Chapter 1

It was a cold morning as the sun broke over the Colorado Mountain tops. A figure walked down the side of the winding road. The crisp air captured her breath condensing into a misty swirl as she exhaled. She used her gloved hand to pull the red knit hat down over her ears and short dark brown hair. Her brown eyes glanced up from her boots as she hiked the side of the road with a backpack full of camping gear. Her blue jeans were dirty and her red and black plaid jacket was ripped on the sleeve.

As she hiked she tried not to think about her predicament. She was still reeling from the loss of her fiancé. She hugged the plaid jacket tighter for she could smell his scent on the clothing. Her memory of him warmed her on that cold morning. She could hear a car coming behind her. She turned and held out her thumb in hopes of catching a ride. The blue sedan slowed as it went past her and then came to a stop. She ran to catch up and found the passenger's window was -down. At the wheel sat a young woman with dark brown hair deep brown eyes. The driver wore denim jeans with a matching jacket over a red sweater.

She hollered, "You need a ride?"

"I do," she replied.

"Where ya headed?" the younger woman asked.

"Nearest city," she told her.

"Hop in," she reached over and unlocked the door.

The hiker soon slid down in the passenger's seat. They then continued down the road.

The driver introduced herself, "My name is Abby Martin. I'm on my way to Colorado Springs, Air Force Academy. And you?"

"My first name is Michaela but everyone calls me 'Mike.'" she replied.

Abby asked, "You all by yourself?"

She nodded, "I am."

"Camping out?" she wondered.

"Not by choice," she confessed. She didn't wish to go into details, "I'm homeless at the moment. I'm hoping to find a job in the next town."

"Doing what?" she wondered.

Mike shrugged, "Doesn't matter. I can wash dishes or wait tables." Her stomach growled from hunger pains.

Abby asked, "When was the last time you ate?"

"Few days ago," she admitted. "I thought I could hunt but…I'm not that good at it. Not even Craig's jacket brought me luck on that."

"Craig?" she wondered.

"Someone I used to know," was all she would say. She sniffed the jacket collar as she took in his scent once more.

"I'll buy ya breakfast," Abby offered.

"You don't have to," she assured her.

Abby shook her head, "I insist!"

"Thank you," she replied relieved to get something to eat.

In short time Abby pulled into a local diner in the next town on her way to Colorado Springs. The pair climbed out of the car and made their way inside the small establishment. Abby mentioned, "I need to use the ladies' room!"

Mike figured looking at her dirty hands, "Me too." She followed Abby into the ladies room soon after. As Abby went into a stall Mike went to the mirror. She removed her hat and combed her hair upon washing her face and hands. With a flush of the toilet behind her Abby appeared in the mirror as she went to the sink as well.

Abby grinned pointing to the image, "We look like we're related!"

Mike gazed upon the mirror. She had to admit they did look very similar. "We could pass off as sisters." she agreed. "But I'm older than you."

Abby washed her hands, "I'm twenty! I went to two years of community college before I figured out that I wanted to join the Air Force."

Mike asked, "What's your degree in?"

"Liberal Arts," she signed.

"Ah," she dried her hands.

"How old are you?" she wondered.

"Twenty seven," she admitted.

"Been to college?" she asked her.

Mike slowly nodded, "I have. I went to college when I was twelve. I was really ahead."

"You're shitting me!" she accused her unbelieving.

"I have two doctorates: I'm a medical doctor and a psychiatrist." She then waited for the reaction.

"No way!" she shook her head baffled. "You're homeless!"

She shrugged, "I never said I was good at it." She opened the door and the pair walked into the dining area for breakfast.

Short Time Later

After a filling breakfast Abby chatted nonstop with Mike in the car as she drove on to Colorado Springs. Mike agreed to try to find work in a bigger city after discovering the town only had one diner and no jobs. As they drove Abby did most of the talking as Mike simply listened like always. Abby spoke about her parents and how they divorced when she was small. Her mother died of cancer in the last year and Abby spoke much of the battle her mother endured. She told Mike all about her dreams of becoming a rocket scientist and going into space. Mike simply listened and didn't say much about her own loss. As they rounded a steep curve a deer suddenly leapt before the car as it ran across the road. Abby yanked the wheel in a reflex and soon lost control of the car as it went over the embankment and rolled over a number of times before coming to a rest at the bottom of a cliff with the horn blaring.

