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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When, a couple of hours later, Ke'ra's presence was needed back in the medical lab, Teal'c was there to escort her, along with the two guards.  Daniel not being with them bothered her.  Was he staying away from her because of what happened?

"Is Daniel not joining us?" she asked as they entered the elevator.

"No."

"May I ask why?"

"It has been decided that it would be best if he did not."

Ke'ra frowned and said nothing more until they reached the lab.

"Has Orner recovered fully?" she asked Janet.

"Yes, he appears to be fine."

"Good.  I am certain I know where my error was.  Shall we resume?"

"Yes."

As Teal'c and the other guards moved out of their way, Janet and Ke'ra got busy.  Sam joined them a few minutes later.  She avoided looking at Ke'ra as much as possible.  Everyone had been told that the woman knew about their belief that she was Linea.  Daniel had also told Sam about the kiss, and she was angry about it.  Although she could certainly understand how a person's emotions could take control of them, having experienced that very thing with Daniel, he had told Ke'ra that he wasn't interested, so she should have left him alone.  More than ever, Sam wanted the woman gone, and the sooner they cured the Vyuns, the sooner that would happen.

The three women worked quietly.  It took a little over an hour and a half to complete the corrected antidote.

"The eight hundred-liter potency is ready for a pre-run," Janet said.

"May I?" Ke'ra asked.

"Yes."

The blonde added the chemical to a petri dish with a dropper, then observed the results through a microscope.

"It's working," she announced.

She stepped aside so that Sam could take a look.

"Yeah, I think you're right," the major said.

"I believe this potency will provide our antidote."

Janet nodded.  "Right.  Thank you, Ke'ra.  We'll take it from here."

Ke'ra's expression was one of confusion.  "But I can assist you."

Sam shook her head.  "Ke'ra. . . ."

"We should perform the test once more to be sure," Ke'ra insisted.

Sam's expression firmed.  "It's better if we do this ourselves."

There was a frown on Ke'ra's face.  "I see.  May I return later to observe the test?"

"Sure," Janet replied.

"Thank you."

When the others turned away, Ke'ra removed the slide containing the antidote from the microscope and hid it in her hand.  She then left with Teal'c and the guards, who took her back to her quarters.  Once she was alone, she looked at the slide.  The dab of liquid upon it was the key to everything she wanted.  Though the amount was small, it was a highly concentrated form and should be enough.

Ke'ra pulled from her pocket two things that she stole from the lab shortly after arriving there, a hypodermic and an empty vial.

Very carefully, Ke'ra poured the liquid on the slide into the vial.  She then got it into the hypodermic.  After evacuating all the air from the hypodermic, she placed the tip of the needle against her carotid artery.

"Soon, Daniel, you will know that I am not Linea," she said.  "And then, someday, we will be together."

With those words spoken, Ke'ra injected the antidote into her body.


Daniel, the three members of SG-1, Ke'ra, and Diean watched as Janet approached Orner.  Ke'ra had looked at Daniel several times, but he failed to meet her eyes each time.

"Are you ready, Orner?" Janet asked the man sitting on the bed.  "I can't guarantee that there won't be a negative reaction."

"Yes, I am ready."

Janet injected the new antidote into him.

"This time it will work," he said confidently.

Still concerned, Janet asked if he was feeling any pain.

"Something. . . .  Not pain."

He began to convulse again, but far less violently, and the convulsions quickly halted.  He was helped back up into a sitting position.

"Orner, are you all right?" Ke'ra asked.

"My real name is Nodal."  His eyes lit with excitement.  "I remember everything.  Thank you."

Ke'ra smiled.  "And are we married after all?"

"No, I'm afraid I am married to Layale."

Diean frowned.  "And who is that?"

"You, for forty-three years."

Smiling with joy, they took each other's hands.

Nodal then returned his gaze to Ke'ra.  "Before the Vorlix, you and I had not met yet."

"I am pleased for you," she said to him and his wife.

"You must take the antidote now."

"I cannot."  She looked at the others.  "They will explain."  She walked out of the infirmary. Teal'c began to follow her, but Daniel stopped him.

"Wait.  I need to talk to her," he said.

"No way, Daniel," Jack said, having heard him.

