Fate: At The End of Dreams Chapter 1, a stargate: sg-1 fanfic

TITLE: Fate: At the End of Dreams

AUTHOR: Thel
EMAIL: Please. Here, or by email. : )
CATEGORY: Drama, Angst… a little bit of AU, but not really. /wink
SPOILERS: Anything up to Fire and Water, but primarily F&W
SEASON / SEQUEL: Season 1
RATING: PG13 for some violence
SUMMARY: Daniel is not the same after his encounter with Nem… could the team be losing Daniel to Nem's past?
STATUS: Complete

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bear with me, the notes are longer than the story! I've actually done a fair bit of research in this, and most… probably all of the names are from Babylonian (and other) myths. Most of the Tiamat/Omoroca story comes directly from the Enuma Elish (including some of the dialogue), and I've filled in some of the missing bits. Consider this a missing scene for the Enuma Elish, as well as a tag for F&W. Also… one note about blue-eyed albinos. I knew a family with four kids who were 'albinos'. Two had pink eyes and two had blue eyes and all four lacked pigment everywhere else. Maybe 'albinism' is not the correct medical description for blue-eyes, but I'm basing it on people I've known and what they told me. They could be lying. :o Big note is that this is two stories combined in one. The original was titled 'Fate' and the second was, obviously, "At the End of Dreams'.

THANKS TO: Pettygrew (big time!) for being my long-suffering beta for this, and allowing me to ramble aimlessly via email. That rambling really helped me get a grip on the story. Thanks to Tiv'ester for pointing out the areas that needed fleshing out, and helping me avoid some of my assumptions. Thanks to CarolS for pointing out some good scenes to see to get a handle on the characters and for her comments on the character interactions (and some advice on how to avoid making Emma a Mary-Sue… even though I didn't listen and she was… but now she's gone). As always, anything you don't like, I probably ignored their advice about it and posted without changes. smile Thanks as well to Kathy and Arren who gave Pettygrew the medical information that allowed this fic to sound a lot better than the original 'blah, blah, big words here…' that it originally read. : ) And a large, large thanks to those readers on who kept up with the story and pushed my on, even when I thought I'd walk away with it. Thank you very much.

10/25/06 – This is the final edit. Thank you so much for all your support. Some quick facts before we start:

This story was first published in two parts. Fate (revised Dec 22, 2002) and At the End of Dreams (first posted June 16, 2003). The combined and edited final version clocks in at 400 pages even, encompassing 153,500 words. The original has a combined 40,000 hits, across all chapters, for an average of 4,000 a chapter (give or take). The most popular chapter (most hits) for most of the posting history was the scene in the morgue, you'll know it when you get there, you grim and morbid people. :o And the final and most important fact is that this story earned me the friendship of Pettygrew, so if you like nothing else about it, I hope you appreciate that I met some great folks along the way and that's really what it's all about!

- - - - -

He groaned softly, gasping at phantom pains.

What… fate… Omoroca?

"No…" He whispered, trying to still the rasping voice in his head.

You know of Babylon.

"It was so long ago." He pleaded. "So much is lost. No one knows. Please… let me go. My friends…" His head shook with the effort of keeping still.

The knowledge is there… in your mind.

"Nem. Stop, please. You're hurting me."

"Dammit, Daniel."

The archaeologist frowned as a harsh and quite obviously angry voice cut Nem off. His awareness began to return as he slowly clawed his way out of the dream.

Omoroca feared Belus. The voice in his head tried one last time.

"Unh. Nem." His head was held again, but not by the restraints, something else was holding him… shaking him. Now his shoulders. "Oh God!" He gasped, his back arching up at the memory and the pain. "He killed her. He killed her…"

"Daniel!" The voice was like a whip crack, startling him awake. Instinctively, he put his hands up protectively, flinching away. "Dammit." The voice was softer now, a hand softly touched his shoulder.

"Jack." He breathed, body instantly relaxing back onto the couch. He put his hands over his face as a very worried colonel leaned over him, kneeling on the floor.

"Daniel. What the hell's going on here? Are you alright?" Jack asked, concern making his voice husky. "Damn that walking squid. I shoulda…"

"No." Daniel ground out, allowing Jack to pull him into a sitting position, legs still stretched out on the comfortable couch. His eyes were shut tightly, blocking out even the dim office lights. "It's okay. Headache."

"Okay? Daniel, that looked like pain to me. What the hell was that?" Jack got to his feet as Daniel turned ninety degrees and his legs slid off the couch. The archaeologist sat up and attempted to remain vertical.

"Just a dream, Jack. I'm fine." Daniel's fingers massaged his temples.

"You said Nem was hurting you. Something you forgot to mention in your briefing?" Jack's voice had that deceptively, dangerously level tone again. Daniel risked a glance and pursed his lips. Jack was standing, arms crossed, glowering at the floor, the sofa and its resident linguist. Even looking away, Daniel could feel the weight of the older man's gaze.

"Nnnno." He said, squaring his shoulders and standing up. "I told you what happened. He used a mind probe on me. It got a little… tense near the end." Daniel licked his lips as Jack caught his gaze, and immediately looked away. "That's- That's all. You were there. I walked out under my own power. This is just a little headache." He rolled his neck, grimacing. Taking a deep breath, he squinted, heading over to his desk in search of his glasses.

Jack stepped forward, fingertips barely touching Daniel's arm. The younger man kept his eyes on the floor, almost hidden by his bangs. "What he did to you, out of ten, how was the pain?" No answer. "Daniel, come on, talk to me. I want an honest answer here. Out of ten, how bad was it?"

Daniel's arms wrapped around his chest tightly and his gaze turned to the ceiling panels. "Out of ten?" He said softly. Jack nodded. Daniel's head dropped until his chin bounced off of his chest and he gave a little laugh. "About an eleven."

His eyes were closed, so he missed Jack's dark gaze. "And now?"

Daniel sighed and rolled his neck. "Ah. Not bad. Maybe a two. Kind of an eye-strain, no food, no caffeine type of headache." His eyes jerked open as Jack's hand circled his bicep and he was dragged summarily out of his office. "Jack?"

"Food, coffee, little walk, VIP room and bed."

Daniel made a brief effort to dig in his heels, but then grinned briefly and trotted obediently along.

