SUMMARY: SG1 is "recruited" into helping a planet in it's struggles against the Goa'uld.

Olim stood in front of the double security doors and pressed his hand to the scanner plate mounted on the nearby wall. The laser that read the palm print was apparently satisfied as the doors slid silently open. Next came the more telling step in the identification process. Olim had learned the hard way that palms could be altered, tripping up the security. More than ever before, the need for security was prevalent. While not his area of expertise, Olim had come up with a more fool-proof system. As was said many times before, ‘Necessity was the Mother of Invention’. Now he kept the palm scanner for more of a personnel log-in, than for security. The next step was harder to fool. Olim moved across the pressure sensitive floor. The plates recorded weight. The system drew information from a database which recorded all relevant data. The weight on the plate should match that recorded for that employee. There was a degree of leeway allowed for daily weight fluctuations, and all staff were screened frequently for any physical changes. This minimised the chance of having people trying to work the system. The fail-safe would kick in and reject all admittance at that point, and would in fact automatically inform security of a potential breach. The plate was charged and would deliver a stunning shock that rendered the occupant unconscious, without actually causing harm, allowing security the chance to arrive.

Spies had recently tried to infiltrate the Cloning Division of the Ministry. With the situation between Yensid and Regor, tensions were beginning to escalate. While the two planets were under trade treaties, leaks had been discovered. Olim knew the price his world would pay if information fell into the wrong hands. To help stem the tide, Olim had helped to devise more security measures. The next step was his personal contribution to the protection of his work.

Olim spread his arms wide, and placed his right and left index fingers into small recesses, spaced at wide intervals. He waited for and felt the simultaneous pin pricks his fingertips received. A quick blood analysis confirmed his genetic identity. The second set of doors then opened, allowing his final admittance.

The medical theatre lit up instantly, light glaring off the pristine surfaces. Lighting and temperature preferences were recorded by the computer, and set automatically after the palm was read. In the event of more than one person working at a time, the one with the greater rank was given deferential treatment.

The room was a state of the art masterpiece. Any and all medical equipment known had been brought to this place. Resources were limitless in this endeavour. It was a scientist’s dream come true, and the task at hand was truly remarkable.

To date, the job had been relatively easy. The technology being implemented thus far was aeons old. Cloning was now the only method of repopulation on Yensid. Computers all but ran the planet. Biological life-forms were now controlled substances, used only for necessary tasks. Olim remembered when they had discovered the techniques.

While their planet of origin, Earth, was still discovering the world was round, Yensid had already reached the electronic age. The rise to technology had been swift, providing unheard of luxuries and prosperity. Unfortunately, in their eagerness for discovering the unknown, they had forgotten the fundamentals. Too late, the damage to the planet was discovered. The natural resources, both mineral and biological, had been depleted past the point of survival. Starvation swept the planet. People died in the billions. In a last ditch effort to save their society, the Supreme Ministry gathered the best and the brightest in all fields. This effort birthed the origins of the DNA bank. Only those capable of utilising the technology were protected from the ravages of a world gone wrong. Those people were sent to the tower city where the means for survival had been secreted away. Heavy automatic fortifications protected the elevated city. The defences never succumbed to the devastation raging outside.

In the years spent locked behind their own walls, the nature of the men and women of Yensid changed. Their priorities shifted. The sciences became all encompassing. Techniques were experimented with, and perfected. Soon, the world they had left behind became a superfluous memory.

Yensid rose to the heights of its technological prowess, while simultaneously losing all sense of its morality.

Given the limited stores and space, genetics began to play a key role. Children were no longer necessary or needed. They could perform no essential services, and took valuable resources. The need rose for extreme population control. A mother’s womb was soon replaced by a technological one. Babies and children were not deemed to be essential, while viable, functioning adults were. As such, the limits of genetics were pushed, until simple recombinant DNA became the future. Yensid had done away with process of birth and formulate years. Children now emerged from their artificial wombs as fully formed, fully functioning adults.

As with all things, the crisis eventually passed, although many years had transpired. When the select few were at last able to emerge from their towers, the world that greeted them was irreparably changed. Famine and disease had wiped out the population. The few survivors had gone mad with grief and hunger and were shot on sight. What water remained was toxic and the land ravaged past the point of repair. Aside from those spared, Yensid was a dead world.

Unable to provide for their own needs, and their stores dwindling at an alarming rate, the scientists turned to neighbouring planets. A trade mission was arranged, and treaties drawn. The nearby world of Regor provided the basics of life such as food and water, and Yensid provided the technology.

Regor was a garden planet. The people worked the land and preserved the environment. The technologies that bested Yensid, were unknown there. The people did not want for anything. They had land, clean water, plenty of food and a peaceful way of life. Territory was not fought for, thus war was never a factor. Other planets left them alone, as their simple way of life offered nothing that other worlds desired. The people raised their families, grew old and died, and the circle of life continued, generation after generation. Until Yensid.

The relationship worked for many years, and the standings between the two worlds grew stronger. Now, however, they had come to a critical point. Regor had become the subject of scrutiny from the System Lords. Unable to fend off the unwanted advances, they turned to Yensid for protection.

The solution was deemed to be in the best interests of both planets. While Yensid had the weaponry to protect itself, Regor did not. Since it was unable to support the kind of technology involved in self protection, it behoved Yensid to come up with an alternate solution. If Regor fell, so did their link to life’s basic essentials.

The Minister’s Council of Yensid was unwilling to admit that they did not actually want to exchange technology of that magnitude. It was in their best interests to keep Regor reliant on them. If they developed enough technology for themselves, they would have the upper hand in the alliance, and Yensid could not have that. Hence, the current experiment in the works, and the new security measures.

Olim broke from his ruminations, and concentrated on the subject at hand. Over the years, the science of cloning had been modified and fine tuned until the outcome was predictable to within thousandths of a percent. The tricky part of this particular job was not the creation of the subject, and the areas to be enhanced, but rather the areas to be blanketed. The mind of this specimen was to be left completely empty, the personality and desirable attributes to be added later.

Olim moved around the room, checking on equipment. He walked past rows of beakers and centrifuges. Electron microscopes sat at the ready, as did autoclaves. Robotic arms waited for the manipulation of materials too delicate to be trusted to any mere human. Electrophoreses necessary for the splitting of genetic material waited for the next task. Olim made his way steadily closer to the large object commanding attention in the centre. The tank was of clear neoprene. It measured ten feet in length, and five feet in depth. It was spherical in shape, lying laterally. On one round end were computer screens. They were ceaseless in the constant monitoring of internal conditions. The other end was plain. A hinged line in the top indicated the presence of an opening. Once the cycle was complete, the top of the tank would open, allowing its contents to be removed.