"Jack, she and I need to clear the air between us.  The guards will be with us all the way to her quarters.  What is she going to do to me?  I'll be fine."

Jack really didn't like it but finally nodded his head.  Daniel hurried out of the room and down the corridor.  He reached Ke'ra and the guards just as the elevator doors were opening.

"Where is Teal'c?" she asked.

"It's just me this time."

"I did not think you wished to speak with me again."

"I know, and I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have given you the cold shoulder."

They got on the elevator, and the archeologist pressed the button for Level 25.

"I apologize for what happened, Daniel," Ke'ra said.

"I understand, Ke'ra.  I don't hold it against you."

The presence of the guards prevented them from saying anything more about it.

The elevator reached the twenty-fifth level, and everyone got out.

"What will be done with me?" Ke'ra asked as they approached her quarters.

"Well, if you don't take the antidote, I see no reason why you can't go back to Vyus.  I intend to ask them."

"They'll fear me.  I would."

They came to a stop outside her quarters.

"For all that you've done for them, they'll be grateful."

One of the guards opened the door for Ke'ra.  She turned to Daniel fully and gazed at his face.

"Thank you, Daniel.  All debts have now been paid."

"I'll come back after I've had the chance to speak with your people and let you know what they said."

Not responding, Ke'ra entered the room and shut the door.

Daniel had gone only a few paces when he stopped in his tracks, realizing what she'd just said. He spun around and ran back to Ke'ra's room, throwing open the door.

"You've taken the antidote."

"Leave, Daniel."

Not listening to her, he stepped into the room and closed the door.  That's when he saw that she was holding a vial and ampoule in her hands.  He paused, suddenly doubtful that this was a good idea.

"You said all debts have now been paid," he said.  "That was the message Linea left behind."

"Was it?"

Daniel's voice sharpened.  "Did you take the antidote?"

"I had to know, Daniel!" Ke'ra cried.  "I didn't believe you!"

"Ke'ra."

Ke'ra's emotions began to escalate.  "I'm not Ke'ra, am I?  I am the murderer that you said I was!"

Realizing that he needed to defuse the situation, Daniel held up his hands.  "Ke'ra, please take it easy."

She held up the vial and ampoule.  "I need only smash these vials together to create a poisonous gas that will fill this room.  Now, I only want to harm myself.  I don't want you to be here. Please leave now."

Daniel shook his head.  "Ke'ra, you don't have to do this.  This isn't the way."

"It is the only way!  I remember everything, Daniel, all the things I did.  I deserve to die."

Daniel shook his head and took a careful step toward her.  "No.  Who you were as Ke'ra proves that there's good in you."

"Is there?  There's a part of me that cares a great deal for you, Daniel, but there is this other part of me that would gladly watch you die!"  Ke'ra's emotions abruptly shifted.  "You rejected me.  I cared for you, and you rejected me."

A touch of fear grew inside Daniel.  Crap.  This was not good.

The door suddenly burst open.  Jack, Teal'c and Sam came rushing in, Jack's sidearm immediately aimed at Ke'ra, though he did not have a clear shot.

"Step aside, Daniel!" the colonel commanded.

"Don't!  There's another way, Jack."

"Move!"

The archeologist ignored the command, keeping his eyes on the woman before him.  "Give me the vials, Ke'ra.  You don't need to do this."

"There are two people inside of me, and one of them is a monster.  In time, she will win."

"No.  It doesn't have to be like that, because there's another way."

"No, there isn't!" Ke'ra screamed.

"Daniel, please!" Sam cried, terrified for the man she loved.

Ke'ra's eyes went to her, to the woman Daniel cared for as Ke'ra cared for him.  Why couldn't he have loved her instead?  Perhaps if he had, there would have been a chance for her.  No. There was no chance.  He could not love her.  He probably feared her.  Perhaps he even secretly hated her.

Ke'ra tightened her grip on the vials, thinking of killing him and his lover, killing them all.  But then her feelings for him welled back up inside her, and the murderous thoughts faded.

Daniel had seen the look that flashed across the woman's face, the expression of anger and hatred.  He knew that he was walking a tightrope.  One wrong word, and she'd break those vials and kill everyone.

