The Birth of Iconia

Chapter 9

"Dr. Carter, I can tell you what you will find in your scans," the aged wizard told her.

She grimaced as she replied, "If you don't mind, I'll see for myself."

He nodded, then reached down to smooth out his robes. He stopped and eyed them for a couple of moments, then looked up at Henry. "Would you mind terribly if I changed into something a bit less…. out of date?"

"No, not at all. Do you have any….." He stopped as he realized that the robes Merlin was wearing were shortening, and changing color. They became a tan tunic with matching pants. His long hair shortened as well as his whiskers, until he was actually bald on top with just a ring of graying hair and clean shaven. He looked for all the world not as an old wizard, but a man of probably around fifty.

"Much better," Merlin said with satisfaction. Even the timbre of his voice had changed. When he spoke again, his voice sounded much more formal and resonant, like that of someone accustomed to being listened to. "I'm sure you will be more comfortable with me looking like this as well."

"Ok…" Henry said as if he wasn't sure how to merge this into his scientific view of the universe, which indeed, he wasn't. "Would you like to explain your statements regarding young Jade here?"

"I would be happy to, Dr. Deacon, but first, I'll tell you what Dr. Carter is going to find, because this all will fit in together." At Henry's nod, Merlin began. "Jade is, in fact, the daughter of the O'Neills." He looked to Samantha, "When you found the videotape recorded by an alternate version of yourselves five thousand years ago, did you ever wonder what their lives were like so far out of their own time? That O'Neill and Samantha Carter found themselves in love and married in ancient Egypt just like you have done here, and they had a daughter. She was, and is, Jade. Dr. Carter's tests will confirm that."

"And more," Allison said from the door to Henry's office.

"Your computers are fast, Dr. Carter. I commend you for the speed at which you've run your tests," Merlin nodded.

"Thank you, Merlin. Now would you mind explaining how I find your DNA showing that you are related to both Sam O'Neill and my husband?"

"Certainly, Dr. Carter. The simplest way of explaining that is to tell you that I am related to all four of Jacob Carter's children."

Allison shook her head. "No, sir. You don't get off that easy. That's not the simplest way of explaining things at all, as it tells nothing more than my DNA test does."

"Alright, Dr. Carter. I will tell you the story, as much as I can." When Allison began to protest, Merlin held up a hand and said, "I assure you that, in time, you will know the whole story, but what I am about to tell you is all that I can reveal right now."

"The timeline goes through many twists and turns, drawing certain people together, and pushing others apart. Even in alternative timelines, you have seen that the four people known as SG1 were drawn together, whether in the Stargate program or not. When an alternative SG1 went into the past, five thousand years into the past, they were still drawn together.

"Samantha and Jack O'Neill got together then as well." As Merlin spoke, he shifted to look at Sam and her brother. "You two are related to me, as are your brother and sister. My daughter married Jacob Carter and had four children. You two and your siblings. Therefore, Jade is my great-granddaughter."

"Assuming that's true, why wouldn't Mom have said something about you?" Sam wanted to know.

"Yeah!" her brother exclaimed. "You'd think, 'Your grandfather is Merlin, the wizard of legend' would be something she would have said."