- - - - -

Daniel straightened up in his chair, stretching his aching back as the email program shut down. He had finally taken the plunge and emailed some non-classified historical documents on Tiamat and Apsu, or as they were known in the olden days: Omoroca and Nem. He'd sent them to a couple of people he was hoping to tap for future SGC work.

'Geeks' and scientists all, and in the first round, no archaeologists or anthropologists.

Rothman… there was another source he could tap. He hadn't yet because he wanted a non-anthropological point of view. It wasn't the myths he was having trouble with, it was the meanings. He wanted a literal aspect. Mythology often was a metaphor, a way of making inexplicable events understandable. If you stripped away the symbology, what would you be left with? Rothman was a good man, a good researcher but he lacked a certain imagination sometimes. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt.

The documents were all basic stuff he'd cobbled together from text-books, dictionaries and some internet sources. Nothing classified. He made damn sure of that. He respected the SGC too much to risk the project. He'd signed non-disclosure agreements, but that kind of thing didn't need a paper to remember-

Remember Omoroca.

He twitched at the voice and the memory of pain. He gasped as that memory became reality. Daniel curled up, his head dropping to the top of his desk, fists clenched to his temples. This was too much. Too much.

Knowledge. You have knowledge.

"God." He squeezed the word past gritted teeth, tilting his head from side to side on the smooth surface of the desk. "I don't know."

And Tiamat roared… She smote... Their way was evil...

"Evil." He clutched his hands to his head as the words flowed through his mind. "They were evil because they were Goa'uld. Tiamat knew that. The story said that she wanted to overthrow all the other gods. They were too noisy."

The knowledge is there. In your mind.

"Too noisy." He groaned.

What fate Omoroca?

"Shut up." He banged his forehead softly on the desk. "Shut up, shut up, shut up…"

"Daniel Jackson?"

The sounds in his head abruptly cut off as Daniel sat bolt upright. "Teal'c." He swept back his long hair and blinked at the Jaffa.

"Are you not well, Daniel Jackson?" The big man looked down at him with well-disguised, but still appreciable, concern.

Daniel's eyes dropped to his desk. He flattened out his hands and ran them across the wooden surface. "I'm fine."

The Jaffa lifted an eyebrow. "You did not appear to be 'fine'."

"Uh… residual headache. Slept on my neck wrong." He put a hand to the back of his neck and massaged it half-heartedly. His eyes briefly touched on Teal'c and then immediately slid to the doorframe and down to the floor. "Can I help you?" He turned business-like and hoped that would get the far-too-observant Jaffa off his track.

Teal'c gave him a long silent stare. Daniel squirmed a little, darting glances at him occasionally, and rubbing his neck.

Finally Teal'c gave in. "I have brought the recordings taken by SG2 on their last mission."

Daniel perked up. "Oh great, I was looking forward to these. Thanks Teal'c." He held his hand out and took the papers and tapes, turning away and shuffling happily through them. He pointedly turned his back on the Jaffa and was relieved when Teal'c took the hint and walked away.

Daniel gave himself thirty seconds before he dropped the papers to the desk and covered his eyes with his hand. This was getting disruptive. He had to get his mind off of Omoroca… Tiamat… all of it. Omoroca was dead.

Wasn't she?

- - - - -

Daniel dreamed.

He had finally stumbled to the couch, too tired to translate a language he knew as well as English. The work kept his mind off of Omoroca and her terrible ending. He spent every spare moment thinking on it. Was there something more he could have told Nem? Did he miss something? It was only with great effort that he focused on his SGC work and once he grew too tired to focus on that, his dream caught him up and threw him back into memory.

And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!

Hot wind assailed his senses as he stood in the path of two great monsters. Omoroca as Tiamat rose above him. She was a great dragon, flames leaping from her fanged mouth, her body hidden by clouds of smoke and ash. Daniel fell as Tiamat took a step, her great weight making the earth heave under his feet. He shook as hot cinders fell, burning his face.

Belus stood watching. He gleamed, wrapped in his golden armour. In his hands, he held a lightning bolt. Daniel put his hand up, shielding his eyes from the glare. Belus drew back his hands and gestured. The lightning bolts flew toward the dragon, impacting her side.

Tiamat screamed, throwing her head back. Daniel was flattened to the ground by a terrible wind. He shielded his head as Belus strode forward. Tiamat shook as the gales hit her. The winds surrounded her head, driving into her throat. He watched, horrified, as the dragon's belly began to swell, distorting.

The lightning slammed in again, blinding Daniel as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died with a scream, the dragon's body crumpling in on itself. Daniel dug his fingers into the dirt trying to find some stability as the earth hitched and shook, like a mad horse trying frantically to buck him off. He cried out as the breath was driven from his lungs by a particularly hard jolt.

His head jerked up at the sound of a scream and he looked to the side. Belus stood before a woman, lightning striking her from his open fist. Daniel's mouth dropped open as Belus drove a spear into the woman's belly. She screamed and doubled over.

"No!" He cried, unable to tear his gaze away. Lightning struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. He stepped callously over the body of the woman and approached the body of the dragon. "He cut her asunder." Daniel gasped.

Belus rained lightning upon the dragon until her body shuddered and split. He watched as Belus gestured. Half of the body rose to become a covering for the heavens. Half became new land, the earth. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side. Her belly was horribly mutilated by the lightning and Belus's spear but she yet lived. He touched her face and she looked up at him. He drew in his breath as her eyes met his. She had long blue-black hair and greenish skin. Her eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue, without any white in them at all. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her above the hurricane winds and booming thunder.

"Who are you?" He yelled. "Who are you?" He brushed her cheek. She looked at him and then to the side. He followed her gaze and ducked his head as he beheld the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand.

Daniel screamed as the lightning bolt tore him apart.

- - - - -

"No!" Daniel sat bolt upright hands clawing the air. He drew in heaving breaths as he looked around and recognised his office. He wiped a shaky hand across his lips and swung his feet to the floor. This was getting to be too much. He waited for the sound of the SFs running in to investigate his screams. His breathing stilled and he let out a long sigh. Good. The scream must have been only in his dream.

