En route….
If this doesn’t pan out, my ass is so going to be toast! I’m not sure I have enough fingers to count all the breaches of security General Hammond could throw at me. For starters, I secreted some of that footage the military shot during the 1945 work on the Stargate out of the base, and I’ve got computer-enhanced pictures of the address they successfully dialed.
I still can’t believe nobody said anything about this! Did Catherine and General West never tell Jack or General Hammond about it? It was Catherine’s project up until General West and his boys took over, so she would have known that they’d worked on it before, wouldn’t she?
The more I think about it, I could probably be hauled up on charges simply by going to see her. Just showing up on her doorstep could land me in some seriously hot water with the Air Force. I mean, I’m not sure what I’m doing could be considered any more classified. After all, I’ve been back on Earth for six months now, and haven’t been allowed to tell any of my former colleagues that I’m…well, here. Not that any of my old colleagues would admit to knowing me, even if I could say something….
So, why am I risking it? This impulse could cost me my only chance to find Sha’re. It could cost me my happiness. Seriously, I could end up in jail, and I don’t have a single compelling reason to justify making this trip. Why bother?
I’m not sure, to be honest. Jack says I’ve been obsessing over the old files the Pentagon declassified. Maybe he’s right. Maybe it’s tenaciousness. "Intellectual curiosity to the nth degree," Professor Jordan used to call it. That obsessive desire to know what happened in the past is normally a good trait for an archaeologist, but what I’ve been doing the past year and a half doesn’t exactly count as "normal." I’m not sure Jack, Sam, Teal’c, General Hammond, or anyone back at the SGC would classify this as "need to know."
But I really, really need to know.
I admit I sat transfixed in front of that video monitor, watching tape after tape, until I lost track of time. I also admit that Jack reminding me of those scheduled medical tests made me want to stay glued to the monitor for even longer. But once we found the footage of the Stargate actually engaging, I guess my professional instincts kicked in. I just…I need to know: I need to find out who those men were, what they did, how they got the wormhole engaged, what happened to the one who was brave enough to take that first step through the event horizon. My best chance to learn what happened fifty-two years ago is to talk to Catherine.
Does that desire to learn constitute treason? I don’t know, but breaking so many military rules and regulations likely won’t do my standing at the SGC much good. I know they all think I’m the eccentric civilian anyway, but I’m sure they’ll see this as crossing the line. I’ll be out on my ass before I know what’s hit me.
Still, I have to do it. Catherine will be able to fill in the blanks. And if, by some odd chance, she doesn’t know anything about what happened in 1945, I owe her. She’s the one who recruited me, who gave me the chance to validate all of my theories regarding the construction of the pyramids. God knows I can’t publish anywhere, but just knowing that I was right all along is something of a vindication. Catherine should know, even if telling her costs me everything.
Author's Notes: I tend to spend long airplane flights writing in my travel journal. It recently occurred to me that, on the occasions he’s had to bide his time on airplanes, Daniel might do the same. Hence this series of short pieces. I’m assuming Catherine doesn’t live near Colorado Springs anymore. If anyone can prove me wrong, please let me know!Kudos: Thanks again to Andrew & Iona for beta-ing. Mille fois de mercis, guys!
© August, 2003 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld 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.