Title: Furlings + Ancients = Lightening
Bugs
Author: Wonderland
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em, wish I did, you know who does, yadda, yadda, yadda
Summary: Missing Scenes from ‘Prodigy’
Season/Spoiler info: Prodigy
“Okay,” Daniel leaned across the
briefing table. “They were…bugs?”
“Bugs that shot out beams of light,
Daniel!” Jack sounded exasperated.
“I’m just trying to understand. They
were bugs…with lights. Kind of like…I don’t know…lightning bugs?”
“They weren’t lightning bugs! The
killed that one guy, stung him to death of something!”
“So they were bees?” Daniel gave up on
Jack and looked to Sam.
“No, they weren’t bees. Exactly.” She
hedged, unclear of how to define them. “They didn’t really have any kind of a
physical form. At least, not that we could see.”
“And they killed Dr. Thompson
because…?”
“We think they killed him because he
caught some of them in a specimen jar.”
“So they probably felt threatened?”
Sam nodded. “I think so, yes.”
Daniel whipped his head toward the head
of the table. “General, you have to let me go there.”
“Dammit, Daniel, we barely got out of
there with our lives! I’m not going back and getting zapped all over again.
Besides, Teal’s shot me.” Jack offered as a non sequitur.
“You instructed me to do so, O’Neill. I
was merely complying with your orders.” Jack frowned at the look of serene
satisfaction on Teal’c’s face.
“Dr. Jackson, what possible benefit
could be derived from returning to the planet?” Hammond neatly sidestepped the
impending O’Neill snit.
“General, they recognized a threat to
their species and acted upon it. They’re capable of intelligent thought,
deductive process and reasoning.”
“Daniel.” Jack’s voice had a definite
edge.
“Jack, did you even try to communicate
with them?”
“How? They were bugs. I don’t speak
bug…bugs…whatever language it is, I don’t speak it.”
“Yet they recognized you as a threat to
their safety. That, in itself, was a form of communication.”
“Daniel,” Sam straightened up. “Are you
saying they were sentient beings?”
“I think it’s worth investigating.”
Daniel looked back at Hammond, gauging his reaction.
“And how, pray tell, are we supposed to
communicate? Buzzing? Morse code? Post it notes?”
“General,” Daniel chose to ignore
Jack’s seemingly permanent scowl.
“Dr. Jackson, until I am convinced that
returning can be accomplished without risking any more lives, I’m not inclined
to green light the mission. I’m sorry. Dismissed.”
*
The Elder Sereus sighed loudly as he
watched his companion change from human-like form to a glowing ball of light.
Over and over and over. “It fills me
with regret that I ever agreed to teach you that trick.” He squinted as the
ball of light danced between him and the sky. “Why does it seem we must always
await the Others?” He asked, not really expecting a reply. Glowing balls of
light seldom spoke.
The tree beside him shimmered slightly.
“Please forgive my tardiness.” Lya of the Nox smiled as she appeared from
within the shimmer.
“It matters not,” Sereus stood
graciously as she daintily picked her way across the forest floor to sit on the
log.
“Where is Knight Ormand?” She asked
Sereus as he sat beside her.
Sereus waved his hand. “He comes and
goes. I begin to wish he would go and
remain so.”
A blinding flash of light heralded the
arrival of Thor. “Greeting, Elder Sereus, Lya on the Nox. Knight Ormand, please
display yourself.”
The bouncing orb of light hesitated
lightly before expanding then disappearing with a ‘poof.’ The thin smoke wafted
away to reveal a human. Taller than any of his companions, Ormand was sturdily
built with flowing hair and beard. He bowed. “Thank you for the meeting. I have
heard a confession from some of our…younger members.”
It was Thor’s turn to sigh. “What
transgressions have they committed this time?”
“I fear it is more than a childish
trifling, Supreme Commander. It appears they have inadvertently slain a human.”
He hesitated. “From Earth.”
Lya’s mouth rounded in shock. “Oh, no!
You are certain of this?”
“I beg the pardon of the Races but I
fear it is so.”
“I told you they’d be trouble from the
start.” Sereus pronounced gloomily.
“You should have summoned the Asgard
immediately. You will remember the Protected Planets Treaty?” Thor said, gently
ignoring Elder Sereus.
“The incident did not occur on Earth
but on a planet where the Earths were exploring.”
“It wasn’t,” Lya hesitated. “it wasn’t
one of the Friends?”
“No, but three of them were present.
Colonel O’Neill, Major Carter and Teal’c arrived to assist the explorers and
were present at the time.”
“Knight Ormand, does this mean
the…youngsters were not on your home planet?”
“Skipped out on you, did they?” Sereus
laughed heartily.
“Supreme Commander, we believe they had
discovered how to use the Ring and…”
Thor looked disappointed. “And they
used it.”
“Yes, I believe that to be so.” Ormand
proceeded to explain the fateful incident.
“Perhaps if Dr. Jackson had been
present,” Lya theorized. “I have always found him to be receptive to the
learning of other cultures.”
“Yes,” Thor agreed. “Colonel O’Neill
can be a bit…impatient at times.”
“The youngsters did not intend to harm,
only to free their friends.” Ormand held up his hands. “What is to be done?”
“Your ‘youngsters’ must be taught how
to deal with those from Earth. Your inability to do so is why we have forbidden
you to show yourself to them in your true form. It is paramount that we
maintain an amiable relationship with them, but most especially
SG-1.”
“Knight Ormand, these children must be
taught that life – all life – has value.” Lya chided.
“Lya is correct.” Thor agreed. “Those
guilty will abide on the Nox home world until such time as the Nox are
satisfied that they have been adequately educated and are genuinely repentant
for their actions.” Thor turned slightly. “Lya of the Nox, I leave them to the
capable hands of the Nox. I trust in the abilities of yourself and your clan.”
Lya inclined her head. “We will happily
take the children and instruct them.”
Thor waited patiently while
arrangements were made and Lya departed to the Nox home world to prepare for
the students; Elder Sereus left with a sniff muttering, something about
children under his breath.
“Supreme Commander, I thank you for
your patience and understanding in this manner. What will you tell the Earths?”
Thor cocked his head. “You are certain
the Tau’ri are unaware of the true identity of their attackers?”
“I do believe so.” He replied a bit
anxiously.
“We will tell them nothing, then. It
benefits no one at this point and hopefully, the Furlings have learned a
lesson. You still may not display yourselves to the Friends in any manner or
form until we have deemed it to be safe for all concerned.”
Ormand seemed relieved as he hastily
turned into a ball of light and sped away.
Thor gave himself a moment to collect
his thoughts before beaming back to his ship.
Before retiring, he recorded the
following entry in his journal:
Now I recall why our race decided to
reproduce by cloning.