Episode Four - The Cult of Lillith

[Jason Conway]

1132
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

The Generals, both Landry and Conway, had been watching the exchange between the new members of SM-1 with interest, they had both thought long and hard about who to put on the team and were both proud to see it come to fruition. Daniel Jackson, who had been watching the Jaffa with admiration, wished (not for the first time) that they had a Stargate Command A to Z of mythological monsters and creatures as standard issue they could refer to. Leaning back in his chair he replied to the room in general,
"Actually, I believe you might be on to something there err, Major Eastlyn is it? Succubi or Incubi would be a good way of putting what we're dealing with." He let this sink in, it seemed nothing was too unusual for Stargate Command, "The fire in Payton's apartment masked the actual cause of death," Daniel placed a hand on the briefing file, referring to it's contents, "but it couldn't hide the residual traces of the Wraith feeding Enzyme." The room fell deathly silent for a brief moment. That was the confirmation everyone was hoping to avoid. He'd taken on board Chicago's comments about some cultures worshiping the Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy, this hadn't yet occurred to Daniel but made perfect sense.

James Coolidge might not have been everyone's favorite person but the guy had lost a member of his family, and that entitled him to some consideration. In Daniel's opinion, nobody should have to die at the hands of a Wraith, it was among the worst ways he could think up. Landry took over,
"It gets worse. Last night, one of our technicians, Logan Cabal, came home to find his wife had been murdered. He recognized signs of a Wraith attack and called for an SGC response team, but the smoke alarm had already activated and neighbors had called 911". Turning a page in the file he pointed out a photograph from a newspaper showing the house cordoned off by local police, "These killings are hardly typical, and they've attracted some attention. The FBI are investigating Jamie Cabal's death as a bizarre ritual sacrifice. They've informed me of two further incidents in Colorado Springs within the last month." Across the table, Zachary Evans looked concerned and addressed the General, "By elsewhere do we mean localized elsewhere or do we mean multiple states elsewhere?"
 Jackson nodded, acknowledging his cue to fill in the blanks,
"The first reported case was in L.A. in late 2001. Similar cases have since been reported by Interpol, Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police. Unfortunately, because the fire is a central part of the Modus Operandi, we have no way of determining the true number of victims. As far as we know... This is worldwide." Which meant they were probably dealing with more than one Wraith like creature, this day just kept getting better. In spite of what television led people to believe, a full autopsy was not standard procedure, even for the SGC, which left the real number of casualties undefined.

"If Payton's tape is anything to go by, the victims may not always have been killed immediately. For all we know, some might have had multiple encounters before the final act." said Jackson, looking toward Chicago and implicating her comments about the Wraith worshipers. A spasm of guilt crossed Coolidge's face, and he broke the momentary silence,
"Mark suffered nightmares on and off throughout his life... When we were young, I used to tease him because he described this recurring nightmare. A woman, coming to him in the night... Straddling his chest, touching him..." His eyes strayed back to the dark television screen. Jackson jumped in,
"It's a common enough dream, more so among pubescent boys, for obvious reasons," he bluffed, trying to reassure the clearly distressed man, "You can't blame yourself for not recognizing it as something more significant." Jackson leafed through the classified file, locating a specific page, "page seven. This symbol has been a common factor at all of the known crime scenes so far." The photo showed one large aqua ring inside another, pierced by an elongated triangle. The spray painting on the wall was simple enough, but the collective assembled at the briefing table could tell what it was meant to be, "the FBI are going with the theory of it being the emblem of a cult that kills with an as-yet unidentified toxin. No prizes for guessing what that symbol is really meant to be..." he trialed off, letting SM-1 fill in the final blank. They almost had to remind themselves they were still on Earth, this was just about as serious as General Landry had described.

"As Ahrima suggested, the Stargate Program needs to assess and eliminate this threat. We can't rely on law enforcement." That last statement surprisingly came from James Coolidge. Whether it was due to Payton's murder or his recent ordeal with Ronan Dex and Teal'c, the IOA's lackey seemed to have grown a backbone, and the beginnings of some common sense. His gazed passed over Chicago, then Evans, then over to Ahrima, Zach and Maggie, then finally rested on Pandora. "Daniel Jackson has brought you all here because you are better qualified than anybody on this planet to deal with the Wraith. I suggest you get out there and find out what you can, as quickly as you can." Jackson hid a brief smile while all eyes were on Coolidge, 
"As of this morning Doctor Lam is working on a number of theories around the killings. We're trying to avoid the worst," the team were all to aware that the worst case scenario would be the Wraith, on Earth, "It could simply be a genetic disorder or we could be facing a hoax cult with leaked Stargate Program information. Whatever it is, these are formulated killings by a number of individuals drawn together by whatever purpose they have..."

<Tag Pandora Banks to drop da bombshell on us!>

_____________________________

[Maggie Lefebvre]

1140
Briefing Room
SGC

Maggie was dead serious about her position. Then people started explaining.

No, mademoiselle we're not facing a vampress, we're facing a succubus,".."They're not the same creature. A vampire could possibly create more of itself by feeding, where as a succubus would devour a man's soul..... Well.... 'in the moment' shall we say. She raised an eyebrow. Some men had said that about HER over the years...

Then, the CO spoke up.

