniel and Sam who were face to face with the computer in HomeSec’s monitoring room. He went over and looked at the screen which was showing them squiggles and lines. “We don’t recognize the language,” Daniel admitted. “I’ve run it through every program I can think of, and we got nothing.”
“Is Ninurta still in orbit?” Sam asked.
“I think so,” Jack said. He tapped the star-shaped comm which had become standard equipment on the front of his dress shirt. “Hey, anyone home?”
Ninurta was standing next to them moments later, looking at the screen. He was as stumped as Daniel and Sam.
“Most of the ship looks Ancient,” Sam said. “There are a few differences. For instance, the drive isn’t completely crystal technology; there is a type of wiring under the hood. The wires don’t hold any residue, but they are hollow which points to something being sent through them.”
“And there is Ancient writing inside, and there is also this one that we don’t recognize,” Daniel said, tapping a finger on the screen. Ninurta nodded thoughtfully as he pulled on his beard, absently nibbling a few hairs that needed to be trimmed.
“Well, I don’t recognize it, either,” he said. “I also don’t know the technology. It does seem as though it is a combination of Ancient and something else.” He looked at Jack.
“Sorry, no bells for me,” Jack said.
Ninurta started to press the beaming control on his necklace. “Oh, that young man, Grant, is ready to leave,” he said. “We spoke with his parents and assured them of his safety. Jonathan gave them your home and cell number. Also, Trish and Tommy are settled in on board; they’ve even been helping with the injured. Do you need us to stick around? My people need a break.”
“No, no, we can take care of this,” Jack waved a wrist at him. “Go. Have a safe trip. And don’t scare Grant.”
“Yeah,” Daniel added. “He’s a pagan and he’s been worshipping you guys. Let him down easy.”
Ninurta blinked at him. “But, Daniel, I like being worshipped. A pretty young man on his knees before me is a good thing.”
They ordered Ninurta off the planet.
“Sam, are we ready?” Jack asked.
“We are,” she said with a nod and then brought up another monitor. “Daedalus, this is Carter. Are you in position?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Paul, Nick, and Ravenscroft came in and quietly shut the door.
“Argos, are you ready?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Colonel Sheppard?”
“Ready, Colonel.”
Sam looked at Jack. He stepped back to a row of chairs and sat, slouching with his hands folded behind his neck, waiting. Sam straightened and tugged at her uniform.
“Colonel Sheppard, when you are ready, you may begin a countdown,” she said.
They watched Sheppard on the monitor. He was alone in the old jumper. Sheppard sat at the main console, his hands hovering over the controls. The team had spent hours getting the old, burnt out crystals out of the engine and replacing them with new ones, jury-rigging the unknown wires around the crystals, and having Sheppard poke a finger at various parts of the ship’s anatomy.
“Daedalus, on one,” he said.
“We got yer six, Sheppard,” Caldwell acknowledged reassuringly.
John touched the console and the ship reluctantly came to life. After a moment of making sure the ship wasn’t going to sputter its last breath, he began a count-down.
“….three, two,…. one.”
The moment the ship burst from its mountain tomb, the cavern it left behind was instantly filled with quick-drying concrete from Daedalus and rocks from Argos. The top of the mountain trembled, rocks and snow fell as concrete oozed from the large hole.
“I need to land!” Sheppard called out, struggling to control the ship. “This Betty is boppin’!”
“Get it to Area 51!” Sam ordered. “Daedalus, keep him in your cross-hairs.”
“We got him,” Caldwell said.
“Colonel Carter, I won’t make it to Nevada!” Sheppard informed her. “I can make it to Austria’s Yard!”
“Brigadier Schoepke; sir, please clear your field!” Sam said at a monitor to the CO of Austria’s Yard.
“The far southeast field is open, Colonel,” the brigadier said. Austria had been watching the games on the mountaintop since the craft was first uncovered. They watched as the old jumper fought against the pilot. Beads of sweat dotted Sheppard’s forehead, his jaw clenched as he argued with the ship to do his bidding.
