SGC: STAIRCASE TO CONTROL ROOM
As if having Anubis send a threatening hologram wasn't bad enough, Sam was then subjected to the continual verbiage of a certain physicist that she wasn't particularly fond of, an individual who had absolutely no experience with current events.
"He has a real flair for the dramatic, doesn't he?" McKay commented sarcastically. "Is this guy always this theatrical?"
Sam wasn't in the mood for McKay, not his constant belittling of her intelligence or his inane conversation, but she tried to appear civil. "Anubis? We've never dealt with him before, but every other Goa'uld we've met is pretty much like that."
"Oooookay," McKay followed her into the control room. "But what's he waiting for? First he attacks, then he waits a day and a half to spring his 'prepare to meet your doom' routine. I mean, how old-movie can a Goa'uld get?"
"I don't know," Sam said less than patiently. Was that coffee she smelled? It wasn't the usual coffee…must be the Air Force special blend. Later, she'd go to Daniel's office to score a cup of the good stuff. "Maybe he wanted to make sure it was going to work before he sprang his surprise speech on us." She grudgingly poured herself a cup of coffee, noticing quickly that it was thick - must have been cooking a little too long. "It wouldn't have looked good if he sent the threat before he knew that his weapon could work."
McKay let loose a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess that would have been embarrassing, wouldn't it? 'Nothing can stop the destruction that I bring upon you!' only to find out his little doomsday weapon is a bust."
Sam couldn't drink the coffee. It was just a little too overcooked. She was definitely going to have to pilfer a small stash out of Daniel's private collection. "Yeah, well, that didn't happen, and we only have 54 hours left. We've got to come up with a way to expend the energy the Stargate's absorbing or stop it from getting through the wormhole or the last thing we'll be discussing is a Goa'uld's humiliation."
If McKay wasn't bad enough, several of the scientists had camped out in the control room and were badgering her with questions. For the first time, she understood Daniel's frustration at not having enough well trained people in his department. She needed more theoretical astrophysicists, not more mathematicians and engineers. If they survived, she made a mental note to ask the general for an increase in the science departments' budgets. She was certain that Daniel would be more than happy to back her up on the request.
Doctor Thompson and Doctor Evans were arguing loudly, their voices rising over all the others.
"Major, can I speak to you for a second?" Thompson rapidly approached with Evans hot on his heels.
"Yes, Doctor Thompson, what is it?" Sam asked.
"Well, when the gate was connected to that black hole, we used a charge to disengage the wormhole - "
"Yeah," Evans interrupted, "but that was an outgoing wormhole, not an incoming one."
Thompson checked a file. "True, but then - "
"It won't work," Evans told him. "Trying to use a charge on an incoming hole would detonate the gate."
"Uh, excuse me," McKay spoke up, raising a finger in the air.
"Evans, would you just let me finish one sentence - "
"Hey!" McKay yelled. "Look, boys, you're really wrong, both of you, but you just gave me an idea."
The looks he received seemed to indicate to him that no one thought him capable of producing an independent idea. "Look, we know that certain waves can travel in both directions through a wormhole, right? Like radio signals for one."
"Yes," Sam agreed. "What do you want to do? Call up Anubis and ask him to stop?" Great, now Sam was getting sarcastic. She was spending far too much time around the colonel and Daniel.
"Yeah, right Blondie. Call him up, say, 'hey, Anubis, you're playing the part way over the top, and overacting went out with Charlton Heston and William Shatner. How about playing it serious for a while? The Screen Actor's Guild is complaining."
Sam didn't have time for this. As she saw Hammond approach, she noticed the look on his face. He wasn't enthused with McKay's presence either. "You were saying?"
"We need to send a massive EM pulse back through the wormhole and knock out whatever's making this happen on the other end."
"McKay - " Sam started.
"Will that work, Major?" Hammond asked.
"No, sir," Sam disagreed immediately. "I've already considered it and the reason I didn't mention it is because that it would be too problematic."
"As opposed to the Stargate blowing up under our noses?" McKay asked sarcastically.
"The iris would have to be opened," Sam argued.
"So what? The Gate Room's shielded, isn't it?"
"Major," Hammond raised his voice over the bickering scientists. "Are you saying that this absolutely won't work?"
"Sir, we have no idea how powerful an EM pulse would be required, and given the fact that the iris is preventing much of the absorption of the energy pulse being transmitted through the wormhole, once we open the iris, the Stargate will absorb the energy at an increased rate and the amount of time between now and the moment it reaches critical mass will be greatly decreased."