Pipes fed in to the tank. Some were narrow, supplying constant infusions of nutrients to the murky fluid within. Others served to provide the fluid with proper aeration. Still others allowed for the addition of biological additives. One large tube ran out from the underside of the tank. It was as yet unused, but would provide drainage for the tank at the desired moment.

That moment would soon come. Olim studied the readings on the end of the tank. He was satisfied with what he saw. He moved over to study the murky fluid, trying in vain to visually gauge the progress of the procedure. While he didn’t distrust the computer readouts, he still preferred the old-fashioned hands on method of work.

Olim was Premiere Medical Officer of the Yensid. The breeding program on the planet took only the best and brightest in their fields. Genetic materials from all likely candidates were taken, labelled and stored. The repository of breeding was the most protected place on the planet. The DNA contained there was quite literally the future of the planet.

The donors of Olim’s genetic materials had both been medicos, and the best in their fields. Once the word was given that a candidate for someone in Olim’s speciality was needed, the process began.

Both the male and female genetic materials were chosen to provide the most likely intellectual outcome. In Olim’s case, the focus was on mental acuity, not looks. Once the choice was made, the materials were then turned over to the genetics lab. DNA was split, combined and reconstituted. Life began in test tubes and beakers, under the watchful eye of geneticists. Not only was Olim created to fulfil specific requirements, he was aged to a point where he could function at an appropriate level. The combined knowledge of both parent donors was given to him. While his body was being developed to necessary standards, his mind was also being developed. Within two months of ‘conception’, Olim was a fully functioning doctor with a job waiting for his particular talents. His speciality was genetics, but of a specific sort. His was the job of creating an entire line of planetary defence, out of simple DNA.

*****************************

High above the medical wing, looking down at the work in progress through the one-way glass, stood a group of the most powerful men in Yensid. The Lord High Minister, the High Minister and the Premier of Trade all stood in conference.

Ecnal, the High Minister, glanced up from Olim’s activities and looked at the other two searchingly. "Are you certain he can achieve our goal, Jaen?"

The Lord High Minister looked slightly put out by the reference to his name, but realised that the constant use of titles in this case would be a waste of time. "I am not certain, but if it can be done, he will be the one to see it to fruition. Already he has proven invaluable in protecting our secrets." Jaen was the one whom Olim had gained permission from in his efforts to stop the industrial espionage. While not saying so, Jaen had been most impressed with Olim’s additions to the security sectors.

Jaen peered through the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the contents of the vessel below. The future of his planet rested on the success of the plan. He lifted his eyes from the view and turned back to the two waiting men. "All that remains now is the transfer subject." Jaen turned to Nalan, the Premier of Trade. "How is the search for a candidate going?"

Nalan cleared his throat. "At this time, My Lord, we have not yet found a suitable candidate."

Ecnal turned to him, scorn on his face. "All this time and you have found nothing?"

Nalan ignored the remark and continued to address Jaen directly. "We have sent spies amongst the Jaffa of the various System Lords. They have managed to infiltrate the ranks successfully."

Ecnal interrupted. "I thought that the System Lords are capable of detecting the presence of a larval Goa’uld in the Jaffa. How is it that your men have not been detected?"

Nalan had to admit to the validity of the question, and answered accordingly. "Those that have come into contact with the Lords have in fact been found. However……" he held up his hand to prevent further interruption from Ecnal. "We have found that the Jaffa answer to the First Prime, who intermediates between the Lord and his troops. As such, few have been discovered. The traces of naquada Olim places within them seems to prevent the First Prime from detecting the deception."

Jaen nodded in approval. "How do you plan to gain the information we need."

Nalan had anticipated the question, and produced a wrist device. "This enables our men to record data they feel pertains to our cause. The information is transmitted to us holographically , and the device is encoded to the wearer’s life signs. If our people are discovered and eliminated, the devices self-destruct. If the wearer’s life signs alter significantly in any way, the same will happen. We would not want the evidence of our activities to fall into the wrong hands. "

"A wise precaution, Nalan. Well done. Now we shall only hope that the information is not long in coming." Jaen turned his back to the two men and strode from the room, his robes swirling behind him.

Seeing that the conversation had ended, and not wishing to remain with Ecnal, Nalan also left.

Ecnal moved to the window, and continued to survey the activities below.

**************************

The blaring klaxons lent a sense of urgency to the fast moving security team entering the embarkation room. The room quickly filled with fatigue clad men bearing weapons of varying shapes and sizes, all with a common goal.

SG1, with Colonel Jack O’Neill leading the way, entered the control room to meet up with General Hammond. "What’s up, Sir?" Jack asked as he looked over the scene below.

"We have an incoming wormhole, and there are no teams presently off-world."

Sam looked up hopefully. "Could it be the Tok’ra, Sir?" She hadn’t seen her father in a while and would liked to have a chance to visit him.

"There is no way of telling, Major. If it is Jacob, then he hasn’t given us any warning. Unless we know who that is, I can’t authorise the opening of the iris. I’m sorry."

Sam nodded. She knew the rules as did her father. If it was him, he would have sent word. They had to go under the assumption that this was an unknown.

The heavy chinking sound of the final locking chevron could be heard, and the Stargate sprung to life. The cerulean blue light lit up the room and tensions mounted. The grating sounds of the trinium strengthened iris sliding closed echoed loudly in the concrete room. The waiting guards hoisted their weapons in preparation for a possible breach in the iris defence. Moments passed. Finally, a resounding thud was heard against metal, and the mouth of the wormhole died, the light fading.

Jack looked over at the General in an unspoken request. A permissive nod set him on his way to the embarkation room. The massive steel security doors opened to admit him as the watching guards relaxed their stance. He strode up the length of the ramp, and watched as the trinium plates slid open, exposing the empty ring beyond. Jack looked, but found nothing. Still, this was a scenario that had been seen before. He looked up at the group watching from the control room. "There’s nothing there, Sir. Might I suggest we have one of those radiation testers check things out?"

Hammond replied over the intercom. "Agreed." He turned to Carter. "Major?"

Sam was already on it. She had made the call and the portable equipment was on its way.

Hammond turned back to the waiting Colonel. "Meeting in the briefing room in 30 minutes, Colonel."

