Once more, Enki needed to help Jack ‘shut off.’ The old man seemed pleased, however, with Jack’s progress.
Jack had insisted on returning home after spending a day in the VIP suite of the naval hospital in Maryland. The attention was nice, all the Joint Chiefs paid him a visit, but it wasn’t his thing to hang out with VIPs; he needed his family around him. The bed rest at home was irritating him, though. His partners kept hovering. There really wasn’t a need for the bed rest, but for some reason people seemed to think that mental fatigue required a bed. Thankfully, Enki came in and rousted Jack’s butt.
“The snow is gone, go take care of the yard,” the old man ordered. “Getting your hands in the dirt will heal you better than anything else.”
So Jack went outside and started to rake the yard and trim the shrubs along the front of the house. He had stepped back, looked at the shrubs, and decided to take them out. The children came out, took his hands, dragged him away from the pile of dirt and wood, and up the street to the Weber’s. Jack took one look at the puppies, looked long at the parents, and back at the pups.
“They’re ugly,” he pronounced.
Rhonda Weber laughed. “Yes, they are, but come on, Jack, you have to admit they’re a cute ugly,” she said.
Both Stacy and David were on the floor playing with the puppies, laughing and rolling around as they were licked.
“This one, Ada,” Stacy said, picking up one of the pups.
“Are you serious?” he asked. The pup looked at him, one snaggled tooth sticking up from the bottom jaw and a slightly crossed eye. Most of the dog was an off-white, the paws were black socks and there was a black patch that surrounded the crossed eye. The pup wagged its tail and tried to swipe a tongue at Jack.
“Is it a boy or girl?” Davy asked.
“That one is a boy,” Rhonda told him with a patient smile. Jack thought he saw a longing in her eyes and wondered if Rhonda or Carl had a problem in the fertility department.
“His name is Fang,” Stacy declared and gave the pup a hug.
Mrs. Weber refused money; although pure bred, the pup was flawed, and sent the happy girl off with her new puppy and resigned stepfather. When Enki and Zu stopped by, Zu took one look at the Thing and spat out a long diatribe at Jack which he didn’t understand a word of.
Daniel was surprisingly no help; he had never owned a dog. Jack found that astounding.
“I wouldn’t mind a cat,” Daniel said.
“A what?” Jack was sure he didn’t hear that right.
“They’re smarter than dogs,” Daniel said. He couldn’t have heard Daniel correctly.
“I’m not picking up dog poop from the yard,” Jerrie warned them.
“It’s Stacy’s dog, she will learn,” Jack said.
They put a baby-gate on the front and back steps to the wrap-around porch and put the pup out there with papers, water, and food. Olivia scooted her way to the screen door and watched the puppy tear up the paper. She screeched at it and held out a finger. Jerrie frowned.
“Jack, she’s eight months old, right?” she asked.
“Almost nine, yes,” he said.
“Now, I could be minus a fry in my Happy Meal, but seems to me she keeps responding to situations and to speech,” Jerrie said. “She shouldn’t be able to understand, cognitively, what’s going on, so how is she responding? She just reprimanded the pup. That’s about a year and a half early.”
Jack looked at the baby and thought about it. “Livie, where’s the bad dog?”
Olivia looked at Jack and then turned to the door.
“Interesting,” Jack commented.
“Da!” the baby declared, clearly proud of herself. Two gleaming white teeth grinned at him.
Jack picked up the phone and dialed. “Mary, it’s Jack. Thank you. I have a question. Harley is what? Two? Two and a half? Is he doing anything beyond his age?” He watched Olivia as he listened. “Yeah, it probably is. No, just checking with someone else who has a baby in the house. Thanks, Mary. Oh, how’s Connie? She is. Good. Thanks.”
“Mary Reynolds says Harley is spelling with his blocks,” Jack told Jerrie. “Harley is two and a half.”
Out of curiosity, Jack put the pup on a leash, the baby on his back, found a pad and pen, and went for a walk. Stacy and David ran around him, encouraging the pup to learn to love his new leash while Jack had to keep tugging to make the pup pay attention. Olivia babbled at Jack, bouncing in her carrier as she patted him on the head and shoulders. Enki had left earlier and Jack saw no reason to call him back just for an oddity with the kids.
“Well, if the older kids are doing things advanced for their age, it makes sense that babies are developing earlier, too,” Daniel had said around the pencil in his mouth as he typed on his computer. “Don’t send her out to find a job just yet.” Olivia made noises at him and held her chubby arms out. Daniel smiled at her, took the pencil from his mouth, and kissed her noisily.
As Jack was making notes from various families in the neighborhood, his phone rang. He tapped it on and adjusted the Blu-tooth on his ear. “O’Neill.”