He looked at the clock. Three in the morning. Jack would kill him if he called. Despite that, his fingers twitched toward the phone. He needed Jack to tell him how dumb he was being to be spooked by L.W. King's hundred year old translation of a four thousand year old story.

What fate Omoroca?

He groaned and clutched his head. Dead, dammit. She was dead. He just watched her die, blown to pieces by the god Belus.

Remember… Omoroca

"Shut up, shut up, shut up. Let me sleep. Please, God, let me sleep." He crawled back onto the couch, and curled up into a ball. He wrapped his arms around his chest and slept sitting up, head resting on the back of the couch, knees pulled up to his chest.

- - - - -

Chapter Two

Jack stopped in front of Daniel's office door in the morning. SG1 was on stand-down following the incident on Oannes. Everyone needed to calm down and get their heads on straight before Hammond would allow them through the gate again.

Jack frowned at the closed door, wondering if Daniel was coming in to work. They'd moved his boxes back into his apartment yesterday, as a surprise for him, while he was working on the base. Maybe he had stayed home today, unpacking. He swiped his card, causing the heavy door to roll open. The lights were still on. He entered slowly, just in case, trying not to startle the wily anthropologist in its dangerously pre-caffeinated state.

He stuck his head in and didn't see anyone at home. "Daniel?" He called quietly, looking from side to side. He opened the door wider and stepped in. As he entered further, he made out a form curled on the couch.

"Jesus, Daniel." Jack exclaimed, moving forward.

The linguist not only looked like something the cat dragged in, he looked like something the cat had killed, played with, buried for a week and then dragged in. He was sweating and shivering, arms wrapped around his torso. He was asleep, huddled into as small a ball as he could manage, wedged into a corner of the couch. Jack felt a lump rise in his throat. Daniel looked like all the minions of hell were on his heels.

He crouched and touched Daniel's cheek with the back of his hand. "Daniel." He whispered. Daniel was burning up. Jack stood and stepped over to linguist's desk and picked up the phone, dialling the infirmary. He turned to look at Daniel as the phone was picked up on the other end.

"Infirmary. Dr. Fraiser speaking."

"It's O'Neill. Could you come by Daniel's office please?"

"Is there a problem, Colonel?" Janet's voice was all polite concern.

"Just come up here with your gear. Thanks."

"I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and settled himself on the edge of the desk. What was wrong with the archaeologist? He hoped it was just the flu, but they way Daniel had been acting for the last two days made it unlikely.

Jack thought back to their return from Oannes. Daniel seemed fine when they found him on Oannes, lucid and even animated. He made it back to the SGC under his own power and collapsed onto his bed in the infirmary. Tired. He pled off any debriefings. Daniel almost never admitted to being tired, so they knew it had to be serious. They'd let him sleep and deferred the briefings until the next day… after he'd gotten nearly sixteen hours of rest.

Janet had taken blood work, blood pressures, hooked Daniel up to half a dozen machines and pronounced him tired, dehydrated, hungry but healthy. Daniel had slept through most of the first day since their return from Oannes. He seemed fine the second day, restless the second night. The third day, he was falling asleep in his office and Jack had been infuriated by Daniel's revelations about Nem's 'hospitality'.

Day four was not looking any better. Jack turned at Janet's soft rap on the door. She peeked in. "Colonel."

Jack jerked his head, pointing her in Daniel's direction. Janet took a few steps in. Spotting her patient, she picked her way over to the sofa, and sat down on the cushion next to the scientist.

"Doctor Jackson?" She whispered, reaching out her hand and touching his forehead. Jack did not miss how her mouth tightened up. So, he wasn't imagining how sick the he was. Great. Janet touched Daniel's cheek. "Alright, Doctor Jackson, time to wake up." She patted his cheek.

Janet jumped back as Daniel woke with a start, jumping back until his backside was on the arm of the couch, back to the wall. He held his hands out defensively, warding off Janet. Jack's brow furrowed. He'd woken up the almost the same way the last time. Whatever he was fighting off in his dreams was evidently persistent.

With a long sigh, Daniel came back to himself, more or less and slumped in place. Jack helped him back onto the couch.

"How are you feeling, Doctor Jackson?" Janet asked, putting her hand on his forehead.

"Tired." Daniel rasped, closing his eyes and letting his head drop to rest against the back of the couch.

"How are you sleeping?"

Daniel gave a sharp little laugh, mouth curling up into an unpleasant smile for a moment as he rolled his head from side to side. "Sleeping too much. Not resting."

Janet and Jack exchanged glances. Janet turned back to the anthropologist. "Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to come to the infirmary. You're running a fever." She touched his cheek. Daniel rolled his head back, trapping her hand between his face and shoulder, relishing her cool touch. His eyes closed for several long seconds, and he finally nodded.

He leaned forward and hauled himself off the couch, grabbing Jack's sleeve as his wobbly knees threatened to send him right back where he started. Jack steadied him and then drew back, allowing Daniel to make his way out of the office under his own power. Weaving a little on his feet, Daniel nonetheless made it all the way to the infirmary without falling over.

He sat heavily on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor as Janet bustled around. She pushed Jack out of the room.

"Come back in an hour, Colonel. I'll have something to tell you then." She gave him a small smile and turned away. He nodded curtly and walked out of the room. He didn't go far. He snagged a chair and settled in to wait in the hallway.

- - - - -

And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!

Once again, Daniel found himself on the field of death, caught between Belus and Tiamat, the draconian aspect of Omoroca. He watched as their final battle played out. This time, he made out more detail. He stood on a beach, and the monster, Tiamat was walking toward the shoreline from the water. The sea was hot, scalding his legs and forcing him to shore.

Belus stood waiting in his golden armour. He held high his lightning bolt. Again, Daniel put his hand up, shielding his eyes from the glare. Belus laughed as his bolts struck Tiamat. Daniel squinted up at the sky. The bolts came not from Belus's hand, but from the heavens above. They swooped down upon Tiamat with almost a sentient precision.

Tiamat screamed, throwing her head back. Daniel doubled over and covered his ears, trying to block out the horrible sound. The wind whipped up the waves, splashing him with near boiling water. Daniel cried out and tried to crawl away on all fours. He blinked as the beach sand scratched his eyes. Belus strode forward.

Tiamat shook as the gales hit her. The winds surrounded her head, driving into her throat. The dragon's belly began to swell again, distorting and trembling.

