Fic, Surprises, Lies, and Amnesia, 13/14

[hathor_girl]

 Next day, Sam went to check on Martouf and Lantash as soon as she woke up, but they were not in their room. So she went to eat breakfast, and then to her lab, to continue her work.

It was just after noon, when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in." Sam said, distractedly, not looking up from the device she was studying.

"Samantha..." A voice said behind her - a very familiar voice.

Sam turned immediately, to see a bashful looking Martouf. "Martouf! You're feeling better?" She smiled widely and rose, stepping towards him.

"Yes, thank you. I remember who I am ... and have most of my memories back. I... Samantha, I apologize deeply for my reproachable behaviour yesterday. I blamed you for many things, when you were completely innocent."

"Martouf, I blame myself for shooting you. I tell myself there must have been another way, if I had just been able to find it."

He shook his head. "No, Samantha. Nothing that could have been done at that point, and no way you could have known. Please, do not blame yourself." He took her hand, "I know I do not deserve it, but will you forgive me for the things I said?"

"Of course, Martouf. I didn't blame you one moment!" Sam squeezed his hand.

"Thank you." He looked deeply relieved.

"Listen, I'm actually getting hungry. What do you say to taking a break and getting something to eat?"

"It sounds agreeable. We are hungry as well."

---

They ate a late lunch, and talked, and Sam found that Martouf was back to being himself. There may still be small holes in his memory, but he remembered most again, and his personality was the same. It was very much a relief.

When they had finished eating, Martouf looked around, a somewhat shy look on his face. There were no one sitting nearby. "Samantha...Lantash and I have talked, and he has shown me the memories of what he and you talked about...and that helps me see my memories from yesterday in the correct light." He took her hand. "You love us?" He seemed wondering, disbelieving, hopeful.

"Yes, Martouf." Sam smiled at him, blushing a little. "I do love you. Both of you. Lantash told me...that he loves me. Do you think you can come to love me too?"

Martouf smiled widely. "Oh, Samantha! Even if I did not, you know that Lantash and I love as one. I would quickly come to love you. However, as my memories came back, I knew I loved you, so you need not worry about that." He entwined his fingers with hers, then lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "You have no idea how happy you are making us."

"I'm very happy too, and so very relieved. To have you both back, alive and well, and yourselves...that is more than I could have ever hoped for."

Someone cleared their throat nearby, and they looked up.

"Cute." Jacob said, looking a bit stern. "Could you come to the briefing room? With the information we got from Lantash yesterday, we have found several things which will interest you. Martouf...we also hope you and Lantash can help us some more with clearing up what has happened."

"Of course."

---

Sam looked around the room. Aside from herself, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak, Hammond, Malek, and Freya/Anise were present.

"Lantash - and Martouf - before you continue your tale, I have a few pieces of information for all of you." Jacob said.

"I have some important information as well." Anise added.

"Right." Jacob nodded. "Okay. First...Stargate Command and the Tok'ra have together searched the area Lantash mentioned, and a crashed alkesh has been found. It's fairly deep down, but also in an area that is somewhat less trafficked, so we'll attempt to raise it."

"That's great - maybe we'll get something from their computer, then." Sam said, looking pleased.

"Yes, we're hoping they will reveal the names of all the people involved."

"I have examined all the people we suspected - as well as many others. They did not know I was taking samples of their code of life, though." Anise told them. She picked up a Tok'ra tablet computer and gave some commands to it. "According to the results, 'Pollark' is indeed Cordesh, as we suspected. 'Zilk' is some symbiote I do not know, as is 'Shivka'. Ren'al is biologically the same person, so she may have been brainwashed. Delek is Delek - either brainwashed or just his own stupid. He isn't involved in anything really, so he may just have done as Ren'al told him. He has a soft spot for her, I suspect." Anise sighed. "I also found that 'Suvikka' has been exchanged for a Goa'uld, but neither Teflorn nor Nivalkon."

The other Tok'ra present looked stunned. The scope of this was so much bigger than any of them had expected. "We need to examine everyone." Malek insisted. "There could be more lower ranking members of this conspiracy."