McKay threw up his hands. "Great. Let's just pack up and go home."
Looking directly at Sam, he said, "Look, Blondie, we can't sit on our hands doing nothing."
Hammond agreed, even if agreeing went against his chief physicist's advice. "How long will it take to set up?"
"Four hours," McKay told him.
"Tops."
Hammond considered the solution for a moment, then said, "Okay. Do it." Then to Sam, "Major, that's how long you have to come up with a better idea."
JAFFA PLANET
Brata'c carefully and meticulously dialed another planet's symbols but received no response from the Stargate. He waited a few moments, then dialed the address again. The second failure was all the proof they were going to get of Anubis' attack headquarters.
He turned to his friends and said clearly, "I have tried to connect to this world twice now. It is the only one I cannot make contact with."
"We must hope that this planet is the location of the weapon he is using against the Tau'ri," Teal'c had to hope. It was his friend's lives at stake.
Rya'c moved in step with his father as they walked toward the cargo ship. "I'm coming with you. If the Goa'uld can be defeated, then I wish to be a part of it." The adult Jaffa didn't speak for a moment, so Rya'c pressed his advantage. "Father, you and Master Brata'c said I could not judge this war if I am yet to fight a battle." Before Teal'c could protest, Rya'c turned to the elder Jaffa. "Master Brata'c, you have trained me. You must let me fight."
Seeing the looks shared between the two men whose respect Rya'c truly wanted, he added, "You said you did not doubt me."
"I do not," Teal'c assured him.
"Then I will join you."
Brata'c saw his student - not as a boy wishing to prove himself to his father but as a warrior willing to take up his staff and fight against the false gods. Rya'c had learned well, as befitting a good student. "He is very much like you, Teal'c. We should be quick. Let us go."
Teal'c put his arm around his son's shoulders and led the way into the ship. "Very well, but this will be your first battle. You must listen to me and Master Brata'c."
"I will, father. I won't disappoint you."
"You never could."
HAMMOND'S OFFICE
The tense, non-stop hours were catching up with everyone. Exhaustion was showing around people's eyes, and desperation could be heard in their voices. No matter how many times they'd faced the critical moment, Hammond had always hoped that one of his team would pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat and save the day. He didn't see that happening this time. Not yet - but it wasn't from lack of trying.
"I see the arguments are in full swing," Jack commented as he and Daniel walked into the general's office. He immediately gave Daniel a gentle push toward a chair. From the look Hammond saw on Daniel's face, he knew he wasn't the only one to realize that Jack's habit of making sure that Daniel wasn't getting too tired or overworked was no longer needed. In fact, Daniel looked much better than he had for the last three months. There seemed to be some irony in the fact that the man who deciphered the mystery of the Stargate and who had almost died from an element similar to the material the gate was made from had regained his health at the same time the very same Stargate was about to destroy them all.
More voices drifted into the room, all angry and scared. The scientists were loudly debating McKay's plan, and more than one was in agreement with Major Carter's assessment.
"They've got less than four hours to come up with a better idea, Colonel," the general explained. "If Doctor McKay's plan works, then the risk is acceptable."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then we're in even bigger trouble."
"Just out of curiosity," Daniel spoke up, his eyes taking on that look of sudden inspiration that they knew so well, "we know that the Tok'ra have a communication sphere. We took Maybourne's away from him when he was arrested. Could we contact the Tok'ra that way?"
That was a good suggestion. Hammond picked up the phone and promptly called Area 51.
"Doctor Murphy, this is General Hammond…yes, the situation is still the same…Doctor, do you still have possession of Colonel Maybourne's communication sphere…yes, Doctor…. I know…Doctor, as interesting as the device is, we are on a bit of a schedule…yes…and we weren't informed of this…Doctor, may I remind you exactly who you work for?…I understand…thank you, Doctor." The general placed the handset back into its cradle.
"Bad news?" Jack asked.
"According to Doctor Murphy, the communication sphere disappeared from Area 51 almost two years ago."
"And we're just hearing about it now…why?"
"Because its disappearance was deemed top secret by Colonel Simmons."
"Simmons?" Daniel repeated. "He has it?"
"All inquiries directed at him have not produced any information, or so Doctor Murphy told me."
Jack looked up, down, around…."Sir, would it be a prudent move for us to pay Colonel Simmons a visit?"