The lightning slammed in again, blinding Daniel as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died with a scream, the dragon's body crumpling in on itself. Daniel buried his fingers in the soil, riding out the small quakes caused by Tiamat's demise. He saw stars as the final jolt snapped his face into the sand and rocks.

He heard a woman's scream. Belus attacked the raven-haired woman, lightning striking her from his open fist. The lightning turned into a staff… a spear. Daniel screamed a denial as Belus drove the spear into the woman's belly. The woman collapsed with a howl.

"He cut her asunder." Daniel groaned. He buried his face in the sand.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side and tried not to look at her terrible wounds. He touched her face and she looked up at him. "Who are you?" He yelled, trying to make himself heard above the gale. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her. He leaned closer.

"Who are you?" He yelled. He put his hands on her cheeks, drawing her gaze to himself. She looked at him and then turned a frightened gaze to the side. He looked up at the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand. His eyes glowed a brilliant yellow.

Daniel screamed as the lightning bolt tore him apart.

- - - - -

Chapter Three

"No, Jack." Daniel wheezed into the phone. He was bundled up on the couch, covers up to his chin, discarded kleenexes scattered around him. He sniffed and then coughed to one side before turning back to the phone. "I'll be fine today. I just want to rest. How about you come by for dinner tomorrow? I'll be a lot better by then, and if not… um… you can make something appropriate for me. Sound good?"

He listened patiently for a moment, looking up as he heard the front door open and close. Despite Jack's repeated warnings, he'd left it open again. He made the appropriate sounds at the appropriate pauses in Jack's 'take care of yourself' speech. He smiled as a Carter's head peeked into the living room. He held up a finger to her.

"Jack… really. I'll be fine by myself. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He paused. "I am eating." Another pause and he looked uncomfortable. "Um… oatmeal?" He winced and held the phone slightly away from his ear. Sam could hear the yelling from the hallway. Finally it quietened down. "Okay, I'm sorry Jack. You're right. I haven't eaten, but I will. Really."

Daniel paused and then smiled. "I'm a civilian, Jack. Yeah. Yeah, I will. Alright. Good-bye." The last word turned into a coughing fit as the phone slipped back in its cradle.

"'Fine by myself'?" Sam crossed her arms and cocked her head.

Daniel snuffled pathetically into his kleenex and fidgeted. "If Jack knew you were here, he'd want to come over and if he comes over, we'd end up playing chess or something." He sniffed. "I just want a little sleep."

"Ah." Sam nodded a little sheepishly.

"Sam?" Daniel wasn't so sick that he missed it.

"Well, it's just that Teal'c was worried about you and…"

"Oh no." Daniel slumped back into his seat as Teal'c entered, bearing a pot that looked to hold about four gallons.

"Daniel Jackson. I have consulted a number of Tau'ri medical journals and determined that a concoction called 'chicken soup' has been defined as 'good for what ails you'." Sam bit her lip hard.

Daniel's jaw dropped. "Good for what-?"

"He was talking to the commissary chefs again."

"You will partake of this chicken soup." Teal'c's tone made the offer a statement of fact.

"I- I guess I will."

They watched Teal'c nod and retreat to the kitchen. Sam turned back. "We won't stay long. I brought some oranges too. Vitamin C, you know." She smiled awkwardly. "How you doing? You look like something you dug up"

Daniel ducked his head. "I feel like something I dug up." He complained with a small smile.

Sam rocked back and forth, unsure of what to say or do. "Soup?" She asked hopefully.

Daniel perked up slightly. "What kind?"

"Jaffa made." Sam grinned. "Turkey, mushroom, wild rice."

In response, Daniel held out his hands and motioned with his fingers. "Please." He said. Sam nodded and turned. "Coffee?" Daniel called after her hopefully.

Sam stuck her head back in the living room from the kitchen. "Orange juice." She said sternly. "But if you're good, I'll let you smell my cup." She winked as he groaned.

True to her word, they did not stay long. With dire warnings of 'telling the colonel' if he did not rest, Daniel was ushered off to bed and a good night's sleep.

- - - - -

And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!

Daniel groaned as the powerful voice rang out somewhere nearby. He stood, immersed up to his knees in the scalding water, as the giant dragon Tiamat screamed her fury to the skies. He stumbled hastily to shore, hissing at the pain. He could see the dragon's sinuous body a little more clearly this time, undulating and rippling behind the gathering storm clouds.

As before, Belus stood, wrapped in his golden armour. He held high his lightning bolt. Daniel recognised this scene from his earlier dream. He did not hide this time, but squinted against the glare. He needed to know more. Belus laughed as his bolts struck Tiamat. Daniel spun back and looked up at the sky. The bolts came not from Belus's hand, but from the heavens above. They swooped down upon Tiamat with almost a sentient precision and an ungodly shriek. The sound was familiar. Despite the danger, Daniel closed his eyes and hung his head, trying to concentrate only on that sound.

Tiamat screamed, throwing her head back, disturbing his thoughts. Daniel winced at the volume. He dropped to his knees as the wind rushed up and crawled out of the way before the scaling waves could find him. Belus strode forward. Tiamat shook as the gales hit her. The storms surrounded her head, invading her gigantic body. The dragon's belly began to swell again, distorting and trembling.

The lightning slammed in again, blinding Daniel as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died with a scream, the dragon's body not crumbling this time, but rearing upwards in a gout of flame and ash. Daniel clutched the ground, riding out the small quakes caused by Tiamat's demise. He saw stars as the final jolt snapped his face into the sand and rocks.

He shook it off as he heard the woman's scream. Belus attacked the raven-haired woman, golden light striking her from his open fist. The lightning turned into a staff… a spear… a staff weapon. Daniel screamed a denial as Belus fired at the woman's belly. She collapsed with a howl.

"No!" He cried, unable to tear his gaze away. Lightning struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. The lightning struck from the heavens again with that same familiar sound. Belus stepped callously over the body of the woman and approached the body of the dragon.

"He cut her asunder." Daniel whispered.

