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A Face I've Seen Before 

Chapter 6

Ferretti stared at the console. They’d set the machine off three times, and had yet to bring back SG-1. His gut was telling him that the team had found something interesting…or important, but they’d be back before entropic cascade failure was a problem. He wasn’t worried. Not really. But he did need to let the general know what was going on. And he wasn’t sure Hammond would be pleased. He sent Kid to the Stargate with a message for the SGC, telling him to reassure the natives that work was progressing, just slower than they had anticipated. It was the truth…mostly. Coombs and Lee have taken so many photos of the thing they should be able build it from scratch, he thought.

"This is very interesting," Bill Lee muttered, examining one of the consoles. He had barely reached toward the glass surface when something…or rather someone…smacked his hand.

"No touching, Doc," Ferretti said gruffly. "Once Colonel Carter and the rest of SG-1 are back here, safe and sound, you can touch it all you want. Not until then."

Rubbing his fingers, he nodded glumly. It was sheer agony to be standing beside an Ancient device, and unable to fully examine it. While he didn’t think anything would happen…he paused in that thought, then looked toward the four pillars. What would happen if SG-1 didn’t make it back? Would he and Coombs be expected to go…wherever the premier team had gone, in an effort to locate them…or find their bodies? He shivered imperceptibly. He had absolutely no desire to visit an alternate reality. There are more than enough threats and dangers in this reality! he thought. His gaze moved back to the console…if this is set up the way I think it’s set up, we could rebuild this at the SGC! All we need is…well…the console….

Ferretti watched Lee for a few minutes. He didn’t like what he saw in his eyes. "Don’t tell me that you want that whole damned thing hauled back to the SGC."

Lee started slightly, then offered the Marine a huge grin. "It will be much easier to study it if we have it there," he replied.

"You lab rats are gonna kill me," Ferretti muttered. He walked around the console, looking at it closer than he had before. "Is built in sections?"

"It appears to be," Lee said.

The major heaved a sigh. "Okay, figure out if it can be taken apart. But don’t activate anything!"

"You got it!" Lee responded. "Simon! Let’s see if we can take this apart."

"Uh, no," Coombs replied.

"What?" Lee’s eyes went wide.

"We can’t do that until we get SG-1 back. We don’t know that the device will work properly if we try to take it apart."

"Well, let’s just see if it can be taken apart."

"Fine. But we are not touching it," Coombs muttered.

"You’re as bad as him," Lee huffed, nodding in Ferretti’s direction.

"Yeah? I’ve never sent the entire facility into lockdown."

Lee blushed brightly. Twice experiments he’d been conducting on alien devices had resulted in less than desirable results, and had triggered the alarms. Sending the entire SGC into lockdown. At least he wasn’t like Felger. That idiot managed to send the SGC into lockdown almost once a week. He nearly said as much. Instead, he turned on his heel and went back to the front of the device. "I’ll just keep copying down everything the screens are showing."

"Good idea," Coombs said. The scientist returned to putting his theories onto his pad.

General Hammond heaved a mental sigh. It was never easy with SG-1. Even the most innocuous mission could find the team in some sort of trouble.

"So far, we haven’t made contact," Airman James reported. "Colonel Carter insisted that we activate the device every hour. Major Ferretti figures they found something interesting."

Wonderful. SG-1 had found something ‘interesting’. And if that theory was correct, they had found that ‘something’ in an alternate reality. If they couldn’t make it back to the device in the reality where they were before entropic cascade failure began… He heaved another silent sigh. "If you don’t make contact at the next designated time, report to me. I’ll send another team. Major Ferretti will then be cleared to follow SG-1."

"Yes, sir." The event horizon closed with a hiss.

With another – audible – sigh, the general turned to leave the ‘gate room. Couldn’t help but smile when he caught sight of his wife waiting for him just outside the door.

"Long day?" Doctor Beth Meyers-Hammond asked, when her husband was close enough.

"It is now," Hammond grumbled.

"Let me guess. SG-1 is missing."

It was impossible not to chuckle. He had complained several times that he was certain the team was determined to give him a heart attack. "I sent them on what should have been a simple mission to deactivate an Ancient device."