"Yes, Sir." As Jack moved to leave the room, he looked at the waiting men. "Everything’s fine. You can stand down." He threw a salute to the group, and exited the room.

****

Jack and the rest of SG1 were assembled at the briefing table at the specified time. Each person had a file in front of them with the results of the radiation testing.

Daniel picked up the file and fanned it slowly back and forth as he spoke. "Obviously, the Tegrebs want to see us, or they never would have sent the box. The question is why?"

Hammond looked around the table. "You have no idea what this might be about? Everything was fine when you last spoke with them?"

Teal’c looked at the man. "Everything was indeed fine, General. In fact, things could not have been better."

Sam piped up. "Oh yeah. We had a great time there, General." Sam thought back to the time on the planet.

They had gone there several months prior, using one of the addresses Jack had programmed during his time under the influence of the Ancients. The meeting had gone well. The people were very friendly, after the first few awkward moments. The team had been treated exceptionally well.

The planet held vast amounts of trinium, making it worthwhile to establish relations with the locals. The people were more than agreeable to trade. They lacked some basic technologies and happily agreed to the switch. SG1 was given the unusual job of serving as liaison with the planet, due largely in part to the ease which with Daniel had fit in with them. As a rule, they were a first contact team, the follow up being delegated. Daniel had quickly developed a relationship with the men and women of the world, and they felt uncomfortable dealing with the other team that had joined SG1 to establish diplomatic relations. As usual, his skills had come in handy, as well as his caring attitude for people he had only met. As a favour to the Tegreb people, as well as for SG1, Hammond had agreed to allow the team the task of acting as intermediaries.

The way of life on Tegreb was laid back and relaxing, and SG1 had more than enjoyed their time there. Hammond had promised them a follow-up at the agreed upon time. That time was not yet upon them. Semi-annual trips had been scheduled, allowing time for the gathering of resources.

Jack flipped open his file, trying to make some sense of the readings. The most he could make out was the summary stating the belief that the object had in fact been the signature box sent previously left behind on Tegreb. He turned to the General, his expression hopeful. "Sir. Requesting permission to return to planet P43…. something, something, something."

Daniel tried to cover for him, amusement in his eyes. "Um, that would be P43-756."

Jack flashed him a grateful look, then turned back to Hammond. "What he said, Sir. Can we go back?"

The amusement has not passed the General, and he smiled as he nodded. "There are no assignments pressing for the next week, so, SG1, you have a go."

Smiles were seen all around the table. Thoughts of a relaxing week appealed to all the members of the team.

Jack spoke for them all. "Thank you, Sir." He turned to Teal’c. "Now I can finally teach you how to play baseball."

Teal’c nodded and started to speak, when Hammond cut him off. "Just remember, Colonel, this is a mission, not a vacation. I want check-ins at regular intervals."

Jack rose to leave, grinning all the while. "Yes, Sir. I’ll remember that." As he started for the door, he grabbed Teal’c’s arm, indicating for the big man to follow him. The others followed.

As the team exited the room, Hammond couldn’t help but overhear Jack talking to Teal’c. "Wait ‘til you try that new glove I got you. I finished breaking it in last week." The General smiled as he gathered up his files.

******************************

The team’s smiles quickly evaporated as SG1 emerged into a battleground. The team was assaulted by the acrid smells of blood and sweat, fear and death. The Tegreb villagers were fighting a losing battle against the force of Jaffa. The Jaffa’s superior weaponry was telling heavily and losses were occurring in greater numbers by the minute. In the split second it took for Jack to analyse the situation, two more men fell, both hit by staff blasts. The one man managed to crawl to the relative safety of a stone wall, the other lay unmoving.

The Jaffa had employed no tactics other than superior numbers and weaponry in the fight. So confident were they, that they fought with helmets open, exposing their faces to their intended victims. The Tegreb men were on one side of a field, the Jaffa on the other. Neither side had much cover. Obviously the Jaffa felt the villagers posed no real threat, so they were operating on purely offensive moves. At the opening of the gate though, that started to change. Some of the Jaffa broke off to move to more defensive positions. The Jaffa were trained well enough to realise the balance of the fight had now shifted.

SG1 snapped into action. Jack and Teal’c broke off to the right, Daniel and Sam the left. As they scrambled to gain safe positions, they alternated between the familiarity of their M16’s, and the devastating effects of the zat guns. Electric pulses and blasts could be heard non-stop, intermixed with the rattle of rapid gunfire. Ozone cracked and the air smelt burnt. Sam approached a pile of broken rubble near a wall, to use as a shield when she heard a noise behind her.

Daniel was only a step behind Sam when instinct caused him to throw himself forward into a diving roll. He emerged alongside the rubble and scrambled around it, only to look behind him at the charred patch of earth he had just occupied. Sam, now behind him, twisted at the waist and fired randomly, unaware when she took out the would-be assailant. Gaining a temporary reprieve, she moved quickly to join her friend. The two friends sat in the dirt, backs against a large slab, pausing just long enough to catch their breath before turning and raising themselves up to check out their situation.

Jack and Teal’c had a harder time reaching safety. Their camouflaged bodies were targeted as they darted and wove their way through the body ridden field. Unused trees on the far side presented an opportunity for protection if they could reach them. First they had to traverse a bloody battleground, and fend off the firepower of the determined Jaffa’s.

Jack spotted an enemy convergence cresting a hill in front. Shoving Teal’c in the direction of the trees, he shouted. "Move, Teal’c, I’ll cover you!"

Teal’c ran as fast as he could. He needed to get to cover so he could in turn cover his CO. It took him only a moment to reach safety. He then took aim at the cluster of Jaffa who were temporarily distracted by Jack’s movements.

In a calculated kamikaze manoeuvre, Jack opened continuous fire on the group ahead. Before the shocked fighters could recover, he dove to his side, rolled and regained his footing, firing all the while. The move had taken the Jaffa by surprise. Several fell in the first few seconds, two more in the next. By the time Jack stood, the enemy numbers had dwindled by half.

Teal’c took over the decimation of the group by providing cover fire. By the time Jack joined him, the group had broken ranks and scattered.

***********

As Sam continued taking out the scattered Jaffa, one at a time, Daniel looked over to the man hiding behind the wall near to them. Yelling out "Cover me!" to Sam, he threw himself onto his belly and crawling arm over arm, covered the open span between his sanctuary and the nearby stone wall. Blasts landed all around, but none hit their target. Finally gaining his destination, Daniel moved alongside the limp figure who lay sprawled awkwardly on the ground. He rolled the man over to check the damage he knew to be there. His heart fell when he saw who it was. He drew the man closer, resting Tabor’s head on his lap.