"Ke'ra, listen to me," he said soothingly.  "There is another way.  You can be Ke'ra again.  All you have to do is forget."

Ke'ra leaned against the wall, staring at him as she realized what he was saying.

He continued.  "All these memories can go away forever."

"I could forget," she whispered.

Daniel nodded.  "Yes.  Please, Ke'ra.  Just give me the vials."

For a tense moment, Ke'ra stared at him, then she held out the vials.  He stepped forward and took them from her hands.  Teal'c quickly went to her side and grabbed her arm.  Jack kept his gun trained on her.

"Come on," Daniel said.  "Let's go back to the infirmary."

No words were spoken as they made the trip, though Daniel could feel more than one pair of eyes upon him.  He knew that there would be hell to pay once this was all over.

Back in the infirmary, Ke'ra was locked in one of the isolation rooms, along with Teal'c and the two guards.  Nodal and Layale were gone.  The Vyun woman had been given the antidote, and the couple were now in a VIP room.  Hammond had joined the others, and both he and Janet were filled in on what happened and what Daniel's idea was.

"If she was given the D'Argol again, she would forget everything, right?" the archeologist asked. "She wouldn't remember anything that happened before then."

"Yes," the doctor confirmed.  "She would go back to square one."

"Then that's what we need to do."

Jack objected.  "Daniel, that woman almost killed us.  I saw the look on her face.  She was thinking about breaking those vials and killing you and all the rest of us."

"Yes, but she didn't do it, did she.  If she was as purely evil as you believe she is, she wouldn't have hesitated to do it.  In fact, she would have blown up this whole base last year instead of setting the self-destruct to automatically shut off.  We will never know what turned her into what she became, but it's clear to me that, even after everything she did, there is still some good in her."

"So what if we did give that stuff to her?  What's going to prevent her from finding an antidote again?"

"Someway, we have to keep her from learning the truth."

Jack turned to his commanding officer.  "What do you think, sir?"

"Unless we are willing to return her to Hadante, I see no other alternative.  She is far too dangerous to keep imprisoned here on Earth."  Hammond looked at Janet.  "How long do you think it will take to create some of the substance that causes the amnesia?"

"With Ke'ra's help, probably not long.  But before we do that, we need to produce more of the antidote and give it to the rest of the people on Vyus.  That, I'm afraid, will take a lot longer."

"All right.  We will need to keep her in the brig until you require her help."

"Is that really necessary?" Daniel asked.  "I understand why confining her to her quarters might not be enough, but what about one of those isolation quarters?  They're a lot more comfortable."

"I'm sorry, Doctor Jackson, but considering what she did when she was on this base last time, I feel that those quarters would not be secure enough."

"All right, but let me talk to her first."

Daniel went to the isolation room.  Though Jack had wanted to accompany him, Daniel put his foot down.  Instead, both the colonel and Sam went up to the observation room and watched as the archeologist entered the room below.  He asked Teal'c and the guards to wait over against the wall.

"What has been decided?" Ke'ra asked.

"It's been agreed to give you the D'Argol, but first we need to make more of the antidote and cure everyone on Vyus.  That'll take a while, so, um, in the meantime, I'm afraid that you're going to have to stay in the brig.  I'm sorry."

Ke'ra nodded.  "I understand.  However, there are suggestions I can give to dramatically speed up the production of the antidote."

"I'm sure Janet would appreciate that."

Ke'ra was escorted back to the main ward.  Under more than one watchful pair of eyes, she explained to Janet how production of the antidote could be accelerated.  After being thanked by the doctor, she was taken to the brig by Teal'c and the two guards, Daniel accompanying them. She was placed in a cell.

"Are you hungry?" the archeologist asked her.

"No, I am all right."

"Well, if you do get hungry, just tell one of the guards, and something will be brought to you.  I'll come visit you later."

Ke'ra met his eyes.  "Thank you, Daniel.  You have been very kind, far kinder than I deserve."

The archeologist thought of saying something but decided against it.  He left the brig and headed back to the infirmary, Teal'c by his side.  The other two guards went off to resume other duties.

"I suppose you think I should have just left the room and let her kill herself," Daniel said to the Jaffa, "or stepped out of the way and let Jack shoot her."