Mike slowly opened her eyes. She found herself nearly upside down. She felt her head and the warm, sticky blood as her face was cut badly. She tried to call out, "Abby?" She got no response. She reached over and felt the girl's neck. It was broken and she lacked any pulse or signs of life. "Oh god," she gulped. She then started to feel light headed and knew it wouldn't be long before firemen would arrive. She reached into her pocket and found her wallet with her identification. She planted the wallet onto Abby's body. She tried to move and switch positions with Abby. She managed to get both seat belts undone and Abby's lifeless body fell upon her as she lost conciseness.

Hospital

Mike found herself being unloaded from the back of an ambulance as she woke. She was strapped to a backboard and couldn't move. She could hear the medics working around her. A voice called out, "Abigail! We are at the hospital now. Do you remember what happened?" the young dark haired man asked.

She couldn't speak as she found herself nearly chocking on blood.

He stated, "You were in a car accident."

She could only look up and watch the lights of the ceiling pass as she was wheeled into the Emergency Room. The medic spoke to the nurses and doctors, "This is Abigail Martin. She's 20 years old. She was in a rollover MVA, no seat belts." He tried to keep his voice low as he added, "Her passenger died."

The doctors descended around her flashing pen lights in her eyes. She could only assess her injured on what they were speaking of as the doctor ordered x-rays of her head, neck and chest. She could feel the large bandage over her face as is it was pulled away and the doctors inspected the large wound. She realized she was disfigured but for now she was safe but also indebted to a young girl who died tragically young.

One Year Later

Abigail "Abby" Martin was buried in a grave marked Michaela "Dr. Mike" Peterman M.D., while Dr. Michaela Peterman went on as Abby Martin and picked up where the girl left off and soon found herself in the Air Force Academy for rocket science. She was late getting to the college for her injuries took a year to heal. Her face was reconstructed but the scars remained which worked to her advantage for any oddities between the pair could be excused by the injury.

Sporting blue battle dress uniform Mike opened the door to her dorm and found her roommate, a tall blonde hair young woman who looked just out of high school. She had blue eyes and the name "Carter" was on her uniform. Mike smiled, "You must be my roommate."

Cadet Samantha Carter mustered a smile in return, "I'm Cadet Carter. Everyone calls me 'Sam'." She held out a hand.

"Abby," she lied greeting her with a handshake.

Sam winced at the massive scar on Mike's face, "You got a scar…"

"I was in a car accident last year," she explained.

"Oh," she gave a heavy sigh. "I just lost my mom in a car accident. I'm glad you are okay."

Mike sorrowed, "I'm so sorry that happened."

"It's not your fault," she assured. She then continued unpack her bag, "It's my dad's fault." she huffed.

Mike asked concerned, "How is it his fault?"

"He was supposed to pick her up and he didn't," she huffed. "She would be alive today if he just picked her up."

Mike countered, "There was no way he would have known she would be in an accident."

"He still should have picked her up," she stated angry.

"Hey," Mike caught the hostility in her voice. "How old are you, Sam?"

"I'm seventeen," she told her.

"Ya know being angry doesn't hurt anyone but yourself. You have four years of school ahead of you. Would your mom want you to be this angry?" she asked.

Sam paused and admitted rather guilty, "No."

She approached her, "You have every right to be angry. But you also have an obligation to carry out her wishes."

Defeated Sam slowly shook her head, "I know."

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you." she assured her.

Sam smiled, "Thanks!" She then asked curiously, "How old are you?"

"Twenty two," she lied for she was tweny-eight.

"Just barely making the requirement," she stated.

Mike shrugged, "Things happened."

