Past Memories – Chapter 1

Jacob lay flat on the ground as he silently observed the Goa’uld proceedings in the canyon below. The Tok’ra equivalent of Earth’s night vision goggles gave him a good view of what was going on. As he lay there, he grumbled to Selmac about the mission.

<Oh, hush, Jacob.> Selmac admonished. <This is a relatively simple mission that the High Council sent us on.>

(Exactly, Sel, this is a cakewalk. Why send us to do it and not someone else? I mean, it hardly requires any effort.) Jacob countered, scowling into the goggles as he continued to survey and take note of the layout of a new system lord’s base camp.

<You’re just upset that the High Council postponed your visit to see Samantha.> Selmac replied teasingly.

(Of course I am! I haven’t seen Sammie in how long? I miss my kid; I can’t help it, can I?)

<I miss Samantha too. But…what is this? Jacob, what is this ‘beer’ you have a longing for?> Selmac accused lightly, mentally dangling a picture of a Molson Canadian beer bottle in his mind.

Jacob flushed lightly and decided to concentrate on the mission. (The sooner we get out of here, the better.)

<Yes…you mean the sooner that you can get to that lean steak smothered in ‘hot sauce’ you’ve been craving.> Selmac pointed out dryly.

(Where’s Martouf when you need him?) Jacob asked quietly.

Selmac responded. <I believe he is at the Tel’tak waiting for you to report in…where you left him.>

Jacob slowly crawled backwards through the brush before making a move to stand up, certain that he hadn’t made any noise. (Smart aleck.)

Jacob allowed a smile at the banter he and his symbiote were having. Times like this he was happy to have such company. As he made his way back to the Tel’tak, his mind wandered to the steak and beer Selmac had mentioned among other things. He missed his kids and wondered how and what they were doing. Sam was most likely at the SGC or on some mission; just like him and Mark was probably doing his routine day of going to work, going home and spending time with his family. Jacob missed his grandkids and briefly wondered when and if Sam was going to give him any more grandchildren.

(Let’s face it, not to sound darkly pessimistic-) He started.

<No, that’s my job.> Selmac responded.

(Cute, Sel, very cute. But the way Sammie’s life is I can imagine how hard it is to have a personal life. I mean, it’s incredibly hard to maintain a life outside the SGC when your entire life has been deemed classified for the past three years or so. What would you talk about? And I doubt she’s willing to get involved with anyone at the SGC after that whole Jonas episode.) Jacob grumbled, trying his hardest not to stomp through the high weeds that were indigenous to the planet.

<Not even Colonel O’Neill? We’ve both noticed how he looks at her.> Selmac asked.

(Don’t go there, Sel, just don’t.) Jacob suppressed a shudder. While Jacob thought Jack was a good man, there was just a bit too much emotional baggage that he carried around with him. Great guy for a friend, bad husband prospect.

Selmac, with a hint of mischief, voiced a solution to Sam’s problem. <What about Martouf? It is quite obvious that he has feelings toward her.>

Jacob snorted soundlessly as he entered through a forest in which the Tel’tak was situated and cloaked on the other side. He brushed ferns aside that were hanging from the trees. (Obviously, if anything he was even more disappointed than I was when the High Council informed us of our postponed trip to Earth. He looked so…so…)

<Sad?> as Jacob agreed with her, Selmac continued, <He is always asking how Samantha is and when we are going to visit her next, all subtly of course. I think it is adorable.>

(You would.) Jacob retorted, swapping irritably at the surrounding plants. (Remind me to recommend bringing a weed-whacker next time the Tok’ra come here.) Jacob made a move to swipe at a red-looking plant thingy directly in front of him.

<Jacob! No!> Selmac warning came too late as Jacob’s hand came in contact with the red plant that turned out to be a carnivorous species of plant. The plant viciously drove three claws on the underside of its vines into Jacob’s side, puncturing the skin and drawing blood.

Jacob cried out in pain and sunk to his knees, already well on his way to losing consciousness. His eyes flashed as Selmac took control and with a great yank, pulled the blood-sucking vine out of his skin. Selmac managed to propel Jacob’s body far enough from the plant’s reach. Quickly, Selmac assessed the damage and then fumbled into Jacob’s tunic to grab the Tok’ra communicator.

“Martouf!” Selmac’s voice boomed, beginning to feel lethargic.

“Selmac, what is it?” Martouf’s calm voice responded.

“Jacob and I have been infected by a Hakcor plant. The wound is very deep. I will require assistance in returning to the Tel’tak and you will need to retrieve a vine from the plant in order to create a treatment to counteract the plant’s poison. Hurry!” As Selmac ended the message, she lost all consciousness and joined her host Jacob in oblivion.