Tabor was one of the first men he established a rapport with. The man possessed an infectious smile, and brought laughter with him wherever he went. He had a wife and seven children, all of a young age. Every time Daniel saw the man, he had at least one child hanging from him and both would be laughing. He was on the ruling council of the planet, although most of their discussions quickly moved towards the topic of the next dance or celebration to be held.

Tabor groaned in pain and slowly swung his gaze around to meet Daniel’s. He tried in vain to flash his customary smile, but the look quickly faded. "You….. came to our aid……" He drew in a slow, shuddering breath. "Thank you…….We feared you would…..not." The words came out slowly, and with great effort.

Daniel pulled the robes open that sought to cover the blast wound. The coppery smell of blood assaulted Daniel’s nose, while the scorched skin and burnt flesh showed the true severity of the injury. Without proper aid, Tabor would not survive. Even with it, the outcome was bleak. Daniel grabbed his pack and tore into it as he scrounged for a field kit. Finally his searching hand landed on the elusive object and he brought it out. As he lay it on the ground and rummaged for the supplies he needed, he asked the necessary questions.

"What happened here?"

Tabor barely flinched when Daniel poured disinfectant liberally over the wound. His body felt detached, and the pain was receding. "Two days ago…….. the Gate opened. Two of those…… Jaffa came." Tabor was having a hard time concentrating on his words. They didn’t seem to make sense any more. Still, he tried, knowing the importance of passing on the information. "They left…… and …..threatened to come back…….. with more. We didn’t believe them."

Daniel looked up from his task when the words ground to a halt. Tabor’s eyes were falling shut. "Tabor! Hang on. We’ll get you some help, you’ve just got to hang on a while longer."

With great effort, Tabor opened his green eyes and gave Daniel the faintest of smiles. "Say good-bye………to…….the…….chil…………" the remaining breath slowly hissed out between the loosely parted lips.

The green eyes continued their mute appeal to Daniel, but the light was gone. Slowly, and with a shaking hand, Daniel passed his hand over Tabor’s face, and the eyes closed forever. Momentarily overcome, Daniel leaned his head down, until his forehead came to rest on Tabor’s shoulder. He closed his eyes to block the faces of seven crying orphans.

**************

Jack and Teal’c lay on their bellies, sizing up the opposition. They had spotted snipers on either side of the fighting villagers. Thanks to Carter’s efforts, the numbers were dwindling, but not quickly enough. More needed to be done. Jack moved his mouth closer to Teal’c’s ear. Still, it was hard to make out the words over the sounds of battle. "I make out targets at 2, 4,7,8 and 9 o’clock. What have you got?"

"I see the same. They are well distributed to block any resistance from the villagers." If Teal’c was feeling an adrenaline rush from the fighting, it did not show. He was as calm as always.

"We need to take them out. You go left, I’ll take right. Knock them out any way you can, but be quiet about it. We need to maximise the surprise element."

Teal’c nodded. The plan was similar to tactics he would employ. The two silently parted company. For such a large man, Teal’c could move ghostly quiet if he chose. The enemy would not hear him approach.

Jack moved stealthily from tree to tree, searching out targets. It did not take long to find the first one. Jack snuck up behind the lone Jaffa. The man was intent on his next shot, having lined up an elderly man in his sights. He never even felt his death.

Jack had trained with black ops for many years. One of the skills he had learned was how to infiltrate a hostile situation, and take out the enemy with minimal disruption, using whatever tactics were necessary to prevent detection. In this case, Jack elected not to use his weapon and chance being overheard. He launched quick, dual blows to the man’s temples. The Jaffa fell without uttering a sound.

Jack grabbed the falling body and deposited it on the ground. He dragged it behind the nearest tree to so it would not be spotted as readily. He paused for a moment to survey the scene. While he could see the enemy was systematically suffering losses, so were the locals. As he watched, another villager dropped, his chest smoking from the staff blast that caught him. Even across the distance, Jack could see the grimness of the wound. The sight spurred him into action, and he moved on.

Working in the opposite direction, Teal’c was acting in a similar manner. His first victim fell without a sound. The second was close and the area between the two was devoid of cover. Teal’c studied the man for a moment, feeling for the rhythm in his actions. The Jaffa would shoot, scan then shoot again.

Teal’c groaned mentally. These fighters were all the same. Mechanical soldiers without any will of their own. It was that very lack of instinct that he tried to work on during his days of service to Apophis. Now he was glad that lesson went unlearned and would now factor in his favour. He timed his movements carefully, and rushed the distance when the soldier fired. The ploy worked, and another fell. Teal’c moved on.

**********

The villagers were mounting their own campaign. They had reached a copse of trees and were now somewhat protected, their losses diminishing. They worked together to distract the Jaffa. They threw whatever they could get their hands on, and the tactic was working. While the guards focused their fire on the men, Sam continued her efforts. Her methods were slow, but effective, and soldier after soldier died.

Daniel gained control, temporarily putting Tabor’s death behind him to deal with later. Extricating himself from under the dead man, he drew himself to his knees and peeked out over the wall. He could see the results of the fight clearly as bodies lay in unnatural positions all around. Looking sideways, he could see Sam gazing intently down the barrel of her gun, her finger positioned to fire. As he watched, the finger drew, the gun bucked and as he followed the trajectory, he could see another Jaffa drop. Daniel drew his gun. He joined Sam in the war of attrition. Thankfully, the enemy seemed to be taking the greater losses.

**********

A lone Jaffa moved out of the line of fire, tracing his way to gain the most perspective. He studied the actions of the two pinned within the compound. More difficult was the task of tracking the movements of the other two. Many times he lost them, only to find them again by tracking the destruction they left in their wake. Watching their techniques, he honed in on them.

**********

Teal’c moved towards his next target. The terrain betrayed his movements though, as a twig snapped underfoot. The Jaffa whirled at the sound, firing even as he turned. Teal’c moved just as quickly, but still caught the blast in one shoulder. The force of the hit spun him slightly, his shot missing the target. Still, he recovered quickly and lunged at the soldier, grabbing the enemy’s arm as the weapon fired again. The shot went wide, striking somewhere in the distance. Teal’c dropped his weapon and all pretence of stealth, and grabbed his foe with his massive hands. A test of strength ensued. Both men tried for the upper hand, with neither gaining it. Teal’c’s injury factored into the fight more than anything, and his opponent tried to use that to his advantage. Every move was designed to stress the wound.