Lieutenant, your assignment to SM-1 is an order, not a choice. However, if you feel the need to leave this room right now, I'd be more than happy to have yourself and the contents of your locker stuffed into a tiny 2x2 room and shipped back to France quicker than you can say au revoir."..."But if you'd prefer to stick around and avoid any kind of fall out back home for going back on the deal y'all made, have an adventure or two with the occasional thrilling heroics thrown in here with us, you'd best be taking your patch back. Maggie paused. She thought for a moment about her hand here. On the one hand, this could be her way out of it. On the OTHER, she would go back to Lyon and be stripped of her title, and forced to resign from the Navy...and there wasn't a lot of other options for a washed-up 32 year old pilot with no other skills. She supposed she could just marry Mike, but the thought of giving up other guys was unappealing, so she sighed deeply, and retrived her badge, crossing her arms firmly over her chest to display her unhappiness. Fine. She would go be a VAMPIRE HUNTER, then. And then she'd make Mike pay for this...oh, yes she would. She turned her focus to the suits again, and heard that this was an ongoing thing. Of course the Americans would wait this long to solve a problem.

Tag:@all....

(Sorry so short. Maggie is pouty now. She rather tends to be like a child, doesn't she?)

[Pandora Banks]

1141
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

Pandora had been leafing through the briefing file in front of her, listening to the theories and the latest news bouncing back and forth across the room. This was beyond what she had ever imagined when she had been approached to lend her scientific skill toward the expedition. To her it was like a high pitched whining, growing louder and louder. Now they were talking about one of the workers at Stargate Command finding out his wife had been murdered. Louder and louder it grew. There had been a similar case in 2001, nine years there have been similar incidents! That means there could have been wraith like beings on Earth for nine years, since before she even knew aliens existed. Louder. Multiple encounters before the final killing was the next comment, in your sleep? What if SHE was being visited. What if one of these incubi would decide tonight was the night after years of harvesting her. LOUDER. The crime scene, some sort of Stargate like symbol crudely drawn on the wall. LOUDER. Then suddenly the whining in her ears stopped. She'd spotted something buried among a print out of lab results that would seem like absolute gibberish to your average soldier.

The light bulb turned on. She muttered to herself, scanning down a long column of numbers that seemed familiar to her. She had been going through Carson Beckett's work since arriving back on Earth, it had taken her interest like a magpie to a bracelet so it had made for some 'light' bedtime reading. She glanced up and then back to the files. Then she realized. Pandora glanced up again. Everyone had stopped and was looking at her.
"What do you mean Wraith Enzyme but not DNA strand?" General Conway asked. Oh, she must have spoken her thought process out loud again. Time to explain herself, "Well I umm... I've been reading up on Carson Beckett's research on the Wraith. I recognize these results, there is no doubt the feeding enzyme is here but these aren't precisely Wraith readings. I think the terms incubi and succubi are quite appropriate." She scanned her finger further down the page quickly, confirming what she had suspected. This was a print out of the lab results from the corpse that had been fed upon, it seemed there were traces of the DNA from the 'creature' that had attacked this unfortunate sole. Right Pandora, time to shine. She took a deep breath and straightened her back, addressing the room,
"You see, the human DNA is chocked full of a lot stuff that we would consider to be 'junk' DNA. Carson was working on the theory that some of this could be endogenous retroviruses, inactive viral DNA that might explain certain genetic conditions that we've yet to find answers for." She noticed Evans giving her a quizzical look and surprised a sigh, "Endogenous means that the DNA inserted itself or perhaps was deliberately inserted into that person's genetic code for whatever reason. Much like Michael and his Wraith hybrids in the Pegasus Galaxy only, not as crude and, by the look of it, having been within our DNA for a long, long time." She hoped this make sense as she sunk back into the comfy leather chair, Pandora certainly wasn't up for answering questions. She didn't even consider what she had just told the room but their faces began to tell the story. Any one of the individuals sat at the table could have traces of this very DNA in their genetic code, succubi DNA.

<Tag SM-1>

[Ahrima]

1142
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

"Hang on there, Mork. Let me make sure I understand. You mean that a Vampiric alien being is killing men? And *I* am part of a team expected to go kill the vampires?!"

Ahrima stared at the French soldier and cocked her head to the side. "I am not certain that I understand you," Ahrima confessed. "It is likely your accent, but what is a Mork?" Ahrima looked from Maggie and then to the others. "However, the rest of your conclusions seem to be an accurate interpretation of recent events and expectations."

"Unless you've got Hellboy hiding in the wings, I am afraid you've got the wrong Frenchwoman. I hear that girl from Amelie is quite gullible, though..."

"Hellboy?" Ahrima repeated. This was actually something she was familiar with. It was the main protagonist from the last Tau'ri cinematic feature night back on Meropis. "I regret to inform you that Hellboy is only a fictional being. He does not truly exist and would be of little use to us in this mission," she said to Maggie.

"No, mademoiselle we're not facing a vampress, we're facing a succubus," Zachary stated. "They're not the same creature. A vampire could possibly create more of itself by feeding, where as a succubus would devour a man's soul..... Well.... 'in the moment' shall we say."

"In the moment... you refer to climatic peak during copulation," Ahrima interpreted. "If you are afraid of words then you are not much of an educator either."

"By elsewhere do we mean localized elsewhere or do we mean multiple states elsewhere?"