Beth began to chortle. "You sent Doctor Daniel Jackson and Colonel Doctor Samantha Carter to deactivate an Ancient device? An archaeologist and an astrophysicist. And you expected the mission to be ‘simple’?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Hammond said, half-heartedly defending himself. "Doctor Jackson is knowledgeable regarding the Ancients, and Colonel Carter knows more about Goa’uld and Ancient devices than anyone else here at the SGC. I thought having experts perform the task would be in the best interest of all involved. The people living nearby are primitive, and an Ancient device in the hands of innocents is a recipe for disaster."

"I understand," Beth smiled. "But their curiosity alone is going to have them activating it, just to see what it does."

"I need to be more specific with my orders when I send them out," he sighed.

"Did Casey ‘see’ anything…have any warnings about this mission?" Beth asked.

"None. She said it might take longer than they planned, but…" The general shrugged. "I suppose if she didn’t see anything, I can assume that they’re all right. Missing, perhaps, but all right."

"George, if it were any other team, I’d say you’d be justified in worrying. This is SG-1. Those people are blessed. They’ll come home. And probably have an incredibly entertaining story to tell."

"Probably."

"And if Doctor Carter has her way, they’ll bring that device with them."

"Oh, I hope not," Hammond groaned. "Do you know how much paperwork is involved every time this place is put in lockdown?"

"Piles of forms, I believe is how you described it," Beth grinned.

"They’ll send the entire place into lockdown at least once if they bring that thing back here. Not to mention the danger of them activating it and winding up in another reality, again," the general complained.

"And when they’re finished examining it, they’ll have a better idea about the Ancients, and their technology, and will no doubt have at least a dozen ideas on how to use that technology."

"Are you going to do this every time SG-1 is missing?" Hammond asked. His voice was accusing. His eyes, however, were twinkling with mirth.

"Only if you need me to," Beth retorted, grinning from ear to ear.

"That’s what I was afraid of." His grin matched hers.

"Now, you promised me lunch out today."

"I did promise that, didn’t I?"

"Yes, you did. No hamburgers, either. I’m starving."

Hammond chuckled, and wrapped his arm around Beth’s shoulders. "Whatever you want, Darlin’. How about Red Lobster? All you can eat shrimp. That should fill you up."

"And out," Beth sighed. "But that sounds good. It’s a deal."

As soon as they’d stepped into the elevator, Hammond turned his wife to face him. "Thanks, Darlin’."

Beth reached up and cupped her husband’s cheek. "You’re welcome. I know you worry about them-"

"More than I should," he said quietly.

"No, that’s not true. You worry about every team you send out there. The fact that SG-1 is a team that consists of friends doesn’t make that concern any more, or less. Just a bit…different."

"What did I do without you?" he asked.

Beth smiled. "You paced a lot. And from what I hear, you got a tad grumpy."

The general laughed. "I can’t argue that."

"I’m here, George. Whenever you need me," Beth said softly. "Lean on me when you need to."

In spite of the camera in the corner of the elevator car, General George Hammond placed a chaste kiss on his wife’s lips.

The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. Wisps of orange and gold played along the lower sky.

Daniel looked around, then nodded. Only about a dozen of the people in the village were still visible. The others…he’d never believe that so many people could be so well hidden. "Okay, let’s get inside. We don’t want to be seen when the Goa’uld get here."

"We remain hidden as long as possible," Alexa added. "Allow the Jaffa to pass, and the others to spring their trap before we reveal ourselves."

"If the Jaffa find us before they head out looking for the others, make certain that you run toward the hill, as if you’re following the others," Daniel added.

"If we see Joseph…" one of the women started.

"If he is with the Jaffa, he is an enemy," Alexa said, her voice firm. "Kill him."

Casey shivered. Traitors, in any reality, were not dealt with gently. By their very nature, traitors put innocent lives in danger. Eliminating them was the only way to protect the innocent. It wasn’t a pleasant fact, but it was a fact, nonetheless.

"Here they come!" a voice called out softly, pointing toward the front of the temple. Barely visible, a single an’kesh could be seen approaching.

"They do not believe we can escape," Alexa said, her voice filled with amusement. "No doubt they believe our small number will make us easy to defeat. They are sending just a small number of Jaffa."

"They must surely believe we will be taken by surprise," the young woman who had called the alert chuckled. "They do not believe that we could figure out for ourselves that they would arrive, if not today, then certainly tomorrow."

"Goa’uld…and Jaffa…arrogance knows no bounds," Casey said. "You’d think after getting their butts whipped so many times, they’d figure it out."

"Lucky for us that they don’t," Alexa replied.

Casey nodded her agreement.

