ANCIENT COMMUNICATION TERMINAL
When Merlin's Ancient treasure materialized in the Glastonbury cavern, SG-1 discovered among the riches an elaborately decorated dome-shaped piece of technology with rounded recessed spaces and a pillar rising from the center topped by a large blue crystal. According to the Ancient text also found in the cavern, the device was a terminal capable of intergalactic communication. Because it was associated with the technology of the Alterans, predating their arrival in this galaxy, it has been described both as an Ancient and as an Alteran communication terminal. The device still had a power source, not yet depleted, and it was apparently meant to work in conjunction with the Ancient communication stones. The device was brought back to the SGC for further study.
Once the communication stones had been initialized, the terminal did not require the Ancient gene for activation, and Daniel and Vala volunteered to test it. As they placed two communication stones into the recessed spaces on the device, the crystal glowed brilliantly and Daniel and Vala passed out as their consciousnesses instantly traveled across space to the Ori galaxy. There, in the small village of Ver Ager, Daniel and Vala seemed to inhabit the bodies of Harrid and Sallis Cicera through a sort of psychic transportation. The bodies of Harrid and Sallis acted only as temporary transmitters, and their own consciousnesses remained suppressed, unable to communicate or to share thoughts or memories. Meanwhile, at the SGC, Daniel's and Vala's bodies remained in a coma-like state, with pupils slightly dilated and rapid eye movements and brainwave patterns characteristic of an induced dreamlike condition.
The terminal draws its power directly from subspace and uses subspace to communicate across galaxies, and although it emits no discernible energy or radiation, the crystal glows as the link remains activated. However, the SGC was unable to remove the stones or disconnect the link, and they were unwilling to risk either an explosive interruption of the power source or the disruption of a link directly into the minds of Daniel and Vala. In the Ori galaxy, as the body of Sallis was condemned to die in fire, Vala's body went into cardiac arrest and died at the SGC, only to be miraculously revived as the Prior restored Sallis in Ver Ager. When both Daniel and Vala went into arrest as their corresponding bodies were burned at the altar in Ver Ager, the SGC used desperate measures to disconnect the link. By dialing the stargate and throwing the terminal and the stones into the kawoosh of the developing vortex, the devices were vaporized and the connection severed. Daniel and Vala regained consciousness at the SGC, but Harrid and Sallis awakened in their own bodies to perish at the Ara.
Although the communication terminal from Glastonbury and the two stones had been destroyed, an identical device had been uncovered in Ver Ager. Fannis, a member of an anti-Ori underground movement, had hidden a terminal device in the village, and Daniel and Vala, using two stones hidden in the home of Harrid and Sallis, had briefly used the device to make contact through their own bodies on Earth. The devices were then taken by the Prior to Celestis to be destroyed, but were smuggled out by other underground operatives working for Seevis. From Ver Isca in the Ori galaxy, Vala had used the terminal in an attempt to contact Earth. Meanwhile, at the SGC, Carter had been using a Tok'ra subspace communicator and Dr. Lee's data from the stone previously activated by Daniel in an attempt to mimic the frequencies and artificially emulate the technology. The combined efforts were successful, and Vala was able to communicate with Earth through the body of Daniel until her deception was discovered and Tomin destroyed the terminal with an Ori weapon, severing the link.
Because Daniel and Vala had been linked by the Kor Mak bracelets at the time that they used the communication terminal to link to the Ori galaxy, Dr. Lee also theorized that the combination of the two technologies might have created a more permanent bond which could have accounted for the lingering effects of the Kor Mak bracelets even after they were deactivated.
Cross Reference: Ancients, Ancient Communication Stone, Ancient Gene, Harrid Cicera, Sallis Cicera, Denya, Fannis, Glastonbury, Daniel Jackson, Kor Mak, Bill Lee, Vala Mal Doran, Merlin's Treasure, Ori, Seevis, Ver Ager, Ver Isca