"Though my actions would have been different from yours, I understand why you chose to do all you could to save her.  Many times you have shown compassion and mercy to ones who did you or others harm."

"I just think about what she did as Ke'ra, the ways she helped the Vyuns, and it makes me see something in her that I guess nobody else does."

Teal'c paused before responding.  "When on that day we first met, O'Neill reached out to me for help, it is because he saw something in me that others in his place may not have seen.  I have done great evil in my life, taken many innocent lives, yet the people here have chosen to look beyond that and now place their trust in me.  It would be hypocritical of me to say that you should not look beyond the evil Linea committed in the past."

Janet and the others were no longer in the main ward when the two men got back to the infirmary, so they went to the lab.  Only Sam, Jack and Janet were there.

As soon as they stepped in the door, Sam came up to Daniel and hugged him.

"You have no idea how scared I was when we realized that Ke'ra must have stolen those vials," she said.  "I was afraid that she'd kill you."

"But she didn't, Sam.  That's what's important."  He looked at Janet.  "How long do you think it will be before we have enough antidote for the whole population?"

"I'm hoping no more than an hour or two for the first batch.  As soon as we have enough to get started, we'll send as many medical personnel to Vyus as we can spare.  Even so, it will likely take all night and most of tomorrow to treat everyone.  Normally, I'd prefer to wait and make sure that there are no aftereffects from the antidote, but we don't have that luxury.  I still plan on keeping Nodal and Layale here until I'm sure there will be no problems."

"Have they been told about Ke'ra?"

"Not yet.  I didn't have the opportunity."

Daniel went to his office, knowing that he probably wouldn't have privacy for long.  He turned out to be right.  Jack came striding in not ten minutes later.

"Do you have a death wish, Daniel?  I'm really starting to wonder."

"And what were you planning on doing, Jack, threaten to shoot her if she didn't hand over the vials?  How would that have accomplished anything?  She was already planning on killing herself.  And what if you had shot her, and it resulted in her breaking those vials?  I did the right thing, regardless of whether or not you can see that."  Daniel turned away and walked to his desk. "It's over and done with now.  Her memories will be removed again, and she'll have no idea any of this happened.  She'll have no memory of me or anyone else.  She can go back to Vyus and be Ke'ra for the rest of her life."  He sat down.  "Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

Jack stared at him for a long moment.  "All right, Daniel, but let's get one thing clear.  The next time I tell you to move out of my line of fire, you will do so.  You understand?"

Daniel looked up at him.  "I will if I believe it's the right thing to do, just as I've always done what I think is right.  But look on the bright side, Jack.  With me not being on SG-1, I doubt that situations like this will happen very often, so you shouldn't have to worry."

"Yep, that's a good thing, all right," Jack responded with an edge of sarcasm.  He then left the office.

Daniel sighed and rubbed his temples, where a headache had begun to form.  He closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands.  He was still like that when Sam came in.  She laid her hand on his back.

"Are you all right?"

Daniel lifted his head.  "Yeah.  I'm just kind of tired.  I didn't sleep much last night."  He looked at her.  "Are you going to ball me out, too?"

"No.  I may have been afraid for you, but you did what you believed was right.  And now that I'm no longer scared, I know that you took the right actions.  You really didn't do all that much more than a negotiator trying to convince a bank robber with hostages to give himself up."

"Yes, except that, outside of the movies and TV, negotiators don't generally put themselves in the line of fire."

Sam smiled slightly.  "Well, there is that."  She brushed a hand through his hair, then kissed the top of his head.  "You should go get some rest.  There's nothing more you can do."

Daniel nodded.  "Maybe you're right.  What about you?  You must be exhausted.  You've barely gotten any sleep these past couple of days."

"Yeah, I was thinking of heading home.  Janet doesn't need me anymore."

"Then come home with me."

Sam smiled.  "Okay."

The two scientists changed into their civvies and went to Daniel's apartment.  Though lovemaking was not on their mind, they chose not to wear anything to bed.  They went into the warmth of each other's embrace.  Daniel lowered his lips onto Sam's in a long kiss.

"There's something I want you to know," he said, looking at the woman in his arms.  "When Ke'ra kissed me, all I felt was surprise.  I took no pleasure in it at all."