“The premier is requesting your presence.”
“What premier?”
“The Chinese premier,” Davis clarified. “He managed to get a private message to me. He’d like to meet someplace that guarantees no bugs.”
“Interesting. Is Daedalus still upstairs?”
Twenty minutes later, Davis called him again. It was done.
“How’s the weather up there?” Jack asked.
“A little breezy, the barometer is fluctuating.”
He shooed the kids back home and they went, disappointed. There were SF nearby in the neighborhood, discretely concealed; they’d make sure the kids got home. “Okay, beam me up.”
Davis looked at the sweatpants, sneakers, baby, and puppy. He didn’t say anything as he led the way. People on the way glanced at them and also didn’t say anything. “Isn’t the meeting room back that way?” Jack asked, pointing behind with a thumb.
“Yes, sir, but one of the gentlemen had a small heart flutter from the shock of the transporter.”
Feeling a tinge of guilt, Jack picked up the pace. Once they got to the medical wing, he noticed that several of the SF in the area happened to be of Chinese decent and Davis had beamed up a team from the delegation’s own security. The Chinese soldiers were uncomfortable in their unarmed state, but they stood straight and kept their eyes on the SF.
“How is he?” Jack asked, nodding toward the man on the bed as they entered the medical bay.
“He’ll be fine, sir,” Dr. Perez said. He glanced at the pup and baby. Olivia noticed Sam and held her arms out. After a look from Jack, Sam took her.
“Who’s this?” Sam asked, nodding toward the puppy.
“This is Fang,” Jack said. “We were taking a walk when the colonel called. He’s Stacy’s.”
Sam did a quick mental jump and understood the object and its ownership.
Jack introduced himself to the men standing near the bed “I’m sorry for the problem. We have excellent medical facilities, top notch, so please trust in the good doctor’s hands.”
“General O’Neill, may I present President Hsin Tien and Premier Yuan Shao. Vice President Li Chan MuRong is the gentleman in the bed. And you already know Ambassadors Jin Duan and Brent Fleury.”
Jack gave an easy Jaffa bow toward the men.
“General O’Neill, would it be pointless if I requested a private word?” Ambassador Fleury, the American ambassador to China asked. The relations between the two countries were tenuous at best, so Jack was actually surprised to see him with the group.
A quick reach told Jack that Hayes and Maynard were having heart palpitations back at their offices. The Chinese government was also hiding their true feelings behind the patented Asian stare; anger, awe, a little fear, and outrage.
“Not at all,” Jack said. “How about we walk a little, first, though, okay? Come on, I’ll show you around while the doc does his doctor stuff with Mr MuRong.”
As they walked, Jack did his best with the history of the ship and how the 303s came to be. He made sure his arm swings were wide, made it a point to look the men in the eyes, and touched arms and shoulders when he could. Paul couldn’t get any whiter around the gills so he stopped trying to get Jack’s attention. The puppy wasn’t helping as he sniffed excitedly at everything in their path. When they got to the engine room…..
“What is that?”
Jack turned to the little alien behind the console.
“This is Fang,” Jack said. “Fang, that’s Hermiod. Don’t pee on him. This is a dog, Hermie. Actually, it’s a puppy. That’s a baby dog.”
“I know,” Hermiod drew out. “Why is it on the ship?”
“Because I was taking a walk with him and my kids when Colonel Davis called me,” Jack said patiently. “He isn’t my dog, he belongs to my daughter, Stacy. Actually, she’s my step-daughter. She belongs to Daniel. I guess you could say she belongs to all three of us, since we’re all raising her and she does call me Daddy and Sam Mom. What am I saying? You know Stacy. I know he’s ugly, but Stacy insists that he’s cute, so what could I do? You know how little girls wrap Daddy around their fingers…. no, maybe you don’t…..”
“O’Neill.”
“Yes?”
“Please remove the animal from the ship,” Hermiod politely asked.
Jack tilted his head in consideration. “Well, since he’s part of the family, now, I don’t think I can exclude him on these outings. Sorry. But I promise to clean up any pee or poopie spots. We just got him this morning, so it’ll take a while for him to learn proper manners. Oh, would you mind tagging him?”
He was almost sure the Asgard’s black eyes rolled and tightened.
The men behind Jack were staring at the alien and Jack belatedly introduced them. Hermiod made a politely phrased murmur in Chinese and Jack looked at him.
“How do you people learn our different languages?” he asked.
“You’ve been broadcasting for decades,” Hermiod said. “How can we not learn them when you are polluting space with them? Besides. Tau’ri languages are relatively easy. Very little imagination.”
“General O’Neill,” Fleury broke in impatiently. “This is all very impressive but we really must speak on the issues at hand.”