"Okay, everybody, get into your hiding places," Daniel said. "Remember, unless they find us, we let them move through the village toward the ridge."

Fingers trembling, heart pounding, Casey crawled into the large urn near the altar. It had once held scented oil, probably used for making sacrifices burn more easily. The scent was faint, and not unpleasant. What was unpleasant was the inability to see anything. If one of the Jaffa decided to shoot the urn, just in case someone was hiding in it…she shivered slightly. Hopefully the staff blast – according to Alexa and Pedram, the Jaffa still carried staff weapons and zat’nik’tels – wouldn’t do more than singe her a bit.

The seer raised up just enough to glance around the temple. Unless the Jaffa became particularly nosey, there wasn’t a soul in sight. She glanced toward the shadows, knowing that somewhere behind the pillar near the altar her husband was hiding, waiting to open fire with his P90 if necessary.

The seconds ticked by, turned to minutes. Then the roar of the an’kesh as it landed near the collection of small buildings. Voices shouting orders could be heard, although individual words remained unclear. The clank of the metal armor all Jaffa were required to wear filled the air.

Casey swallowed. There were very distinctive sounds in her world. The peculiar click of an automatic weapon being cocked. The terrifying whistle of a bomb as it falls toward earth. The whine of a staff weapon being readied…It was that sound that had her heart pounding against her ribs. She fought the instinct to jump up and run. Struggled to keep her breathing steady, slow, calm…

"Search this temple!" a male voice shouted.

Oh, shit, Daniel thought. He tightened his grip on his P90. Barely resisted the urge to peek around the pillar that hid him, to see if the huge urn that Casey was hiding in had been noticed. He leaned against the pillar, praying that the shadows would continue to hide him. As the sun advanced in the sky, more light would filter into the temple. But it would also deepen the shadows toward the back of the temple.

Judging by what she could hear, at least three Jaffa were now in the building. Casey caressed the nine mil Beretta in her hand, the urn too small for her to properly hold her P90. Which was digging into her side in a most uncomfortable fashion. She kept her gaze focused on the edge of the urn…if any Jaffa face appeared, she’d have no choice but to fire, as there was no way that Jaffa wouldn’t see her.

C’mon…nobody’s here…report that no one is here, Daniel thought, with just a hint of desperation.

"Jaffa, Kree!"

The three warriors, who had been within seconds of finding hidden rebels, raced to the front of the temple and down the stairs. Daniel risked taking a peek. He noticed that all the Jaffa seemed to be running past the temple, and the other dwellings – where there were a few rebels hiding – in the direction of the low hill at the edge of the village. Yes! he crowed silently. They’re taking the bait!

Daring to rise up slightly, Casey watched as the Jaffa ran past the front of the temple. Jack had been adamant that everyone who was hiding in the temple and the small shelters remain in place until he gave the order to come out. He had told them that they’d know exactly when to join in the battle. She shifted slightly, putting the Beretta into her holster, and pulling her P90 into position. If anyone glanced at the urn, they would see the barrel of the weapon pointing upwards. Right now, she didn’t think that would be a problem. The Jaffa who were running toward the perimeter of the village weren’t even glancing in her direction.

It wasn’t easy to remain where he was. He wanted to slip to the front of the temple, and take a look for himself. Jack had given succinct orders that everyone needed to remain hidden until he gave the word…

The sound of the metal armor as the Jaffa ran filled the air, making hearts pound. The wait was excruciating.

The thud of footfalls seemed to be farther away…the Jaffa had taken the bait, and were surging up the hill, following the footprints the rebels had so carefully made.

Suddenly, a voice called out, and the sound of a P90 filled the air. "NOW!" Jack’s voice echoed.

For the Jaffa, it appeared as if the ground had been torn apart, and bodies were sitting up, firing a multitude of weapons. Armor piercing bullets made quick work of the metal plates that covered the Jaffa.

At least a dozen Jaffa fell in the first few seconds, tripping those behind and around them. More slid down the embankment, killed before they were able to regain their footing. The sound of staff weapons fire began to echo, the smell of ozone filled the air. There were screams, but for a few minutes, no one was sure who the screams were coming from.

Those who had been hiding in the buildings emerged, their sudden appearance confusing the now disorganized Jaffa even more. Several of the metal-clad men broke from the group and tried to run toward the waiting an’kesh, only to be cut down before they made it into the small village.

Casey and Daniel stood side by side, firing at anything metal that was moving. Alexa stood beside Casey, her M-16 adding to the cacophony of gunfire.