Sam smiled at him.  "Thank you for telling me.  Not that I was wondering, but it's good to know anyway."

Daniel kissed her again, more softly this time.  He then whispered, "Yours are the only kisses I can imagine making me feel like this."

That almost brought tears to Sam's eyes.  "Feel like what?" she asked.

"Like I want to keep right on kissing you."

"Hmm.  That's funny, because your kisses make me feel exactly the same way."

Daniel began to grin.  "Really?  Fancy that."

Sam glided a finger over his lips.  "So what do you propose we do about that, Doctor Jackson?"

"I have some ideas."

Sam was now grinning as well.  "Yes, I bet you do."

Click here to go to version with milder sexual content

They went back to kissing, which soon migrated to other parts of the body.  Eventually, Sam was lying on her stomach as Daniel placed kisses all the way down her spine.  Once he'd reached the curve of her bottom, he grabbed a pillow and stuffed it underneath her hips.  He then laid down on top of her and gently entered her.  Sam let out a breathy moan, loving, as always, the feeling of having him inside her.

Daniel moved slowly and purposefully, intent upon finding that spot within Sam that could prove to be so elusive.  He knew when he'd found it.  The woman beneath him suddenly cried out, her breathing going ragged.  It didn't take long before she was coming.  Daniel continued thrusting in and out of her as she shuddered through her climax.  As her body went limp, he sped up, driving in harder and deeper.  Seconds later, his orgasm struck, and he poured into her.

After it was over, Daniel rolled off Sam, who stayed right where she was.  She turned her head to face him.

"And that's the other thing your kisses make me feel like doing," he remarked, a twinkle of humor in his eyes.

"Ah, another thing we have in common.  Who'd have known we were so compatible in so many ways?"

Daniel grew serious.  "Yes, we are."  He brushed his hand across Sam's cheek.  "I think it's time that we talk about you being jealous of Ke'ra."

Sam rolled onto her side.  "No, Daniel.  It really isn't necessary.  I really was just being stupid and insecure for no good reason."

Daniel searched her eyes.  "I want to tell you something I said to Ke'ra."  He recounted the words he spoke to the woman about his wife and what he'd found with Sam.  "I meant every word I told her, Sam.  What I now have with you is very important to me, the most important thing in my life.  I honestly can't imagine ever wanting to go back to the way it was before."

This time, the tears did come to Sam's eyes.  She cupped Daniel's face and gave him a long kiss. He pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head.  Minutes later, they were both asleep.


Daniel entered the brig.  From beyond the laser beams the woman in the cell met his eyes.

"Daniel.  It is good to see you."

He walked up to the cell.  "How are you doing?"

"I am well.  How are things progressing with the Vyuns?"

"We've treated quite a few of them.  They're all grateful for your help in finding a cure."

"Do they also know that I am the one who's responsible for what happened?"

"Yes, but they are aware that it was an accident."  Daniel paused.  "They don't know anything else, what you did in the past."

Ke'ra was surprised about that.  "You didn't tell them?  Why?"

"Because they didn't need to know the details.  They only know that you were a criminal and did some things you shouldn't have."

"Thank you.  They know, then, that my memories are going to be removed again?"

"Not yet.  We'll tell Nodal and Layale after it's been done, and they can tell everyone else. We're going to make them understand that they can never let you know the truth about everything.  It's safest that way.  All of Doctor Zervis' papers and journals will be removed from the library."

Ke'ra nodded.  "I agree.  That is the most prudent thing to do.  However, there is another issue. Before I turned my attention to the life-extending properties of the D'Argol, I did some research on the fertility problem.  All of the people who are on Vyus now had not yet been born when the use of D'Argol was started.  It took many years for the Vyuns to realize that the D'Argol was responsible for the dramatic drop in the birth rate, and, by then, the damage had been done.  From my research, I concluded that the D'Argol in its original form destroys a human male's ability to produce sperm.  Every Vyun male of the present generation never had the ability to father children."

"So you're saying that the women could still get pregnant?"

"Yes, if they had another source for sperm.  I determined that, if such a thing was done, any new generations born would be free of all ill effects."

"Thank you, Ke'ra.  That could be really good news for them.  There might be something we could do about that."