A small imperious finger pointed at the man and Sam shifted Olivia to another hip. Jack blinked at the ambassador.
“I thought we were,” Jack said. “These gentlemen have been asking to see a 303, so I’m showing them a 303. Mr. MuRong will be well enough to go home when his buddies are ready to leave.”
“General, I believe you are unaware of the international incident you have created,” Fleury informed him.
Jack handed the leash to Sheppard who had been quietly following in the background with several SF.
“There is very little I am unaware of, Mr. Ambassador,” he said, the cavalier attitude suddenly gone. “We could not have known Mr MuRong would have such a reaction to the transporter; no one else has. And you’re the ones who asked for this meeting. China has been aware of our little project for a long time, they were in on the initial show-and-tell many years ago, and they are the ones who chose to not cooperate with it. They could have been in on this since the beginning. We are here, so how can I help you? Or would you like to reschedule?”
Tien tightened his chin. “General, we wish to make use of the naquadah generators. Surely you understand our need.”
It didn’t take much of a reach… “Actually, I understand more than you know, Mr President.” Weapons were on the premier’s mind. “Colonel Davis?”
Davis switched on a wall monitor, showing them a real-time image of China from high above.
“Yes, sir. There is currently a dark cloud of pollution over China,” Davis said, “making their need for a naquadah generator a legitimate need. It is in concentrations of carbon monoxide at an altitude of roughly 18,000 feet in the atmosphere off the coast of Asia and out over the Pacific Ocean. During the early part of the year, there is considerable outflow of pollution from China and southeast Asia.
“Water borne diseases affect not only people but also wild life. About 3,000 plants are in danger of extinction. China is the native homeland for approximately 12% of the world's flora. No plants means no oxygen. One city produces approximately 86,000 tons of pollution per day; only 12,000 of that is organic. Within China alone, there have been epidemics of water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.”
The scenes changed to images of people in the country-side; thin, gaunt, enlarged bellies.
“Despite a few positive steps, no attempt has been made to introduce the fundamental legal and institutional reforms necessary to bring an end to serious human rights violations. Tens of thousands of people continue to be detained or imprisoned in violation of their rights to freedom of expression and association, and are at serious risk of torture or ill-treatment. Thousands of people have been sentenced to death or executed. Thousands of people have been detained or imprisoned for so-called “separatist” or “terrorist” offenses. China continues to use the international “war against terrorism” as a pretext for cracking down on peaceful dissents.
“Authorities take an increasingly hard line against people protesting against house demolitions and evictions, particularly in large cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, where demolitions of old homes were accelerated by Beijing’s preparations for hosting the Olympics in 2008. Scores of peaceful protesters are detained and lawyers assisting in such cases are at risk of arrest or intimidation.
“Increasing openness on health issues after the outbreak of SARS appeared to result in greater official concern for those affected by HIV/AIDS, but the authorities failed to meet demands for full transparency and accountability in the context of the spread of the virus. Official figures of 840,000 people infected with HIV and 80,000 AIDS patients are considered to be serious underestimates. Medical specialists and others who attempt to raise public awareness of the issue are arrested or intimidated.
“People living with HIV/AIDS continue to suffer because of a lack of specialized medical treatment and some were detained and beaten after participating in protests relating to lack of access to medical care.
“Members of unofficial spiritual or religious groups, including some Qi Gong groups and unregistered Christian groups, continue to be arbitrarily detained, tortured and ill-treated. Detained Falun Gong practitioners, including large numbers of women, are at risk of torture, including sexual abuse, particularly if they refuse to renounce their beliefs.
“Torture and ill-treatment remains widespread in many state institutions. Common methods included kicking, beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful positions, and sleep and food deprivation. Women in detention are vulnerable to rape and sexual abuse.”
There was complete silence as the scenes ended. Davis turned to the Chinese leaders.
“Gentlemen. To answer your unvoiced concerns, no, we do not spend our time putting China under a microscope. Quite honestly, we have better things to do. And no, this isn’t an attempt to force you into capitulation. You can keep your population in the dark all you’d like, but let’s not pretend that the rest of the world doesn’t know the facts.
“We admire your intellectual property; we do not admire the treatment of your people or the eco-sphere. The pollution your country is generating affects the entire world, not just China, therefore, this is our business.
“For the past ten months, Russia has been adapting their power grid to naquadah generators. They are about seventy percent complete. Their pollution rate has dropped almost twenty-three percent and it continues to fall. The ruble is up, people are beginning to prosper, people are healthier and happier.
“Mexico has recently acquired a generator and there is already a marked difference in the ozone above them.
“Several US states are having their power grids readied for generators after seeing the success in Nevada where we experimented with the first public use generator.”
