CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Daniel was a little nervous when he went for the appointment at the school.  He was met by Helen Lowell, a heavyset woman in her mid-fifties.

"Doctor Jackson," the woman greeted, shaking his hand.

The archeologist took a seat before the woman's desk.

"Now, first of all, I understand that you are interested in our advanced classes for your son.  Am I right?"

"Yes."

"What is his present level of schooling?"

"As far as formal schooling is concerned, he's had some fourth grade education."

The woman nodded.  "He is eight years old, correct?"

"That's right."

"And what of informal schooling?  I got the impression that there has been some."

"Yes.  Danny has been home schooled quite a bit, much of it being on dig sites.  You see, I'm an archeologist, specializing in Egyptology.  His mother was as well.  Because of this, Danny has extensive knowledge of Egyptian history and mythology, as well as a pretty fair amount of knowledge about several other cultures.  I'm also a linguist, as was his mother, so he knows a great deal about languages, too."

"Oh?  Does he know any other languages?"

"Six spoken languages, seven pretty soon, if he keeps going at the rate he is with his Italian lessons."

The woman's eyes widened slightly.  "That is very impressive.  You said six spoken languages."

"Yes, he can also read Hieratic, quite a few Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols, and is learning Akkadian and Sumerian cuneiform.  I've also recently started teaching him ancient Egyptian Demotic."  For obvious reasons, Daniel didn't mention anything about the Goa'uld that Danny was learning from both him and Teal'c or the Ancient that the boy had taken a keen interest in.

"Well, that's . . . that's pretty amazing.  What about math and science?"

"He does well, but those are not his strongest areas, although a friend of mine seems to think that he has a lot more aptitude than I believed he did.  Her background is in astrophysics, and she's been giving him a bit of tutoring.  She told me that he's done very well."

"Well, it certainly sounds like your son would do just fine in the advanced classes, although we will need more details on his developmental history before making a final decision.  I assume you have previous school records available."

"Yes."  He handed her a folder that contained the fake school records that had been created for Danny.  The people who fabricated the records used Daniel's schooling as a blueprint – with one notable exception.  Danny's records showed that much of his formal school was out of the country.  The reason for that was just in case anyone at Danny's new school wanted to speak personally with any of his teachers.

"I don't know if it would be possible to speak to any of his teachers since they're mostly in other countries," Daniel said.

"That isn't a requirement, Doctor Jackson, although, if it would be possible for one of them call us, it would be appreciated."

"I'll see what I can do."

"It is our policy to know a little about the background, viewpoints and philosophies of the child's parents as well.  We want to be sure that our goals and philosophies will not clash with that of the parents."

"Oh . . . um, all right.  What do you want to know?"

"How about a little about your background?"

"Okay.  Like Danny, I spent most of my early years on digs.  My parents were archeologists as well.  They died when I was Danny's age.  After that, I went into the foster care system."

"I see.  And what of your education?"

"I entered college when I was sixteen.  I earned a Ph.D at UCLA in philology and ones in anthropology and archeology at the University of Chicago."

It was pretty clear that the woman was surprised by that revelation, and Daniel could guess why.  Not many foster care children had those kinds of credentials.

"Well, that's also quite impressive, Doctor Jackson," she said.  "What is your present job?"

"I work as a linguist, cultural expert and diplomat for the U.S. government and military.  I work mostly out of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, but I also travel out of the country a great deal."

"That sounds like a fascinating job."

Keeping his expression perfectly straight, Daniel replied, "Yes, it can get pretty exciting at times."

"And Danny's mother?"

Daniel gave her the background and educational information that had been created for Danny's fictitious mother.

"When did your wife pass away?" Helen asked.

"Only three months ago, actually.  She and I were divorced, and Danny lived mostly with her.  He came to live with me after her death."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry.  That must have been very hard on the boy."

Daniel nodded.  "Yes, it was.  He . . . witnessed her death.  It's a touchy subject that's best not brought up."

"I understand completely.  We certainly wouldn't want to do or say anything to upset him."

They spoke a while longer about Daniel's viewpoints on certain subjects that would have a bearing on what Danny was taught and in what manner.

The woman smiled.  "Well, Doctor Jackson, from what you've told me, it sounds like Danny would be an excellent student for our school.  We will first need to meet him, of course, and we would require that he participate in one of our classrooms so that you, the other students, and the teachers can see if this is the right place for him."  Helen looked at her calendar.  "Let's see.  The rest of this week is pretty full.  Next Monday is Labor Day.  There will be no classes, but I and many of the teachers will be here.  Would that day work out all right for you to bring Danny here to meet us?"

"Sure, that should be fine, unless something comes up.  I'm afraid that, in my job, I often get called out of the country with little advance notice, although, since I'm presently recovering from an injury, I don't think we have to worry about that right now."

"Ah.  I was wondering about the cane.  Nothing serious, I hope."

"It's healing."