It was then that Major Eastlyn spoke up, first addressing Maggie. "Lieutenant, your assignment to SM-1 is an order, not a choice. However, if you feel the need to leave this room right now, I'd be more than happy to have yourself and the contents of your locker stuffed into a tiny 2x2 room and shipped back to France quicker than you can say au revoir. But if you'd prefer to stick around and avoid any kind of fall out back home for going back on the deal y'all made, have an adventure or two with the occasional thrilling heroics thrown in here with us, you'd best be taking your patch back."

Ahrima said nothing, but she had a great deal of respect for the Major stepping up and speaking. It was an ultimatum of sorts, but one that defined the parameters by which she would command this unit. She did not want anyone there that was not fully committed. If Major Eastlyn didn't have it before, she certainly had Ahrima's respect now. She then went on to address Zachary Acker. "Not everybody needs to be a warrior, Acker. Not to pressure you of course, but...you're our 'him'. You're a huge asset to the Expedition, Zachary. Don't doubt your place on the team, just embrace it. You'll do great. We have faith in you."

With this, Ahrima wasn't sure that she agreed. Zachary Acker was not Daniel Jackson. The exploits of Daniel Jackson were known among many Jaffa. She didn't see how Zachary Acker could compare to such a man. Yet, the Goa'uld had made the mistake of underestimating the Tau'ri. Ahrima decided to refrain from judgement for the time being.

The talking continued around the table. Major Eastlyn brought up a valuable point that the succubi that had been identified likely had male counterparts. It wasn't a legend that Ahrima was familiar with, but it made sense that such a predator would ultimately have to reproduce and wasn't solely one gender. They went on to speak of multiple attacks seemingly all over their world from what she could gather. And it also appeared to be happening for quite some time. Though, now it seemed that it was finally coming to light. Which meant these beings had always been on the Tau'ri homeworld... a common predator. However, now their need to feed and ultimately killing their prey had been identified. To Ahrima, that meant they would either flee and attempt to evade, or they would attack like a cornered beast only wanting to survive.

"As Ahrima suggested, the Stargate Program needs to assess and eliminate this threat. We can't rely on law enforcement. Daniel Jackson has brought you all here because you are better qualified than anybody on this planet to deal with the Wraith. I suggest you get out there and find out what you can, as quickly as you can," said Coolidge. Doctor Jackson followed with some mention of findings that their own doctors had and speak of theories. While it was likely fascinating, Ahrima saw little value in it for what their mission was. The Tau'ri sounded as if they wanted to study these predators, but Ahrima was of the mind that they simply needed to be eliminated.

"If their termination is the sole goal, then I would ask what resources do we have at our disposal?" she asked. "Is there a mean to track this genetic anomaly that you mention? Or either a recent sighting? To me it appears that these predators are habitual. They find a food source and stay with it until it has outlived its usefulness. Simply put... we need bait." Her eyes briefly drifted in Acker's direction. "Would you like to volunteer, Zachary Acker?"

Her eyes then fell on Doctor Banks who seemed... distant. It was strange because she hadn't contributed much during the entire conversation. Ahrima wasn't even confident that she had been listening to much that had been shared. "Doctor Banks, you seem preoccupied, is something wrong. Doctor Banks!" Ahrima's observation seemed to draw everyone's eyes to Pandora. And slowly, the woman began to speak, mentioning what was occupying her attention. Ahrima listened and attempted to extrapolate some sort of meaning from what the woman had said. "Are you suggesting that this need to feed is some sort of mutation?" Ahrima asked. She was hoping she had misunderstood. If she hadn't, that meant that these people were on some level innocent. And that would likely complicate matters sense most of the Tau'ri seemed to get sentimental about having to elminate those they dubbed as innocent.

<TAG Jason Conway, Pandora Banks, Maggie Lefebvre, Chicago "Roo" Eastlyn, Zachary Acker, Dominic Evans, All>

[Zachary Acker]

1140
Stargate Command
Briefing Room

Zach listened as Major Eastlyn spoke to Maggie. As she spoke he made a mental note not to cross her unless there was a valid reason... Not that there ever should be.... Right? He was so lost in thinking that, at first, he didn't realize that she was now speaking to him he glanced at Dr. Jackson then back to the Major. Grrreeeeaaaat, so he was the smart kid, the one everyone cheated off of. Looks like he'd just have to get used to it. "Well.... Ummm...... I'll try not to let you down, ma'am." He replied respectfully as he reached up and began fumbling with the brim of his fedora. Once all eyes were off of himself Zach nudged Maggie's foot slightly and offered her a slight smile "Don't worry, you've got a crazed Texan on your side." he whispered in an attempt to make her feel better about her current situation. He may not have been showing it but he didn't like the idea of facing a soul sucking sex demon anymore than she did. It was just his curiosity about the situation that kept him from trying to leave.

Zach cleared his throat awkwardly as Ahrima addressed him. "I'm a History Professor," he said raising an open palm hand as he spoke. "Not an Anatomy Professor." He sat back and listened, his hands still fumbling with his fedora. Another reason he didn't throw those kinds of words about was that he wasn't too comfortable with them... Not because of some moral code... Or due to any religious upbringing.... He just never hadd been that good with women.... If it wasn't one thing it was another, he wasn't tough enough, he wasn't sporty enough, he wasn't Leonardo DiCaprio. He lifted his head up, eyebrows raised. He had heard his name.... Something about tracking..... Then it hit him "I'm notta pimp either." he replied slipping into his native East Texan accent by mistake.