Jack didn’t know where Paul came up with his information; he always seemed to know what was going on and where the party was happening. The men standing before them were hiding shame and anger, outrage and suspicion.
“On just about a daily basis, I get a call or note from my government asking that China once more be considered for membership in HomeWorld Security.” Jack took a few pacing steps. “I am still refusing, and I’m doing it to your face. Membership does not stipulate type of government; communism is not an automatic veto, so that isn’t my concern. Membership has been refused because of how you treat your people and what you are doing to your environment, and to the rest of the planet. Sure, the generators would help, but you have done nothing to help yourselves. You refuse to clean up the factories and vehicle emissions. Get your act together, gentlemen, and membership will be reconsidered.”
“I must protest, General O’Neill,” Duan said, shaking slightly in anger. “China has a right to self-protection and yet America is once more holding the ‘big gun.’”
“Self-protection against what? Who?” Jack asked, spreading his arms in question. “Certainly not us. If you want help, that’s one thing: you can ask for help, and we will do our best to give help. That isn’t what you are asking, however. You know damned well what those generators can do, and that’s what you want, and you just confirmed it, Mr Duan.
“In case it has escaped China’s notice, the rest of the world is working hard on cleaning up, dealing with an evolutionary leap, and creating peace. Once in a while we put an alien in its place, so I’m not sure what China needs protection against. Seems to me the Chinese citizens need protection against their government, not us.”
“This is outrageous,” the premier said, shaking with anger as he stepped forward. “You are condemning an entire country to death. This is war, General O’Neill, and we will be filing charges with your government and the United Nations.”
“War? The only war we’re fighting is against those creatures,” Jack said, pointing a finger back in a general direction of space. “And you’re avoiding the fact that you are killing your own people due to your greed. And complain to whomever you’d like; we have the images of your people and what you are doing to your country. The rest of the world has easy access to them; they are aall over the internet. You are far from innocent, gentlemen, and there is no one in the world who doesn’t believe otherwise.”
“General O’Neill!” Fleury, red-faced, almost shouted. “You are out of line!”
Jack took the leash back from Sheppard and the baby back from Sam.
“I don’t play political games, Mr. Fleury,” he said. “My job is to keep this world safe from alien invasion and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I will protect China from any invasion, but I will not give China access to alien technology, not when they are killing their own people, destroying their ecology, and threatening their neighbors with death and destruction. Colonel Davis, when Mr. Xiang is ready to leave, make it so.”
He turned and went back down the hall to the beaming room. Olivia was glaring at the people from over Jack’s shoulder.
When he returned home, he confessed to Daniel what had happened. Daniel shook his head and went back down to his office. It wasn’t long before Hayes called.
“Henry, I don’t wanna hear it,” Jack said. “I read them the riot act to their faces. They are no better than the Goa’uld, sir, and I won’t give them access to our weapons even in the form of a generator.”
“Can I make a suggestion?” Daniel asked when Sam returned. Sheppard was allowed to go home and visit with his family, while Davis returned to his office and made an attempt at placating the Chinese.
“Sure,” Jack said. He poured a cup of Kool-aid for David.
“It may be the 21st century and the Chinese may elect their officials, but they are still a feudal society. Why not get another feudal leader over to talk with them?”
Jack and Sam stopped their puttering and looked at him.
“What? You mean like Atis?” Jack asked.
“Sure,” Daniel nodded. “He speaks their language. So to speak.”
“He’d scare the bejesus out of them,” Jack said.
“And?” Daniel countered. “They practically worship those colorful, feathered dragons.”
“Are you always so brilliant?” Jack asked.
Daniel smiled and nodded. “Yes, I am; you just don’t notice because Sam is prettier.”
“Yes, I am,” Sam agreed.
Jack grabbed Daniel’s face and kissed him. “Go. Take whomever you need.”
Daniel bent Jack backward over the sink and kissed him thoroughly before releasing him.
“Sam may be prettier but I have a better ass,” Daniel informed him before turning to leave. They watched him head off to his office.
“His ass is better,” Sam said. Jack reached around and grabbed both cheeks.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he said, pulling her close. “I’d say both have their positives.” She smiled and put her arms around his neck as he bent to kiss her. “Please tell me we’re cleared for launch,” he asked against her mouth.
“All systems ready,” she said. His eyes darkened and he took her hand, pulling her through the living room to their bedroom.
“Jerrie, mind the kids,” he called out. “We’re in a very important conference.”
“Happy conferencing, sir,” Jerrie called back with a chuckle. She began to gather baby things to take everyone to the park for an hour or so. Paul had confided that the best way to deal with the trio in any of their combinations was to find something else to do. Preferably outside of the house. Jerrie had found that Davis was right. The kids had learned to ignore it although wishing that their parents had the decency to be like other old people and not have sex anymore.