"Cease fire!" Jack called. He had to repeat the order twice before the sounds died away. His eyes seemed unusually white in contrast with the dirt that caked his face…but couldn’t hide his grin of satisfaction. "Check for symbiotes," he ordered.

Pedram stood, his own face covered with dirt. He looked around. "It was too easy," he said softly.

Jack’s smile faded. "Yeah, I was afraid someone would point that out."

"Look!"

One of the men stood in the middle of the cluster of huts, pointing toward the eastern sky. A second an’kesh approached, obviously under fire from the odd looking ship behind it.

"Take cover!" Jack shouted.

The an’kesh was firing on the people gathered below them before it was actually in range. Every weapon in the village was aimed at the approaching ship.

"Our people will destroy the an’kesh," Alexa declared confidently. As if her words were the conduit needed for said destruction, the odd ship continued to fire, and the an’kesh exploded in a hail of fire and metal.

Before the rebels could cheer their good luck, two more an’kesh were spotted. They were firing on the odd looking ship. One broke away, swooped down over the village…and blew the DHD into pieces. Obviously the Jaffa had no intention of allowing anyone to escape through the Stargate.

Pedram raced to the middle of the village. "Hurry! They won’t be able to stay on the ground long!" He whirled to face Jack. "We have to prevent those an’kesh from destroying our transport!"

The man who had been put in charge of operating the grenade launcher chose that moment to target the closest an’kesh, as it tried to move away from the smoke rising from what remained of the DHD. He made a hit, but not enough to stop it. Reloading with the speed that only comes from sheer desperation, he raised the weapon again. The second volley took out the an’kesh, the raining fire and metal following the path of the first destroyed an’kesh.

The third ship quickly veered off, not wanting to give the enemy a chance to target them as well.

By now the odd ship had settled onto the ground beside the first an’kesh. Half a dozen people exploded from inside it, racing into the mostly deserted Jaffa vehicle. There were sounds of weapons fire, then silence.

"Hurry! Run!" Pedram ordered.

"Thank you, for all you’ve done," Alexa said, grabbing Casey’s hand in her own. "You were sent by the true gods to help us."

"That’s what we do," Casey replied cheekily.

Alexa smiled, nodded at Daniel, then dashed off, following the last of the rebels toward the odd little ship, and the now rebel-controlled an’kesh.

"Oh, hell!" Jack muttered loudly.

A dozen gliders were approaching…no doubt there was a ha’tak nearby. Things were about to become very intense. There was no way SG-1 could risk becoming prisoners. Their only hope for returning home was in a cavern at least an hour’s walk away.

"Give me the grenade launcher," Jack said, shoving his P90 over his shoulder.

Before the general could reach the weapon, Pedram had it in hand, and was aiming. "Go!" he shouted to the four men who had waited with him. "Go!"

Teal’c and Jack grabbed staff weapons from the fallen Jaffa. Stood beside Pedram, and began firing at the approaching ships. A dozen gliders flew overhead, three bursting into flames as they were hit from the ground. The others whipped around, ready to make a second run on those who stood against them.

The odd little transport ship, it’s funny little duck shape rising from the ground, opened fire on the gliders.

"Apophis!" one of the men called, hanging onto the side of the odd little ship.

"Go!"

One of the men started back to where Pedram stood with the members of SG-1.

"No! Go! Go!"

The look of sadness on the man’s face was visible even from the distance. He ran back toward the an’kesh, which was already rising. He reached for the ship, his arms grabbed by those on board.

Between the an’kesh and the transport ship, as well as the fire from the ground offered by SG-1, the gliders that weren’t destroyed raced back toward the horizon. No doubt running for the mother-ship that waited for them. The now ‘liberated’ an’kesh and the transport had minutes, if not seconds, to clear the atmosphere and head into deep space, and hopefully find a place to hide from their pursuers.

Pedram watched as everyone he knew; friends he cared about – men and women he’d fought alongside for years – disappeared into the blue of the sky. He dropped wearily to the ground. "Your plan worked, O’Neill. The rebels took this day."

"Yeah, how about that," Jack said. He lowered himself to the ground as well.

"It will be weeks, perhaps months, before any of our ships dare to return," Pedram said softly.

"Can you hold out that long?" Jack asked.

The rebel shook his head. "We had no plans for staying longer than forty-eight hours. The supplies here…I could survive two, maybe three weeks. Perhaps longer if I ration very carefully."