"Agreed." Lantash said, shaking his head slowly. "How could this have happened?"

"It is my belief that it started with Cordesh. He was brainwashed, and reported to his Goa'uld master, who turned or switched the Tok'ra they could get their hands on. Pel'han is deeply involved as well, of course, but he is with his Goa'uld master, so we cannot get to him. However, we will find all Tok'ra that are compromised, and then we will be on guard in the future."

"Um, what about Tanith?" Sam asked.

"He probably just joined the conspiracy when he realized it existed?" Jacob guessed.

"In any case, we have learned enough that it is time for a large action. Since we do not know that no one else is involved, we need people we can trust - or who are at least not involved. Do you think Stargate Command will let us borrow some guards until everyone in the tunnels have been examined?" Malek asked.

Jacob nodded slowly. "I would think so. It's in everyone's interested to solve this. I will talk to George as soon as we're finished with this meeting." He turned to Lantash. "You had more to tell of what happened to you?"

Lantash nodded. "Yes, but I believe Martouf should explain. Since I was completely blocked during that time, I only know very little outside of what I have seen in Martouf's memories."

He bowed his head, giving Martouf control.

"First, I would like to apologize to you all, for the way I have been behaving..." Martouf began.

"There is no need. You were not yourself." Malek said.

"I agree. Forget it." Jacob smiled at him.

Anise nodded at him as well. "There is nothing to forgive."

Sam gave him a reassuring smile. "See?"

He smiled at them all, but brightest at Sam. "Yes, you are all very good friends, and I am very grateful I remember your friendship again." He was quiet for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "My memories of the time just after I had arrived in... Canada are fuzzy. But somehow I made my way to a city. In my pockets I had valuable jewellery, presumably because the Goa'uld had no access to Tau'ri currency, and wanted me to start my undercover life on your world as other than a beggar. Of course, that undercover personality they had created was gone, and as Lantash told you earlier, for some reason I thought I was an because being undercover means playing a role, so there are similarities."

"Sounds sensible." Jacob said.

Martouf nodded. "I sold the jewellery and bought clean clothing, and rented a place to stay. After a few days, I saw an advert, looking for people to be extras on a movie, and I was hired. Apparently I have some talent as an actor, so they asked me if I wanted to play a part in another movie they were making, and later that happened again, and again."

"Well, I think it's impressive you managed to handle yourself so well here on Earth! I would have thought it would be very difficult for an alien to fit in." Sam said.

"There were situations were I was confused, and didn't know what to do. I thought it was due to amnesia - from the accident that had placed me out at sea. I thought maybe I had been on a ship that had gone down."

"Neither of which was completely wrong." Jacob smiled.

"Very true." Martouf nodded. "Even so, there were a number of things which confused me... I was never sick, if I got a scratch it healed amazingly fast. I could tolerate a lot of alcohol... and then I had these odd memory flashes, of things, people, places... much of it made no sense, and did not seem to even be on this world."

"But you didn't suspect you were from another planet?" Sam asked.

"No, why would I? That's not the first you think of." He gave her one of his charming smiles. Then he suddenly frowned. "I... I remember something... I remember seeing Pel'han! He and one of the other Goa'uld were on the alkesh! They survived the crash!"

"When did you see them? Where?" Jacob looked very worried.

"About a month ago... in New York... in the airport." He frowned. "John F. Kennedy Airport. I remember sensing something strange... naquadah I realize now... and seeing them. I knew I had seen them before, and I felt a strange dread. For a moment I think I knew who they were and where I had seen them before, but then the memory was gone. I fled quickly, and I don't think they saw me, but they sense me, of course, and I saw them look for someone."

"We need to capture them!" Sam said. "Quickly! Who knows what they are up to!"

"Brainwashing people!" Martouf exclaimed. "I suddenly remember - that was why they were going here. They were going to infiltrate and brainwash your military and government!"

"That's horrible!" Sam gasped.

"They can't have gotten much from the ship - unless they managed to dive for it. At least it must have slowed them down. We must hope they didn't get their hands on the technology they brought, or at least only did it recently, or we are really in trouble." Jacob said.