Just as Jack got her shirt up, Sam came to a sudden halt.
“What?” Jack asked, slightly breathless, one hand inside her bra. Sam sat up, her head tilted as though listening.
“Ohhhh,” she whispered, her eyes opening in understanding. She jumped out of bed, pulling her shirt into place as she ran for the door.
“What!” Jack yelled from the bed. “Bad breath?”
The door flew open and she ran out. Puzzled, Jack followed a moment later. He looked around. A door upstairs slammed and he went up. He found her in her lab, scribbling notes on her white board. Jack watched her producing numbers and symbols at near light-speed.
“What’s going on?” he asked. She didn’t hear him.
“Oy,” Jack groaned and shook his head. He turned and left, knowing she’d come up for air sooner or later. He went into the living room and collapsed onto the couch as he watched Jerrie preparing Olivia for her stroll in the park.
“Jerrie, I think I have a streak of masochism in me,” he informed her. “I married the two smartest people on this planet. On several planets. Most planets, I’m pretty sure. Can’t even get in some decent nookie without one of them dividing more brain cells. I’m getting a complex, here.”
She smiled and zipped up the baby’s sweater. “Look at it this way,” she commented. “When they get it out of their system, they’ll be so excited about it they’ll need to jump something.”
Stacy and David came running from their rooms, pulling on their jackets. Stacy put the leash on Fang and announced she was ready.
“Can I at least get kisses from my kids?” Jack whined. The children each took a cheek and followed Jerrie out the door.
Although they had bitched out the school board on the suspension of their kids, the parents had to accept the decision of the principal to follow the rules. The children moaned and groaned about it, and the parents did, too. Neither Katie nor Matthew could believe that David got into a fight. They both confirmed that there were times when they had to defend themselves against other kids who issued challenges regarding parentage, mostly, and religion once in a while. Things rarely got as far as a physical confrontation, though.
Katie’s kickboxing instructor recommended a tai chi master, so Jack took Davy to see a session. Davy liked it and Jack signed him up. Stacy had taken to the kel’no’reem, so she often sat in with Daniel. Jack and Sam didn’t kel’no’reem nearly as often as they should. Jack signed Stacy up for the tai chi, anyway. Maybe the classes would help them focus some of their energy.
The phone rang and Jack reluctantly answered it. It was probably another official who wanted to ream him over the entire ‘Chinese’ incident. Okay, so may be could have been a little less of an asshole. He’ll send flowers or something.
“Hey, Andy, how’s it goin’?” He sat up. “Is she alright? I’ll be right there.”
“Daniel!” He stuck his head inside the lion’s den. “Some kid tried to attack Katie. I’m going down to the sheriff’s office. Jerrie’s out with the younger ones.”
“Is she alright?” Daniel asked, sticking his head at the stairs.
“Andy says she is,” Jack nodded. “She’s a little shook up. Sam’s upstairs, would you let her know where I am?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Michael was walking up the front as Jack hurried out the door. His brother followed him and got into the truck.
“Is she alright?” Michael asked when Jack gave him a rushed summary.
“We’ll find out for sure and then I’m going to hunt down the little bastard,” Jack informed him.
When Katie saw them both coming through the door, she flopped back into her chair.
“I’m fine!” she insisted. “Sheriff Andy didn’t need to call you, nothing happened.”
“Details,” Jack ordered. He and Michael both stood in front of her, arms crossed and waiting. Jack was relieved that there were no marks on her, except for a slightly out of place blouse.
“It was that creep, Esteban,” she confessed. “We went off-campus for lunch, to that sub shop on the corner, and on the way back he tried to corner me. I told him no and he wouldn’t let go, so I kicked him.”
“Actually, she put him in the hospital,” Andy said from the side-lines, the side of his mouth twitching. “The kid’s parents are pressing charges. Katie busted his nose, fractured his jaw, and popped a ball. Pardon, Father; a testicle. The kid’s parents are not happy.”
Jack couldn’t believe it. “Why are they pressing charges?” he demanded. “It was their kid that tried to attack our daughter.”
Andy leaned against his desk and snapped his gum. “Jack, you need to be aware that with your kids learning self-defense, they qualify as weapons. This probably won’t be the first time someone tries to take advantage of that fact.”
Katie groaned. “Grandpa, please don’t let him blow this out of proportion,” she begged Michael as Jack groused over the facts.
“I don’t blow things out of proportion,” Jack protested. “And let’s not turn the focus of this conversation, please. The boy attacked you, Katherine, you could have been hurt!”