Sam grasped the picture of her mother from her luggage. She looked at the image recalling good memories of her mother and then at Mike, "Thanks for that."

"For what?" she asked.

"Reminding me what my mom would want." she nodded.

"Welcome," she told her.

Sam placed the picture by her bed and looked around the room. It looked more like a hotel room than a dorm. She gave a sigh, "I guess this is home. I should be use to this but…"

"Use to what?" asked Mike.

"Moving," she told her. "My dad is Air Force. He's a colonel. I should be use to moving by now."

Mike suggested, "Maybe it's because you are now on your own?"

"I suppose," she agreed, "So, you a military brat?"

Mike shook her head, "No! My dad was a doctor and my mom was teacher…"she then winced for Abby father was indeed military and she forgot.

"Sounds like nice parents," she smiled.

Mike nodded, "Yeah! So, what's military life like?"

Sam cocked an eyebrow, "You have no idea what you are in for?"

"I'm here out of an obligation," she confessed. "I'm majoring in rocketry."

"My major is physics," Sam told her. "Though, I am very interested in advanced quantum solar mechanics."

"What?" she asked unsure what Sam was even talking about.

"Studying the sun," Sam pointed above.

"Ah," she gave a nod. "Here's to the sun and a new day," she continued to unpack her bag, "and a new life to go with it."

Sam cheered, "And new friends."

Mike agreed, "New friends!"

10 Years Later

Captain Samantha Carter found herself back in Colorado Springs and working on a top secret program in Cheyenne Mountain. She was assigned as head of the science research department by General George Hammond. She had positions to fill and a friend in mind to fill one of the positions in her department. She walked the halls in green battle dress to see General Hammond about her recommendations. As she approached the office she came across General Hammond, an older man with a balding head standing in the briefing room with Colonel Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill and another man she had yet to meet. He was tall and had a round face and dark brown hair. He wore a blue suit and was one of the civilian contractors that Hammond had hired.

General Hammond spotted Sam and smiled, "Captain Carter! I want you to meet Dr. Jay Felger. He will be working with you."

"Nice to meet you," Sam politely replied.

Jay was a half-baked scientist with no real work experience in the outside world and came directly from a university. His big brown eyes melted upon seeing Sam. He nearly seemed to go into a dream before her. He replied, "So nice to meet you."

Jack rolled his eyes for most of the men reacted in much the same way around Sam. He greeted her, "Carter."

"Sir," she gave a nod. She looked at Hammond, "I have a recommendation for a new hire in my department, sir."

Hammond stated, "Let's hear it, Captain."

"Captain Abigail Martin," she requested. "She majored in rocketry in the Academy with me. She's also very smart and well-rounded in many subjects. She also is a combat medic, she even trained other medics. Her I.Q. is very close to mine. I think she would make a great addition." She glanced at Jay and noticed he seemed to be day dreaming. She didn't like the way he was staring at her. She shivered.

"I'll take a look at her records," Hammond informed pleased. He looked at dopey looking Jay, "Captain Carter can escort you to your lab. Welcome aboard, Dr. Felger."

He came out of his stupor, "Thank you sir." He smiled at Sam.

She didn't really like Jay from the start. He was not very professional in her opinion and made her uncomfortable with the staring. She sighed, "This way." she led Jay out the door.

Jack looked at Hammond, "You sure that guy is qualified?"

Hammond admitted, "He was hired because the college he worked at had cut backs. His cousin is the Navy and got him in." He led Jack into his office, "I'm hoping Captain Carter has some good recommendations to be honest. I'm getting request from friends of friends looking to get a friend in…You know what I mean."

Jack gave a nod, "The ole 'Do me a favor and hire this idiot' routine."

Hammond sighed, "Exactly." He jotted down the name on a paper and walked back out past Jack to the control room. He found his sergeant sitting at the controls overlooking the Star Gate. "Airman," he started. "Get me the file for this officer." He handed him the note.

Walter took the note and gave a nod, "Yes sir." He rose to his feet to fetch the file.