It was at this point he noticed Mrs. Banks, and it seemed Ahrima noticed it too. He was going to speak up but the Jaffa beat him to it. He listened as Mrs. Banks spoke, wait..... The were..... What. "So you mean.... We're facing a......" He paused thinking of a good way to phrase it. "A Homo Succubi? Or a Homo Incubi?" He asked as his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

[Dominic Evans]

1145
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

Captain Evans had been taking it all in over the past quarter of an hour, letting the gaps begin to fill up in his mind as the team pieced together what they knew so far. Daniel Jackson had broken the news Dominic was hoping they would avoid, "The first reported case was in L.A. in late 2001. Similar cases have since been reported by Interpol, Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police. Unfortunately, because the fire is a central part of the Modus Operandi, we have no way of determining the true number of victims. As far as we know... This is worldwide."
He flicked over to the photograph of the emblem on the walls, no doubt about it, that was a crude impression of a Stargate. But what was that triangle? That could either be the Stargate symbol for Earth... Or maybe even a Wraith dart? Right, so the cases had been increasing lately, reports across the globe, now there had been enough evidence to call in Stargate Command. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ahrima sat opposite him, "If their termination is the sole goal, then I would ask what resources do we have at our disposal? Is there a means to track this genetic anomaly that you mention? Or either a recent sighting? To me it appears that these predators are habitual. They find a food source and stay with it until it has outlived its usefulness. Simply put... We need bait. Would you like to volunteer, Zachary Acker?"
"No need for that Zach" He jumped in before Zachary either got nervous or took the bait and bit back too fiercely, "If I know the IOA, they will already have their field agents all over this, trying to track down suspects and potential... Succubi..." Saying that word still felt awkward, "I'll dial up my service contacts after the meeting and make sure they call us as soon as they get a lead. It's a start anyway."

Pandora then explained her findings to the briefing room, having been prompted into action by Ahrima. Evans suddenly felt inadequate, Pandora had managed to work all that out from a page of gibberish statistics printed out from some lab results!? It sure was useful having a scientist on board. Zach echoed Dom's train of thought, "So you mean... We're facing a... A Homo Succubi? Or a Homo Incubi?"
Exactly, he thought. They weren't quite Wraith but they certainly weren't quite human either. In any case, they were a danger. They were murdering innocent people. They needed to be stopped. Wait! How did he miss that!? The light bulb had suddenly turned on in Dom's brain, he jumped into the conversation before he forgot,
"Hold on. Before we go any further, Pandora, you're saying that this... this 'virus' could be hidden among anyone's DNA!?" She simply gave him a confident nod, "So... Anybody sat around this table could potentially have the gene that could mutate them into one of those... Creatures?" And then there was silence. Nobody dared answer Dom's question. The enemy they were being asked to deal with could potentially just be innocent human beings mutated by a virus, maybe even unaware of their own actions, worse yet, any member of the SGC could carry the genes that activated these mutations.
"I know Ahrima already asked but I take it we have no way at all to track who may or may not have these genes?"
"Not without running in depth blood tests on the general population. And even then we would have a hard time finding what we're looking for. These tests take days just for one person." Pandora replied. Dom realized the others were still looking at him, waiting for him to get to the point,
"Look, it's not that I'm saying we should all worry about suddenly morphing into a succubus. God only knows our DNA contains hundreds of loose strands, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, you name it. What I'm saying is that surely just possessing a gene doesn't automatically cause it manifest right? It would need a trigger, like a child inheriting two copies of the same gene or some rare confluence of events such as those brought on by the ATA Gene Therapy." And here came the question that had just formed in everyone's minds, "So, what is triggering the Gene here on Earth? And why has it been on the rise of late?" He looked sternly at the rest of the team, there were too many unanswered questions, they needed a plan. But to have a plan they needed to work out where to start, this was a whole different kettle of fish. Saving the world, there was a first for Captain Evans...

<Tag Chicago, Zach, Ahrima and Maggie>

[Maggie Lefebvre]

1145
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

I am not certain that I understand you,...It is likely your accent, but what is a Mork? However, the rest of your conclusions seem to be an accurate interpretation of recent events and expectations.

Damn Skippy it was. Maggie sighed, though, and racked her brain for the best explanation of "Mork and Mindy." She tried to make her accent less "Paris" and more "Philly" as she explained.

He was an extra-terrestrial alien from the Planet Ork who came to Earth in a small, one-man, egg-shaped ship. It was a television program on the telly when I would visit my father in America. She shrugged. At least she hadn't had to explain ALF. Ahrima continued.

Hellboy?...I regret to inform you that Hellboy is only a fictional being. He does not truly exist and would be of little use to us in this mission... Maggie raised an eyebrow, and gave a slight nod, then leaned over to the man next to her.

Was it something I said? She then tuned back out while the scientists discussed...well, sciencey things. She tuned back in when the cute Captain started to speak again, this time to the nerdy American.

Look, it's not that I'm saying we should all worry about suddenly morphing into a succubus. God only knows our DNA contains hundreds of loose strands, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, you name it. What I'm saying is that surely just possessing a gene doesn't automatically cause it manifest right? It would need a trigger, like a child inheriting two copies of the same gene or some rare confluence of events such as those brought on by the ATA Gene Therapy." "So, what is triggering the Gene here on Earth? And why has it been on the rise of late?

Maggie looked around at the scientists, lips pursed. Why indeed? She cleared her throat to speak again. This time, she wasn't ABOUT to say something inane.