"What are the chances of the rebels not being able to return at all?" Sam asked quietly.

"Fifty-fifty."

"Look, we can’t stick around here," Jack said. "You’re welcome to come with us."

"Yeah, with Apophis dead, you don’t have to worry about entropic cascade failure," Casey added.

"Worry about…what?" Pedram asked.

Sam smiled. "It’s what happens when two of a living being are in the same reality. It’s not pleasant. Actually, it will kill you if you don’t get to a reality where your counterpart doesn’t exist."

Casey sat down beside Pedram. "We can use the quantum mirror, and find this reality again. Of course, what we do if we find it depends on where the mirror is."

"How can you be certain you’ll find the correct reality?" Pedram asked.

"The hum. I’ll recognize it if I hear it again." Casey smiled at the look of confusion that settled on the face of the Apophis doppelganger. "I…hear…a hum around me. Each reality has its own, unique sound. That’s how I know if we’ve managed to screw up and get ourselves tossed into a different reality. It’s also how I know when we’ve made it home."

"What happens if she’s not with you?" Pedram asked Jack.

Jack grinned. "Well, we always make sure she’s with us. Otherwise, we’re screwed."

Pedram managed a small smile.

"I know your choice is difficult," Daniel said quietly. "I won’t lie to you – chances are your wife and sisters are either dead, or have become hosts, especially if the Goa’uld know of your part in the rebellion. If they’re hosts, that’s damned near the same as being dead. If they are still alive…slaves don’t usually live long, they’re too abused to remain healthy for any real length of time. Because of your semblance to the Apophis of our reality, you could help us fight the Goa’uld in an entirely new way."

"By pretending to be Apophis?" Pedram shook his head. "And how can I, when I cannot speak as the Goa’uld do, nor do my eyes glow."

Daniel grinned. "Yeah, well, remember the Tok’ra we told you about? They’re symbiotes. And I’m certain they have one who would be a great match for you. And the two of you could work together to ‘re-gather’ what belonged to Apophis, and then you could just drive the other snakes crazy."

"Snakes?"

"I think they look more like eels, but Jack and Daniel call them snakes," Casey explained.

"You believe this would be possible?" Pedram asked.

"Indeed," Teal’c said. "There are still Jaffa on Chulak who worship Apophis, and await his return."

"It’s better than dying here alone," Jack murmured. Although personally, he thought – with a mental shudder – dying would be better than being host to any snake, Tok’ra or not. He’d keep that opinion to himself, Pedram had enough to worry about without thinking about the actual process of becoming a Tok’ra host.

Pedram looked toward the sky. Out there, his friends, and all the other rebels, would continue their fight. If he couldn’t fight here, and chances were, he would die on this planet before any sort of rescue mission could be mounted; the rebellion couldn’t risk the exposure that might happen if they tried to undertake a rescue mission for just one man, on a small, now useless planet. "We should destroy the mirror before we leave. That is why we brought it here, to prevent Anubis from finding it and using it. Reports have been intercepted from his followers that they plan to use the mirror to find other Jaffa, and bring them to this reality to fight for him."

"Let’s get it done," Jack said, rising to his feet. "Colonel, how much time to we have?"

"Fourteen hours, maybe a bit more," Sam replied.

"Sweet! Okay, we destroy the mirror, then head for the cavern."

"The next time you want to ‘explore for a hour or so’, I’m gonna smack you upside the head," Casey grumbled.

Jack chuckled. "I know. But, you gotta admit, we were here for a reason."

"I don’t have to admit anything," Casey retorted. "You never do."

Daniel chuckled loudly. "She’s got you there."

"She does not," Jack argued.

"Does," Daniel insisted.

"Does not."

"Does."

"Does not."

"Does."

"Does not."

"Does."

"Does not."

"Does-"

"Don’t make me shoot you," Casey said calmly, her P90 pointed in the direction of her husband and commanding officer. The fact that the magazine was empty was obvious.

The two men exchanged a surprised look, then both began to laugh. Daniel reached out, pushed the weapon down, then tugged until his wife was at his side. He wrapped his arm around her. "Since you’re feeling so aggressive, we’ll let you break the mirror."

"Me? Aggressive?" Casey sputtered. "Just because I don’t want to listen to the two of you arguing for the rest of the day?"

"C’mon, Grumpy," Jack teased. "We’ll get you home and some coffee into you."