The blonde woman stared at him.  "Why do you keep calling me Ke'ra now that I know my true name?"

"Because I prefer to think of you as her."

Ke'ra's eyes went to the two guards in the room, then back to Daniel.  "May we speak in private?"

"Sure."  Daniel asked the two guards to leave.  He then turned back to Ke'ra.

"You are a good man, Daniel," she said.  "I recognized that when I watched your attempt to prevent those prisoners from being killed by the wormhole's vortex.  Saving them would not have benefitted you in any way, yet you tried so very hard to do so.  That is why I prevented Vishnoor from killing you."

That surprised Daniel.  "I thought you did that to further your plans to use us to escape."

"That thought did enter my mind, but even if you had died, my plan would likely still have been successful, although it may have been delayed somewhat."  She smiled slightly.  "So you did come to realize that I was responsible for Vishnoor's death rather than you."

Daniel nodded.  "We all figured that out after you were gone, though we didn't know how you did it.  I never did understand how I could have managed to kill him while I was being strangled."

Ke'ra smiled.  "Yes, it would have been rather difficult."  Her smile disappeared.  "I wish to apologize again for what I did before.  I had no right to force my attentions upon you."

"It's okay, Ke'ra.  I was upset at first, but I really do understand."

Ke'ra's eyes searched his face.  "Samantha truly is a lucky woman.  I can only hope that, as Ke'ra, I will someday find a man such as you."

Daniel's gaze dropped from hers.  He left a few minutes later, thinking about how very different the life of that woman would have been if she had never gone down the wrong path.


The population of the planet Vyus had their memories back, and, thanks to the information Ke'ra gave Daniel, there were plans in the works to provide the Vyuns with donated sperm so that the civilization would be saved from extinction.

With Daniel and the two guards in the corner as the only witnesses, Janet had just given Ke'ra the concentrated D'Argol, and they watched as it took away her memories, tears falling down her face.  She blinked and looked around dazedly.

"Ke'ra.  It's all right," Daniel told her.  "You're among friends."

"Do you remember anything?" Janet asked.

There was a blank look on Ke'ra's face.  "Nothing."

Daniel gave her a reassuring smile.  "Your name is Ke'ra.  You've been a visitor here.  Now, it's time to go home."

"Why can I not remember anything?  I do not even recognize my name."

"You've been very ill," Janet told her.  "There was an effect on your brain."

"Is my memory loss permanent?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so.  I'm sorry."

"But you're going to be all right," Daniel said.  "You have friends who will make sure of that."

Janet looked at Daniel.  "She needs to rest for a few minutes.  I'll then help her get dressed."

Daniel left the infirmary and went to his former teammates, who were out in the hall.

"Well?" Jack asked.

"It worked.  Her memories are all gone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Jack, I'm sure."

"So, that's that, then."

"We need to talk to Nodal and Layale and fill them in," Sam said.

Daniel nodded.  "You go on and do that, Sam.  I'm going to wait here."

Sam went off to talk to the two Vyuns and take them to the gate room as Jack and Teal'c went to Hammond's office to let him know that Linea was Ke'ra once again.

A short while later, Daniel and Janet brought Ke'ra to the gate room.  She was still feeling a little unsure, and the doctor kept hold of her arm and hand.  The wormhole was open and waiting.

"Ke'ra, these are friends of mine," Daniel said, "Sam, Teal'c, Jack, and General Hammond."  He gestured at the two Vyuns.  "And these are friends of yours.  They've come to take you home."

Ke'ra stared at Nodal and Layale.  "Do you know me?"

"We do," Nodal replied.  "Ke'ra.  We understand you have lost your memory.  Know that you are a great leader of our people, and you are most welcome."

He and Layale went up the ramp and waited at the top.

Ke'ra turned to Daniel.  "I sense we knew each other before my memory was lost.  Did we?"

Daniel shook his head.  "No.  No, we didn't."  He gave her a gentle smile.  "Goodbye, Ke'ra."

"Goodbye."

The woman who had been Linea and was now Ke'ra again walked up the ramp and took Nodal's proffered hand.  At the edge of the event horizon, she looked back down at the people watching and smiled at Daniel.  She then turned and disappeared through the gate.

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