"That's good.  If everything goes well on Monday, you can bring Danny in on Tuesday for his time in the classroom, that is if you can arrange for the time off from work.  How long we'll observe him in the classroom depends on how long it takes for all of us to determine if he will do well here."

"I should be able to take a few hours off."

"Good.  Oh, one more thing.  In regards to the tuition. . . ."

"It won't be a problem.  The government pays very well."

"Yes, of course.  We do have a scholarship program, but it would be too late now to apply for it this year."  Helen extended her hand, which Daniel shook.  "It was a pleasure meeting you, Doctor Jackson.  We'll look forward to seeing your son next Monday."

As SG-1 waited in the gate room for the gate to be dialed, they all watched Danny in amusement.  The child was so excited he could barely keep still.

Danny was dressed in a sharp little suit and tie.  Sam thought it was so cute that the suit matched the gray one Daniel was wearing.  She and Jack were in their dress blues.  Teal'c was also wearing a suit, though his was black.

At that moment, the wormhole formed.  General Hammond got word from the Cedarnans that all was well.

"You have a go, SG-1 . . . and Danny."

Daniel held out his hand to the boy.  "Ready?"

Danny's head bobbed up and down rapidly.  Sam took the boy's other hand.

"Okay, let's go," she said.

Teal'c and Jack headed up the ramp first, the other three right behind them.  As they stepped out the other side, Danny's eyes were wide.

"Wow.  I didn't really feel anything, but that was so cool!"  He looked around.  "We're on another planet?  It looks just like Earth."

"A lot of planets do," Daniel explained.

"Yes, trees," Jack said.  "Trees, trees everywhere."

"Not, everywhere, Jack.  I don't think I have to remind you about some of the places we've been to."

A group of Cedarnans came forward, Esha in the lead.

"Welcome back, my friends!" Esha greeted.  He looked down at Danny.  "Ah, my child.  It is so wonderful to see you looking well."

"Danny, this is Esha," Daniel said.  "He's one of the leaders of his people."

"Hello.  Were you one of the people who made me?"

"I was involved in the process.  I am the one who took the sample from Daniel and gave it to the scientists who used it to create you."  Esha looked at SG-1.  "Come.  We have prepared a place where you can wait until the ceremony begins."

SG-1 and Danny were greeted with smiles by everyone they passed.  The atmosphere of the place was so different from what it had been before.  When they were there last time, few people smiled, and the place had a quiet, sedate feel about it.  Now, there was laughter in the air and a feeling of excitement and hope.

"I am most pleased to say that many of the women who have gotten pregnant with the methods you taught us have managed to sustain their pregnancies to date," Esha said, beaming.  "In a few short months, we will have the joy of welcoming many new babies into our society."

Danny and SG-1 were taken to a house that looked like it had recently been repaired and renovated.

"This house was one of many that was no longer needed as our population grew smaller," Esha explained.  "It has been prepared for you.  I hope you will be comfortable here."

"Thank you, Esha," Daniel said.  "This is great."

The man smiled and bowed his head.  "Someone will be sent to get you at the proper time.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have many duties to attend to before the opening ceremony."

Everyone wandered around the house.  There was a tray of fruit, cheese and bread on a table in the dining area.  Daniel took one that looked a bit like an apple.

"Uh, you think that's wise, Daniel?" Jack asked.  "I mean considering what we know about the water."

"The water problem has been fixed, Jack, remember?  Beside, even if there are some traces of that chemical in this fruit, one isn't going to be enough to hurt me."  Daniel backed his statement up by taking a healthy bite out of the fruit.  His eyes widened.  "Wow."  He turned to Sam.  "Sam, you've got to taste this."  He held the fruit out to her, and she took a bite.

"Oh my.  That's better than any apple I've ever had."

"Can I have a bite?" Danny asked.  Daniel handed him the fruit.  "Wow, that's really good."  He gave Daniel's fruit back to him and grabbed a whole one off the tray.  Sam did likewise.  Curious, Teal'c also took one.

"This has a most pleasant flavor," the Jaffa said.

Jack glowered at all of them as they happily munched their fruit.  "Oh, all right!" he said, snatching one off the tray.  "But if this does something to all my little guys, I'm blaming you, Daniel."

"What little guys?" Danny asked with innocent curiosity.

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c all looked at Jack expectantly.

"Yes, Jack.  What little guys?" Daniel questioned, his face straight.

After glaring back at his teammates, Jack's reply was to take a huge bite out of his fruit and mumble a totally unintelligible answer.

"Hey, this is good," he said after chewing for a moment.

They had been waiting for not quite an hour when a man came to get them.  He led them to the museum, which appeared to have at least half the population gathered outside.  Esha was standing on a podium.

"My brothers and sisters," he said, his voice amplified by some unseen method.  "Today, we unveil a new wing to our museum, an addition that chronicles the long history of our people suffering through the sorrow of watching each passing year bring us fewer children.  It chronicles our failures in finding a cure and speaks of our few successes.  But, more importantly, this addition also tells the story of the people who came to us and, though we betrayed their trust, gave us the knowledge and technology we needed to save our people."  Esha motioned for SG-1 and Danny to come up onto the podium.  "These people, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, and Teal'c, are our saviors, and it is fitting that they be the ones to open the door to our museum on this special day."

