Daniel frowned. “Jack, we have to tell them.”
“No, we don’t.”
“We know things about them we never should have gotten a chance to ask,” Daniel argued. “They’re going to figure that out-”
“If they find out Kayaba’s sending us gloat-notes,” Jack cut him off, “they’re never going to listen to us-”
Janet’s clipboard slammed on the table like thunder. “That is enough!”
Only Sam didn’t look surprised.
“August, Colonel.” Janet made herself breathe. Made herself think. “The timestamp says the Laughing Coffin fight happened in August. That means that young man you want to treat like a cranky teenager has been forced to kill at least four people in hand-to-hand combat in the past four months. He’s not a recruit. He’s a scared young man who wants to go home. Multiply that by six thousand.”
“Maybe not.” Daniel held up a hand, wait, when she glared. “Probably a lot of people have horror stories. Anyone who went after Laughing Coffin, definitely. But think about it, Janet. If this information is part of Kayaba’s message, another of his games… what do almost all of these videos have in common?”
“Kirito,” Janet admitted grudgingly. “Right from the start of the game. Damn it, why? A teenage kid-”
“The same kid who hacked Kayaba’s files.” Daniel pointed at Sam’s notes, then the monitor. “What did he say? If you don’t like the rules, change the game.”
Jack almost whistled. “You think he knew about the hacking?”
“You could set up files so there would be access traces left, yes,” Sam admitted. “It’d be hard to do it so a hacker wouldn’t know he’d been traced, but… Kayaba had the skills to do it.”
Jack’s eyes were hooded. “He wanted Kazuto to win.”
“I think Kirigaya is listed as the top player for a reason.” Daniel ran his fingers over his notes. “Make that a lot of reasons. He doesn’t fold under pressure. He’s learned to fight cooperatively with other allied groups; I wish we could teach the Tok’ra that. He knows how to pick up languages. How to survive making first contact.” He grimaced. “He even knows how to deal with people who are supposed to be your allies stabbing you in the back.”
Crossover Queen's Creative Chaos 
This is looking to be a good chapter. My only complaint is that your characterization of Jack remains an issue and I don’t think Janet would be as likely to shout and be snappish as much as you portray that said other SGC characters sound like themselves especially Daniel discussing languages and cultures and Sam tech, or Hammond being a good commander.
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This is Janet’s remit, and Jack hasn’t been responsive to her subtle corrections. This is probably her last way available to correct him in front of other people. They don’t make someone a Major because they can’t jerk people up short when it is appropriate.
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Yeah, Kirito is pretty much exactly what the project was aiming for . . .
And Jack, they already don’t trust you. Continuing to lie to them, especially a lie that they will figure out . . . will destroy any chance you had of building a rapport or any trust with people like Kirito.
You aren’t the Tok’ra – start acting like it.
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Unfortunately how much Jack reveals is not his call – it’s Hammond’s. He’s planning to have a talk with the general, though….
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True enough . . . but you can’t say that Jack’s opinion on such matters is one of the factors in Hammond’s decision making process. Not the only factor but one of them.
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Jack..Drop the Sacks of Idiot Balls and Back Away Slowly.They’re not worth it.
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To bad we can’t drag Sanzo from RoS to here.Both sides could use some of the cranky monk touch. (And I have a funny feeling that Kirito and Goku would probably get along)
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They might at that….
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*snrk*
Yeah, in a ‘younger and more reckless versions of Sano and Kenshin’ kind of way!
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*wince* there goes that clue-by-four. May it struck hard and true.
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…Maybe they could also ask Teal’c’s opinion on what/how to tell people things? He is the one having the most successful interactions with the survivors.
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*Nod*
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>…Maybe they could also ask Teal’c’s opinion on what/how to tell people things?>
Though you have to wonder what Teal’C might have been telling the players during all this since A: He feels that these warriors deserve to know at least some of XYZ and B: Honest information exchange will help reduce some of the tension.
Because reducing the tension serves to limit the chances of the players going “screw it” and making an armed break out.
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Jack, you left Teal’c alone… with a supreme cook who also misses exotic flavors.
This could get interesting. 😉
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>Jack, you left Teal’c alone… with a supreme cook who also misses exotic flavors.>
Teal’c: “Asuna of the Knight of Blood, might I ask the reason you are requesting access to the kitchens and two of these animals?”
Asuna: “Ragout Rabbit is the most delicious possible meal you could make in SAO. And given there is a stable breeding population in this ‘zoo’ I am taking advantage of it.”
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Well, probably not high-protein stuff yet, they are listening to the medics. But some neatly spiced sauces with rice? Possible!
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Janet’s lines: “He’s a scared young man who wants to go home. Multiply that by six thousand.” have been bugging me. They felt wrong. I think my brain is processing them as a nonsequiter to what preceded them. It may make more sense with the full context, but right now it doesn’t follow from what we’ve been seeing. These people are very much not scared kids, they’re combat hardened vets as anyone who watches ought to be seeing.
Of course, ought doesn’t mean does. .. but (without rereading the whole posted stuff) I thought we’d seen SG seeing that.
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They are also scared kids. Janet sees plenty of those who enlisted.
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