So...yeah. Triggering a gene on Earth?? We're going to go out into the world in jumpers with SM-1 badges, to fight a Succubi-alien..thing, and no one is wondering what could go wrong with this?? You, Sir,/b] she said, indicating the man in the suit, Landry or laundry or something...,I think this idea is frankly stupid and reckless. *I* personally LOVE stupid and reckless, but the French Navy doesn't. We're gonna need something else. She was no genius, and no Special Agent in some federal agency, but even SHE knew that going out into the general public dressed like some reject from Space Balls with P-90's blazing was BOUND to attract attention.

Tag:Chicago "Roo" Eastlyn, Pandora Banks, Jason Conway, Zachary Acker, Dominic Evans, ALL

[/font][/b]

[Zachary Acker]

1142
Stargate Command
Briefing Room

Zach was still disturbed by this revelation, just like Evans had put it these people may not be aware of what they're doing. And who are they to render judgement upon those who are unaware of their crimes. That's not to say they should be left alone, he just didn't feel comfortable wiping out a group for........ His fedora slipped from his fingers as his mind started racing. Mrs. Pandora had said something..... What was it? He leaned back in his seat slowly in an almost liquid fashion and crossed his arms. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows pinched together. He stared off into the middle distance like a WWI soldier after having survived a particularly intense artillery barrage. His jaw hung slightly open and he grew deathly quiet and unnervingly still.

What was it she said? It reminded him of something..... But what was it? What was it!? His eyes lost all focus as his mind raced to him the world was still and quiet, nothing to bother him... It was peaceful and serene, everything was right.... If he thought hard enough he could imagine himself back in the forests of East Texas, the smell of pine and oak trees all around..... The green grass, the gentle breeze...... One of the few places he felt comfortable and truly safe in his childhood., where no one dissaproved of his hopes and dreams...... Unlike his-

Suddenly he snapped back to reality and quickly pointed at Pandora. "You said 'inserted'." He blabbed out his eyes slammed shut as he thought snapping his fingers "Mito... Mitte..... Mito... Mith... Mitochondrial Eve Project!" He said slapping his hands together in triumph. "There was this guy whhhhhooooooo's name I can't remember, he traced all of mankind back to one single woman on the maternal side. She was traced to someplace in the E'din Valley.... Between.... The...... Uhhhhhh...... Tigris aaaaaaaaaaand........ Daaaaaaawwww what was it?" His eyes closed even tighter and his snapped his fingers fiercely. "Euphrates Rivers!" He rambled out before pointing back at Pandora and looking at her strongly, all meekness in his appearance now lost. "Now you used the word 'inserted'." He looked back around the room. "Now I read in Dr. Beckett's report that there was something about an Ancient that came to Earth... Did some experiments on early humans..... Something about DNA right?

[Ahrima]

1145
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

He was an extra-terrestrial alien from the Planet Ork who came to Earth in a small, one-man, egg-shaped ship. It was a television program on the telly when I would visit my father in America.

Ahrima stared at Maggie for a moment as she processed what the woman had said. She had never heard of a planet called Ork, and the idea of a ship shaped like an egg was preposterous. It left Ahrima with only one conclusion to draw. "Are you attempting to engage in humorous levity at my expense?"

"I'm a History Professor. Not an Anatomy Professor. I'm notta pimp either."

Ahrima found that the Tau'ri were more and more confusing than she had at first believed. She had no idea what a 'pimp' was, and thus Zachary Acker's profession to not being one made absolutely no sense to her. Obviously, it was important to him to make that declaration.

"No need for that Zach," Dom responded, "If I know the IOA, they will already have their field agents all over this, trying to track down suspects and potential... Succubi... I'll dial up my service contacts after the meeting and make sure they call us as soon as they get a lead. It's a start anyway."

With Acker assured that he would no longer be bait, Ahrima turned her attention back to Doctor Banks as she proceeded to explain her theories. She seemed to mention that the assailants that they were to pursue were not Wraith, but that they were likely humans with genes that had been activated. Ahrima took a deep breath, that would certainly make tracking them difficult. Considering how the Tau'ri kept so much from the masses, she doubted that they had the technology to reveal such a difference among them. It was clearly a side effect of attempting to collude everyone into a single melting pot.

"Not without running in depth blood tests on the general population. And even then we would have a hard time finding what we're looking for. These tests take days just for one person." Pandora replied.

Ahrima was getting annoyed. They had been tasked with an assignment and seemingly had no way to achieve it. Her eyes turned back to the file that had been presented to her. If they had no means to identify these predators, then their hunting habits had to be recognized. Looking from the beginning of the file, Ahrima continued to thumb through. And as she did so, finally noticing a map it seemed that there was a pattern to these attacks. Or perhaps pattern wasn't the proper word. Progression would have been more apt.

"I do not believe detection will be necessary, Captain Evans," said Ahrima speaking up. "Originally, we were all under the impression that these predators were simply hunting for survival. I believe it is more than that, and Zachary Acker's words have some merit. He speaks of the Ancients that came to this world and acted as gods. In a manner of speaking, I believe these Homo-Succubi seek their gods."

Ahrima paused a moment allowing others to share their views before continuing with her own. "It is commonplace for sacrifices to be made," said Ahrima. "However, no being is ever able to physically present their sacrifice to their god. Thus, they seek to present it in a manner that it holds no value to another mortal... and in a manner that no mortal may tamper with it." Ahrima opened her file to one of the photographs. "They use fire."