Esha led the five visitors to the front door of the museum.  He handed Daniel a key-like object and gestured toward the door.  Daniel slipped the key in the lock.  The door opened by itself, and the lights turned on.  Behind them, they heard the crowd cheering.

"Come," Esha said.  "You will be given a special tour of the museum before others are let in."

They wandered around the building, Esha explaining the various displays.  Since only Daniel could read the plaques and signs, the others had to rely wholly upon him and Esha for explanations on everything.

At last, they came to a heavy curtain covering a doorway.

"And this is our new wing," Esha said.  He pulled on a decorative rope, and the curtain rose toward the ceiling.

The displays and signs were arranged in chronological order, beginning with the first realization that there had been a drop in the number of births and continuing on through the various attempts to find out the reason and correct the problem.  The discovery of the cloning machine had a large display, including a detailed model of what it looked like.

They came to another curtain.  Esha smiled at them.

"And this is the crowning display, the culmination of our trials."

The Cedarnan pulled up the curtain.  SG-1 and Danny just stood in the doorway, gaping at what was before them.  The room was shaped like a hexagon.  On the walls to the right and left were paintings of each of the four members of SG-1.  On the one directly across from the door was a large photograph of the team.  But what really stunned them was what sat in the center of the room: a life-size sculpture of SG-1, beautifully rendered in exquisite detail in white, marble-like stone.

"Whoa," Jack said.

He and the others entered the chamber.  There were plaques and signs detailing the history of SG-1's first visit, the cloning of Daniel, SG-1 discovering Danny's existence, and everything that followed.  Beside the plaque recounting Danny's creation and SG-1 finding out about him was a three-foot-tall statue of Daniel holding a catatonic Danny in his arms.  The anguish on Daniel's carven face was so lifelike that you almost expected tears to begin leaking from the eyes.

"This is . . . this is overwhelming," Daniel said to Esha.  "The artistry of these paintings and sculptures is incredible."

"Thank you, Daniel.  The artists who created them will be pleased with your praise."

"But it's too much, Esha.  Please don't get me wrong.  I'm incredibly flattered.  I'm sure we all are.  But this is so. . . ."  Daniel waved his arms about.

Esha smiled.  "Not in our eyes, Daniel.  You and your teammates, as well as the rest of your people, saved our civilization.  We will live on and prosper because of you.  This," he gestured at the statues and paintings, "is nothing.  It does not do justice to all that we owe to you."  The man's gaze went to Danny, who stood beside Daniel.  He touched the boy's face.  "Remember, young Danny, the man whose cells you were created from is a great hero in our eyes.  That is something for which you can be very proud."

Danny's eyes looked up at Daniel.  "He's my hero, too," he said.

His throat tightening, Daniel pulled the boy into a hug.

A few minutes later, Esha led SG-1 and Danny back outside.  A large group of people was then allowed to enter the museum.  There were quite a few still waiting for their chance.

"We have planned a feast in your honor," Esha said.  "If you are concerned about the food, rest assured that it has all been treated to eradicate the chemical that was poisoning our water."

Daniel leaned in toward Jack.  "I guess you didn't have to worry about your little guys after all," he whispered.  He got a light jab in the ribs in reply.

"A feast, huh?" Jack said.  "Well, I've never been one to turn down good food."

Esha smiled.  "Excellent!  The feast will begin in three of our hours.  Until then, you are welcome to return to your lodgings or wander around the town.  The feast will be held in the meeting hall, which you have been to before.  Until then, good day."

SG-1 decided to do a bit of walking.  Daniel took Danny all though the town, explaining the culture that the people had come from and how it could still be seen in their structures and way of life.

"Could I see where I was made?" Danny asked after around an hour.

The members of SG-1 all looked at each other.

"We could take you to the hospital, but I don't know if we could go into the area where the cloning was done," Daniel replied.

They all went to the hospital.  When they got to the door where the cloning facility had been, they found that it was unlocked.  They soon discovered why.  Every room was empty, all of the equipment and other things having been removed.  None of it was needed anymore.

They came to the room where SG-1 had first seen Danny.  Daniel pushed open the door and went inside.  His mind filled with memories of that day almost exactly three months ago when his life was irrevocably changed forever, changed for the better.  Esha had spoken about how much they owed to SG-1, but Daniel owed the Cedarnans something as well, something that meant as much to him as their renewed hope for new generations meant to them.

"This is where you found me?" Danny asked.

"Yes, Danny.  This is where I found you," he pulled the boy close, "and it's where I found myself, too."

As Daniel held his clone, the boy who was, in all ways that truly mattered, his son, he remembered the words that Esha had spoken months ago, feeling them deep within his soul.

"Bless the children, for they are a great gift to be cherished."

THE END

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