"I'll call him, Colonel," Hammond warned him as he picked up the handset again. "It seems that there's no love lost between SG-1 and Colonel Simmons."
"Can't argue with that, sir."
"However, I doubt if I'll have better luck. Simmons isn't one to volunteer any help in any situation."
A knock at the door was followed by Sam walking into the office. She placed her laptop in front of Hammond so he could see the screen.
"You still don't agree with Doctor McKay, Major?" he asked.
Sam pointed toward the numbers on the screen. "Sir, I've calculated that opening the iris will increase the flow of energy to the gate by at least 10 times. If McKay's plan doesn't work, we'll be cutting as much as half of the remaining time before the gate detonates."
"I understand that risk, Major, but it's an option. Doctor Jackson suggested we try to use Colonel Maybourne's communications sphere to try to contact the Tok'ra."
"Sir, that could work!" Sam stated excitedly.
"There's only one problem," Daniel told her. "It's missing."
"Missing?"
"It looks like Simmons has it," Jack told her. "I don't think he'd admit to it even to save the planet. The general's still gonna call."
"Oh," Sam sounded very disappointed. She glanced back at the laptop. The numbers hadn't changed.
Jack had never liked it when one of his two resident geniuses was at a loss, so he asked the obvious. "So, any better ideas yet?"
"No. So far, using the sphere is the best alternative I've heard yet."
Things were not looking any better. Hammond didn't know what else to do. Given a military situation, he was very good at doing his job. Given a situation that needed scientific results, and he was at a loss. The two scientists in his office at that moment were two of the smartest people he'd ever met, and both were unable to reach a solution, and there was only one viable option available to them. "Major, I know you and Dr. McKay don't see eye to eye..."
"Sir, this has nothing to do with - "
"Major, right now, we have no other plan. If this plan has any chance of success, it's going to require your cooperation." Hammond didn't want to make it an order, but they had no other choice.
"Yes, sir. I'll keep trying to come up with alternatives." Sam picked up her laptop and left.
Daniel waited until Sam had left before speaking. "You know, it may be my imagination, but is she starting to like McKay? She was very, uh, civil."
"You noticed that, too?" Jack asked. "She was in here for all of, what, three minutes and didn't say one single insult against him."
"Think it's the start of a beautiful friendship?"
The sound of Sam and McKay's bickering voices could be easily heard.
"Maybe friendship isn't the right word…maybe a guarded truce with a lot of border skirmishes?"
JAFFA CARGO SHIP
The previous owners of the cargo ship had left it well stocked before Shakrel took possession of it. Staff weapons, zat'nik'itels, grenades…Brata'c mentally inventoried the supply and found it to be more than adequate.
Brata'c's current prize pupil was readying a pack for himself. Rya'c inspected each grenade carefully, checked the timing unit and then placed it into his bag. He noticed his father standing in his peripheral vision watching him carefully.
Rya'c turned his head, but Teal'c did not look away. "Father, I know what I'm doing."
"Indeed you do," Teal'c said proudly.
"Teal'c, Master Brata'c," Shakrel called to them. "We're approaching the planet."
"How soon?" Brata'c asked.
"Moments." Shakrel altered the ship's controls as they broke free from hyperspace. "I've cloaked the ship."
The sight was a rather impressive one. Five ha'taks were in orbit around the planet and death gliders were flying out of their launch bays.
"The planet is heavily guarded," Brata'c said, although he knew it was unnecessary. It was an obvious statement.
"It is a good sign that the weapon is there." Teal'c remembered a story Daniel Jackson had told him once about the Greeks trying to attack a heavily fortified city and sneaked past the guards by hiding in a wooden horse.
One of the ha'taks emitted a beam from beneath its structure, aiming down towards the planet. "They have rings on the surface," Shakrel said. "That could be useful."
"It also means that there will be Jaffa on the surface," Brata'c cautioned them. We must take them by surprise."
SGC CONTROL ROOM
Daniel didn't have the innate sixth sense that the military personnel around him seemed to have, but he did know when he was being watched. He also knew that the person watching him would have a worried look on his face, worry that had nothing to do with the Stargate. "I'm fine, Jack," Daniel told his friend as Jack walked up beside him.
"Yeah, I know you are. I wasn't checking up on you," he lied.
"You're hovering."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Daniel - "
"Jack?"
"Okay, I'm hovering. A little. Doc still has you under observation, and she'll have my hide if you overdo it."
"Yeah. Did she tell you when that was going to stop?"
