Lost - part 8
Sorry about the delay - all thoughts of fanfic stopped when my mother went into hospital last week, but she's okay now, thank God, so I'm back with the next chapter and profuse apologies for making you wait so long!
Hope you like it! Please review!
Exactly five weeks after their arrival in Amdra, Sam stopped working on the X-302. Jack was right, she'd exhausted all the options – there was simply nothing else left to try. It pained her to let the problem defeat her, but until she was hit by a new wave of inspiration, there was just no point in returning each and every day to make no progress whatsoever.
This, of course, led to the problem of what to do instead. She decided to approach Karelle, who had seemed the most sympathetic to her position in the past.
After breakfast that morning, she waited outside the kitchens for Karelle to come out. When she did, the old woman looked quite surprised to see Sam.
"Major Carter, what can I help you with?"
"I need to talk to you. In private." Sam said quietly. Karelle frowned, and looked around. "I must help with the washing, so it must be brief."
"Of course, it won't take long." Sam assured her.
"Alright. This way." Karelle led her into a nearby hut, and shut the door. Inside were a table and chairs, at which Karelle sat, gesturing that Sam do likewise.
"What is it, Samantha?"
"I can't fix our ship. I'm afraid that the problem lies with the device that must be somewhere on this planet, which we can't find."
"So you are stranded here?"
"It looks that way. Yes."
Karelle nodded thoughtfully. She knew what this meant. Samantha would have to be integrated with their society, and the young woman had made it no secret that she was unhappy with such a position.
"Have you informed my husband?" Karelle asked eventually. Sam shook her head.
"You know that he will wish you to begin working with us in the kitchens, and help with the cleaning and washing?" She continued.
"Yeah, I figured as much."
"But you do not wish to do so."
"No. I feel that I could be more use elsewhere."
"Doing the work of men?"
"Yes." Sam said firmly. Karelle laughed.
"Oh Samantha. You are by far the most audacious woman I have ever had the pleasure to know." She said fondly.
"Thank you." Sam said with an amused little smile. "Does this mean you'll talk to Kollen for me?"
Karelle expression grew serious. "I'm afraid it may not do any good. If it were just Kollen, he may have granted your request, but there is no way Tomah and Nassem would allow it."
Sam sighed. She'd had a feeling that would be the case. "So what can I do to convince them?" She asked.
Karelle regarded her carefully for a long moment, considering how to phrase her answer. "Prove your worth as more than a housewife."
Sam frowned. "How? If I'm not allowed to work with the machinery, or hunt, then how can I prove to them that I can do it?"
"You are good with machines, yes?"
"Yes."
"You have designed machines before, to improve quality of life?" Karelle continued, a small gleam in her eyes.
"I guess you could say . . . Karelle, are you suggesting I design something to help round here, and offer it up to the Council?"
Karelle smiled, looking at Sam like a teacher who was proud of their student. "I would never suggest such a thing." She said with a grin. She stood and walked to the door. Just before she left, she turned and whispered to Sam.
"Good luck."
Again, hope you liked it! Also, I'm apologising in advance for the longer gap between this chapter and the next, as I'm on holiday this week with no access to a computer. Sorry!
Please review! It would be lovely to come back from holiday to a nice fat inbox full of 'em!
Beka ;-)
