"Pandora was able to close the box and keep hope in."
Daniel Jackson from Politics
I had heard the stories. I had to laugh at some of them, for they had been blown so far out of proportion, I found it hard to believe anyone thought they were true. I listened to the stories about me, shaking my head. Very little of it was true. I never had a box. Because of what really happened, I almost wish I had.
Is it my fault I'm smart and they asked me how to use it? They thought it would open us up to great things. The Chaapa'ai nearly destroyed. Ra came and decided to use us as slaves. As a way of thanking me, he said he would make me immortal. I tried to act like I didn't care that my people were being held against their will and being forced to work. I was glad when they rebelled on Earth.
My people weren't glad to see me though. They put me in the sarcophagus Ra had given me and buried me deep under the Chaapa'ai. Then everything was silent for a long time.
People were digging. The Chaapa'ai was being unburied. They never dug deep enough to find me though. I knew I had to get out and warn humans what could happen if they used it.
I'm not sure how I got out of the sarcophagus. I finally made my way to the surface and, for the first time in centuries, saw the sun. I turned my eyes away and hoped they would adjust soon.
If you listen long enough, you can hear things. People were testing the Chaapa'ai. A man went through and was never heard from again. Things were silent for a while. Then a young man studied what he called the Stargate. He figured out how to use it. They traveled to Abydos and destroyed Ra. I felt excitement run through me at that part, followed closely by confusion. I knew it would be wonderful if he were truly dead and my people were freed, but I never thought anything could kill him. I knew suddenly that if he could die, I could also.
Everything was silent for nearly a year, and then everything started happening at once. The young man's wife had been taken by Apophis. Teams were made and they searched different planets for allies, to fight against what they called Goa置lds. Apparently that was what Ra had been and there were many more were he came from.
I knew I had to get to them. To find out how much of the stories were true. To find out if Ra had really been destroyed and my people freed. To find out how much they knew.
To find out how weak they were.
Teal団 came through the shimmering pool that made up the Stargate, carrying an unconscious Daniel Jackson in his arms. Major Samantha Carter limped through after him.
"Medic!" she nearly screamed as she examined Daniel's wounds.
Colonel Jack O'Neill came through after the rest of his team, looking around impatiently for a doctor to take care of his friend. He was about to yell for one, when Janet Fraiser ran into the room, followed by two medics who were wheeling a gurney between them. Teal団 gently laid Daniel down as the doctor started a quick examination.
"What happened?" she demanded, seeing the staff weapon wound on his shoulder and the deep cut on his forehead.
"We were attacked by Goa置lds," Sam sobbed, unable to control her emotions any more. "Daniel pushed me out of the way and was shot."
"Get him to the infirmary, immediately," Janet snapped. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"Carter twisted her ankle," Jack said before she could speak.
"It's nothing," she said quickly. "Just take care of Daniel."
"I want you to come down to the infirmary so I can look at it," Janet said as she ran off after her patient. "He'll be fine."
Jack shifted slightly as the door to the recovery room opened. He wasn't very surprised to see Sam limp in.
"Has Daniel woken up yet?" she asked.
"No, but it's only been two hours. Janet said it could be a while, but he'll be fine. How's your ankle?"
She took the seat on the far side of the bed and put her hand on Daniel's arm. "It's only a slight sprain. It'll be better in a few days."
"It's not your fault."
She couldn't take her eyes off the bandage that was sticking out beneath the gown. "He shouldn't have pushed me out of the way."
"No, he should have ducked after pushing you out of the way." His look turned serious. "If it were you laying here when he knew he could have done something to help you, how do you think he would feel?"
She sighed and finally raised her eyes. "Sir, could you-" She stopped, trying to think of how to phrase it. "Um, I would like to see Daniel alone when he wakes up."
He nodded in understanding. "I'll go get some coffee. You want anything?"
Sam shook her head, turning her attention back to Daniel. She heard the door swish shut behind the colonel as he walked out. Her mind went back to the mission.
The Stargate had been placed at the edge of a small clearing so they hadn't seen the attack coming.