Belus rained lightning upon the dragon until her body shuddered and split. He watched as Belus gestured. The body did not rise, it exploded. Fire lit the sky like thousands of meteorites, and storm clouds billowed up. Natural lightning rippled across the burnt out husk of the dragon. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side and tried to treat her terrible wounds. This time, though, he took a moment to view her overall appearance for anything that might help him decipher this event. He touched her face and she looked up at him. "Who are you?" He yelled, trying to make himself heard above the gale. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her. He leaned closer.

Daniel screamed as the Goa'uld hand device tore him apart.

- - - - -

With a huge gasp, Daniel sat up in bed, arms flailing. He scrambled backwards until his back was flat against the headboard, and he panted. He looked around, but saw nothing harmful. Curling up, his put his arms over his head and groaned.

It was way too early to call anyone.

Way too early.

Tomorrow, he would have to talk to Jack.

- - - - -

Chapter Four

Daniel was stirring the pot of turkey soup when the doorbell rang. "It's open!" He called, causing a coughing fit. He dumped the wooden spoon in the pot and stumbled out of the kitchen, kleenex over his mouth. He smiled as he saw Jack walk in the room.

"Hi, Jack."

"Don't 'hi, Jack' me, Daniel. What have I told you about locking your doors?" The archaeologist waved him off with no evidence of concern. Jack shook his head and then sniffed the air. "What smells so good?"

"Soup. Dinner."

"You made soup?"

Daniel snuffled into his kleenex instead of answering the question. "Would you set the table?"

Jack looked around. "Sure." His eyebrows went up slightly as he saw the coffee table. Two empty soup bowls. A coffee mug. A small pile of orange rinds. Very suspicious. If he didn't know better, he'd almost bet someone had visited yesterday. But, this was Daniel after all. He shrugged it off and set the table.

They ate in silence. Finally, Jack had to ask. "So, how you doing?"

Daniel played with his soup for a moment, before putting the spoon down.

Jack frowned slightly. "Daniel?"

The archaeologist looked decidedly uncomfortable. "I've been," he paused. "Having dreams."

"Dreams, Daniel?" The colonel bit back a comment. He had seen how the dreams had affected Daniel, the stark terror in his eyes.

"I know how that sounds." He spoke slowly, unsure of what or how much to say. He liked Jack, valued his opinion. It was so hard not to come across as a flaky academic sometimes- most times.

Jack scraped his spoon along the bottom of his bowl for a minute. "Daniel, I want you to tell me if something's wrong." He dropped the spoon. "I mean." Jack paused as he searched for words. "You're a member of my team. I need to know what's going on."

Daniel kept playing with his soup.

Finally Jack sighed and nodded. "About those dreams?"

Daniel leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I think…" His arms crept up, wrapping around his chest. "I think they are the result of Nem's device. It's like my subconscious is still searching for the answer to Nem's question. 'Where is Omoroca?'"

"Is that what had you so spooked back at the base?"

Daniel's eyes flickered up at Jack, and then down to his plate. "Yeah." He admitted quietly. "It's like I'm right there watching Belus kill her… over and over and over." He put his fingertips to the bridge of his nose. "And then he comes for me with a hand device."

Jack's expression turned dark again as he gave serious consideration about what he would do to the sentient, soon-to-be fillet o' fish on Oannes. "What can we do?" He asked helplessly.

"I don't know, Jack." He put his thumb and forefinger together, tapping the tabletop lightly. "I'm close to it, but I don't have it yet." There. He said it. He had no clue. Neither did Jack. For some reason, it was the latter realisation that scared him the most.

"Daniel." Jack sat back in his chair. "Let's get you back to the base." He made a rolling motion with one hand. "Maybe this Mackenzie guy can help you. He hypnotized Carter, helped us break out of Nem's little mind games. Maybe he can help you with this… dream."

Daniel contemplated that offer. As much as he did not want to be under doctor's care again, so soon after escaping the infirmary, perhaps Jack was right. But then, "You don't understand, Jack. I'm not quite sure I want this to go away completely. It's like I'm seeing what actually happened there. There's a part of me that really wants to know how this ends."

Jack made an exasperated noise. "Come on. You're sick. This is stress, and some leftovers from… whatever Nem did to you. You know how it ends, Daniel. Omoroca is dead. End of story."

"Is it, Jack?" Daniel's eyes were bright, both with fever and with excitement. "That's what I thought back on Oannes when Nem's machine…" He clenched his fists next to his head. "Did what it did. That's what the dreams seem to be saying, but despite that, now, I'm not so sure."

"Well, then let's get you to Fraiser. She can monitor you." Jack touched Daniel's forehead briefly. "You still have a fever. You need rest."

Abruptly, Daniel stood, gathering up the dirty dishes. "You're right, Jack. I just need some sleep." His hands were shaking hard enough to make the spoons rattle in the bowl. Jack stood and rescued the dishes before anything disastrous could happen.

"Daniel-" He began.

The archaeologist cut him off with a wave of a hand. "Jack, please. Not tonight. I'm going to go to bed. You can-"

"Sleep on the couch, yes, I know." Jack said with finality.

Daniel pursed his lips and hunched his shoulders. He was going to suggest that Jack let himself out, but Jack's body language spoke eloquently as to where he could file that notion. Finally, Daniel released the breath he'd been holding and gave Jack a little half smile.

"Alright. I'll get you some blankets." Jack was not happy. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, shoulders held stiffly. Daniel allowed himself to be bullied into his big bed. Jack managed to restrain himself, and not tuck in his civilian.

"Get some sleep." He said gruffly. "Any problems and we're calling Fraiser. I mean it, Daniel."

The archaeologist smiled. "Thanks, Jack."

"Yeah." Jack sighed, realising that once again, his authority had been undermined. "Night."

Daniel closed his eyes and slid under the covers. What fate Omoroca? The thought stirred treacherously in his mind, despite his efforts to relax.

What fate indeed?

- - - - -

And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!

Daniel floundered to the shore before the pain of the hot water could register. One good thing about this dream, he was getting the hang of it now. The giant dragon Tiamat screamed her fury to the skies. He stumbled hastily further inland, knowing now to avoid the waves that would soon be whipped up by the wind. In the distance, Tiamat spread her wings, undulating and rippling behind the gathering storm clouds. She almost seemed to be made of storm clouds. Sparks shot from her mouth, like small meteorites.