"After the first mission you're allowed to go on and come back from and pass the post-mission examination. Or until the gate explodes. That soon enough for you?"
"Uh, yeah, okay. I can live with that. Sort of." Daniel brought the mug up to his lips and drank whatever liquid was in there.
Jack caught the aroma…a forbidden one at that. "Daniel, is that coffee?"
"Yes."
"Doc said you couldn't have coffee, and we're supposed to get first dibs on 'reminding' you of that."
"She's not here, and if the gate explodes, my health is going to be the last thing anyone is worried about. So I'm drinking coffee."
"Ah." Jack looked down into the Gate Room and saw the huge EM pulse generator being towed in. He didn't find it fascinating, but Daniel did. "Care to tell me what's so entertaining about this?"
"The floorshow's about to start, and I didn't want to miss it."
"Floorshow?" What had Jack missed?
"McKay's down there and Sam's heading that way. Want to switch on the microphone?"
Jack grinned wickedly. Yes, put Sam and McKay together and a floorshow was exactly what you got.
GATE ROOM
McKay looked at his watch. Three hours, fifteen minutes and the pulse generator was almost ready. He needed to set a few more controls, adjust a dial or two then everything was ready to go.
One of the technicians helping with the generator bumped into the casing, jarring the device.
"Hey! Be careful!" McKay ordered. "This isn't your ordinary toaster, you know." He motioned them forward. "Okay, move slow… don't want to jostle the insides…put it right here."
As McKay opened the casing and started to make the final
adjustments, he saw Sam enter the room. He didn't look up, he just said, "Don't tell me, Gorgeous. Let me guess. You just want to take the credit for this idea when it works. Right?"
"Just for the record, McKay, my name's Major Carter, and I hate you."
McKay jerked his head up too fast and hit the casing. He rubbed the tender area knowing it was going leave a bump. "Well, then. I guess that means it can't get any worse, right?"
"Don't be too sure," Sam told him. "I'm moving up to despise very quickly." With that said, she turned to leave.
McKay couldn't let her leave with the last word. "You know, if we're gonna work together, we've got to get over this physical attraction thing we've got going."
The technicians purposely looked away.
Sam walked back and whispered, "Oh, I think I can act as though it never existed."
"So you think we'll be able to pretend enough so we can save the world?"
Sam glanced over at the generator, noticing something that no one else had yet. "McKay, before you take credit for this little venture, don't you think that the generator should point toward the gate?"
McKay whirled around, saw that the generator was sitting backwards on the ramp. "You're good, Blondie. Very good." He didn't watch Sam leave the room. Instead, he helped the technicians turn the device around, all the time happy that he got the last word in.
JAFFA CARGO SHIP
Wars and battles were always noisy, but Brata'c couldn't remember as noisy a battle as the one he was listening to on board the cargo ship.
"Rya'c, Master Brata'c and I will transport down to the planet. You are to remain on board with Shakrel."
Rya'c stood by, an indignant expression on his face. "Why?"
Teal'c was exercising every ounce of patience with his son who was walking on the verge of manhood, felt as if he could do whatever the adults could do…. but couldn't. Not yet. However, it wasn't from lack of courage. "One day, you will be a great warrior. I want you to live to see that day. The danger we face on this mission is too great."
"But I am a warrior, Father. I am prepared to die."
Brata'c stepped in to the conversation. "Your skills as a warrior are not in question. It is your lack of experience in battle. Our training methods have not been the same as in the days when we were under the oppression of the Goa'uld. Before, young warriors would be tested through mock battles and war games. Your father wishes only to allow you the chance to gain experience on missions that may not be as suicidal as this one."
"But - " Rya'c started.
"My son," Teal'c placed a hand on Rya'c's shoulder. "I am not prepared to let you die."
A blast outside the cargo ship shook the craft…weapons!
"We have two gliders in pursuit!" Shakrel announced loudly.
Teal'c hurried to the co-pilot's seat. The control readouts bore out what Shakrel had claimed. The gliders were heading for them and were gaining rapidly. "How is this possible? Are we not cloaked?"
"Yes," Shakrel answered. "Anubis must have new technology that may detect cloaked ships." He altered the ship's path, the gliders matched him. He dove, they dove. He climbed, they climbed. One of the gliders fired a volley of torpedoes at them that exploded short of their position. The resulting blast wave shook the small cargo ship. "I am decloaking and diverting power to the shields. We should be within range of the service rings in moments."