Teal’c knew he had to end the fight quickly. He jerked backwards against the man’s hold, and broke free from his grip. He dropped low, and using the foot sweeping technique he had picked up from O’Neill during their many sparring matches, he was able to down the man. Using his superior weight, he held the man with his body, his good arm crossing the man’s throat. The Jaffa fought against the choke hold, his hands trying to push against Teal’c. The vain movements took only a short time to cease, and the man’s arms dropped limply to the ground. Pausing long enough to reclaim his weapon, Teal’c rose to his feet and moved on.

Jack neared the final hold out of fighters, having dispatched the rest in his path. He took a moment to study them. Their attention was concentrated on the clearing. Half of the soldiers focused on the remaining villagers, the rest on what he assumed to be Sam and Daniel judging from the glimpses he got of fatigues. While the diversions were working in his favour, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to up the ante. Reaching in to his vest pocket, he withdrew a grenade. Gun in one hand, grenade in the other, he made his way to the rear of the group. Holding his breath, he closed the distance between them. Carefully, he put one foot in front of the other, ever cautious about where he set them. At this point, it would be deadly to give himself away.

When he reached the point he was aiming for, he crouched down, knee bent to support him. With his right arm pinning his gun to his side, he used his freed right hand to pull the grenade pin. He held his breath against the audible click, but released it when it became apparent that the sound went unnoticed. Aiming his throw away from all allies, he let fly the grenade. As expected, the resulting explosion caught all by surprise, leaving Jack free to take out the rest of the force. All fell in a hail of bullets, not one even turning to face his attacker.

Silence fell. None of the survivors moved. Long minutes passed, until finally Jack stood. Moving tentatively at first, then with greater confidence, he moved towards the gathering of villagers. Taking their cue, the rest of SG1 also emerged from their cover.

**********

The lone Jaffa quickly stripped off his outfit, transforming into a nondescript villager. He continued to watch the proceedings as he blended into the scenery.

**********

Daniel and Sam reached the villagers first. The greeting was bittersweet. Many good men had died that day, but without the appearance of SG1, the losses would have been far greater.

Roana, the village elder and high man on the council, broke away from the rest and approached Daniel. Placing his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, he looked in the blue eyes that reflected the sadness of their owner. "Thank you for coming. Without your help, all would have been lost. We can never repay all you have done."

Daniel felt the man’s loss. By the looks of things, over half of the men from the village had died that day. The village would be long in recovering from the blow. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Teal’c approached, with Jack not far behind.

Roana nodded his acknowledgement to both men. "Two of these, Jaffa, came through the gate, the day before last. We asked what they wanted. They never said. They walked into the village and moved amongst our people. They stayed only a short time, then came back here. As the circle opened, they said they would return. We didn’t know what to make of that."

Sam looked at Daniel, worry clear in her eyes. "They must have come looking for viable hosts."

Daniel nodded in agreement. "If that’s the case, when these ones don’t report back, they’ll send more."

Roana looked back and forth between the two. "I don’t understand."

Teal’c looked levelly at the Elder, respect in his words. "They come wishing to see about making you slaves. More than that, they wish to take over your bodies."

The men gathered around heard the words. "What do you mean take over our bodies? What about slaves? We aren’t slaves. You mean there will be more of them? How do we stop them?" The words came out in a jumble as each man vied to be heard.

Roana held up his hand to stem the flow of questions. "As you can see, we have many questions."

Daniel took the man by the arm and started to lead him to the village. "We will answer all of your questions, and help in any way we can." The remaining villagers followed the two out of the clearing.

Jack watched Daniel handle the man. Clearly he had things under control. Jack turned to face the destruction. He saw the many dead, both villagers and Jaffa alike. As he turned to Teal’c to ask for help in moving them, he caught sight of the burnt clothing marking the shoulder wound. "Teal’c, you okay?"

"I am fine, O’Neill. My symbiote is repairing the damage. It will be fully healed within the day."

Jack couldn’t help but give a little grin. Much as he would never want a snake in his gut, he couldn’t help but love the benefits it provided his friend. As he looked around, he noticed Sam crouched by the DHD. Wandering over, he lost his grin. It was apparent, even to him that the DHD was damaged. From the scorch marks, it had to have been a stray staff blast.

Jack looked at his 2IC. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Sam stood up and wiped her dirty palms against her fatigues. "I’m afraid so, Sir. Actually, I have good news, and bad news."

Jack sighed. "Why did I think you were going to say that. Okay, give me the good news first."

"Well, the good news is that even if more Jaffa are sent, they won’t get through."

"Okay, I can live with that. And the bad news is………?"

"The bad news is we can’t dial out. Until we can fix this, we aren’t going anywhere."

Jack took the news better than she thought. "Well, there are worse places to get stuck." Jack looked around and took in the scene. "On the other hand, I can think of better." He turned back to Carter. "So, what do you need?"

Sam chewed her lip thoughtfully as she contemplated the pedestal in front of her. "Well…….a power source would be nice. The staff weapon blast shorted out the wiring and caused a power overload. I need to re-route the wiring, and hook it up to an independent power supply." Sam looked at her CO, frustration brewing in her eyes. "I’m sorry, Sir. Even at that, I can’t guarantee it will work."

Jack looked at her, thinking back briefly to all the times she had said that, and ended up successful in her efforts. "I’m sure you’ll do fine, Major. Now, what do you want me to do?"

"For starters, you can find me a some wire while I figure out a way of powering this thing."

"Okey-dokey."

Sam smiled as her CO walked away. It never ceased to amaze her how he could make something so insurmountable seem so doable. Shaking her head, she knelt down and started to remove the protective panel at the front of the column.

*******

The watcher observed the exchange between the man and the woman. It was obvious the man was the leader of the group, but the woman appeared to possess the technical skills. He decided to see what developed.

********

Daniel accompanied the men back to the village where they were warmly greeted by the women and children. Tears started to flow as the story was told and families realised their losses. Daniel hurt for these people who reminded him so much of the Abydonians. They had the same gentleness about them, and were now coping with a similar loss. Daniel couldn’t help but wonder when the war against the System Lords would end, and planets like this would finally be safe. He vowed to be a part of that. Not only did he want freedom for all the enslaved, but he wanted some redemption for his own losses.