"Oh, coffee," Casey sighed. She started toward the temple at a trot. Stopped to look back at the others. "Are you just going to stand there waiting, or do you think you could help with this?"

"She gets really grumpy when she hasn’t had her coffee," Jack said conspiratorially to Pedram. "Space Monkey and Sam do, too. Just so you know."

Pedram smiled, although his eyes remained full of sadness. "I’ll consider myself warned." He followed the people who called themselves SG-1 into the temple. Tried not to look at the bodies laid strewn across the ground. He wanted to bury his friends, but to do so would give away the fact that someone had managed to escape. Making this planet useless was the only way to make certain the Goa’uld wouldn’t return. If the Goa’uld became too interested in the planet, they would find the cavern, and the Ancient device that Colonel Carter insisted must be destroyed.

The Goa’uld finding that cavern…that can’t be allowed to happened, Pedram thought. Those monsters were far too successful at rebuilding, and modifying, Ancient technology. Even in pieces, a determined Goa’uld scientist could put an Ancient device back together; he’d seen it done with his own eyes. They had been certain that the Ancient weapon located in the Antarctic was unusable. A few sticks of dynamite had brought the cavern down on it. But Anubis used his pyramid ship to dig through the ice and stone and retrieved the pieces of the device. Then he and his scientists had figured it out, and put it back together. No one understood why he hadn’t used it…there were rumors that he’d been so outraged at his inability to make the weapon work, he’d killed nearly a dozen workers in a fit of anger. When the Goa’uld had started running blood tests on citizens in every city, and nearly two dozen were taken to his ship, where the weapon waited, new rumors began to spread…that he’d learned the ‘secret’ to the weapon. Had it not been for the self-sacrifice of five US Marines, Anubis would still have that weapon. Terrified that the rumors might be true, the rebels moved into action. The Marines hid themselves among a group of slaves. Managed to get the device to a scout ship, while Anubis and his Jaffa were fighting a sudden, planetary-wide uprising. And then the Marines headed that ship directly into the sun. Anubis had been furious, and the destruction he’d wrought had been horrific. But he didn’t have the Ancient device, and that’s all that counted.

With a silent sigh, Pedram entered the temple. Casey was hitting the frame of the mirror with the butt of her weapon, the glass was already in shards. She didn’t stop until the frame was in pieces as well. This was one device that, when destroyed, no one could put back together. He could only pray that whatever waited in the cavern would be just as easy to dispatch.

The trek to the cavern was made in near silence. Although the team was well within the ‘safety window’ for being in another reality – which was actually a rarity for them; normally SG-1 was racing the clock to return home before disaster struck – they were certainly anxious to be back in their own reality, safe and sound. The team members were also aware of the conflicting emotions their ‘guest’ was no doubt struggling with.

Daniel in particular, could only imagine the pain of ‘walking away’, leaving loved ones in the hands of the Goa’uld. Pedram didn’t really have a choice…chances were high that he would die of starvation before a rescue attempt could be made. Could he have made the same choice, when he’d been searching for Sha’re? Would he have been able to leave his reality, if it offered the only chance to survive? He glanced at Casey. Then sent up a prayer that he never had to make such a choice in the future.

For his part, Pedram had left a message for his friends and fellow rebels, hidden in the temple in a place only they would recognize; instructing them to keep fighting, asking them to continue to search for his wife, Evana, and his sisters Saya and Nadia. Warning them that, according to their visitors from another reality, multiple mirrors existed. Telling them that at some point in time, he might be able to return. His thoughts as he hiked beside his new friends jumping between concern for Evana, his heartache nearly driving him to his knees; and wondering just what it would be like to share his body…willingly…with a Goa’uld-like creature known as a ‘Tok’ra’.

"Almost there," Jack said, breaking the stillness that surrounded the group. "I recognize those rocks."

Casey nodded. She and Jack had turned to look over their shoulders several times as they traveled, making certain they weren’t being followed by anyone or anything, and to visually map out the location of the cavern.

The hill that hid the cavern wasn’t large, but it did stand out against the level plains around it. "That hill isn’t natural," Sam said.

‘How do you know that?" Jack demanded

"Look around. There aren’t any other hills in sight. Those mountains," she pointed toward their right, "are probably over a hundred miles away."

‘So, the Ancients built a hill here, just to stick a…whatever kind of device it is…inside?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Ancients, Jack," Casey said. "Who knows why they did anything? Although I think they left their toys around just to give us heartburn."