Daniel ignored Belus, searching the skies for the bolts of lightning. He tilted his head and closed his eyes, waiting for that almost familiar sound. His eyes shot open as he heard and placed the noise. Death gliders. Not lightning bolts, death gliders. Belus laughed as his gliders attacked Tiamat.

Daniel dropped to the ground, shielding his head as he knew that he would hear Tiamat's death scream any second. When it came, he was 'safe', and out of the way of the scalding seawater. Belus strode forward. The death gliders fired at her mouth, preventing her from uttering any sound, breathing any fire. He could see the pressure building up in her belly, until it finally spilled over and the dragon forced out a scream.

Bolts from a death glider struck near Daniel's position, blinding him as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died, flames and ash pouring from holes in her flesh. Red, glowing blood lit the dark sky as it spilled across her swollen belly and over her dark flanks. Daniel covered his head with his arms as the ground heaved and bucked under him, telegraphing the extent of Tiamat's death throes through his trembling frame.

He tried to force himself to his feet. Perhaps this time he could stop Belus before

he killed the mystery woman. A scream from the side told him that he was too late. He dropped to his knees as the ground rolled beneath him. "No!" He cried, frustrated by his inability to protect her.

Death gliders attacked. Their energy bolts struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. Daniel squinted into the carnage. Omoroca's allies were Jaffa in the armour of half a dozen Goa'uld lords. Serpent, dog, even scorpion. Belus methodically slaughtered the Jaffa and then moved to face the dead dragon's carcass.

"He cut her asunder." Daniel nodded. This was the part that haunted his thoughts. This was the true death of Omoroca… was it not?

The death gliders pounded on the dragon's corpse, blowing it apart. They stopped when the body exploded. Fire lit the sky like thousands of meteorites, and storm clouds billowed up. Natural lightning rippled across the burnt out husk of the dragon. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side and tried to treat her terrible wounds. He touched her face and she looked up at him. "Who are you?" He yelled, trying to make himself heard above the gale. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her. He grimaced and pulled back. Belus would return for him soon.

He scrambled up and beheld the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand. His eyes glowed a brilliant yellow. Daniel's own hand came up… but too slowly. He screamed as the ribbon device tore him apart.

- - - - -

Chapter Five

"And then you wake up?" Janet asked Daniel, scribbling down details on his medical chart. He hadn't been with the program all that long, but Daniel knew that medical chart would probably make for some interesting reading. He blinked tiredly, trying to keep his thoughts on track. He'd awoken, yelling, with Jack holding his wrists.

Good thing too, or his CO might now be sporting a black eye. Too shaken to protest, Daniel had allowed Jack to drag him out of bed, into clothes and off to the base. Jack had filled Fraiser in with everything he knew, Daniel was now sitting, shivering, in the infirmary as Janet made free with her penlight and thermometer.

"Yes." His head jerked up, pulling him out of his thoughts. "The, uh, dream seems to be changing every night."

"I thought you said it was the same one?" The colonel grated out from the side.

"Similar, Jack. The, um, story line remains intact. The basic integrity of the narrative is preserved, but it's like I am seeing this through the eyes of someone who is- was there. The, uh, the first rendition was very… very mythological. The, um, retelling of the Tiamat story as I've read it in the Enuma Elish. From then on, it's gotten clearer. I'm seeing it more in a literal context. Belus's lightning bolts were actually death gliders. Tiamat's creatures were Jaffa. Belus used both a staff weapon and a hand device. It's the image of him using the hand device on me that usually-" Daniel broke off, but drew his fists together and then out, opening his fingers, mimicking a small explosion.

"Makes you scream?" Jack supplied helpfully.

"Wakes me up." Daniel responded firmly.

"Yeah." The colonel finished.

Daniel wagged his index finger at Janet and Jack. "The one thing- No, two things that have so far not changed, well, to any, um, significant degree, are the images of the dying woman and the dragon." He slid off of the infirmary bed, ignoring Janet's warning, and began to pace. He worried at his thumb with his teeth for a moment.

"If the other parts of my dream have sharpened up, why not the dragon? I'm missing something here."

"Daniel." Jack started, only to be waved off.

"No, there's something." Janet and Jack exchanged pained glances.

"Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to stay here tonight. I want to monitor your sleep, check your brain's functions as you go through this dream cycle. If this is something that Nem's device has done, I need more information before I can try to treat it."

Daniel was still pacing. Janet took this as an invitation to add some more theories. "Doctor Jackson, you still have a fever. A high fever can result in very vivid dreams. We also don't know what the full effect of the exposure to Nem's device may be." She tilted her head and attempted a diagnosis. "Although this is really Doctor Mackenzie's field, perhaps your conscious mind is simply trying to put a rational thought process on a mythological story." She made a brief note on her chart. Daniel was still pacing, barely listening.

Janet looked first at Jack, then to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to speak with Dr. Mackenzie in the morning." Daniel still made no reply.

"Daniel!" Jack said sharply. The scientist looked up in surprise.

"What? Oh yes, yes. Fine." He waved his hand at them, dismissing them. "Oh, I know."

Without a further word, he eased past a glowering Air Force colonel and all but ran back to his office.

"Dammit." Jack swore softly at the empty corridor.

- - - - -

"Excuse me, excuse me." Daniel jogged through the hallways, skittering around military personnel. Jack and Janet had some more questions for him about Nem's device. He told Jack he'd be there in five minutes, but the printer paper had jammed and he was now on ten minutes. He left the office, not bothering to pick up the phone as it rang. Jack was going to be steamed.

He clattered into the infirmary, juggling his armful of paper. "Sorry, sorry…" He muttered as he spied the colonel and the doctor. A hard look from both military personnel was the only response he got. He sighed dramatically. "So, what did you need?"

Janet looked at the colonel, but he was still thoughtfully staring at his team mate. She decided to take the lead. "Daniel, your brain chemistry is all over the place. I really think that whatever Nem did to you had really affected your mind. I-"

Daniel wagged a finger at her. "I agree, uh, Janet. You know, I've been looking in to that. Nem told me that the memories of my race were within me, beneath the surface." He shuffled documents. "Where was that article?" He almost dropped a folder full of papers, only to grab it back at the last minute. He flipped through the pages. "I think Nem's device did more than joggle loose memories from my university days. I think it unlocked my…" He looked up at the sceptical duo, gesturing vaguely. "My genetic memory." He looked down at the papers in his hands, and then back at Jack, over the rims of his glasses. "You can see where this is going."