Daniel watched as men and women consoled each other. Even after the tragedy these people had faced today, they were still able to draw on the strength of one another. He marvelled at that resiliency, yet understood it. He had seen it time and again, both on other worlds, and his own. It gave him cause to wonder. The Goa’uld ostensibly targeted humans as they were the best suited to being hosts. Daniel questioned the truth of that. They had met creatures before capable of being hosts, and indeed, in the case of the Unas, had been at one point. Daniel had to wonder if it wasn’t due more in part to that very same human spirit. Perhaps the Goa’uld feared it, thus they set out to systematically conquer it. It was a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Daniel hung back, witness to their grief, and waited until they were ready to deal with him. Finally the tears dried although the sorrow hung heavily in the air. The men and women steeled themselves. The grief could wait, but the threat could not. Roana beckoned for him to approach.

"You said they would come again. We cannot allow this. We would not survive a second attack." Nods of agreement came from all around. "Please tell us what we might do."

Daniel studied the faces looking to him for answers. As he wondered what to say, he caught sight of a little boy peeking out from behind his mother’s skirt. His mind was drawn back to a similar scene. A child on Abydos hid in the same manner when Ra arrived. That thought prompted his answer. "I want you to knock the gate over when we leave. Cover it up with layers of rock and dirt. Bury it deeply so that it can’t open again."

"But what about you. How will you come back?" The words shook Roana.

"We won’t. We will be barred from this world, the same as the others."

The Elder sagged visibly. "We will never see you again?"

"No, but you will be safe and that’s what matters here………unless?" Again Daniel thought back to Abydos.

"Unless what?"

"We could arrange a time to return. At that point, you could uncover the gate, and recover it when we leave. That way we might see you again, and continue to trade for the trinium."

Roana smiled his first smile of the day. "We would like that, Daniel."

****************************

By the time Jack returned with the scavenged wire he had taken from the uniforms of the Jaffa, Teal’c and Sam had the guts of the DHD lying on the ground. The two were engaged in a lively discussion about the functionality of the myriad of wires lying around them. "I see you two have been having fun while I was gone."

Sam smiled as she looked up. "I think we have this figured out, finally. We had to come up with a way of minimising power overloads and risking another short, so we reconnected the wires to only those chevrons we need. That way, the power can’t get misdirected somewhere else."

Jack looked pensive. "Okay, I get that. So now what? You’re going to hot wire the thing?"

"In a nutshell."

Jack looked around the clearing. " Where’s the battery?"

Sam’s smile faded. "We’re still working on that, Sir."

Jack scanned the sky. "Well, no lightening, so that rules out that option."

Sam’s smile brightened slightly at the memory.

Jack waved a hand absently in their direction as he turned to walk away. "I’m sure you’ll think of something. Keep working on it. I’m going to check on Daniel."

"Yes, Sir."

As Jack moved past a fallen Jaffa, he kicked the staff weapon lying in his path. "Too bad we can’t just shoot the power into it," he mused aloud.

Sam overheard him, and bells went off in her head. She flashed to a scene at the SGC where a ragged Colonel sat working on a power amplifier. A device powered by a cell contained in a staff weapon. "Sir," she called.

Jack stopped and turned. He cocked his head questioningly.

"You’re a genius!"

Jack sauntered back, chest puffed out. "Yeah, well. I do what I can." He sagged a little. "What did I do?"

Teal’c raised an eyebrow.

"You came up with our power source." Sam’s grin widened as she took in his confused expression. "We’ll use the power cell from the staff weapon. It gave the gate enough extra power to send you out of our galaxy, so it should have no problem fixing this." Sam swept her hand across the mess of wire.

Jack looked at her, once again amazed at how her mind worked. "Good work, Major. Let me know when we’re set to go. I’ll let Daniel know what’s happening. Teal’c, help Carter with this would ya?"

"It would be a pleasure, O’Neill."

As Jack left the compound the two were back to work, head to head discussing how to make the connections. Apparently it would not be quite as simple as wrapping a wire around each end of the cell.

***********

The watcher had seen enough. Using the device on his wrist, he called the Lord High Minister.

*******************************

Jaen sat in his chambers, leaning forward against his desk. His elbows rested on the worn wood, his fingers lightly touching each other, and his chin resting lightly on them. Word had arrived from Olim that phase one of the project was finished. He could proceed no further without the subject.

Jaen sighed. His head was starting to throb. After that brief visit, he received another, this time from his Minister of Trade. Nalan had come to tell him of the sense of urgency coming from Regor. His reassurances that there was plenty of time before the System Lords would arrive, if indeed that was their plan, had fallen on deaf ears. The people wanted their defence consolidated now, not in the future when it might be too late.

"I know they are worried, Nalan, but what choices do we have?" Jaen argued. "We cannot send them weaponry, to do that would be for us to commit planetary suicide. They wouldn’t need us anymore, and we don’t have any other trading partners."

Nalan shook his head in frustration. "Perhaps we underestimate them, My Lord. They might not desire anything more than protection. Even with the weapons, there is no reason to believe they would turn on us."

"Are you willing to bet your life on that, Nalan? To risk our planet on that assumption?" Jaen stared hard at Nalan, seeking the answers in the lines of his face and the set of his eyes. Finding none, he continued. "I am not, and as long as I remain Lord High Minister, my word stands."

Nalan had left, promising to gain more time. As Jaen thought about that, he hoped it was possible. For him, it felt as though time had already run out. Wearily he ran his hand through his hair, then moved to rise when he was interrupted by a pounding on his door. Wondering what the crisis was this time, he reset himself in his seat, sat tall and waited. "Come."

The door opened revealing a smiling Minister of Trade, carrying a cube in his hand. "We’ve done it."

Jaen called out, "Door." The panel slid closed. Jaen turned his attention to Nalan. "Now what is this about?"

"Contact came from one of our spies, Sir. He has found our subjects."

Jaen did a double take. "Subjects? Plural?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Is that possible?"

"I don’t know, Sir. I have requested that Olim join us. He will need to study the subjects to determine their acceptability. He should be here momentarily."

Nalan placed the cube gently on the Minister’s desk. The nondescript item carried the potential answers to their problems.

Nalan sat and the two men waited for the arrival of the scientist.