The Jaffa came out of nowhere. Colonel O'Neill had ordered them to retreat, firing at their attackers. Daniel had started to turn his attention to the DHD, but stopped when he saw a staff weapon whip in her direction.
"Sam!" he had cried out.
He pushed her to the ground, then fell near her a few seconds later. The colonel never took his eyes off their enemy.
"Major! Daniel! You okay?"
Sam was back on her feet. "Fine, sir."
"Daniel!"
There was no response. Sam knelt by him and gently rolled him over. He had hit his head on a rock when he fell and blood seeped from his shoulder. She started to drag him over to Stargate, ignoring the throbbing in her ankle. Teal団 knelt down and picked him up. Sam gave him cover as they backed up to the gate.
Sam pulled herself out of her dark thoughts and looked at him. It was nearly half an hour later before Daniel's eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times before his eyes focused.
"Sam," he said weakly. "You okay?"
She smiled. "I'm fine."
"Jack? Teal団?"
"They're fine too."
He closed his eyes.
"You shouldn't of done it, Daniel."
"I should have ducked, like Jack's always telling me," he joked. He sighed. "I couldn't let you get hurt."
She smiled. "And I always thought everyone was suppose to look out for you. Get some rest. I'll let the colonel know you're okay."
"Where is he?"
"He went to get some coffee so I could see you alone."
He smiled faintly as his eyes started to droop. "Sam, don't you know I'm married?"
Her smile got wider. "Go to sleep."
I could feel myself drawing nearer to it. It comforted me in a way nothing else has. I walked to the mountains, knowing I would be there soon.
Alarms sounded through the mountain. Daniel's eyes snapped open and he turned his head in time to see someone jump to their feet beside the bed.
"Jack?"
The colonel turned around. "I didn't think you were awake."
"I wasn't. Why is the alarm going off?"
"I was going to check it out."
Daniel nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be okay."
He had made it to the door when the alarms went off. He turned his head. Daniel nodded and closed his eyes, going back to sleep.
Jack hesitated outside the infirmary door, then went to the elevators. He nearly ran into General
Hammond coming out of the control room.
"Why did the alarms go off, sir?"
"How's Doctor Jackson doing?"
"He woke up for a minute because of the alarms, but hopefully he's back to sleep. Why?"
"There's a young woman here that would like to talk to him about the Stargate."
Daniel heard voices around him. He tried to open his eyes, but, after a few moments, he gave it up.
"He's only been here a few hours, sir. I would like him to stay at least a day."
"I understand, doctor, but I was just thinking about the last time something like this happened. Hathor came and took over the entire-"
"If you think she's Goa'uld, bring her down here and I'll check her out."
"She's not Goa'uld. She knows about Doctor Jackson and would like to talk to him."
"Sir, I think it's better if we let him rest."
"I understand, but we can't just keep her here."
He felt a light touch on his shoulder. "What do you think, Danny?"
"Who is she?"
"That's what we were hoping you could tell us, Doctor."
He slowly opened his eyes. "I'm just a little sore. I think I'm up to talking up for talking."
Janet pushed her way forward. "I want you to take it easy, and your arm will have to be in a sling."
Daniel nodded as he sat up. "Um, let me get dressed first."
The room cleared out, except for Jack. He handed him his clothes, then turned his back to give him some privacy. He heard a slight grunt as he pulled his pants up.
"Are you sure she's not Goa置ld?"
"Positive. Her clothes, however, do look like something Hathor wore."
"What did she say?"
"She knows about the Chaapa'ai and needs to talk to Doctor Daniel Jackson about it."
"And that was worth getting me out of bed?"
"Her knowing about this place is enough to get the president out of bed. Besides, she's not that bad looking."
"I'll let you know if she's single."
There was a small gasp behind him. "You okay?"
"Fine," came the flat response. "You can turn around now."
Jack turned and handed him a sling, which was carefully put on.
"Guess I'm ready."