Jack continued staring thoughtfully, quelling any sharp comments. Janet looked first at the colonel and then at the civilian. "Daniel, the study of genetic memory is-"

"Amateurish and, uh, undeveloped at best, yes, I know. Most of the information on the internet seems to be of the calibre one would expect of information found on the, um, internet. Believe me. I just spent the last three hours trying to find a source that didn't involve free trial offers or a four-day seminar with a self-professed guru." He shuffled through papers. "But none of these people have access to a memory enhancement device created on an alien planet by a seemingly immortal half-fish, half-man with ties to ancient Babylon… do they?"

"Daniel." Jack stepped in, trying to bring Daniel back to a less frenetic pace. He spread his hands wide. "Okay. Let's say maybe Nem's device has jumpstarted your memory." He ducked his head and gave a little cough, again, biting back hasty words. "What do we do?" He looked at Janet.

The doctor gave a little sideways shake of her head. "I can't really tell. I'll need a full examination to establish a baseline before I can even begin to evaluate how Doctor Jackson's brain chemistry might have been altered. If I can get a clear picture of how his brain is behaving now, I can compare it to some of our earlier scans."

"Okay. Daniel. Whaddya say? How 'bout you let Doc Fraiser check you out?" He paused, cocking his head at the unresponsive archaeologist engrossed in his papers. "Daniel?" He took a step forward, worry leaving a frown on his features. "Daniel?"

The linguist's eyes were wide, fixed on the paper in his grasp. Jack stepped up beside him and scanned his eyes over the document. "Whatcha got?"

Daniel waved the paper absently. "It's the Santorini volcano, Jack. The, uh… the timeline is all wrong, but the effects. Oh. That's right. It could have. That makes sense. I'll bet-"

Jack made an exasperated noise. "What, Daniel? What?" He barely caught Daniel as the younger man's head jerked up and his body convulsed once before dropping bonelessly into Jack's arms. "Doc!" The colonel bellowed as Daniel's papers slipped to the floor and the man himself went terrifyingly limp.

Jack dropped to his knees, cradling Daniel against his chest. The archaeologist's head rested in the hollow of Jack's shoulder. Only Jack's arms around his torso kept Daniel from slipping right to the floor.

"Get him up on the bed." Janet said, tilting Daniel's head back to try to feel for a pulse.

Jack grunted as he hauled Daniel up to the bed, wincing at the dead weight. Don't even think that! He manhandled the unconscious man backward on to the bed and held him in place while Janet struggled to get Daniel's legs up. "What just happened here, Janet?"

The doctor shook her head. "It looked almost like a seizure of some sort. Colonel, it might help to know what Daniel was reading. Why don't you gather up his papers and try to make some sense of them?"

"And get out of your way." Jack finished. Janet pursed her lips, but didn't bother to deny it. Jack bent and gathered up all the scattered sheets. He shook his head. Trying to determine what Daniel was thinking was a challenge on a good day. With a sigh, he looked at the first pages. 'Santorini', huh? This should be… interesting.

- - - - -

Santorini.doc

Daniel,

I took a look at the metaphors you gave me, and broke them down into broad categories, cross-referencing them with the mythical imagery of the Tiamat/Omoroca legend.

1. Tiamat the dragon… references to the dragon are numerous but definitive descriptions are few.

2. Marduk (also called 'Belus') used half of Tiamat's body to create the heavens, half to create the earth.

3. Tiamat in her various representations is considered a goddess of the deep and a manifestation of chaos. She can be considered an elemental force, something used in mythical metaphor to explain a force of nature.

4. Tiamat, during her battle with Marduk, has the force of the four winds pushed down her throat, whereupon, she inflates and is defeated by Marduk.

5. As Tiamat was dismembered, her eyes created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and her aspect of godhood was carried away by the wind.

6. At least one of the versions of the creation myth describes Tiamat as a 300 mile long serpent, who moved in undulations of 6 miles long. Very large dragon.

Look at these again, but strip away the mythological aspect of the readings.

1. Unknown event.

2. Significant geomorphological and climatic effects.

3. Destructive effects.

4. Strange weather systems.

5. Creation of new landforms or modification of existing humid cycles.

6. Massive scale.

I think your answer here is a volcano. The closest I can come to a large-scale event that might account for this is the Santorini eruption that was responsible for the destruction of the Minoan civilisation and one of the origins of the Atlantis legend.

The Santorini eruption has a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) of 6. Krakatoa also had a six. Tambora was the only volcano to rate a seven, I believe. Very destructive, very explosive volcano. This is a result of the caldera collapse. Often with these caldera volcanoes, the central pipe collapses, blocking off the main flow of lava and gases. The pressure builds up and the entire mountain blows out. Think of the Mount St. Helens eruption. This was many times the force of that eruption. The entire side of the mountain bulged outward prior to the explosion.

Ash from the eruption was found all through the Eastern Mediterranean. Again, remember St. Helens? The ash clouds travelled hundred of kilometres and affected weather patterns around the world. The debris deposits near Santorini were estimated to be around 50m thick. Some researchers claim that climate change would have been dramatic, reaching into northern Europe.

As is typical of the magma/gas types of composite volcanoes, the eruption was explosive, sending up large lava bombs as well as the gases. This may account for some of your stars and celestial events in the myths.

Volcanoes also often create their own pressure systems, resulting in violent

thunderstorms. Perhaps Marduk's lightning bolts are simply a by-product of the eruption. The winds may also result.

Retell the myth from a strictly scientific point of view and you get:

Tiamat was a large volcano centred in a water body. Pressure began to build, possibly resulting in some small scale eruptions. The pressure got to critical levels. The side of the mountain began to bulge outward. The mountain blew, causing massive shifts in climatic patterns, severe storms, black rains and even fireballs. I don't see much evidence of nue ardente (toxic gas flows) such as the sort that killed the population of Martinique, but that may give you a cause of the death for Omoroca's creatures.

After the eruption, the heavens would be altered: colder weather, loss of crops, cloud and ash layers in the upper atmosphere, altered colours of sunsets and sunrises. This celestial alteration may be the basis of the heavenly creation myth, or we may simply be looking at the period after which the ash clouds settled and the stars revealed themselves again.

