Title: Fool

Author: Sue Corkill

Category: Angst

Status: Complete

Rating: PG

Content Warning: None

Season/Sequel info: Season Five

Spoilers: Desperate Measures

Archive: Heliopolis, SJHW

Summary: Adrian Conrad finds his plan didn’t work quite the way he expected.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Feedback: Cheerfully accepted.

Author’s notes: Not my usual, but I found myself very curious as to Adrian’s thoughts after he realized what had happened.

Copyright © M. Susan Corkill, October 2001.

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FOOL

Adrian Conrad slowly surfaced from what seemed like an interminable nightmare. Only he was still dreaming—but this was a dream where he had been released from the agony that had wracked his body for so long. His lungs no longer felt like they were on fire. He took a deep breath—and he could! His muscles and joints were blessedly free of the pain that had become his constant companion. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up! He wanted to keep this moment and this state of well being forever—or at least for a few more precious moments. As he continued to savor the strength and power he could feel filling his tortured frame, he began to hear faint voices. Were they part of his dream or was he waking?

Diana’s voice; dear, dependable Diana was in his dream. She had been so faithful, sticking with him and helping him—even nursing him—during his illness. He needed to tell her how good he felt, he wanted to reassure her, to thank her…he opened his mouth.

Wait…that wasn’t what he’d meant to say. Confused, Adrian listened to her reply.

He could feel her soft hand on his cheek.

She sounded frightened…why would Diana be frightened of him?

No! Wait! What was she saying? His thoughts were muddled; what thing did he have inside him?

Adrian tried to speak, his mind formed the words—but they refused to come out. He tried to move his mouth, his tongue, force the air through his vocal cords that would tell her of his recovery, his thanks, and his affection; but something kept him mute. He could feel her hand on his arm; her nimble fingers tugging and pulling at the leather restraint he just now realized was around his wrist. He heard and felt the strap slide free and his arm moved.

What happened next seemed to occur out of time—as if he was back in his nightmare, only this time watching himself. He saw himself break free of the remaining restraints, his strength magnified beyond his imagination. He leapt to his feet, the blood pouring through his veins, his heart pounding with excitement and power. He heard Diana give a startled cry; he felt her arm—and then the soft flesh of her neck beneath his hands. He could hear her pleading voice, smell the fear that mingled with his own blood lust, see the terror that filled her eyes. Alarm began to pour through him; he had to wake up! He felt himself try to scream, but no sound came out! Wake up! Wake up!

Adrian opened his eyes and saw Diana’s lifeless brown eyes staring accusingly up at him, saw his hands and arms fling her carelessly aside as his legs propelled him from his knees to his feet. And he finally heard his voice, somehow deeper and not his, as it reverberated in the empty room.

"Fool."

And in his mind, Adrian Conrad screamed as realization roared through him. Even as his muddled brain started to wrap itself around what had happened to him, his body continued to move forward without his guidance—the creature guiding him, cautiously and carefully. And Adrian felt his body obey, moving as stealthily as possible, given his still somewhat weakened condition.

"So, you are awake."

Hearing the voice sounding in his brain, Adrian cried out soundlessly, "What have you done?" His legs continuing to move, taking him down some stairs, heading deeper into what he realized were the bowels of the deserted hospital.

"I am saving your life, human." The voice seemed to sneer at him. "Is that not what you wanted?"

Adrian’s thoughts were in chaos. "Yes, but…it wasn’t suppose to be like this!"

"Foolish human." The voiced derided Adrian even as his body moved slowly down the dank, dark basement hallway, his eyesight surprisingly good even in the dim light. "You thought you would control me! Me! The one who will be your master and your world’s god."

"No, please! You must listen to me!" Adrian pleaded.

"Be still," the voice commanded.

"No! I am my own master!" Adrian cried out to the creature, the cry turning to one of intense agony as a sharp, stabbing pain filled his brain. He dropped to his knees, panting for breath.

"Fool! Cease your pathetic begging or I will cause you even more pain. I am your master now."

The pain subsided as quickly as it had started. Adrian felt his body helplessly obey the commands of the creature as he rose, a trifle unsteadily, to his feet. He found himself standing in a doorway, catching his breath; his eyes scanning the area for a place to hide as he heard footsteps. Spying a recessed area above some pipes in the ceiling, he slowly pulled himself up into the small enclosure. His body was already tiring, in spite of the creature’s healing abilities, he had already been forced to expend a large amount of energy. Adrian could hear footsteps getting closer, and in spite of the creature’s insistent demands, his weakened body suddenly gave in and he dropped to his feet in the hallway. Adrian watched, horrified, as the man in front of him pointed a gun at him.

Adrian struggled to communicate with the other man, but the creature ruthlessly squashed his efforts.

Tired, scared, and confused, Adrian watched in horror as a shadowy figure appeared and shot the first man in the back. The man fell, face first, onto the floor. The second man stepped out of the shadows and spoke.

It took a moment for Adrian to grasp that the stranger with the gun was speaking to him…or rather, the creature who controlled him. And he suddenly realized that he could sense the other creature’s thoughts and felt incredibly relieved when the creature acquiesced to the stranger’s demands and Adrian’s body moved haltingly forward.

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"I expect better treatment than this." The deep voice still sounded odd to Adrian’s ears.

Adrian watched Simmons leave the interrogation room. "He won’t let you live," Adrian told the creature.

"Be still, foolish human."

"My name is Adrian," he replied automatically, ignoring the creature’s snort of derision. It had taken Adrian some time, but he had seemed to establish some kind of rapport with the creature. Though rapport wasn’t quite the best word—perhaps truce was better. It hadn’t take him long to realize there was very little he could hide from the creature. And though he currently had no control over his body—or the creature—Adrian was confident that with time, he would. He hadn’t achieved any of his great successes in life, or built his vast business empire, by standing idly by and doing nothing. Fortunately, the arrogance of the Goa’uld kept it from concentrating too closely on Adrian’s thoughts—unless it needed some specific information. So Adrian did the only thing he could do; he watched, he waited, he would learn—and then they would see who was the fool.

THE END