So here's another chapter – sorry it's only a short one.
They were all geared up and ready to go in record time. Walter looked quite unnerved as all of SG-1and Jacob piled into the control room and stared at him expectantly.
"What's the hold up Chief?" General Hammond said walking into down the stairs form the briefing room.
"Hold up, sir?" The operations chief was glancing from the group gathered behind him to his computer screens, gesticulating quite forcibly, "Sirs, we're in the middle of running several diagnostics to determine the total proportion of energy delivered into the 'gates superconductive ring that is retained after each dial out."
This was all said at Daniel's super speed in O'Neill's opinion. Then again as soon as the word 'diagnostic' left the sergeants mouth he had switched off. Realising Walter had finished O'Neill said, "Well, I'm sure that's fascinating."
"Well, well yes it is", a smile was creeping onto the chief's face, "you see once we can calibrate…"
O'Neill interrupted, once again, just as Walter was about to get into full swing, "Urgh!" Enough with the techno-babble already, I get enough of that from Carter. We need to get through the 'gate." He looked expectantly at Walter, who hadn't moved, "Now" he said waving his arms in the direction of the 'gate.
"But we're in the middle of a 'gate diagnostic." Walter's tone was definitive and only when O'Neill continued to look blank did he add, "you can't go through the 'gate, sir."
"Well", O'Neill said in a forced calm voice, "how long until you're finished?"
"Half an hour, tops" Walter assured.
"The most efficient use of our time would be to further expand our plan O'Neill", Teal'c spoke from the back of the group, "I understand your desire to leave quickly but this course of action would be most unwise."
"You're right Teal'c" Same spoke for the first time since the briefing, "we should further our plan."
"And by further I assume you mean make?" said Daniel as he followed the rest of the team back up the stairs to the briefing room.
After precisely half an hour Colonel O'Neill was on the point of getting up to complain loudly at Walter for his misinformation. Several days of stress and worry over Carter's safety were on the verge of exploding from him. Walter, however, was fortunately spared form this rather harsh dressing down as his boots could be heard climbing up the stairs very quickly.
"The diagnostic is finished", he proclaimed quite proudly to the room, "with quite interesting results, if I may say…"
"Not just now chief" General Hammond cut in, just before O'Neill could, and calmly asked Walter for a report to be on his desk by 1400hrs.
"Yes sir" Walter bustled out of the room with a brief nod.
"SG-1, Jacob, you have a go."