Title: Five Minutes
Author: Secret Art
Date: 25th September 2004
Rating: PG for slight language
Category: angst, character death
Pairings: Sam/Jack
Spoilers: Divide and Conquer
Summary: They only have five minutes
Archive: where ever you want, I'm not fussy
Feedback: can only make me better
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
Author's note: This is all SamC's fault, I asked her for a plot bunny and she gave me one I'd given her earlier (which I suppose makes it my fault), but she suggested I write it. Oh, thanks for the title, and the beta SamC.
Jack sighed, forcing himself to stay in the chair.
"Carter?"
"Still here Sir." Her response was fuzzy, the malp telemetry making it hard to see her.
"Any progress?"
He could barely make out her head shaking, but he could hear the resignation in her voice. "No Sir!"
He banged his fist on the table, it was stupid, she'd been trying for hours to fix the naquada reactor, prevent the planet from blowing up, but there had been no progress.
"Carter, I don't think your going to make any more progress, you need to head back to the gate now."
"Not yet sir, just let me try...Shit!" The transmission went dead.
"Carter? Carter?" He turned to the technician next to him. "Get her back, now!"
He tapped his fingers as the technician worked, his gaze flicking to the blank screen every few seconds.
"I'm sorry Sir, there was some kind of surge, I think I've got audio back though."
Jack nodded; making some kind of pleased noise before turning back to the screen. "Carter?"
"Sir?" The fear in her voice scared him.
"What happened?"
"I must have done something, I don't know, I'm sorry."
"Carter? What happened?"
"There was a surge in the power, it must have damaged the circuiting on the malp."
"That's it?" He knew Sam was avoiding something.
"No sir." She paused, and he could hear her take a deep breath. "It activated the timer on the reactor."
He couldn't breathe. "How long?"
"Five minutes."
He dropped his head. "And it's ten to the gate."
"Yes Sir."
"We need to close the gate sir."
Jack turned to look at the technician, "Not yet, go get Daniel, Teal'c and Janet....Now!" The technician ran out of the room.
He took a deep breath, forcing back the tears.
"There is nothing you can do?"
"I've been trying for the last five hours, I'm not going to get it in four minutes." He heard her fight back a sob, knowing that she was probably crying.
"Shit! I should be there, you shouldn't be alone."
"This is why the General ordered you back, and why we evacuated the planet...This way I'm the only casualty."
He clenched his fists, forcing himself not to punch the desk. "Why couldn't we have sent some stupid technician out there? It shouldn't be you."
The screen flickered, and slowly her tear strained face appeared. "I might not be able to fix a reactor, but I can fix a malp in under two minutes." She smiled sadly, placing her hand on the edge of the camera. "I guess now would be as good a time as any to have that talk."
He shook his head, knowing that she couldn't see him. "No! You'll think of something, you always do, you have to!"
She dropped her head, sobbing. "Not this time, I'm sorry. I always knew that there was a risk, but I guess I always hoped that we'd have had a chance by then."
"Yeah, the whole married, kids, white picket fence thing."
She looked up, a small smile on her face. "You too then." Something beeped in the background and she turned her head, shaking it slightly as she turned back. "I love you Jack."
"No! Sam, this isn't it, this can't be it."
"Jack!"
She looked at him, the same look she had given him behind the forcefield, and he took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from breaking down right there. "I love you Sam."
She smiled, something beeping again in the background and she disappeared from view.
He heard footsteps running into the room, turned to see the three of them approach, freezing at his expression.
"Oh God."
Sam came back onto the screen.
"Sam!" Daniel shouted.
"Hey Daniel, I assume Janet and Teal'c are there too."
"I'm here Sam."
"Indeed."
She smiled. "Just wanted to say thanks, for everything you guys have done for me...I love you all so much."
The beep returned, and she glanced back. "Less than a minute, you have to close the gate now...please."
Jack nodded, trying to burn her face into his memory as he pressed the Buttons that would close the gate. "I love you Sam."
She smiled, "I love you too."
The transmission cut out as the gate closed, and he dropped his head into his hands, the tears falling silently in the shocked silence.