Eidetic

–adjective

1. of, pertaining to, or constituting visual imagery vividly experienced and readily reproducible with great accuracy and in great detail.

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Premise: What if the Doppelganger entity didn't take Rodney in the end? What if it decided someone else had deeper, darker fears that could sustain it for longer? John's about to get a little closer than he'd prefer to his commanding officer and neither is really thrilled with the idea.

A few changes have been made to the original episode which always bugged me. You'll see when you get there.

Warnings: Disturbing themes, quirky humor, friendship.

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Sitting with the intercom button switched on but covered by rubber, John Sheppard sighed and asked. "You're sure?"

Samantha Carter nodded; it felt so impersonal to talk to her second in command from behind a plate of glass. Then again it wasn't everyday she was locked inside a grounded rubber room to ensure the energy being that had taken up residence in her cranium didn't get away. "I've been thinking about it… and it's the only way. If it has enough control over a person's mind to kill them…" Sam sighed softly. She was obviously still grieving over the recent crisis. "…Well… I'd rather have some backup I can count on."

John turned away from Sam a little bashfully. It wasn't everyday his commanding officer literally invited him into her mind. Looking around, he could see Rodney and Jennifer both watching worriedly, but out of earshot. Ronon and Teyla were closer, both likely being able to hear the conversation clearly even from across the room. John had been killing himself trying to figure out some way of getting through to this entity, but evidently he and Sam were on the same wavelength and she'd thought of something first.

Now he'd just agreed to help Sam with a rather unique problem, "… I'll call the SGC; get them to send us the equipment we'll need."

Sam nodded, and the conversation ended. John moved away from the isolation window with the two-way intercom and regretted ever having touched that damn crystal. Things had just not been going right ever since Heightmeyer's death. The entire expedition was terrified over what might happen to them.

Now he was about to try and help Sam reason with Freddy Krueger's Pegasus cousin. Somewhere out there, someone was laughing at him and John was starting to get really annoyed.

John leaned over the sink of the washroom in his room listening to Rodney's attempt at support. The tired look in his eyes belied just how unnerving this whole thing was. "You're sure, Sheppard? I mean… Okay, I'm not saying I'm any better at this because I'm obviously not, but you do realize you're going into Samantha Carter's mind, don't you?"

John shrugged and splashed some water on his face. This wasn't exactly his typical goodnight routine but he figured he should mentally prepare himself for what was coming. "Isn't it just her subconscious?"

Rodney's hand spoke at the same rate he did as they flailed in front of him. "Even worse! You know better than I do the kinds of things soldiers are scared of!"

Taking a moment to think about that, John wiped his face down with a towel. "Be that as it may, I don't think it'd reflect too well on us if we lose two expedition leaders in two months." It was a bit of a low blow, but John was feeling it just as badly as Rodney now felt it. Rodney missed Elizabeth, too. John could tell from the subtle difference in how his friend acted around those he cared about. John was not about to lose another leader without putting up a damn good fight.

Rodney merely pursed his lips, and then added. "Just… be careful. I know Sam's really hot and all, but you've got to remember that she's been through a lot in the SGC."

John set the towel down on the shelf next to the sink and groaned softly. Rodney always had a way of worsening a situation.

Sam turned to John who was lying on the bed next to her, a gaggle of medical staff in insulated suits worked around them setting the machinery up to allow John to take an active part in Sam's dreams. "This technology is untested, you know?"

John turned to Sam and fidgeted as Jennifer attached the wiring to his temple. "Yep."

"We only use it for VR training and have no way of telling what the effects on dreams are."

John nodded once. "I know."

"You don't have to do this."

That was the question in John's mind as well. He didn't have to do this. "Can we just get this over with?" He stared at Sam with an exasperated look.

Sam caught the hint that he wasn't sure at all but he was going to do it anyway instantly, and turned back towards the ceiling. "Alright… but just a warning…" She turned back to John, this time a bit more worried.

The sub communication was obvious and John understood immediately. Sam was warning him that he might be in store for some dark things. "I know."

Whether she was paying attention to the conversation or not, Jennifer walked around towards where an IV had been hooked into Sam's arm."We're ready when you are." John and Sam shared another small look and a final unsure nod. Sam looked to Jennifer who nodded seeing the consent. "Alright… administering sedative."