Ahrima then produced the map that she had studied a few moments before. "Though I feel that these creatures seek a new way to reach their god," said Ahrima. "Notice the first attacks were scattered about your world. Recently, they have become more concise in location. And it is because they now know where to find what they seek." Ahrima held up another photograph. "This symbol... I have seen it before. And so have most of you." Turning the picture over, Ahrima reached for a pen near Zachary and then began to scribble something on it. One circle... and another inside of it. "Their perception is slightly off, but I think it bears a remarkable resemblance to this." Her hands finished making a pair of lines that touched one of the circles. She then turned the document for them all to see. "I believe they seek the Stargate." The picture she held up was the glyph for by of the symbol that had been left at each of the murder scenes.

"It makes sense," mused Landry. "One of their targets was a producer of that show... Wormhole X-treme. But sense then, they've learned to separate fact from fiction. And that suggests that the death of Cabal's wife was hardly a coincidence. So, they're not just hunting random people after all. One could say, they're hunting us."

Ahrima looked over at Zach. "It appears that we no longer require you for bait after all," she said simply.


<TAG: Jason Conway, Pandora Banks, Maggie Lefebvre, Zachary Acker, Dominic Evans, Chicago "Roo" Eastlyn>

[Maggie Lefebvre]

1145 Hours
Briefing Room
SG Command

Mags raised an eyebrow and puckered a cherry-lipsticked colored mouth into a smirk as Ahrima questioned her once more.

Are you attempting to engage in humorous levity at my expense? Maggie raised her eyebrow higher, a feat that was only do-able because she was French.

Absolutely. Maggie was unapologetic. She didn't mean to be rude, exactly, but she was a little out of her element and not the center of attention, and Maggie was sort of childish in the way that she craved attention-thrived on it-and so making jokes was the best way she knew how. PLUS her mind was a little agog with all the information coming at her. Briefings in the French Navy were usually long affairs, with bread and cheese and wine, oftentime fruit, and music. They weren't serious, like this, and she could usually get away with having a Galoise with her Beaujolais, too. She somehow knew, though, that that would NOT fly today.

She sat up straighter in her chair, and started to pull out her braid. She was bored, really, and needed the distraction. She quickly unwound the plaits, and fixed her hair in a loose, flowy blonde bun at the base of her skull. She couldn't WAIT for her day uniform, when she could go out with her hair down. She hated the more formal uniform requirements of Dress Blues.

She leaned over to Zack.

Was it something I said, you think? She asked, not really noticing his catatonic state. However, her ears perked up when she heard the term "IAO". Without knowing anything about SG IOA, she made a face. She, as a general rule, HATED IAB and thier ilk, mostly because SHE was usually either at the wrong end of thier ire, or because she was the subject of their advances-while their wives were home, pouring drinks for the Woman's Club or something, the men were ogling her, or pulling the maid, and TELLING her about it. She sighed, though, and then turned back to Ahrima as the woman continued.

I do not believe detection will be necessary, Captain Evans...Originally, we were all under the impression that these predators were simply hunting for survival. I believe it is more than that, and Zachary Acker's words have some merit. He speaks of the Ancients that came to this world and acted as gods. In a manner of speaking, I believe these Homo-Succubi seek their gods. Maggie's head shot up again from staring at her phone.

Ancients? She was confused. She wasn't really aware of the inner workings of the Stargate Program; only what Mike had told her which she knew was not much, but had been garnered second hand.

More back and forth went on, and Maggie grew increasingly more concerned about her own safety. These people were certifibly wacko, and she was gonna need to either find a LOT of alchohol or else adapt to the crazy to cope. She let out a deep sigh.

Tag:ALL

[Jason Conway]

1148 Hours
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

For Daniel Jackson, the light bulb had truly switched on now as Zach spoke, "... traced all of mankind back to one single woman on the maternal side. She was traced to someplace in the E'din Valley.... Between.... The...... Uhhhhhh...... Tigris aaaaaaaaaaand... Euphrates Rivers! Now I read in Dr. Beckett's report that there was something about an Ancient that came to Earth... Did some experiments on early humans..... Something about DNA right?" Bingo. Jackson also nodded in agreement with Ahrima's observations. There was no doubt that, on this occasion, they were the hunted ones. Clicking his fingers to ignite himself into action, Jackson stood up and placed his hands upon the table,
"The maternal heritage could well be the fabled first with of Adam."
"As in, Adam and Eve?" Landry asked.
"Exactly." Replied Jackson. Before anybody could question the implication that there may have been more than one wife, he charged on with his idea, "Her gates are the gates of death, and from the entrance of the house she sets out towards Sheol. None of those who enter there will ever return, and all who possess her will descend to the Pit." He paused to absorb the quizzical looks after the quote, "It's from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Talmud. The first wife of Adam is known in some cultures as Lillith and Atlantis archives show that there was an ancient named Lillith who returned to Earth to continue her research on the retrovirus. It is possible that perhaps the virus escaped or else was intentionally released into the population."
Landry's expression straightened, "Are we to believe, Doctor Jackson, that it is no coincidence that Lillith was also the ancient that operated out of the hidden labs on Meropis?" Jackson nodded in response. Great. Another mischievous ancient is just what we need.