Michael raised a hand. “Jack. I think we need to sit down with the parents of this boy and find out the version of the facts that were given to them. Parents usually side with their child, but let’s see if they can be reasoned with. There was obviously a reason Katie beat up their son, and yes, Katie, of course we believe you. Are there any witnesses?”
“Not to the initial contact,” Andy said. “It was Katie’s self-defense that attracted attention. Actually, it was the boy screaming for his mommy that attracted the attention.”
“What the hell is going on?” Jack asked in frustration as he paced a few steps. “Two of our kids were suspended for fighting a few days ago, and now Katie’s been in a fight. That leaves Matthew. I don’t expect Olivia to get into any arguments anytime soon. Andy, is it just my kids or what?”
The sheriff frowned and scratched his jaw. “A lot of kids seem to be a bit more rambunctious than usual,” he admitted. “And not the usual suspects. Good kids. Thinking about it, all the instances seem to be related to self-defense. Jack, before you do anything rash, let me make some phone calls. I have an idea I’d like to try and flesh out a bit.”
“I don’t do rash things,” Jack said. All three looked at him. “What?”
He pulled Katie up and into his arms, pressing his mouth to the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I’m fine,” she whispered. “He didn’t hurt me. I liked him, Dad.” Jack wrapped her under his arm and led her out to the truck.
“Don’t worry, honey, you’ll find a nice boy,” he told her. He called his lawyer and told him to warn the family that if their kid came near Katie again, he’d sue for assault. Katie wasn’t happy about it as she curled up in the back seat and began to deal with her heart. There wasn’t much Jack could do; he assumed there would be closed-door female sessions in the near future.
“Mike, did you come over for something in particular?” Jack asked, remembering that his brother had been about to enter the house when they had left.
“Actually, I came over to talk with Daniel,” Michael told him. “He sent me a few of his private articles about Ascension, and I wanted to discuss them.”
Jack nodded. “Well, I don’t know what his schedule is; I told off the Chinese President and Premier this morning. To their faces. There are a lot of people who are not happy with me today. Daniel and Paul are trying to fix it.”
Michael looked at him. “You know, one of these days someone is going to call your bluff and you’ll have to deal with it yourself.”
“Who says I’m bluffing?” Jack shrugged.
When they walked into the house, Daniel was pacing the living room, talking to the ceiling and gesturing wildly at the air.
“Jack!” Daniel noticed him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “I got it!”
“It better not be contagious,” Jack said. Daniel kissed him hard and released him.
“I hope it is!” Daniel said. “If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, the meal was cooked a long time ago. I got it! There is nothing new under the sun. If we can say of anything that it is new, it has been already long since.”
“Ecclesiastes?” Michael asked, confused over what a Buddhist koan had to do with a quote from the Bible.
“Sam!” Daniel shouted. A moment later, she stuck her head out of her lab door. “Time does not exist, it is a construct created by humans. Past, present, and future are one and the same!”
“Okay,” Sam said, as confused as Michael.
Daniel fell to a chair in exhaustion, pleased with himself. He noticed Katie. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Esteban wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she told him.
“Did you beat the crap out of him?” She nodded again. “Good, girl.” She smiled and took over his lap.
“What are you going on about?” Jack asked him. “I thought you were dealing with the Chinese.”
“I was. Am,” Daniel said. “I was looking at something and it clicked. The whole fire and meal thing. It only took me about five years.” Oma, an Ascended who had taken an interest in him, had spoken the koan to him which had him puzzled for years.
“You look like you passed a kidney stone,” Jack said.
“I feel like I gave birth,” Daniel countered. “Hey, Michael.”
“Daniel,” Michael nodded, slightly amused. “I was going to ask you to lunch but it looks like you’re busy. Can you come to the all-faiths meeting tonight?”
Daniel got up and went to find something to drink. “It’s a possibility,” he said. “I am in the middle of something, but I can try and make it. Anything specific?”
“We’ve been trying to get our heads around Ascension.”
“Well, I don’t remember much of it, just what I sent you, but I know more than I did before,” Daniel said. “I’ll try. If not tonight, I’ll come to another meeting.”
That worked for Michael.
“Did you see Jack’s new stars?” Daniel asked, chugging a soda.
“What new stars?”
“Can’t tell you the details, but he earned himself new stars recently,” Daniel told him. “He was the very model of a modern Major General; he’s now a Lieutenant General.”
Michael looked at his younger brother who was cleaning up a pee spot made by a happy puppy.
“Three-star General? Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Jack said.
“I don’t suppose the background will be released any time soon,” Michael suggested.
“Maybe in a few years,” Jack said, dubious.
Sam raced down the stairs and out a side door into the garage which housed a motorcycle, bikes, and kid toys. The men heard crashing and banging.