Olim was not long in arriving. As soon as he was seated, Jaen motioned for Nalan to activate the device. Instantly, an image appeared. The three dimensional hologram carried both sight and sound. The men watched as Jack came into view, first taking out the initial group of Jaffa, then quickly dispatching a solitary soldier. The scene moved to Teal’c, wounded and fighting his attacker to the death. Sam appeared next, kneeling next to the DHD and explaining her plan to power it up. Lastly came Daniel, first shooting at the enemy, then inter-reacting with the locals.

The hologram ended abruptly. The three men studied each other. Finally Jaen asked the question on all their minds. "I think this is what we have been waiting for. All have admirable attributes, and appear to complement each other. I think we could benefit from all of their skills. The question is………is it possible for us to use them all?"

Olim asked for the cube to be reactivated. He didn’t speak until he had seen the images a second time. "I think that you’re right about using all of them. I can’t say if it would work with four any more than with one. The technology can be used more than once. This hasn’t been tried before, but I do think that it would be worth the attempt."

Jaen looked relieved. "Done then. Nalan, please contact your man. You know what to do."

Nalan stood and retrieved the cube. "Right away, Sir." Without further delay, he left the room.

Jaen looked at Olim, all seriousness showing in his expression. "This has to succeed. You know that don’t you?"

Olim was equally sombre. "Yes, Sir. I do. I will do my best."

"I know you will."

********************************

SG1 gathered in front of the gate, in the early morning light. Sam had worked long into the evening before finishing the work. According to her, the gate should now work.

When his shoulder fully healed, Teal’c had left that task to assist the Colonel. The two men had dealt with the bodies littering the area. The fallen villagers were returned to their families for traditional burials, while the Jaffa had been zatted into oblivion. The discarded weapons were gathered and destroyed. With the gate buried, the Tegreb people had no need of the firepower, and the team wanted to leave the world as unaltered as possible given the circumstances.

Roana stood at the front of the throng of people gathered to see them off. Handshakes were exchanged, as well as a few hugs.

Daniel looked at the Elder. "I’m sorry we can’t stay to offer more help."

"You have already helped enough. I’m here aren’t I, as well as the others. That is more than we could have hoped for."

"Remember now, unbury the gate in six months. We will try three times to activate it. If we can’t, we will wait a further six months."

"We will remember." Roana’s eyes spoke what his voice could not.

The team said a final farewell and together approached the now functioning DHD.

Jack looked at his team. "Good work, kids. Daniel, dial us home."

**************

The watcher timed his movements to match Daniel’s. He pressed the coloured stones on his wrist band as Daniel pushed the chevrons on the DHD. Seven stones were pressed in succession.

***************

Daniel pushed the red centre of the DHD, and was rewarded with the opening of the Stargate. He rejoined his team, and together they walked through towards home.

******************************

Hammond stood in the control room overlooking the Stargate. The huge ring was presently active, the chevrons beginning to engage. The only team out was SG1, and they were now officially overdue in reporting back. The General hoped they had a better excuse for their tardiness than a rousing game of baseball. As he watched, the final chevron engaged and the wormhole opened in its usual spectacular manner. The iris slid closed, awaiting the instructions to do otherwise.

Lieutenant Simmons looked up from his console to face the General. "Sir, it’s SG1’s signal."

"Open the iris. Let’s see what held them up this time." Hammond watched, his annoyance quickly fading into worry as the familiar faces failed to appear. Finally, the wormhole simply disengaged. "What just happened here Lieutenant? Where is SG1?"

"I don’t know Sir." The flustered man started checking the computer. "There’s no indication of a problem here, Sir."

Hammond looked sternly at the lieutenant. "Well, it appears we have one. Try dialling up P43-756. I want those people home, ASAP."

"Understood, Sir."

Hammond looked thoughtfully back at the idle gate. "What in God’s name is going on there?", he said to no-one in particular.

**************************

Nalan was admitted to the First High Minister’s chamber. "My lord, I have good news. Our spy was successful and we have the subjects in our possession."

Jaen leaned back, a faint smile threatening to chip away his stoic expression. He regained himself in time. "Very good. How soon will Olim be ready for them?"

"Twelve hours, My Lord."

"Very well. Keep them confined until then. Do not allow contact with them. They will find out soon enough what we want with them."

Nalan had anticipated this. "Yes, My Lord. Already they are secured. They do not appear pleased, though."

Again the smile almost surfaced. "Yes, I can imagine. Please inform both Ecnal and myself when the procedure is ready to be performed. We wish to observe."

"Yes, My Lord." Nalan appeared to hesitate.

"Why do you not leave?"

"My apologies, High Minister. It’s just that I was wondering………"

"Go on.’

"What if these subjects were willing to undergo the experiment. Should we not explain our position and let them decide?"

Jaen looked at his Minister of Trade incredulously. "These people are warriors. They will not agree to this. The idea is preposterous, and I do not have the time to entertain such nonsense. You have your orders, Nalan. Please carry them out."

"Yes, My Lord."

Jaen watched his Minister leave, then swung his chair around and stared at the aquarium behind him. The fish were a rarity on his planet. They had been imported from Regor. They were highly valued, and served as a visible token of his high position. He always found the rippling water and rhythmic movements of the fish to be soothing, especially during these trying times. Briefly he wondered if he should consider Nalan’s request and talk to these people. He dismissed the thought as quickly as it arrived. Time was critical and he could not afford to waste it in discussion. Their position would be explained in due time, and he could only hope the strangers would understand.

******************************

SG1 walked through the gate and arrived in a steel and concrete room, but not the intended one. This was not the SGC, although the decor was similar. No doors or windows could be seen, and as they looked behind them, the gate disconnected. Immediately the team snapped into a defensive position, weapons raised. Jack looked around at the unfamiliar room, trying to determine their location.

"Um, I’m guessing we’re not home." Daniel muttered. In the featureless room, the sound carried exceedingly well.

"Ya think." Jack stood, and lowered his weapon. The others followed suit. He moved to the nearest wall, and began running his hands over them. They covered all fours walls in a short period of time. No breaks were found. If there were doors, they couldn’t find them. There was no DHD, and no indications of where they were.

Daniel and Sam moved to slump against a wall. They slid down simultaneously into a seated position. Teal’c, ever vigilant stood, feet spread, arms behind his back, waiting. Jack began to pace. "What happened, Carter? Did you miswire the DHD or something?" He asked this as a question, not an accusation.

Sam looked puzzled. "No, Sir. Teal’c and I checked and double checked. There was no mistake."

"What about you, Daniel. You sure you punched in the right address?"

