A Brief Conversation

Takes place during the episode "Full Circle" after Daniel visits Jack in the SGC elevator, but before he appears on Abydos.

Spoilers: Full Circle, random ascension stuff, and one line from The Pegasus Project.

"You speak from the heart, Doctor Jackson. That is what I remember most from your brief time among us."

-- Morgan La Fay in "The Pegasus Project

On the ascended planes --

"This has been explained to you before, Daniel. I thought you had come to understand."

Daniel Jackson, former human from the planet earth, listened to the woman he knew so little about. She was another ascended being and apparently a friend of Daniel's mentor, Oma Desala, but he had only met her once before. Daniel had met surprisingly few of the ascended during the past year. Oma had purposely kept him away from "the others" who condemned her for her work, but he had met some of them, including Morgan, the being he was speaking with now. He didn't know why she was here unless Oma had sent her, and if that was true it meant his little "visit" to the SGC earlier hadn't gone unnoticed.

The woman continued. "We cannot interfere because we do not have the right. We would be no better than the Goa'uld or the O... other such beings who seek to use humans for their own purposes. That is why, as ascended beings, we must not interfere with the lower planes."

Daniel winced at the slight stress on the word "lower," but said nothing. "I understand that, Morgan, believe me, I do. But there's another side to this. Anubis has to be stopped. Now I don't know how he managed to become so powerful...I mean, no one will tell me, but I have the feeling that you know." Daniel had always been a student of human nature, and although this woman was not actually human, he could still sense that his words made her feel uncomfortable. "Look, I know there's something else going on here and if you know what it is than you have an obligation to do something about it. By refusing to act, you are still interfering."

The woman at his side glanced down and sighed. Or at least she appeared to. After all, she wasn't actually a woman, but for Daniel it was still easier to picture ascended beings in human form. It helped to ground him and give him a framework for how he should interact with them. He could almost pretend that this conversation was just like any other, and that he was not actually arguing with a powerful incorporeal being about the nature of morality and the fate of his galaxy.

"Taking action to affect the lower planes is an act of selfishness and greed." Morgan said. She paused and turned to look Daniel in the eye, staring at him so intently that it made him nervous. "It is too easy for interference to turn into selfish manipulation and corruption. We have a responsibility to make sure that does not happen."

"But responsibility is exactly what this is about! I'm not talking about manipulating people for our own gain. I'm talking about taking responsibility for actions that have already been made. We cannot sit by and ignore what is going on because you all believe that it doesn't affect us. That is just as self-serving as outright manipulation." Daniel seemed to take a deep breath, although on some level he knew that oxygen was no longer necessary for him. He continued without loosing one iota of the passion and momentum he had been building. "You claim that the others are doing this because they think it is best for all involved, but despite all their talk about the 'moral high ground' they are willing to let a galaxy of people be slaughtered and enslaved because they do not want to risk making a mistake. Yes, interference may lead to corruption, but refusing to help because you are afraid to take responsibility for your actions is cowardice. You may be able to detach yourselves from what is going on down there, but I can't. I can't just ignore needless suffering. You talk about how dangerous it can be to 'unnaturally advance' a race beyond its current evolutionary and technological stage of development, but that is exactly what has happened. Anubis somehow gained access to power and technology that is beyond his own level of understanding and now he is going to use it to destroy countless lives. Now you explain to me how it can be morally justifiable to just sit back and allow that to happen."

Morgan said nothing. For a long while, there was stillness after Daniel's maelstrom of passionate words.

"I see why Oma brought you here Daniel. You speak from the heart. It is a rare gift. She wanted you to be one of her followers. She planned to pass on to you everything she knows and believes in, so that you could continue her mission. But I see that will never happen. You are not a follower Daniel, you are a seeker. I hope one day you will find what you seek. And when you do, I think it will force us all to change the way we believe."

Daniel was stunned by her words, reeling from the change in their conversation and confused by the sincerity in her voice.

"Oma and all of those who agree with her walk a very fine line in order to do what good they can without drastically changing human existence on the lower planes. You have learned how to walk that line yourself," Morgan pointed out gently.

Daniel closed his eyes and wondered if his life would ever be simple again. He almost wished that he could go back to how things were in the beginning, when he first ascended. He had been so taken in by the majesty of all this, the vastness of the knowledge, that he had never even considered how confining his existence had become. He had simply relished the process of exploring the limitless possibilities, the infinite knowledge... at least for a while.

He drew in another breath of imaginary air.

"I just wonder if the other ascended beings will have the courage to cross that line when it becomes necessary."

Abydos --

"I don't know what to tell you. I mean if Dr. Jackson were here..." Jonas began.

"Oh, he's here. He's definitely here," Jack said, turning around as if to pull Daniel out of his hiding place.

Jack was right. Daniel had been watching SG1 ever since he appeared to Jack in the SGC elevator. Even while he spoke to Morgan, some part of him was still watching his team and taking pride in their ability to do what needed to be done.

"Jack," Daniel spoke as he appeared behind his old friend. Interacting on a human plane still seemed odd to him because he wasn't actually, physically there. He could be in the pyramid with Jack, Sam, and Jonas, and yet still be aware of the battle going on outside, of Morgan's words echoing in his mind, of Anubis' ship in orbit and the many, many lives that were at stake. He was more aware than ever before of the vast ramifications for what would happen here today, and that awareness went beyond an abstract sense of what could happen. He knew, knew beyond a doubt how many people Anubis would murder, which planets he would destroy first, the names of each of his intended victims... The weight of the knowledge could be staggering.

Jack wanted him to help them. Daniel wished it was that simple. He knew it was entirely possible that Oma Desala or one of the others would stop him if he tried. Daniel was not even sure how far his own abilities extended, if he was even capable of offering the help Jack was asking for.

"Remember that fine line we were talking about?" Daniel asked.

Jack looked him straight in the eye. "Cross it." His voice was firm.

Daniel turned around, breaking eye contact. He let out a long sigh.

"Okay."

Daniel could sense Jack's surprise at his quick acquiescence, at the calm in his soft voice, but he found that he was perfectly at peace with this decision. It was a decision he could live with, or if necessary, die with. But he could not live with himself if he sat by and did nothing.

Morgan La Fay smiled as she watched Daniel Jackson. She could not exactly condone what he was about to do, but she could not deny him the chance to try. He did not even know the full extent of the Ancients' responsibility in the matter. Daniel Jackson did not know that the ascended beings were actually the Ancients who had started life in his galaxy. He did not know, although he would soon find out, that Anubis had gained his power through ascension and that the Ancients had failed to take action. They were responsible, and yet Daniel Jackson was the only one who would act. The matter was more complicated than he knew. He did not know about the Ori and the philosophical divisions among the Ancients themselves. Still, his actions would affect many things and she had a feeling that he was not done challenging the status quo among her kind.

She smiled. "We will meet again, Daniel Jackson. Of that I have no doubt."

The ascended being left the planet behind her, allowing the coming confrontation to unfold without her interference.