Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, some of the dialogue isn't mine and hey this computer isn't mine so please don't sue.
Authors note: Product of a 2 minute challenge I set myself (to write a fic based on roughly two minutes of SG-1 footage) settled on the teaser from 'the other side' don't why it struck me as a S/D scene, it just did. Btw I hate transcribing with a passion and a fury, so I apologize now for the probably numerous mistakes.
She'd been staring at the monitor for so long, her eyes burned against the bright light.
The lights of the control room were dim, they always were, in order she supposed to better focus the minds of the employees on the monitors in front of them, the single early warning between Earth and it's final destruction. Alternatively, the USAF could just be too cheap to provide lightbulbs for every room in the mountain.
How many had it been now? Three activations? Four? A voice on the edge of her brain was yelling it needed sleep, but she ignored it, pacifying it at least for now with a healthy swig of coffee. She needed to be alert, this was incredible, this was special and that was what, the fourth time? Four attempts and at least one sickening thud against the Iris. It was a contradiction, she prayed for them to be both enemies and friends, she would not want a friends blood to be n her hands like that, but at the same time, who could wish for an enemy to step through that portal. For now they were simply unknowns, blips on a computer screen and spikes in the energy levels. Sam wondered how the rules would change when they finally lifted the mask. She rubbed her hand across the back of her neck, absentmindedly removing the stiffness from it. The gesture brought up an involuntary smile as the sensation echoed a far more pleasant one. That had been what, two hours ago, maybe three, when she'd found herself spirited from the corridors into another dimly lit room. That one had had a couch, a desk she was sure obeyed no known laws of physics and a warm bodied archaeologist with magic fingers, who'd chosen that moment to prove why she needed rest, relaxation and above all, him. She'd been prepared to stay right there, to sleep wrapped in the cocoon of his arms, leaving him in the morning with a nod and a smile and a 'that's an interesting point Daniel' whilst his blue eyes glinted behind his glasses, his mouth held firmly shut for fear of the mental genie escaping. . But then, with the timing and subtlety of Benny Hill, the gate had opened. And before they knew the were back on the rollercoaster of coffee and adrenaline, right back where they'd started, the stolen moments fading into obscurity behind the screen of a problem, a crisis. Sending Soldier and Scientist Sam careening back into the light of day. Or at least, she thought ruefully as she glanced again around the control room, the relative light of 20 computer screens.
The crank of the gate caught her attention and she knew with both relief and anxiousness that it was opening again.
"It's a signal." The sergeant next to her announced mild surprise colouring his voice.
"Patch it through." Good, signals didn't carry weapons, or hurt soldiers, or make sickening thuds against closed titanium. She listened for a second; it was garbled, unidentifiable. She thought for a second of calling Daniel, then dismissed it. He was probably already halfway here. Tapping a few keys the Sergeant tried again and Sam shook her head.
"I still can't make it out, try to filter out the subspace RF interference."
"Carter?" The voice was new, an intrusion, but a welcome one.
"Colonel?" The question was unnecessary, so she ploughed straight on. "Sir, this is the fifth incoming wormhole in the last hour and a half."
"Alright I'm here two hours early, when did you get here?" Caught. Carter grimaced inwardly, here it comes.
"I haven't left yet." Might as well bite the bullet Sam.
"Didn't I order you to get a life?" And I have one; just not one I can tell you about because of some unwritten code they don't warn you about in basic training.
"Yes you did sir" That was more annoyance than she intended, maybe she'd be lucky and he'd put it down to tiredness. "But this is…" Daniel, talk about timing. He looked as innocent and baffled as ever and Sam spotted the rescue immediately.
"I understand they sent a radio signal this time?"
"Yes, but the frequency they're using is being distorted just outside the range of our equipment." Sam risked a glance from Daniel to Jack. Daniel nodded, Jack had taken on the mask of being faintly baffled, talk about blinding him with science. "We're trying to make the adjustment."
"When did you get here?" Jack asked Daniel, looking as he felt the day was taking a turn for the surreal. Sam couldn't see why, it was like any other morning.
"Someone's trying to contact us, how often does that happen?" Sam applauded Daniel inwardly, he may not be able to lie, but he could deflect with he best.
"We can receive now Major." 'Thank you unwitting accomplice' she thought.
"Ok, pipe it through the speakers and try to match it, so we can transmit back from our end." 'Let's hope we can stop them sending any more', she prayed. But when they spoke it changed, the impacts were no longer just impacts.
"Hello this is Euronda base have we reached the other side?" English, humans, people, cousins.
"Oh my God" Sam breathed.
"If you can hear me please respond." She leaned forward, as if being closer would get the message across faster.
"This is Major Carter of the United States Airforce. It is imperative that you send no one else through the gate." His voice cut across hers as she spoke and the physicist within her realized what was going on before she was even told.
"They can't hear you Major we still haven't matched their frequency." She settled for rolling her eyes, her mind screamed why not? And perversely, answered it's own question.
The voice continued on, but Sam only caught the gist of it. Kindred? Attack? Help? Her mind buzzed with the sensations of the situation mixed with the thrill of a problem posed before her, entwining the two seemed ungodly but inescapable. And somewhere tickling the back of her mind with a feather was the sensation of him being there, so close behind her, of knowing she had a secret they shared, so inappropriate now, so right. The gate cut out and Sam swore softly. "Damn." Automatically she began calculating the permutations, trying to organize events to herself. "Right there were four offworld activations prior to this one and the iris was closed the entire time. How many impact events did the computer register?" The sergeant tapped some keys and Sam briefly saw one impact flash as a wave burst on the computer. She stopped herself from visibly flinching.
"Three." He didn't meet her eyes. She looked down anyway, everyone in the room knew what that meant, three dead. But nobody would say the words.
"So three dead." Ok, maybe not anybody. She turned her eyes to her CO.
"Yes sir." It was quiet even to her.
"I'm gonna go look up Euronda." Daniel had that tone of being slightly distracted, but Sam picked up every inference in his words. 'I'll be in my office Sam, when you need to come and be the compassionate real you for a little while whilst I hold you and comfort you. But I won't tell you things I know we both don't believe.' She flicked her eyes only briefly to his retreating form, but inwardly she smiled at him. How could a man who spoke so much say the most with the words he didn't say? The sergeant next to her had turned back to his screen, dealing in his own way, avoiding her eyes. Not for the first time it occurred to her what he must see, opening and closing and all the death and sadness in this most unique of places, from behind a bomb proof glass. She didn't envy him the job.
"Not your fault Carter, move on." Jack's touch on her shoulder was featherlight, but it betrayed his words all the same. It wasn't her fault, but he wouldn't be moving on any faster than she would.
"Yes sir." It was even quieter, barely a whisper but if Jack noticed, he left without saying a word. Sam continued to stare out of glass. Of all the things that had just happened, the most throwaway remark still stuck in her mind. 'I thought I ordered you to get a life Carter.' Well she had done, and part of it had been standing right behind her, just out of reach. But she'd also seen three go just now and she hadn't even realized. Was that why she felt guilty? Hat the only acknowledgement of their sacrifice was a spike, a blip in the computer records? Or that so soon before she'd been enjoying her new found life, just as they were losing theirs.
End.