Rya'c saw an opportunity. "Father, is it not equally as dangerous to remain on this ship as it is to go to the planet?"
Shakrel didn't have time for a debate. "Go! I will return for you."
"Father –"
Teal'c guided Rya'c to the transport rings. "Stay close to me. If the forces on the ground have been alerted to our presence, as O'Neill says, we'll hit the ground running."
"We will be running?" Brata'c asked although he understood the hidden meaning. "The human says strange things."
"Indeed."
Shakrel activated the transport rings and watched his friends disappear in a stream of light. "Chel nok," he whispered for luck.
ANUBIS' BASE
Anubis' Jaffa had been gleaned from other system lords' defeated forces. Many of these newly assigned Jaffa had no choice, no respect for their new master, no chance of escape and fear holding them in their new positions in life. Failure was met with execution, and sometimes, when Anubis was in a particularly bad mood, he would execute one of his Jaffa as an example to the others – Anubis was not only their new god, he was the determiner of their existence.
Several Jaffa stood guard on the northern perimeter of Anubis temporary base. It was quiet, tedious work but not even forest animals would get past them. Even that would be a breach of security and would be dealt with swiftly. It was rather a surprise for the guards when transport rings formed nearby, depositing two Jaffa warriors and a boy in their midst.
"Identify yourselves!" one of the Jaffa commanded.
Perhaps the Jaffa should have said 'please identify yourselves' because the elder intruder threw a grenade at them, destroying two of the Jaffa. The remaining guards rushed the intruder's position only to be met with staff weapons and zat'nik'itel shots. One guard aimed his staff weapon at the boy, grazing him in the shoulder and knocking him down. It was the last thing the guard saw as one of the adult intruders shot him in the chest with a staff weapon.
Suddenly, all was quiet.
Brata'c and Teal'c helped Rya'c to his feet. "We must move," Brata'c told them. "Others will have heard and will coming in this direction."
SGC CONTROL ROOM
Jack and Daniel decided that it was the better part of valor to keep out of everyone's way during the little experiment. Watching Sam and McKay "attempt" to work together had been interesting in the least, amusing at the most. Sam was giving the effort 100%, but she was having a great deal of trouble maintaining her professional attitude, especially every time McKay said something.
"Oooookay!" McKay yelled gleefully over the intercom. "That's it! EM pulse generator is ready to rock."
Sam looked toward General Hammond. "We're ready, sir. The generator's set up and is primed."
Hammond watched as his people took their places. Sam sat down next to Sergeant Davis while McKay stood behind her. "All right, people. Close the blast doors and open the iris."
Sam placed her hand on the system's handprint analyzer and initiated the command. In moments, they only had the control board's monitors to rely on. Without the iris, the numbers began increasing dramatically. "Energy transfer is increasing. Seven times…eight…ten…"
"Do it!" McKay said, his frustration evident in his voice.
Hammond repeated the command to Davis. "Do it, Sergeant."
"Yes, sir. Activating the electromagnetic pulse."
The main pulse generator began to turn and whirl as it started transmitting the pulse through the wormhole.
Davis pointed toward the energy reading. "Major, look."
Sam sighed. "Sir, the energy transfer is still increasing. The EM pulse isn't having any effect. If it was going to work, then – "
Suddenly, bursts of lightning flew through the Gate, hit the generator and spread to all corners of the Gate Room. The monitors in the control room flashed off from the power overload then through the wires and metal to the control room itself. The sparks crackled over the controls.
"Close the iris!" Hammond yelled.
Sam slammed her hand down on the hand plate. A lightning blast traveled through the device and up Sam's arm, knocking her to the ground unconscious.
Daniel ran to Sam's side took her wrist. Her pulse was strong. She was just unconscious.
"Iris closing!" Davis yelled over the noise. "And we're completely offline now."
"Hoo, boy, she's not gonna be happy when she wakes up, is she?" McKay asked Jack who was standing beside him. This hadn't been a great day.
"Your will up to date?" Jack asked.
"Does it need to be?" McKay wanted to know. The looks he received told him that he was in big trouble.
Hammond picked up the microphone and ordered, "Medical team to the Control Room."
"She is gonna wake up, isn't she?" McKay asked.
Daniel shook his head. "She's alive, McKay, but she'll probably be very angry when she wakes up."
"Carter does have a temper," Jack added. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."
McKay stood back, shrugged his shoulders and got out of everyone's way. Yep, it had been a very bad day.