The medicine slowly entered Sam's system, and within a minute, she'd gone to sleep. John took deep breaths. He'd never used this technology before despite Sam's claim that they used it to VR train soldiers. He looked out into the isolation room and saw his team watching over. Worried, obviously they weren't sure at all about the situation.

John just didn't want another death on his conscience especially not after Teyla came to his room after Kate died. He waited a few minutes then noticed Rodney and Radek working on the device hooking him and Sam together. He saw several lights come on, but nothing changed for him. "Uhh, doc?" he looked at Jennifer who turned to face him. "Nothing's happening."

Jennifer's lips twisted into bemusement. "She's not dreaming yet. The sedative should put her in REM soon. Just wait and be ready."

As good an answer as any he'd get, and now, all that was left was waiting… and waiting… and waiting…

Nervousness and anxiety were the two defining traits of a well seasoned soldier. Not that they didn't have them, no no. The reason they were the defining characteristics were that a soldier needed to control them. A soldier needed to maintain a cool head if they wanted to keep that head on their shoulders.

That wasn't at all what Sam was feeling now. Not with a day and a half of sweat on her body, her hair tied back fiercely into a bun, and a slowly healing scar on the side of her face. Her Atlantis Jumpsuit stank of sweat, blood, and gunpowder from fighting. Sam's throat was parched and body sore from the action of days past, and now the lack of rest. "Come on, Rodney. Shunt the power from the shields if you have to!"

On the bridge of the Daedalus, the smell of blood and burnt wires filled the air even after three days. John was at the helm piloting through hyperspace, his black clothing dirty with dust and blood, Major Marks having taken over the more complicated navigation and operations terminal behind the main command chair.

Sam sat in the commander's chair. Caldwell was gone, Ronon and Teyla were gone, half the crew of Daedalus had been killed in the attack. But what was worse was the fact that it had only been a diversion. Just keeping the one ship Atlantis had from defending it and now Atlantis was gone, along with everyone on it.

Rodney's voice came through the intercom, obviously aggravated. "I can't push it any harder, Sam! The engines weren't meant to be used like this and they'll fly apart!"

Sam hardly contained her scream. "Then fly them apart! We need to get to Earth now, Rodney!"

A ZPM hardly made a difference at this point. They'd been away when it happened, and the attack had crippled the ship. Sam couldn't remember the last time she'd had any sleep, and even worse, they'd lost Lorne, Cadman and a dozen others attacking Asuras again to steal this ZPM.

A good commander loves the people under their command, but a great one was willing to sacrifice what they loved. Sam couldn't help but tremble at the thought that she must have been an outstanding commander… but still on the losing side.

Coming out of hyperspace, the craft lurched as it decelerated much faster than the inertial dampeners could compensate for. Sam held onto the seat and looked out towards their intended target.

Instead, she saw a jagged piece of burnt metal heading towards Daedalus, the name Odyssey emblazoned along the side of it. She got up and walked forward to take a closer look as the burnt hull plating bounce off Daedalus's shields, the rest scattered around like a light bulb that had shattered in zero gravity. There were at least six hives around Earth, all firing, all bombing her home from orbit, and there was nothing she could do about it anymore. "No…"

"Cool." To her shock and horror, John, who was sitting at the helm seemed impressed; his face twisted into a devious smile.

Sam was speechless, she looked down at the long range sensors and saw thousands of Darts flying down, so many more than she would have ever thought to see in her life. There were so many that if every last fighter and AAA weapon Earth had were used, there would still be enough to blanket a city.

Her home, her family, the place she'd spent the last eleven years of her life fighting for and defending had fallen and were being consumed by the swarm of locusts that were the Wraith.

"Sam? What's going on?"

She turned at the familiar voice, and suddenly things didn't seem so clear anymore. "John?" He was standing behind the command chair, the others hardly paying attention. This other John looked pristine, wearing his typical black BDU's that she'd found he kept a secret supply of and insisted on having. The 'John' behind the helm turned and looked at his doppelganger. "What the?"

The new John raised his hands in sincerity. "Sam! It's not real, you're dreaming. This isn't real."

The John at the helm chuckled and shook his head as he got up. "Huh, this might get interesting."

A/N: Interesting it shall get… remember to alert! Only 6 chapters total :)