A/N: thank you for all the support and reviews on my other fics! I'm so relieved I finally finished Virus 2 Point O! Considering how long that took me, this is intended as a one shot.
Disclaimer: Stargate isn't mine, etc.
Stargate Continued
The young brown-haired captain gazed up in awe at the enormous grey ring of naquadah. She had heard wonderful stories of it her entire life. Her grandpa used to spin tales of his friend Thor, emphatically stating there were "no little green men". She was so excited to have finally made it, that she barely took in what the colonel's closing statements had been.
She applauded politely with the other new SG team recruits as they were dismissed for the meet-n-mingle with the rest of the base.
She had met her new CO already, at a celebration of Interplanetary Goodwill only a month ago. Her grandfather, in his 90s, had groused about being back in uniform and had given the Tok'ra delegates a wide berth; something about one of their scientists, a woman named Anise.
Samantha Carter-O'Neill strode thoughtfully through the topside facility. The gate stood on display on a massive dais at the back center of the enormous atrium of Stargate Command. The gate could easily be dropped twenty eight levels through the ground to the original SGC below for security purposes.
She rounded a corner and came face-to-face with an enormous portrait of the original SG1, her family. Samantha smiled sadly at the photo.
Her great grandpa George was a vague memory of warmth and love, always a smile and a hug, always time for her. Samantha gently brushed her fingers over the image, trailing along the oil ridges to another beloved face gone: Uncle Daniel, who'd passed away two years ago at the ripe old age of 91, only a week after his wife Vala Maldoran.
And of course- Uncle Teal'C. She had also just seen him at the Celebration. No one would or could give her a straight answer on his age, but he had to be pushing two hundred. Much to his chagrin, Teal'C now needed a cane for walking. Samantha brushed Uncle Daniel's face again and suddenly felt tears falling down her face. She missed him terribly.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" demanded someone as they rounded the corner. Samantha snatched her hand back from Uncle Daniel and stood promptly at attention. It was a major, one she didn't know.
"I was just-" she didn't have a real answer for him. Visiting her family?
The young major strode forward.
"You can't just-" he stopped dead as he spotted her nametag. She could see him form her hyphenated name on his lips. His eyes grew wide as he took her in there beside her family's portrait.
People told her she looked most like her grandmother, her namesake with delicate features and sparkling blue eyes. (And of course like her own mother, Grace Teala Carter-O'Neill.) But the dark hair came from the O'Neill side.
Samantha said nothing as the man continued to gawk. She supposed it was best to get it out of the way now.
"Carter-O'Nei-"
"O'Neill, yes," she interrupted patiently. "With two 'l's."
The major's eyes flicked up to the family portrait at her side, still not sure even what he wanted to say.
They were interrupted by Samantha's CO coming around the corner.
"What's going on? Carter, I want you to come meet the rest of the team," Lieutenant Colonel Ronan Sheppard said, an easy grin on his dark face, only slightly disturbed by the confused crinkle between his eyes. "Lieutenant Evans is convinced I'm playing a prank on him. He owes me ten bucks."
Sheppard jerked a thumb over his shoulder, casually indicating the rest of the team's direction.
"Colonel Sheppard," the major said by way of greeting, still seemingly dumbfounded. Samantha struggled not to laugh. "This captain was-"
"I was just... greeting my uncle and great-grandfather, sir," Samantha replied evenly. "And becoming acquainted with Major..."
"Emmett, sir," replied the dumbfounded man.
"Ah, yes," Sheppard replied with a broad grin. "Good ole Generals Carter and O'Neill, Hammond. And-" he paused, glancing at the beaming bespectacled man in the painting, "Doctor Jackson." Sheppard smiled sadly. "I was sorry to learn of his passing, captain. I met him years ago, he was an incredible man."
"Thank you, sir," replied Samantha, willing herself not to cry as she thought of Uncle Danny.
"Come on, captain," Sheppard said once more. "I want to introduce you to the rest of SG-23. I'm gonna make so much money off you today." He grinned wickedly at her. She nodded to Major Emmett and followed Sheppard, glad to know her family was always near.