"Positive."

"He must have, Sir. The chevrons wouldn’t have worked if he hadn’t. There was no power going to the others."

"Then what the hell happened here? It’s obvious we’re not home."

Sam looked chagrined, as did the others. "I don’t know."

Time passed in silence. Jack kept pacing. As the others watched, his rate increased, as did his obvious anger. His body language screamed ‘back off’. Finally, in an attempt to calm himself, Jack looked again at Sam, although his movement never ceased. "What about that power cell thingy, Carter. Could it have been too much?"

Daniel understood what Jack was getting at. "I see what you mean." He turned to Sam to clarify. "Remember when the gate took that energy bolt and overloaded. It jumped destinations and you ended up in Antarctica."

Sam looked at Jack, an unseen tremor running up her spine. Those memories weren’t ones she liked to visit. Mentally shaking herself, she concentrated on the question. "I’m not sure, Sir. It’s possible, but I don’t think it’s likely."

"Nor do I." After a prolonged silence, Teal’c finally spoke. "Those power cells self regulate and produce no more power than the system using it can handle."

Sam looked at Teal’c, clearly surprised, then at Jack. "That’s why the computers could take all that power when the gate sent you to the Asgard world, Sir. I wondered how that was possible, but I figured the allowances were built into the device, and not the power cell itself."

Jack was now looking both annoyed and bored. His pacing was unrelenting.

Daniel timidly spoke up. "Uh, Jack. Why don’t you rest? We could be here for a while."

Jack turned to Daniel, about to let fly with a smart remark when he saw his friend’s face. The younger man looked concerned. "Yeah, good idea. Thanks." Jack moved to sit by his friends and looked over at the still standing Jaffa. "Teal’c, why don’t you join us. As Danny Boy said, it could be a while."

Teal’c sat with them and the four friends waited. After what seemed like an interminable length of time, Jack rose and resumed pacing.

Daniel looked at his watch. Five minutes had elapsed, and he had to wonder what had Jack so keyed up, besides being held in an unknown place, by unknown captors. It didn’t seem to be affecting the rest of them in the same manner. "Jack?"

"Yeah, Daniel?"

"What’s wrong?" Sam looked at the linguist, wondering if he knew what he might be getting into.

"You mean besides the obvious?" Jack turned and looked at him.

Daniel was quickly regretting broaching the subject. "Um, yeah. Besides that."

Jack stopped pacing for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. It passed quickly and he resumed his activities. "Nothing. I’m just not big on being locked up. I’m one of the good guys, remember."

Daniel knew there was more being said there than he understood. He just wasn’t sure if it was a safe line of questioning to pursue. He looked to Sam for guidance, and was quick to pick up on the subtle shaking of her head. A do not go there warning flashed in her eyes. Sighing, Daniel decided to let the matter rest for the moment. He hoped that left alone, Jack might decide on his own to talk, although that didn’t seem a likely scenario.

**************************

Olim began work on the next phase of the experiment. He had already started the program that drained the fluids from the tank. The process had only begun moments before, yet already the tank was half empty. The object within lowered with the fluid level, yet parts were already beginning to show. Facial features were emerging to meet the world for the first time, followed closely by the appearance of a well developed chest.

Olim monitored the readings from the computers, and smiled in satisfaction at the results being shown. He keyed in a sequence on a nearby panel and turned to watch as a breathing apparatus lowered to hang above the tank. A further sequence initiated the opening of the tank’s lid. A hiss was heard as the airtight container’s seal broke. The lid swung up automatically on its hinges and came to a final rest when it touched the tank’s side.

The breathing apparatus lowered to cover the newly exposed nose and mouth. The sides conformed to fit the contours of the face and the flow of oxygen began. As with a new-born child, the removal of the surrounding fluids and exposure to the air triggered the need for involuntary reflexes, such as breathing to kick in.

Four padded mechanical arms lowered, two on either side of the oxygen tube. Two encircled the body about the shoulders, two supported the hips. A fifth arm joined the others, this time at the head. The scoop shape at the bottom of the arm slipped underneath, to cradle the head and support the neck. When the subject was secure, the computer initiated action. The five arms working in tandem picked up the subject. They rose high in the air, easily clearing the top of the tank. Finally they ceased all vertical movement and began to slide horizontally. They travelled a short distance until they hovered over a gurney. Making slight adjustments to ensure the correct trajectory, they began to slowly lower. The body came to a gentle rest on the bed. Once their load was deposited, the arms folded back on themselves and returned to their niche in the ceiling.

Olim walked over to study his creation. The subject was male, aged to be in his early thirties for maximum physical potential. He measured six foot, 4 inches, and weighed 245 pounds. Olim had designed him to be close enough to average that he would not stand out. His physique was exceptional. For his purpose, he needed to be strong. Olim had engineered him to possess heightened senses and strength. Physically, he was a perfect specimen. Olim was proud of his efforts. The subject possessed all the physical attributes that he did not.

He studied the face. The nose was aquiline. The cheekbones were high and a small cleft could be seen in the chin. The jawline was strong and beneath the closed eyelids rested eyes of intense green. Olim’s examination ended at the light brown hair.

The only thing missing was a mind. Olim had given his subject a functional brain stem, enough to allow for autonomic functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. Beyond that, the brain, while intact, was empty. Olim had given his creation a clean slate, to be filled with information of his choosing.

He took a sheet from the end of the bed and drew it up to cover the body up to the chest. He then reached to the machine waiting beside him. From that he took a rectangular metal strip. It was not large. On its surface were a series of small transmitters. He placed the strip on the bare chest, and pressed firmly. Once he heard the soft click of tiny receptor piercing the skin, he let go. Each receptor and corresponding transmitter had a separate job. One monitored heart rate, another blood pressure, yet another kept tabs on oxygen levels. Seven transmitters in all kept a running check on the health and status of the subject. Olim set the machine to receive and relay all data, so that he might know at a glance of any changes.

Finally, he reached over and removed the oxygen mask. Its long lifeline had travelled with the body from the tank to it’s present location, but was now no longer needed. As Olim removed the encumbrance, he was relieved to witness his subject take it’s first unaided breath. It was followed by another, then another. It was soon clear that the subject was breathing easily and naturally on it’s own. Olim looked to the readouts for the unnecessary confirmation. All readings were perfect and Olim breathed his own sigh. He took a final look at the man he christened Jamme. Satisfied, he left to report his status, and give the go ahead to begin phase 2.

*****************************