General Conway cleared his throat, "This would be why Captain Jones is leading a team on an urgent mission to explore the lab on the planet surface." He said, addressing SM-1, "We hope they find something that may be useful to our current situation here on Earth. As of right now all countries under the Gate Treaty have been breathed to expect a terrorist attack in the near future. We don't know how far the radicals of this cult are prepared to go to reach their goals." Conway stopped at that, he could tell that Jackson was eager to impart further knowledge,
"Historically, Lillith doesn't rate a mention in the Bible, but she does make an appearance on the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Rome in Michelangelo's Temptation and Fall." Jackson produced a tablet from the television stand and quickly set about a Google image search for the image, bringing it up on screen he pointed to the part of the painting in question. In the image the team could see a half-serpent/half-woman creature that wound itself around a tree. "Essentially, Lillith represents a compilation of fabled demons found in the Kabbalah and Babylonian mythology. One interpretation is that Lillith refused to lay beneath Adam and invoked the name of God. An act that, in many cultures is considered sacred and powerful in it's own right. She then took to the air and left the Garden of Eden." Captain Evan's expression relayed his inner feelings on how impressed he was at the extent of Jackson's knowledge, Daniel continued, "It is widely believed that Lillith settled on the coast of the Red Sea, where she became the consort of Samael and bore him countless Lilin - offspring. Samael, of course, means Satan. Now according to Talmudic mythology, at Adam's request, God sent to Lillith three angels - Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof - who ordered her to return to Adam. If she refused, the angels would kill one hundred of her demonic children for each day she stayed away. Lillith countered that she and her Lilin would prey eternally upon the sons of Adam. And for those that have yet to link it all up, humans are generally referred to as the sons of Adam, which would mean that these Lilin would be the Succubi we are dealing with here. The Talmud further states that the children of Adam could only be saved by invoking the names of the three angels."

Jackson sat down and folded his arms triumphantly, it was almost as if the problem at hand wasn't as important now that he had managed to work it out and connect the Succubi to ancient mythology. Maggie raised a point about diving out into the world to fight these creatures in Puddle Jumpers and SM-1 suits, Landry countered, "Which is why you won't be taking a Jumper. We can't risk any mid-air collisions into an invisible flying object. Worse yet, we'd have a hard time explaining any radar readings across the planet. A C-20 will be prepped and waiting for you at Peterson this evening." Realizing he would need to prod Jackson to get to the point, as he had done many a time before, he continued, "Jackson, where exactly do you want SM-1 to start digging for answers?"
"Well, based on a little research I did beforehand, and the theories we've exchanged in this room. I believe I know where we need to start..."
Captain Evans had to stop himself from having a coughing fit, did Jackson just say BAGHDAD!?

<Tag SM-1, lets roll out after a couple of posts! :-)>

[Maggie Lefebvre]

1148 Hours
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

After a few not-too-happy looks from the men in suits, she had decided to cool it for a minute, and she sat back, half-listening, tapping her too-long-for-regulation, secretary-red-painted nails lightly on the table. They matched her lipstick, and this made her happy. Maggie was many things, and vain was one of them, though it didn't rank exceptionally high on the list of her attritibutes. She sighed, though, bored with the topic, and switched to rifling through her purse, around her the voices growing in tone and concern.

Which is why you won't be taking a Jumper. We can't risk any mid-air collisions into an invisible flying object. Worse yet, we'd have a hard time explaining any radar readings across the planet. A C-20 will be prepped and waiting for you at Peterson this evening. She sighed. More flying. For a pilot, she hated being a passenger.

She listened more, looking for more places to interject.

Well, based on a little research I did beforehand, and the theories we've exchanged in this room. I believe I know where we need to start... She was ready to stand, and muttered a little louder than she'd hoped.

Well, the beginning would be helpful. A little louder, she spoke up, looking at the man she assumed was mostly in charge of this little party. By your leave, sir, the head calls. Without waiting for a salute, a nod, or even a frown, she bolted from the room. If she were gonna go hunt down vampires, she needed to look a little better. She had read Twilight, and knew that vampires had a specific set of fashion rules. Her itchy uniform was SO not gonna fly, at least not her blues. She'd need her dress uniform.

Tag:ALL!

[Ahrima]

1149
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

"Absolutely," Maggie confessed to taking some liberties at Ahrima's expense.

The Jaffa simply arched an eyebrow and shook her head slightly. "I do not believe now is the appropriate time," she said to Maggie. "In the spirit of team building I will endeavor to demonstrate a more appropriate time to deliver remarks of wit later." For the time being, Ahrima alleviate the woman of her attention and turned her eyes back to Daniel Jackson. She listened as he spoke, but many of the names he mentioned seemed to be nothing more than Tau'ri lore to her. It seemed to be of little consequence, but if Doctor Jackson believed it pertinent, then it warranted her attention. From what she could gather, it seemed that once again, an Ancient had been responsible for placing the threat here. Though, the seed had been planted long ago, and only now were this Lilith's seeds bearing fruit.

"Jackson, where exactly do you want SM-1 to start digging for answers?" stated Landry after pointing out that transportation had been arranged for SM-1.

"Well, based on a little research I did beforehand, and the theories we've exchanged in this room. I believe I know where we need to start... Baghdad," Jackson replied.

Ahrima looked over at Captain Evans who seemed to be coughing at the mention of the place. She had been working on her nonverbal cues, and assumed that this place held some sort of significance to the Tau'ri in the room. Was it some sort of city of worship? She couldn't recall it being mentioned as one of the cities of consequence among the Jaffa.

