The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 10

When next young Daniel awoke it was to an argument. He recognized his papa's deep rumbly voice but not the other...

"I will only release him to DoctorJanetFrasier so as she can assure his health."

"I could page her to..."

"MySon will accompany me into The Mountain."

At those words, Daniel's ears perked up. The Mountain. That was where his papa worked! And Sam and Jack too. Perhaps now he could finally get the answers to his questions, he thought.

And then they were moving. Daniel was still clutched tightly in Teal'c's arms-his head on his shoulder and his arms fastened around his neck. As they moved through gray windowless hallways, Daniel wondered if perhaps he was wrong about where they were as he couldn't see anything exciting happening in such a dull colorless place. Their steps echoed down the empty hallway and Daniel's grip tightened as he thought that he would really much rather be at home. He didn't think he liked this place at all.

Then they were in an elevator going down...down...down. The quiet loud in his ears. To Daniel it seemed to take a very long time until the doors opened again to reveal more gray hallways...though these weren't empty like the others. There were people in military uniforms who walked by every so often. Sometimes in groups, sometimes alone. All seemed to pause when they saw them making their way down the hall-though none stopped or even talked with them.

Then they went through a doorway and it suddenly seemed very bright. There were beds in this room with gray blankets and bright white sheets and...machines with lights on them and...shelves full of things. The walls here too were gray.

Moments after entering the room they were met by a woman in a white coat who had him sit on the bed, shined a light in his eyes, and introduced herself as Dr. Janet. Soon after checking him over, Daniel found that he had trouble keeping his eyes open. He was still very tired and sleep quickly claimed him.

As he drifted off, he heard a voice comment that he would probably sleep for at least a couple of hours.

But it wasn't hours. In fact, it wasn't but five minutes later (perhaps even a bit less) that young Daniel awoke. His eyes blinked open to reveal a gray ceiling, his hands fingered the gray blanket that covered him. His eyes darted to the drab gray walls. Everything in the whole place seemed to be be gray. It was as if someone had drained all the color away.

Years later Daniel would comment about how many times he had been tempted to add some color to the drab walls...or perhaps a tapestry or two. He said he had always found the hallways and common areas much too dreary and believed that others visiting must think so too...

It was much too quiet. Too still. Daniel was feeling very much afraid of this new place. It wasn't beautiful and soothing like Egypt nor was it loud and bustling like New York. It certainly wasn't anything like daycare had been. Daycare had been overly bright but this place...this place hadn't a speck of color anywhere.

And his papa. Where was his papa? He was all alone. Young Daniel felt a pang of loneliness so strong that it took his breath away. He shivered. Perhaps he had never been rescued... Perhaps it had all been a dream and he was still...

But wait.

Before panic overtook him he remembered that there hadn't been a bed there in that place. Only a small room with a door and another room with a chair. His papa *had* come for him and had taken him to The Mountain.

The Mountain with its gray halls and gray everything. With the people in uniforms and the doctor in the white coat. But where had everyone gone?

His small knuckles turned white as his grip on the blanket tightened. A thought had just flitted through his mind. An awful terrible thought: were they gone like his parents were gone?

The quiet in the room seemed deafening. They had left him all alone. Who would take care of him? What about Sam and Jack? Where were they? He hadn't seen them since they had come to The Mountain. Were they gone too?

And suddenly, he couldn't breathe. The quiet roared in his ears. Tears welled up in his eyes.

He was all alone...

"YoungDaniel what is wrong?"

The voice of his papa broke through his panic and he quickly launched himself at Teal'c. Teal'c lifted him up and Daniel clung desperately to his shirt, his breath coming out in short choked sobs.

"All is well, MySon, I am here."

With a sniffle, Daniel's breathing slowly calmed down and as he lay his head down on his shoulder, Daniel vowed never to let his papa out of his sight again.

Then they were in the hallway again. And then the elevator-though this time they only went down a little ways. And new gray hallways, these ones seemingly full of people. And then a room full of noise which had him lifting his head and gazing around curiously.

His eyes took in the tables where people in uniforms were sitting to eat then slid to the line of people standing in line getting trays full of food.

"I recommend the jello," a voice said, startling him.

Daniel twisted in his papa's arms to look beside him and exclaimed, "Jack!"

A smile spread across Daniel's face for there was his Jack. His Jack, who he thought he'd never seen again.

"Hi, Daniel!" Another familiar voice said.

And behind him was his Sam! They were both there. They hadn't gone away and left him.

As the adults conversed around him, young Daniel ate happily in silence. Everyone was there. They hadn't left him. He wasn't alone.

All too soon they were back in the elevator again. Going up...up...up... Soon the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

They went into a room with a big table and lots of chairs. There was a man in there waiting. It was General Hammond, Papa's boss. He seemed very nice and smiled at Daniel when Papa introduced him. He even gave young Daniel a lollipop and paper and a pencil to draw with while they had their meeting.

But grown-up meetings were very dull and the paper and pencil did not hold his attention for long. He sighed. And then he sighed again, louder. Daniel Jackson did not do well with boredom. So it did not take very long for his Curiosity to get the better of him.

He was at The Mountain after all. It couldn't all be gray walls. And so young Daniel slowly and carefully got up from his chair. A glance at the adults showed that they hadn't noticed. He wasn't really sneaking he reasoned. He was just looking. After all, no one had told him he wasn't allowed to look.

The room that they were in was very boring and did not hold Daniel's attention for very long. However, there was another room that he could see through the doorway.

Slowly young Daniel wandered into the room-making sure that he could still make out the tall form of his papa through the doorway. This room turned out to be much more interesting. You see, there was big window in this room-except it didn't show the outside. Instead it showed another room below. A room that contained a very large stone circle.

Young Daniel touched his palm to the glass, his eyes wide, "The Chappa'ai!" he whispered in awe.

And so it was. However, there was just one problem with that. You see, Teal'c had never mentioned the name Chappa'ai to young Daniel Jackson. Not even once.

And here ends Part 1 of The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson. However, this is not the end of his adventures. Notice Readers the 's' on the end of the word 'Chronicle'. More is yet to come. Though I must ask you to be patient once again. After all, grand adventures take time, and Young Daniel Jackson needs to rest up a bit before his next one.