A Dream Given Form

Chapter One

Become the Dreamer, open your eyes

Become the Keeper, free your mind

Become the Builder, destroy the bridge

Become the Sleeper – Awaken!

----

Daniel Jackson took off his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. As he did so, he became aware that the talk around the meeting table had died down.

"Are you okay, Doctor Jackson?" asked General Hammond.

"Uh, yeah," replied Daniel. "Just tired, I guess. I've been having these odd dreams lately and haven't been getting much sleep."

"Do you need to be excused?"

"No, no," said Daniel, suppressing a wince of pain. "I'll be fine, really."

Hammond regarded Daniel for a moment longer, then turned back to Major Samantha Carter, who was standing beside a large screen that cycled slowly through some grainy aerial intelligence photos. "Major, please continue."

"Thank you, sir," said Sam, casting a concerned glance at Daniel before turning back to the screen. "As you can see from these UAV images, the defences around the installation are slight at best. I don't think they're expecting an attack."

"It is most likely a trap," said Teal'c.

"Of course it's a trap!" said Colonel Jack O'Neill. "Like the Goa'uld are just gonna leave a big, honkin' weapons cache like that unguarded."

"With respect, sir, I disagree," said Sam, turning back to the screen behind her. "These next pictures were taken only two hours ago and you can clearly see – "

She broke off as Daniel gave a cry of pain and fell from his chair, clutching his head.

Hammond leapt to his feet. "Get a medical team to take him to the infirmary, now!"

Jack and Teal'c held Daniel's shoulders as he writhed on the floor until Doctor Janet Fraiser and her medical team arrived.

"Become the Sleeper," muttered Daniel as he was lifted onto a medical gurney. "Destroy... bridge..."

----

Daniel awoke in the infirmary, a nurse leaning over him.

"Doctor Fraiser," the nurse called out. "He's conscious."

Janet Fraiser moved quickly to his bedside. "How are you feeling, Daniel?"

"Fine," said Daniel, with a confused frown. "I don't know what you did, but I feel... fine."

"I didn't do a thing, I'm afraid," said Janet. "There was nothing we could do, except administer a sedative and wait for the seizure to pass. We ran a CAT scan while you were unconscious and found no anomalous readings. Everything looks as though you're in perfect health. Well, sudden seizures aside."

Daniel laughed. "So, you're saying there's nothing wrong with me, except for whatever's wrong with me?"

Janet smiled warmly. "Hey, you don't like the bedside manner? Find another doctor."

Daniel swung his legs over the side of the bed. "No," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "No need for a second opinion."

"Does he at least get a lollipop for being good?" said a voice from the doorway.

"Jack, hi," said Daniel. "I was just coming to see you."

"Feeling better, are we?"

"Much, thank you. That's not why I wanted to speak to you, though."