Daniel snorted, then chuckled. "Sure, Case. They knew that their devices would cause no end of trouble for a group that would be known as SG-1."

"Prove me wrong!" she retorted.

"Won’t even try," the archaeologist replied easily.

"I agree with Casey Jackson," Teal’c said calmly. "It may not have been intentional, but the departure of the Ancients, without dismantling their devices, has been most…inconvenient."

"Well, ya know I think it was irresponsible of ‘em," Jack drawled, grinning at his best friend.

"Every device we’ve found has been a pain in the ass," Sam added.

"But it wasn’t intentional," Daniel continued to argue.

"Your hero worship is showing, Stud Muffin," Casey teased.

"And you don’t find the Ancients worthy of respect?" the archaeologist said, incredulously.

"Respect, yes. Hero worship, not so much," was the response.

The vines that had been cut away were beginning to wither slightly. Jack looked at the faces around him. "Pedram was kind enough to lend us a bit of C4," he said. "We’ll set it for an hour, just in case we need the time."

Heads moved up and down. Daniel pulled his notebook from his backpack. "Let’s go home," he said quietly.

The cavern was dark, but once again lights flickered on as soon as Sam touched the control panel. Two notes waited in the ‘square’ marked by the pillars. Casey grabbed both. "We’d better get home now, or Ferretti and his guys will be standing there in about ten minutes."

"Okay, Colonel, get us home," Jack said. He and Pedram placed blocks of explosives around the base of the device, the general slapped one onto the top, then set the timers for fifteen minutes.

Carefully, Sam selected the symbols needed to return them to their own universe. She glanced at Daniel, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Everyone get ready," Daniel said. He joined his teammates and Pedram in the square. Sam entered the last symbol, then dove for the square, pulled in by Jack and Teal’c.

There was a flash of brilliant white light…

When the light had faded, and Ferretti had a chance to take in the faces of those who stood in the middle of the square, he let out a gasp, and the raised his P90. "Say the word, General," he said, his voice low and menacing.

"It’s okay, Lou," Casey said, stepping toward the Marine. Who took a full step backwards. "Lou?"

"Sorry, Mrs. J. Ain’t gonna trust you until I know for certain you’re who you say you are, and that you’re not…under duress."

She shook her blonde head. "It’s already been a long day, and I really want to go home." The other members of SG-3 were also aiming their weapons at the team. "Okay, so you know that Sam and Daniel were examining-"

"Screwing around with something they didn’t understand," Jack interjected, not quite jokingly. He pulled the strap of his P90 over his head, rubbed his shoulder absently.

Casey glanced at her CO, then turned back to Ferretti. "We got zapped to another reality. My enlightened commanding officer decided that it would be a good idea to go on a hike to find out what was on the planet even though we really didn’t need to know but we sorta did because we were supposed to be there…" Deep breath. "So we go out to look around but we made sure that it didn’t look like anyone had been messing around in the cavern well that cavern because we didn’t want trouble but we sorta found it anyway although it wasn’t really trouble." Deep breath.

By now, Ferretti was grinning, his weapon at his side. The others of his team followed suit, their smiles just as wide as the one on their CO’s face.

"So, we found Pedram who really was being called Apophis because he and his unit killed the real Apophis in their reality and they could prove it so they got to keep the name because they’re fighting the Goa’uld there too because Anubis took over Earth but someone on one of the higher levels deigned to get involved because they warned the people of Earth or rather that Earth by sending dreams to every person who had a modicum of psychic talent-"

"Take a breath before you pass out, Radar," Jack said.

"Well, I only caught enough to know that you’re the real deal, and this fella ain’t the real Apophis," Ferretti said amusedly.

"That’s about the gist of it," Jack nodded.

"Pedram is considering working with the Tok’ra," Daniel added. "If he can play the part of Apophis, we can really stir up the Goa’uld."

"Ba’al is gonna shit his pants when he thinks Apophis has returned," Ferretti grinned. "I’ll bet Apophis is gonna go after what was his?"

"That’s the plan," Daniel grinned in return. He turned to Pedram, his grin fading slightly. "If you’re willing. You can take as much time as you need to decide."

Sam, who had been frowning slightly, not even paying attention to what was going on around her. When she’d finally been able to focus on what was concerning her, she groaned out loud. "We might have screwed up."

All eyes turned to the astrophysicist. "How?" Jack demanded to know.