“Sam? Whatcha doin’?” Jack asked from the doorway. She babbled something about ratios and electrons and radical quanta, and the men tuned out. “I suppose she’ll let us know when she’s done playing,” Jack said as they turned back to the living room.
“What is she doing?” Michael asked.
“Have no idea,” Jack said. “Just as I got my hand in her bra this morning, she had a brain storm and jumped out of bed.”
“Well, Jack, I always said you had the magic touch,” Daniel told him, snickering.
“Shut up. I am getting laid today, if it’s the last thing I do,” Jack warned him. Katie took her head out of the refrigerator and went up to her room, one finger in her ear, the other hand around a soda.
“I’m at a standstill until Paul gets back to me, so we could send Michael home,” Daniel suggested with a glint in his eyes.
“You don’t have the equipment I’m in the mood for,” Jack told him.
Michael covered his ears. “Guys, please, delicate ears here.”
“Bull,” Jack and Daniel told him.
The phone rang again and Jack picked it up.
“Yeah. Where? Hang on.” He held the phone out to Daniel. “Talk to Ronnie. She’s speaking your language.” Daniel took the phone and headed off to his office. Jack glanced at his brother and then startled the man by hugging him.
“What’s that for?” Michael asked.
“You needed it,” Jack told him as he went into the kitchen. “Mikey, have you noticed kids being more pugnacious than usual? In general, not just ours.”
Michael followed him and sat at a bar stool. Jack put a beer in front of him.
“I’m not sure,” Michael slowly said. “I’ve had a few parents complaining about their kids getting into fights.”
“Unusual for these particular kids?” Jack asked.
“Yes, and now that I think about it, I have to agree with Andy; a lot of self-defense is going on.”
Jack leaned against the counter. “Morals and ethics underwent a major change in the evolution of the Ancients,” he commented. “The so-called bullies were eventually shut out of the community if they couldn’t conform, and conforming meant tolerance and acceptance of others.”
An eyebrow went up. A door slammed and feet ran down the stairs.
“I’m going to the shop!” Sam called out.
“Sam!” Jack yelled. “What are you doing?!”
“Later, Jack! I need to…..”
“Colonel Carter!”
Sam skid to a halt and presented herself.
“Sorry,” she said breathlessly.
“Summarize it,” the general ordered.
“The arch,” she said. “I think I know how it was made. Unlike the Stargate, this doesn’t need a special type of metal. The activator, the battery, if you will, is a small supply of liquid naquadah, like the staves use. That’s really the only thing in it that can’t be found on this planet. I think I can make one and make it work.”
“Go,” Jack said, waving a hand. She ran out of the house.
“Did you understand any of that?” Michael asked dubiously.
“I understood that she understands it,” Jack said. “That’s good enough for me.”
“What arch?” Michael asked.
“What arch?” Jack responded, giving his brother a blank stare.
Michael shook his head and finished his beer. “You remember playing king of the mountain when we were kids? I think you took it a little too seriously.”
After Michael left, Jack tossed himself onto the couch, groaning and covering his eyes with an arm.
“Jack.”
“What.”
“I need to go to the SGC,” Daniel said. “Ronnie and Nyan need me to see something.”
Jack reached out and found a hairy wrist. He gave it a tug. Daniel eased himself down on top of Jack. He settled into the holding, helping Jack to calm and center. Jack put his arms around Daniel, flattening his palms against the strong muscles of Daniel’s back and breathing in the familiar scent of the man.
“Okay?” Daniel asked quietly after a few moments.
“Mmmmm.” Jack found his face and kissed him. “Love you,” he said as he nuzzled the side of Daniel’s neck. “Even if Sam is prettier than you.”
Daniel chuckled and lifted his head. They spent several minutes kissing and petting each other.
“Can’t they video conference you?” Jack asked against Daniel’s mouth. Daniel gave Jack’s chest a rub and nuzzled a nipple.
“I suppose so,” Daniel said. “But it’s easier to show me things if I’m there. They’ve come up with a few oddities. You did ask her to look for weird stuff, Jack. They have something coming up in South America and they’re ready to bring me in on it.”
Jack frowned. “Just don’t get taken hostage by those Nicaraguan rebels again, please? Or whoever they were?”
Daniel kissed him again and promised. Once was enough.
The house was empty except for Katie, and Jack assumed she was on the phone to someone or emailing out a thousand miffed notes. He couldn’t believe some stupid kid tried to mess with his little girl. He smiled to himself, picturing her smacking the kid in the face with a roundhouse kick. A reach told him she was a little shaken and disappointed, but also surprised and enlightened. Jack laughed to himself; she busted a testicle. Ouch, he winced, feeling sympathy pain, kid’s going to need an operation for that one. Damned if he was going to pay for it, though; the kid should have been a gentleman and taken NO for an answer. Jack hoped Megan was watching.