The landscape of a post-volcanic environment would be greatly altered from pre-volcanic landscapes, hence the creation of the earth and mountains point. In fact the Enuma Elish says that Marduk established new stations for the other gods. Volcanic (magmatic soils) can be very fertile and are often settled soon after the eruptions cease.

As I said earlier, Santorini's main explosion occurs after the creation of the Enuma Elish tablets, probably. Still, the Santorini volcano has a long history of eruptions and the various tellings of the creation myth seem to be cobbled together from a number of sources. It's well within the realm of possibility that the original story used a smaller scale eruption, possibly of Santorini, brought to Babylon and told in a local context. This could have been further fleshed out by later retellings post-Santorini.

Robert

- - - - -

Still in the infirmary, using a hospital table for a desk, Jack shuffled through Daniel's papers, putting aside the Santorini notes. The rest of it was pictures, geological surveys, observations and diagrams. All gibberish to him, but this was what Daniel had been reading when he collapsed. He sighed, pulling out a ten-page document on genetic memory and another booklet on Babylonian myths.

Perhaps the mysterious author of the Santorini document, one 'Robert Rothman', could help shed some light on this. Jack tapped a finger on the document thoughtfully. Jack made a mental note to read Daniel's email later.

"Sir?" Jack looked around and spied Carter standing in the doorway of the infirmary. He waved her in. She came up to him and cocked her head, reading the documents. "How is he?" She asked softly, looking at the too still figure of Daniel on the infirmary bed.

"No change since he collapsed. Janet says his brain activity is erratic. She has no idea what's causing it." Jack said, his tone clipped with frustration.

Carter took the hint. "Is this what Daniel was working on?"

Jack nodded and looked at the archaeologist, unconscious on the bed. Teal'c sat at Daniel's side, guarding his sleep. "Yeah." He handed the pile of documents to his second in command. "Tell me what you think." He'd called her after he started reading through Daniel's papers.

Carter took the papers and flipped through them. "You said that he mentioned something about genetic memory."

"Yeah."

"Does Daniel Jackson believe he is possessed by a Goa'uld?"

"No, Teal'c. Daniel thinks he's remembering a previous life." Carter answered the Jaffa. She frowned, considering her own words. "Well, actually, it sounds like he is remembering something in his family tree. Not his life, per se, but the life of one of his distant ancestors." She shook her head. Wormhole physics was an easier topic to wrap her mind around. This was a little out there.

"This is all because of that damn creature from the black lagoon and his mind-sucker."

"Sir, the ability to access one's own genetic memory is just speculation. There is very little scientific basis for any genetic memory in human beings."

"Well, Carter, if Shirley MacLaine can access past lives, who's to say it's not genetic memory? Besides, Daniel believes it, and right now it's the only lead we have."

Jack got up and walked over to the sleeping figure. His hand dropped to Daniel's forehead. "Come on, Daniel. What's going on in that over-developed brain of yours?"

- - - - -

The great vizier, Myomis, strode through the halls of the great palace of Oannes, named for the race of beings inhabiting its walls. They walked among the humans by day, and by night returned to the solitude of the great waters.

His eyes rose to the great mountain above the fortress. The crater of the great volcano smoked with ominous promise. Now and again, small tremors rumbled under his feet. The shaking was not strong enough to disturb his steps, rather like the passing of a large caravan. Still, the muttering of the great mountain was growing louder, her sleep more restless. Soon, very soon, they would have to abandon this fortress and find another.

He spied an ornate wall, covered in detailed frescoes and tile. His breath drew in, as it always did, at the marvellous work of art. It was a depiction of his mother in her aspect of the great and unknowable deep, the chaos of the wide sea. The dozen shades of blue graded into abstract patterns and swirls so intricate that it made one's eyes hurt to view it long. It filled him with a profound sense of purpose.

Today, though, he was too busy to gaze long upon the artwork. He had news of great import for his parents, words that they would be loath to hear. His siblings, the treacherous band, had formed alliances with their most ancient of enemies.

He strode into the hall and found Apsu, his father. The tall, blue skinned man called to him as he strode toward his son, speaking harshly through his misshapen mouth. "Come, my good son. Let us find your mother."

Together they entered deep within the mountain to find Omoroca in the place of her power, resplendent upon her throne. He bowed to his mother, she of raven hair and sapphire eyes. His own face was moulded in her image. He had the sturdy carriage of his father, but his mother's sharp eyes and fine features. Omoroca's beauty could outshine even that of the most pleasing human women. Myomis, like his mother, turned many heads.

They spoke for a brief time of Myomis's siblings, his brothers and sisters who passed their time among the humans of this world. Apsu spoke against them, in his harsh way. "They have been the cause of much strife. They have fallen to the ways of our enemy, the Goa'uld. We must destroy them, and regain a measure of peace."

Omoroca, the splendid queen, stood and paced her great hall. She tore at her rich clothing and cried to the heavens. She did not wish for her children to die, for with them would die all the promise of her blood. They had come to this land to save the people, and instead, her rash children had become all that she despised. Still, she could not let them simply be condemned. "We cannot destroy what we have created. They may be troublesome, but let us wait and hope." Omoroca pleaded with her husband and son.

Myomis shook his head. "Father, stay not your hand. Cast them down and you will again have peace by day, and rest by night."

Apsu leaned forward and placed his clawed hands on either side of his proud child's face. While Omoroca wept, they spoke at great lengths of dark and dire things.

None of the three beheld the slim figure of Ea as he watched, hidden in the shadows. Soon, the nephew of Myomis slipped into the gloom and ran to warn his errant family.

In the still of night, Ea returned. Vengeance weighed heavily upon his mind. He called to the water, bending it to his will. He cast down his grandfather, great Apsu. The mighty king was lost in the waves, and Ea rejoiced.

With one enemy vanquished, Ea strode with purpose to the chambers of his uncle, Myomis. Once there, he summoned his guards and had the traitorous man imprisoned deep within the walls of the fortress. Myomis cried out in anger and rage as the heavy chains closed about his wrists. He fought and cursed until despair dragged him to the ground and clutched him tight against her bony breast.

- - - - -