"Apophis is dead in this reality. The host he’d taken, thousands of years ago, is also dead."

"Yeah? We know that," Jack replied, obviously not following his wife’s train of thought.

Daniel, however had picked it up. "Shit! We don’t know if Pedram’s actual counterpart is alive or dead in this reality, or if he even existed at all!"

"We were going solely on his appearance," Sam continued, nodding at Daniel’s interjection. "It’s not unusual for a person to look identical to a relative five, or six, or more generations past. Pedram looks exactly like the man from our reality that Apophis took for his host…thousands of years ago."

"Oy!" Jack pulled his cap from his head, and slapped it against his thigh in frustration. He turned to Pedram. "We might have just brought you from the frying pan straight into the fire."

"We can always try to find his reality with the mirror," Casey said.

Jack nodded. "Let’s hope it’s not necessary."

"How will you know if I have a…uh…counterpart…in this reality?" Pedram asked.

"Entropic cascade failure. You’ll start shifting…having seizures," Sam explained. "You’ll fade in and out of existence, until…"

"Until you do not return," Teal’c finished, when Sam seemed unable to say the words.

"I see," Pedram said quietly. He looked at the concerned faces around him. "At least being here, I will not die from the madness of being alone."

"True," Jack agreed, although his voice remained low.

"Let us not worry about this…en…en…" Pedram turned to Sam.

"Entropic cascade failure."

"Yes. Let us not worry about it for now. If it happens, it happens."

Casey put her hand on Pedram’s arm. "You’re a very good man, Pedram. A very brave man."

"Thank you," Pedram said softly. "But in my heart, I know that I am neither."

"Heroes can never see themselves as heroes," Casey said. She caught sight of Doctor Lee and Doctor Coombs. She motioned toward the console. "So, did you guys figure this thing out?"

"Not exactly," Lee grumbled, casting an accusing glare at Ferretti.

"But we have determined that it can be broken into sections," Coombs informed them.

Sam’s eyes lit up. "Really? Are the sections small enough to transport?"

"No." Jack’s voice was filled with weariness. "We destroy this damned thing, just like we did the other one." He glanced at his watch. "With luck, the cavern came down, too."

"And you want to do that here," Sam said. It wasn’t a question.

"Yep."

She looked at the console. "Can we at least take the data crystals, and the circuitry?"

Both Doctor Lee and Doctor Coombs perked up.

Jack gave a small smile. "Take whatever you want from it. Just be careful not to activate the damned thing. Everyone not helping to cannibalize that thing, get to the other side of the cavern."

Moving quickly, Doctor Lee pulled off the panels he’d noted earlier. He and Coombs began to carefully photograph the inner workings of the consoles, then hurried to remove every crystal they could see, and the ‘circuit cards’ that were also present. Sam had managed to locate another panel on the center unit, which seemed to be the most important part of the device, and was pulling crystals as quickly as she could. Casey, Daniel, Lopez, Driscoll, The Kid, and Teal’c were gathering the crystals and stuffing them into backpacks. Doctor Lee had learned about ‘being prepared’ from Cam Balinsky, during their time in the access tunnel of the meteor site in New Mexico. He’d brought two extra backpacks with him, both of them empty.

When the scientists had stripped everything possible from the console, Sam looked at Jack and nodded. "We’re done."

Pedram opened his pack, and brought out the last of the C4. He tried not to think about the sacrifices that had been made in locating and then stealing the explosives. He watched as SG-1 set the console to be destroyed.

Jack pressed the last brick of plastic explosives against the side of the entrance. "We’ll just close the door as well," he said quietly.

The two teams, the scientists, and their ‘guest’ were nearly a half mile away when the rumble of the explosions shook the ground beneath their feet.

Pedram felt his heart constrict. For the moment, he was in the wrong reality, with little hope of being able to return home. "Evana," he whispered. "My heart, my love." He closed his eyes for a moment, then wiped at the moisture that gathered there. The touch of a hand on his shoulder made him turn around.

"We’ll find a way to get you home," Daniel said softly. "We have a mirror at the SGC. As soon as Casey gets a meal and some rest, we’ll start looking for your reality."

"And your plans for me to help you here?" Pedram asked.

"We’d appreciate the help," Daniel replied honestly. "But there’s no way we won’t at least try to get you back to where you belong."

He lowered his head again. "You are indeed a good man, Daniel Jackson."

"I try, anyway," Daniel replied.

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