“She’s a good girl, Megs,” Jack said quietly. “They’re all good kids. You did a good job.”
He was still trying to process all the sensations that had overcome him while he had scanned the planet. Enki may have shut off the over-load, but he still had all the images, thoughts, and feelings running through his head.
His planet wasn’t as bad as the news made it out to be; sure, there were people who needed to be taken out of the gene-pool, but most of them were good people who were simply trying to make it day by day. They were scared, for the most part, scared of all the changes that were happening. A lot of them hadn’t believed the news of aliens, much less an evolutionary leap, but after seeing their own kids learning beyond their years, and a few adults starting to do strange things, a quiet belief was taking hold.
Some of the tribal areas bothered him; the people there didn’t have the media and were bothered by their children. Some tribes took the changes to be good and others took them to be bad. He was beginning to understand when Enki said that some people wouldn’t make it. It was a harsh reality that Jack needed to harden part of himself to whether he liked it or not.
Jack got up and went to his computer.
“To my fellow Tau’ri,” he typed.
“Some amazing things have been happening over the past few years, as most of you have determined already. We are not alone, indeed we are blessed with friends who have accepted us despite our faults. I address you as Tau’ri because that is who we are. We are not American, or British, or Russian, or any other national origin. We are Tau’ri, the inhabitants of the First World. The first human world, that is.
“You will have noticed some strange things happening with the kids. It’s okay, this is supposed to be happening. Our children will be smarter than we ever were, so don’t be afraid of them or afraid of what is happening. No, they won’t be changing their appearance or leaping tall buildings or using x-ray vision on us. They are just getting a little smarter, nothing more. Some adults are also undergoing a few changes; actually this isn’t anything new, the changes are simply things that already existed and are now being amplified. These are good things. Don’t be afraid of them, encourage them to happen.
“Be kind to each other. Be tolerant of the differences in others. Be accepting of those differences. Open your heart and mind to your neighbor. Be patient during these changes; ethics, morals, and basic social rules will need to change in order to accommodate the new world vision. The borders of our various countries are all man-made borders, not things of nature. A flag should not rule our lives. Church and State should not assume the position of lord and master. Sure, rules are needed for a society to function; we have worked too long and too hard for chaos to claim us. I have seen worlds where government truly puts its people first. Such worlds work and thrive. The citizens, from the leadership to the most humble farmer, all work together, none relying on another for their needs out of laziness. If they have the ability to work, they work. They are kind to each other.
“I am a soldier. I bear arms on a daily basis. I have killed and I will do so again, in order to keep my family safe. This planet is my family. I hope there is a day when war will no longer be a concern and my gun can begin to collect dust. My contract may say that I work for the United States Air Force, and I am more than willing to collect my paycheck from them, but I have begun to consider myself as Tau’ri. I work for the people of this planet. Propaganda will say that I am writing this to gain the support of the world for the USA. That isn’t so. I am writing this in my position as a fellow Tau’ri, as the Chief of HomeWorld Security, and as a representative of the Unified Worlds.
“A good soldier on any planet does not like war. I hope I’ve been a good soldier.
“As I watch my own children experience their changes, as I watch my wife and my husband awaken to their true selves, I know I am blessed. We are our own higher power. Please. I beg of everyone. Put down weapons, put down fists. Hug your family. Shake your neighbor’s hand. Hold your arms out wide and embrace the life you have been given. In a few short years of practicing this, my life has never been richer.
“My youngest son is eleven; he sees only the good in people. It is his gift. I have recently had reason to see this world with different eyes, and I see a lot of good people. Good people who are scared. I think the phrase, “the meek shall inherit the earth,” is misread. It is the tolerant and accepting that shall inherit the earth. If I could give the people of this world one gift, it would be the eyes and heart to see the true heart of your neighbor. It took this soldier a long time to learn that lesson, and I’m still learning it. It will be our children who practice it. Let’s help them get started on the right foot by showing them the way.”
Jack sat back and considered the ramifications. He emailed it and then picked up the phone.
“Cass, I just emailed you something. Please get it translated and sent out to every news agency you can find. No, don’t run it by anyone, I’ll take responsibility for it. Just send it. Thanks, honey.”
He emailed and dialed again.
“Gabriel, it’s Jack. Very good, thanks. Listen, I just emailed you with a letter that’s about to hit the papers. I’d like it to somehow be translated into languages of people who don’t have access to newspapers or TV. Yeah, tribes and stuff. I appreciate it, thanks.”
Jack hung up and winced.
“Daniel is going to smack me upside the head for this one,” he told himself.
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