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figs_sg1_recRec Category: Daniel Jackson
Pairing: none, but vivid memory of Daniel/Sha're
Category: Daniel Jackson, gen, team, drama, friendship, character study
Warnings: some language, reference to Jack being tortured in Iraq
Author on LJ: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
troyswann
Author's Website: Outside the Box
Link to Story: The Taste of Honey, The Hum of Bees
Why This Must Be Read: I'm going to sidle past S6, even though there are some superb fics out there based on Abyss and Full Circle (although, sadly, I've never seen any based on Changeling - and if someone knows of one, please let me know!). On to Season 7, and Daniel's back with us! Yay!
The Taste of Honey, the Hum of Bees is a beautifully lyrical story, set just after Daniel's return. The team is still carefully feeling out the differences between pre-ascended and post-ascended Daniel. When they gate to a planet and a fascinating place that seems a little too perfect, they're not quite sure how to react. Is it dangerous, or their good fortune? Are the things they're feeling and seeing simply safe, harmless fun, or are they at risk? Told from Sam's POV (how lovely!) with deft characterization, this story should be read carefully and leisurely to properly appreciate it.
There's the enchantment of re-enacting Peter Pan, and the boys' efforts to take Sam along for the ride. There's the mirror room, and Daniel's pleasure in sharing, and Teal'c with all his serenity, and Jack's harsh determination to remain wholly himself. There's music, and otherworldly effects, and the four of them struggling together to truly understand.
Teamy goodness with an emphasis on Daniel, all wrapped up in truly elegant prose. Read this one and savor.
Sam folded her arms and addressed her team. "Okay, who among you has ever flown — without an aircraft — before we found this room?"
Daniel put his hand up.
Sam amended, "Who among you has ever flown without an aircraft and while not Ascended?"
Daniel put his hand down.
"That's what I thought." Take that, smug bastards. "And have any of you been able to fly beyond this room? Or outside?"
"Ooh, outside would be bad," the colonel scowled. "What if you just. . ." he pointed skyward, "kept going?" Sam's face was appropriately benign and patient, but there was a tightness around her mouth that reminded him to be thankful for the chain of command. "No ma'am," he mumbled. Daniel smirked.
"Alright, then it stands to reason that, if we can only fly in this room--"
"We?" O'Neill mouthed silently.
"If you can only fly in this room, then there must be something in this room that's enabling you to fly."
"Like what?" Daniel asked.
"Any number of things would do it. Inertial-dampening or anti-grav technology like the gliders use, gyroscopic or magnetic fields, force fields. . . ." The colonel was wearing that exaggeratedly attentive expression that meant he was no longer listening. "And since you're able to fly at will--" Daniel started to float upwards and Teal'c hooked a thumb through his belt loop and pulled him down. "--more or less, there must be some kind of neural interface. You should probably limit your exposure until we determine what the side effects of this might be."
"You mean like fun?" the colonel offered helpfully.
"Yes. Euphoria could be the result of an imbalance in your brain chemistry."
"Or," he corrected, "it could be the result of fun."
"Sir, I don't want to be the one to rain on your parade, but it's a question of safety. And I don't have to tell you how important a technology like this could be for us."
His face becoming serious, he nodded. "Alright," he relented. "What do you want us to do?"
"Well, you could help me look for some clue as to how this works."
"Right. Teal'c." With a jerk of his head, he bent his knees a little and took off, heading for the far side of the room, the Jaffa in tow. "We'll start with the perimeter, up here."
Sam couldn't help thinking she'd been played, but the colonel and Teal'c did seem to be willing to do some searching, as long as they could do it flying. She didn't even bother to point out that it was unlikely that the On/Off switch would be up near the ceiling, unless the Builders were so tall that they could reach it from the floor.
As she was returning to her inspection of the floor stones, Daniel crouched down beside her.
"Y'know," he suggested tentatively, "Jack may be right."
Sitting back on her heels, she looked accusingly at him. "So, what? I'm supposed to lighten up?"
He raised his finger to his lips. "No. No, that's not it." He blinked. "Exactly." With an exasperated sigh, she continued to feel along the floor, but he touched her shoulder and she sat back again. "You said it yourself. There must be some kind of neural interface. So that means. . . ."
"It means that there's something different about me, my brain chemistry or something. Yeah, I thought of that."
"Jolinar."
"Of course Jolinar. The protein marker, maybe even the residual memories." There was the barest trace of bitterness in her voice. Sighing again, she watched O'Neill and Teal'c moving methodically along the wall about fifteen feet up, feeling the smooth stones with their outstretched hands.
Daniel put his hand up.
Sam amended, "Who among you has ever flown without an aircraft and while not Ascended?"
Daniel put his hand down.
"That's what I thought." Take that, smug bastards. "And have any of you been able to fly beyond this room? Or outside?"
"Ooh, outside would be bad," the colonel scowled. "What if you just. . ." he pointed skyward, "kept going?" Sam's face was appropriately benign and patient, but there was a tightness around her mouth that reminded him to be thankful for the chain of command. "No ma'am," he mumbled. Daniel smirked.
"Alright, then it stands to reason that, if we can only fly in this room--"
"We?" O'Neill mouthed silently.
"If you can only fly in this room, then there must be something in this room that's enabling you to fly."
"Like what?" Daniel asked.
"Any number of things would do it. Inertial-dampening or anti-grav technology like the gliders use, gyroscopic or magnetic fields, force fields. . . ." The colonel was wearing that exaggeratedly attentive expression that meant he was no longer listening. "And since you're able to fly at will--" Daniel started to float upwards and Teal'c hooked a thumb through his belt loop and pulled him down. "--more or less, there must be some kind of neural interface. You should probably limit your exposure until we determine what the side effects of this might be."
"You mean like fun?" the colonel offered helpfully.
"Yes. Euphoria could be the result of an imbalance in your brain chemistry."
"Or," he corrected, "it could be the result of fun."
"Sir, I don't want to be the one to rain on your parade, but it's a question of safety. And I don't have to tell you how important a technology like this could be for us."
His face becoming serious, he nodded. "Alright," he relented. "What do you want us to do?"
"Well, you could help me look for some clue as to how this works."
"Right. Teal'c." With a jerk of his head, he bent his knees a little and took off, heading for the far side of the room, the Jaffa in tow. "We'll start with the perimeter, up here."
Sam couldn't help thinking she'd been played, but the colonel and Teal'c did seem to be willing to do some searching, as long as they could do it flying. She didn't even bother to point out that it was unlikely that the On/Off switch would be up near the ceiling, unless the Builders were so tall that they could reach it from the floor.
As she was returning to her inspection of the floor stones, Daniel crouched down beside her.
"Y'know," he suggested tentatively, "Jack may be right."
Sitting back on her heels, she looked accusingly at him. "So, what? I'm supposed to lighten up?"
He raised his finger to his lips. "No. No, that's not it." He blinked. "Exactly." With an exasperated sigh, she continued to feel along the floor, but he touched her shoulder and she sat back again. "You said it yourself. There must be some kind of neural interface. So that means. . . ."
"It means that there's something different about me, my brain chemistry or something. Yeah, I thought of that."
"Jolinar."
"Of course Jolinar. The protein marker, maybe even the residual memories." There was the barest trace of bitterness in her voice. Sighing again, she watched O'Neill and Teal'c moving methodically along the wall about fifteen feet up, feeling the smooth stones with their outstretched hands.