It was a little eerie, Daniel thought as they walked into the small room; it was the same one they had kept Hathor in. General Hammond had been waiting outside for them. The three men stepped into the room and looked at the young woman who had her hands bound behind her. He didn't even think about asking if he could untie her. She turned and looked at them.
"You must be Daniel Jackson," she said.
He started to hold out his hand, then changed his mind. "Yes, I am. And you are?"
"Pandora. I need to talk to you about the Chaapa'ai. Can you untie me?"
"Um, not yet. How did you know about the St- Chaapa'ai?"
"Who do you think originally discovered how to open it? How do you think Ra came to this planet?
How do you think the people of this planet went to Abydos?"
"Pandora? As in Pandora's Box?"
"I never had a box to open. My people asked me to open the Chaapa'ai because they were curious. I could of lived without the consequences, but my people thought they needed to know." She paused. "They weren't ready. I heard Ra is dead."
"How do you know of Ra?"
"How do you think I've lived so long?"
"So you're a Goa置ld?"
She threw them a confused look. "What is a Goa置ld?"
Daniel rubbed his forehead. "Maybe I should talk to her alone. I have a feeling this is going to take a while."
"Remember-"
"I know, Jack. She's not Goa置ld so she can't do anything."
"I hope you know what you're doing."
"So do I."
It was nearly two and a half hours later before Daniel met everyone in the Debriefing Room. His face was pale and he looked exhausted. Jack shot him a worried glance, but it was waved off.
"Well, she's not Goa置ld. From what she told me, she used to live in ancient Egypt. The Stargate was found and they asked her to figure out how to use it."
"Why her?" Sam asked.
"Apparently she was very smart. It took her almost a month, but she did. Considering she didn't have the technology we do now, that's remarkable. Ra saw it as a new planet to conquer and did just that. She said Ra showed his appreciation by making her live forever, but she doesn't have a Goa置ld in her. When the people on Earth rebelled, they buried her in a sarcophagus under the Stargate. When it was unburied, they never dug deep enough to find her. I'm not sure how she survived. I thought maybe Teal団 could help out with that."
The Jaffa leaned back in his seat and raised his eyebrow. "It sounds like a Catori."
Daniel recognized the word. "A spirit?"
"Yes. A Goa'uld can give a human a Catori in appreciation for doing something for them. Very little is known about them and I have never heard of it being done before."
"Are you saying she's possessed?"
"Possessed?"
"Um, a spirit has taken over her body."
"No. She is suppose to still have control over her actions, but she also has the advantages of having a Goa置ld. She would be able to survive in a sarcophagus without it harming her. No human could do that for thousands of years."
Daniel nodded, knowing the effects of a sarcophagus first hand. "She said she would like to go to
Abydos to be with her people. However, she's not sure how welcome she'll be."
Janet Fraiser came into the Debriefing Room. "General, if you're done with Dr. Jackson, he really needs to rest."
General Hammond nodded. "We'll finish up in the morning."
Jack took him by the arm. "You look like you could use some help, Danny."
He simply nodded and let himself be led down to the infirmary.
"I'm fine, Jack," Daniel said with a sigh. "You don't have to watch over me. Janet said I just need rest."
Jack smiled and stepped back, letting Daniel pull the covers over himself. "I was going to stay here tonight-"
"Jack," Daniel started.
"Just in case you need me," he finished. "That's why I have a room here."
He smiled, knowing he wasn't going to win an argument. "What will happen to Pandora?"
"The General is still trying to decide. How did she find this place?"
"She said she could feel it. Probably the same way Hathor did after she was released from her sarcophagus."
"Or we have to get the phone number unlisted."
Daniel smiled as he felt sleep overcome him. He felt a brief squeeze on his arm, then the door to the infirmary closed quietly.
Tonight would be the night. It felt right that it should end this way. He had shared some of his pain with me when we talked about his wife. He would understand why I was doing this, even if the others didn't.
Breaking out of the room and killing the guard was easier than I thought it would be. There were certain advantages of the thing Ra had given me. I took the gun from the guard and went to find him.
Now was the time to finish it.
