Fic, Unexpected Developments, 2/?, Sam/Martouf/Lantash, PG-13

[hathor_girl]

 I ended up spending about an hour running engine tests with my dad. As I suspected, it was because I had asked to learn how the ship worked, so he thought he would show me now, since the ship is not yet loaded anyway, and there was time. I do appreciate it, and it helped take my mind of things, so that was good.

Now I'm going back to the many cargo rooms, to check on the progress of the loading of the ship. The large room that is to hold the Stargate and the DHD has already been cleared, but that will not go aboard until last. If there should be a threat, the Tok'ra can't risk be caught on the planet without possibility to escape through the Stargate.

I look into one room, and find Daniel deep in conversation with Anise. They're talking about some ruins Anise and Freya are studying, and Daniel is offering to go with them and help. Is he developing a crush on her? I mean, I know she's interested in him, but I didn't know it was mutual. Oh, well. It would be good for him. He has been mourning the loss of his wife for a long time, and falling for Anise would help him, I think. If he can fall for her. He has problems with symbiotes, due to what Amaunet did to Sha're, of course.

Anyway, I decide not to disturb them, and continue to the next cargo room, where I spot Aldwin.

"Hello, Aldwin."

He turns to greet me, and smiles. "Hello, major Carter. It is good to see you."

"You can call me Sam, you know. Other people do."

"Sam, then. Thank you." He looks pleased.

"How is it going? How much do you still need to move on board?"

"I believe about 2/3 of the base has been moved. It takes longer since we have to move it on board with the ring transporter. It is too bad we could not build a platform for the ha'tak. It would be quicker to load it then, but such a platform would be very easy to see, should anyone pass the planet."

"Yeah, that's true. Well, there's no sign of any hostiles, so we're not in any hurry. What about Tanith? Is he safely locked up?"

Aldwin nodded. "He is under guard and behind a forcefield, yes. He attempted to deceive the guards, pretending he was ill, but given unlikely it is for a Goa'uld to become sick, and given that no one could have poisoned him, they were careful. It turned out to be a trick, but he did not escape."

"That's good. We'll have to be careful. What'll happen to him, do you know?"

"He will be interrogated for as much information as we can gain from him, which is likely not much. Then we will attempt to remove Tanith, so Hebron can be free again. It pains us all that he has had to remain host to a Goa'uld for this long."

"Yeah..." I shudder. "Well, Tanith has been used to feed much misinformation to Apophis, so it's all been for a good cause. Regardless, it's horrible for poor Hebron."

We talk for a little while longer, before Aldwin returns to his work, and I leave.

---

After reporting on the progress, I am about to go back to the pel'tak, when I decide to take a stroll and see a little more of the ship, and see how well I can match the specs to reality. I have not had problems finding my way until now, at least.

These cargo rooms have all been filled with stuff, and there are no one nearby. It's amazing how much there is - normally, when the Tok'ra evacuate, they bring only the most important, and often abandon many personal items, and everything that cannot easily be recreated, regrown, or otherwise acquired again. Now, with no hurry, they seem to have brought everything, which I can understand.

I look into one of the rooms, and see a lot of crates, as well as a fair number of symbiote tanks - some occupied, most not. The occupied ones are well secured, and monitoring systems keep a constant watch over them. It is healing tanks, containing symbiotes who were badly wounded when their hosts were killed. They have to heal before they will be able to take a host again.

I feel a strange mixture of emotions. Part of me shudders at the thought of the symbiotes in there - and part of me feel sorry for them. It can't be pleasant to be trapped like that, having just lost their host. I know few of them survive for long - the loneliness and lack of interaction driving them mad or make them lose the will to live. I am told it is the same for someone who has been a host for a long time, and loses their symbiote - unless it was a Goa'uld, of course.

I can well imagine! I was - an unwilling - host to Jolinar for no more than a day, but when she died, giving her life so that I might live, I felt deep despair and for a time I did not want to live on. Now and then I still miss her. Perhaps, if she was here, I would not be so confused - her memories and feelings are difficult at times.

While I can't say why exactly, I walk into the room, and approach the tanks with symbiotes. I look at them for a few moments, and some of them look back at me. I close my eyes, and turn away, unable to face the sorrow in their eyes.

That is when I realize that the stasis chamber with Martouf and Lantash in must have been moved together with everything else from the healers rooms. Is it in here somewhere? I walk further in, and that is when I see it. A large box-like structure, man-sized, with translucent cover. Inside, I can vaguely make out a shape, the size matching Martouf. Monitoring and control systems blink and display a read-out of the state of the stasis field. It is operational, and the man - and symbiote - inside, are safe. For now, at least. While they are in stasis, nothing happens to them. Time does not pass, and they neither heal, nor deteriorate.

I look at the read-out again. There is a small scan shown - it depicts a human, with a close-up for the neck/head area, where the outline of a symbiote can be seen. I trace the symbiote with my finger. Lantash.

I put my hand against the cover, and I stand there for a while, feeling as if a hand is squeezing my heart. My throat is constricting, and I have to blink rapidly in order not to cry.

This is hard. Much harder than I had imagined. The part of me that is Jolinar is crying. Hell, I feel like crying. It feels as if someone is tearing at my heart, and I feel a despair and sorrow as deep as when I shot them. Deeper even than in the days after, when I cried myself to sleep. I remember feeling empty of everything, except a bottomless grief. Then I managed to suppress it, and I carried on living, hid my mourning from myself and everyone else. At night, however, the grief would return, and it was a long time before I stopped having frequent nightmares about shooting them.

Now it all comes back. These feelings can't be all from Jolinar, and at that moment, I admit it to myself. I love Martouf and Lantash. I close my eyes for a moment, making a silent promise to them that I will talk to Anise and Freya again. Convince them that everything must be done to save Martouf and Lantash.

After some time, I leave the room. I consider going back up to talk to my dad or my team mates, but I decide I need some time to be alone. I continue walking along the corridor, and a short distance further down, I happen to look into the room to discover some of Cronus's things, which have been removed from his chambers and just stacked down her. Curious, I go in to take a look.

There are several very opulent pieces of furniture, and crates containing various pieces of artwork and valuables. Daniel will love to study this, I just know it!

Then I see it - a sarcophagus! Not really surprising. Cronus was a major System Lord, and they all have sarcophagi. Since the Tok'ra don't use it, they just moved it down here, so it would be out of the way.

I wonder if it will be destroyed? It may be the safest, since otherwise it may be taken to Earth, and I just know some people that will misuse it - and some of our scientists will study it and make more devices, if they can figure it out. The first ones will probably be even worse than what the Goa'uld created. I shudder at the thought of the danger that will be unleashed on Earth if people start misusing sarcophagi with even more side-effects!

Then another thought suddenly occurs to me. I could use it to heal Martouf and Lantash! Yes, I know the Tok'ra do not use it, and I am not sure Martouf and Lantash would be happy that I healed them with it, but on the other hand I know that using it just now and then, when you really do need it, will not make you mad or evil. It is the regular use, particularly when you don't need it, that makes you evil and power-crazy. Of course, the problem is that is is difficult to stop yourself from using it, when you have access to it. It makes you feel powerful - I remember that from Jolinar - and it creates addiction fast.

Though not from just using it once. I consider it. I will never get the Tok'ra to agree to let me do it, but... what if I don't ask? There are monitoring devices and likely alarms on the stasis chamber, but I should be able to trick the system.

My heart beats faster at the thought. Martouf and Lantash would be healed, alive, well. With me, perhaps, but at least back as my friends. I make a quick decision, and decide to carry it out before I overthink it.