“Why can’t he use the hanger bay of a 303?”
Jack and Sam glanced back, having forgotten that Nick had snuck in with Paul.
“The bay isn’t big enough for something of that size,” Sam said. “The mouth of the bay is just big enough to let the gliders in and out.”
Jack looked at her.
”Working on it,” she sighed.
The jumper pitched and rolled in the air. Sheppard swore at it, muttering about machines with semi-intelligence.
“It isn’t the machine, Colonel,” Jack said. “You are in control, you just need to adjust your sense of the machine to take into account…..”
“No, sir!” Sheppard snapped. “It’s fighting. I’ll land this fucker and then I want out of it. You need to touch it, sir; it isn’t like other Ancient machines. If I believed in ghosts, I’d swear this thing is haunted.”
The jumper landed in the Austrian Yard, sliding several hundred feet and doing a roll before digging into grass and coming to an abrupt halt. Rescue workers began to rush out to him.
“Colonel, are you alright?” Jack asked, waiting impatiently for the image to adjust.
“Hunky-dory, sir.” Sheppard was sitting on the ground, frowning at his arm. A medic was in the process of putting the arm in a sling while someone else dabbed at a bleeding cut on Sheppard’s scalp.
“Need to put seatbelts in those things,” he grumbled.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Sam asked.
“Fine,” he snapped, glancing menacingly at the ship behind him. “That thing is possessed. You drive it. Ma’am.”
While Sam had the commander of the Austrian Yard, Brigadier Schoepke, put the ship under lock and key until they could figure it out, Jack made sure everything was ready on board the Prometheus. He hated having to dress up and play nice, but he had backed himself into a corne
r. It didn’t occur to him that by offering one of his ships, he had to play host. At least Matty was going to be at his side. When the kids found out what was going to be happening, Matthew asked if he could go and watch.
“You want to see a memorial service?” Jack asked.
“No, I want to see how two different religions do it,” Matty clarified.
“Matt, do you understand that this is about the murder of millions of people?” Jack asked, not understanding where this side of Matthew was coming from. “Even I don’t want to be there.”
“I know,” Matthew nodded solemnly. “I’m not sure I can explain it; I just want to be there.” His voice unexpectedly hit a high note and he looked horrified. Davy stopped chasing Olivia around the rug, stared at his brother, and laughed. Fang pranced and took a lick at the baby. She swatted in his direction.
“David,” Jack shook his head in warning. “It’s alright, Matty, try and ignore it. And, yes, you may come with us. You’ll need your formal suit. Go on and get ready. Take a shower first.”
Jack called Henry back and informed him that it would be a good idea if he also made it to the ceremony. If not as the US President and for the sake of public relations and the fact that it was simply a good idea, but as training for Henry’s future position as Earth’s delegate to the United Worlds. A few of the HomeSec members were making quiet objections to what they saw as the US taking control not only on their world, but off their world as well. Jack told Keir to quiet the protests; Henry would be answerable to the council just as Jack was. The UN was even more unhappy with Jack.
More protests were coming down the grapevine. The Vatican wasn’t too keen on their pontiff making his debut on board a space ship. The Joint Chiefs didn’t want Henry off world, either; once was more than enough for their peace of mind. President Tien was going to join them on board the Prometheus, as well as many other leaders from around the world. The rest of the 303s would be keeping an eye on the planet and various missile silos.
“Dad? I changed my mind,” Matty said from the top of the stairs. “I don’t want to go.” Suspicious, Jack sent out a feeler.
“Matty, most of the people there will be men,” he said. “Military events tend to happen that way. We’ve all been through it. You might get teased a little, but we all understand. Just laugh it off.”
The Anunnaki Unification, Book 3: A Stargate SG-1 Fan Fiction Story Page 25