"By your leave, sir, the head calls."

Ahrima watched as the French soldier rose and proceeded to leave the room. "To what... head is she referring?" Ahrima asked. Her eyes moved around the table to solicit an answer, but when none came forth immediately, Ahrima went on to say more. "I believe the Airman was correct. The French among the Tau'ri truly are... strange."

<TAG: SM-1>

[Dominic Evans]

1510
Aircraft: C-20 Jet
Location: Mid-Atlantic Ocean
Earth

Dom shifted uncomfortably in his BDU's. He liked the color, black and patch-less, it was discreet enough for the task at hand. Although the fabric just gave him that sensation on his behind, the kind where he really wanted to itch but didn't want to look odd in front of the rest of his team. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the only thing that would identify him should he run into trouble with the coalition forces over in Iraq. An IOA issue badge declaring him to be Captain Dominic Evans of the British Army. Evans slid the badge back into his pocket and put his feet up on the table in front of him, with enough fidgeting he might shake off that horrible feeling. The jet was quite luxurious which was a nice surprise. He had managed to stake out a fairly decent leather armchair in front of a glass table, near the window proved a bonus as well. SM-1 had boarded the luxury aircraft with Pandora Banks and Daniel Jackson. They had left the Generals and James Coolidge back at the SGC for their IOA review. The medical staff had chosen to stay as well, with more bodies coming in every other day that needed examining. He didn't envy them.

The silence was awkward, Dr. Jackson was the first to break it, commenting whilst he turned another page in the very large book he was reviewing,
"Sounds like there may be some related cases in Iraq after all huh..."
"I'm sure the coalition leadership would love to see us prove that those civilian deaths were due to something other than white phosphorus. The media are like hounds over a corpse these days." Evans commented on the cover story they'd been briefed with in the car, although the cover story wasn't really much of a cover. On and off for the past couple of years, there had been allegations that the coalition had killed Iraqi civilians through the use of white phosphorus weapons against insurgents. The U.S Army had maintained that the incendiary WP had been used primarily for illumination and not as an antipersonnel weapon. Still, the burning bodies offered damning evidence. Despite the fact the most of them had been found inside undamaged buildings with no trace of burning anywhere nearby. Since the condition of those bodies closely resembled that of the purported cult victims back in Colorado, they had good reason to investigate them. If that gave Daniel Jackson an opportunity to hunt down whatever it was he needed in Baghdad, well that was just convenient.

Captain Evans couldn't help himself,
"So... What is it you're looking for again? Something Mesopotamian, out of history or something?"
Jackson nodded from across the cabin, still not taking his eyes off the book he was skimming,
"The first recorded reference to Lillith, also known as Lilitu or Ninlil, appears in the Gilgamesh. It's a literal history, one that was interpreted by writers of that period in the best way they could comprehend. It documents the Ancients' arrival on Earth, among other things. Based on what Vala and I learned from Morgan le Fay-"
"Morgan le Fay." Repeated Dominic, "That was err.. Merlin's arch rival right?"
"That's the one, although it turns out she was actually protecting Merlin." Jackson placed the book down on his lap and looked up at Evans, "That's neither here nor there at the moment. The epic of Gilgamesh appears to explain the fate of several Ancients, with regards to Atlantis, Meropis and Earth. Specifically, the Gilgamesh built a sanctuary for Ninlil, as Lillith was called in the Babylonian text, in the city of Uurk after she was 'banished from the heavens'. Which presumably refers to her escape through the Stargate from Meropis."
Evans made a face pretending he could keep up with Jackson's thought process. He scanned the cabin, looking to the rest of his team. He wanted to say, "well how about that!" but professionalism kept his mouth under control. Dom settled into the seat a little more and cricked his neck, the feeling of being in too deep had now passed, he was just accepting whatever each hour brought him. The roller coaster of life that was being a member of SM-1, he smirked to himself.

<Tag SM-1!>
<This was a joint post with Jackson, feel free to use Jackson if you want to talk to him about what we are going to find etc, just make sure you do him justice and do him as true to the character as possible!>

[Maggie Lefebvre]

1149
Briefing Room
Stargate Command

Maggie had returned from the women's room in time to ignore Ahrima's remarks about her funny comments. At least SHE thought they had been funny. She was too late, though, to protest leaving from Baghdad. Baghdad, seriously?! Maggie didn't DO deserts. She also hated Baghdad, as that was the last place she'd seen Mike before the Amored Vehicle Attack that had left him blinded. The memories, she supposed.

FAST FORWARD

1510 Zulu
Aircraft: C-20 Jet
Location: Mid-Atlantic Ocean
Earth

Maggie sat in the back of the Aircraft. She'd taken pains to cover herself in Creme de La Mer, and had her tags handy, BOTH sets, the ones with her given name, and the alias she used when she worked with Mike and the Legion on black ops, which was enough times that she had an alias-Olivia Palermo. She had thought it was mysterious when she picked it. Now, of course, it seemed a little silly. At any rate, maybe at least Mike or Eli would be able to identify her if need be. Maggie wasn't afraid of death. She just hoped that she could plan it, so she could at least look GOOD when she went out.

Someone sat down next to her, and she looked at them.

What's it like, crossing through this....Gate? She had read about it in the stuff that they had given her, but she didn't really KNOW.

Tag:@all

(I might add more to this, but I just lost my train of thought. Hope it works!)