The Rise of Iconia

Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Sarah had sat through the millennia, keeping an eye out for her people. She hadn't been alone, however. The First, Commander, Merlin, Jack and Samantha O'Neill, Jack Carter, Eric Marten, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, and Janus had spent the intervening three hundred thousand years on board the remains of the Dyson Sphere as she rebuilt it. But they weren't the only ones present. In her own memory banks, were three more people. Eli Wallace had allowed himself to be transferred to the sphere from the Altair shipyard's computers. In him were copies of Gin and Amanda Perry, both of which Eli released from his own memory, to live as individual entities in Sarah's computer core.

When the Q had been able to again travel through time and space with their wills, she had watched, amused as Teal'c went back in time. He had become one of the four most powerful Q in existence, along with the First, Merlin, and Jade O'Neill. Consequently, when he found that he could again bend time and space to his will, he left for a few moments. Right before his return, Sarah observed an aquarium flash into being in his quarters. Then, water and some fish flashed into the tank, followed by what appeared to be a finned eel.

Teal'c flashed into the room soon after and began talking to the eel. After a couple of hours, there was a knock on the door, and the Jaffa admitted Jack O'Neill into the room. Jack observed Teal'c, apparently feeding some goldfish in a large aquarium. Then he noticed a dark form, swimming in the depths of the tank.

"What's that?" O'Neill asked.

"It is my new pet, O'Neill."

"That's a Goa'uld, Teal'c!"

"Precisely, O'Neill. It is, in fact Apophis. I returned to the last moments of his life and brought him to the present with me. I used my powers to heal the symbiote's body right before it would have died. He will live for quite some time now, but he will never be in a host body again."

Jack thought about the poetic justice of the situation, and finally nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me, Teal'c," he said as he looked at the creature. It stuck it's head out of the aquarium, and Jack was afraid it would try to jump into him, but it seemed unable to. It contented itself with hissing at him, however. Jack knew that the "would-be" god recognized him, and the knowledge made him happy.

A moment later, there came another knock on the door and Teal'c admitted the First.

"What are you doing with the Goa'uld, Teal'c," he asked.

Teal'c drew himself up and said, "Apophis was never tried or convicted for his crimes against the Terrans or Jaffa."

"I understand, Teal'c, but we cannot arbitrarily punish one such as him without a trial."

"That is true, First," Teal'c said, inclining his head. "However, those of us who are here and would give him a trial would most certainly convict him, probably to death. This way, he does not die, nor does he lose the slim hope he has of one day being free again, however unlikely that may be. He is enduring no physical discomfort at all. I am making sure that he has everything a free-swimming Goa'uld will need. In fact, the only thing he is lacking, is a host."

The First thought about the situation, and found that he could not argue with the logic of Teal'c. Finally, he raised an eyebrow and nodded. "You are, of course, correct, Teal'c. I leave Apophis in your capable hands," and he left the room.

"Yes!" O'Neill exclaimed as the First left the room. Jack gazed at the Goa'uld for a long moment, then he addressed it. "It's very nice to see that you are getting what's owed to you. I can't think of anyone more appropriate to take care of you."