He heard the door open. Sleep slowly pulled itself away from him and he opened his eyes. A figure walked through the dark toward him. There wasn't enough light to make out any features.
"It's not that I don't appreciate it, but you don't need to check up on me every five minutes Jack. I'm fine."
The figure didn't respond as it stepped closer. Using his good arm, Daniel fumbled with his glasses, finally slipping them on. He blinked a few times, then sat up.
"Pandora? What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," she said quietly.
"Can it wait until morning?"
"No."
He threw the blankets back, grabbed his robe and put it on. "How did you get out of your room?"
"I have my ways."
"What did you want to talk about?"
"The Stargate."
Daniel sighed. "Can it wait until tomorrow? I'm kind of tired."
Her hand came out from behind her back, showing him the gun. He slid off the bed.
"Pandora, that's dangerous. Give it to me."
"I know how to use it, Daniel."
"Are... you going to kill me?"
"Yes."
The bluntness of the answer surprised him for a moment. He blinked a few times before it completely sunk in. "Why?"
She sighed. He noticed her eyes held a sad look. "I thought you would understand."
He was slowly backing away toward the door. "Understand what?"
"Why I have to kill you. You shouldn't have opened the Stargate."
"Sometimes I'm sorry," he admitted.
"Only sometimes?"
"The Goa置lds were going to destroy the Earth. If we didn't have the Stargate, we would have never known until it was too late. And Sha're is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I would never have found her if it wasn't for the Stargate."
"She was taken," she said simply.
"Yes, she was. And if it wasn't for the Stargate, I wouldn't have any hope of getting her back."
The gun was pointed directly at his chest. "I was hoping you would understand."
Daniel dived for the ground, then made a break for the door. He barely made it through before the second shot was fired. He hoped people would hear the gunshots, but, being this deep in the mountain and at the hour of the night, he doubted anyone was around.
He had to duck again as another bullet came his way. He rounded a corner and started trying doors as he passed them. All of them were locked. Another shot was fired, this time hitting one of the lights overhead. Daniel winced as his bare feet went over the broken glass, but didn't stop. He rounded another corner, this time hitting a dead end.
"Damn it," he muttered.
"Turn around, Daniel," Pandora said.
He did it slowly, trying to buy time. "Why?"
"It was never meant to be opened. My people buried it because it was dangerous. It was never meant to be found."
"Ra is dead and Abydos is free. We've done nothing wrong by opening it."
"When I opened the Stargate, I did let all the evils escape into the world. My people managed to keep hope when they overthrew Ra here on Earth. When you reopened it, you let that hope escape. I can't let you live because of that."
He flinched at the sound of the gun and waited for the pain. When none came, he slowly opened his eyes. Jack was leaning over Pandora's body, checking for a pulse. He straightened up, satisfied she was dead.
"You okay, Danny?"
"I think so. How did you find me?"
"I went to check on you and you weren't there. I heard the gunshots and followed the sounds. Let's get you back to the infirmary."
Daniel tried to get his feet under him, but fell back and winced in pain. "I got glass in my feet."
He stepped over the body and knelt by him. He pulled some of the shards out of his feet, then pulled him to his feet. "It's not too bad. Janet will have to check you over. Your shoulder is bleeding again."
He nodded, his eyes avoiding the body on the ground. "I don't understand why she tried to kill me."
"Neither do I, Danny."
"I don't know how you do it, Daniel. I leave you alone for a few hours to sleep and you almost get killed," Janet said, checking his wounds.
"It's just a talent he has," Jack said. "Now you know how I feel on missions."
Daniel smiled thinly at the joke, his mind going back to what happened less than an hour ago. The smile faded away. Jack noticed and put his hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Danny. It's over now."
He nodded, jumping slightly when Janet gave him an injection.
"I figured you were going to have trouble sleeping tonight. I thought this would help."
He didn't have time to thank her before he was asleep.
They think they've gotten rid of me. It's not that easy to get rid of a Catori. All I have to do is find a new host.
Then I will make sure the Chaapa'ai is closed.
And that the one who opened it dies.
© December 15,1999 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa置ld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.