Hey everyone,
I have had a few people asking about maybe putting a forum out there to discuss this story. It seems they want to throw around a few ideas on what Sekhmet's host is, how SG1 will find Sam and as of the last download what is happening to Sam. If anyone is interested in my setting up a forum for this let me know.
I can say that future uploads will provide plenty of discussion material as we still have a ways to go in this story and if you like I can also use the forum to answer any questions (except ones that give the story away) and clarify any story points that may have confused anyone. Just let me know.
Chapter 20
"Hurry Pha'esh!"Anise quickly cleared the medical table of the various instruments, throwing the delicate instruments uncaringly to the ground as Pha'esh followed behind her with Sam's convulsing body in his arms. He quickly laid her on the table and placed his hands on her chest and abdomen to keep her movements from throwing her to the floor while Anise placed a bio-sensor to Sam's chest.
The moment the sensor was in place the room began to reverberate with a multitude of screeching medical alarms.
"What's going on?" Pha'esh yelled at Garshaw who had run to the terminal as Anise attached the sensors.
Garshaw looked over the multitude of readouts that were being registered too fast for the view screen to keep up. The Tok'ra hit several buttons and a large holographic screen materialized with an image of Sam's internal systems. Fear lanced through the woman as red lights began covering the display faster than she could read them. "How can this be happening?" she asked, her panicked voice lost in the bedlam surrounding her.
Anise and Pha'esh struggled with Sam's body as they were trying to place restraints on her arms and legs. Anise secured the woman's right arm while Pha'esh successfully secured Sam's left arm. He moved to secure her leg, but as he reached for her ankle her knee came up and slammed him under the chin sending him crashing to the floor.
Anise threw herself over Sam's legs, amazed at the strength the Atoniek's virus had given the tauri woman. It took all of the Tok'ra's strength to hold the thrashing woman down.
Ignoring the pain in his jaw, Pha'esh pushed himself up from the floor within moments and fastened the remaining restraints. The restraints kept her on the table, but the violence of the convulsions racking her body were obviously causing internal damage.
Anise ran over to join Garshaw at the medical console and gasped in horror when she saw the display screen. She grabbed a data pad off the console hoping to see something there that would explain why Major Carter's body was failing. The information scrolled by at a breakneck speed making it impossible to pinpoint the problem. "None of this makes any sense!" She yelled to Garshaw, adding her voice the auditory pandemonium in the room.
"Garshaw!" Pha'esh yelled at the councilwoman as Sam's body was rocked with another violent spasm.
"I do not know!" She yelled back at him in frustration as her fingers flew over the console trying to counteract the multiple organ failures that the screaming alarms were warning her about.
"Her internal systems are failing!" Anise shouted over the alarms.
"Which ones?" asked Pha'esh
"All of them!"………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"In case she fails"
Silence enveloped the room as everyone in the room turned toward Jack. Jack looked away from Jacob and pinned with an angry stare the General. "Am I correct, General?" he asked, accusation lacing his terse voice.
The General glared at his 2IC as he answered. "Failure is always a possibility, Colonel." Without breaking eye contact with the Colonel he continued. "This mission was no more dangerous than any other undercover op that SG-1 has participated in, and Major Carter was more than qualified to undertake it."
Seeing the tension between the two officers, Daniel broke into the conversation.
"General, if we are going after Sam, where do we start?" The officers broke eye contact and turned to look at the archeologist. Daniel fidgeted a moment under the intense stares directed toward him then continued. "If finding Sam is our priority then perhaps we should concentrate our energies to that end." He said, his words a mild rebuke to both men.
General Hammond nodded in agreement. "Major Carter's original mission parameters sent her to Bastet's planet in the Brison system. We should start there." He turned to Jacob. "Jacob, we need all the information the Tok'ra have on Bastet's planet, capital city and the palace."
Jacob nodded. "I will also see who we have planted there and if we can get a feel for what's going on."
"A Jaffa once loyal to Bastet recently joined the ranks of the Free Jaffa. I will contact him and see of what assistance he may be." Teal'c added.
"Good." General Hammond turned to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I want you find out everything you can on Bastet and Sekhmet and I mean everything." He glanced over to Jacob. "Once Jacob is finished speaking with the Tok'ra get with Selmak and find out what he knows."
Jacob frowned as if trying to hear to someone speak, which of course he was. A worried expression came over his features as he nodded. "We will meet Daniel as soon we are finished speaking with Per'sus."
George hesitated before nodding to his old friend. "That will be fine, but come by my office first. I would like to know what Per'sus says."
"Of course."
"All right, people, let's get to work."
Everyone stood to go about their perspective tasks, but as Jack stood up the General caught his attention and with a jerk of his head toward his office, silently ordering his 2IC to get his ass in there.
Jack scowled and nodded his head in understanding, not the least bit surprised he was about to get a thorough ass-chewing. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sam gazed in awe as the darkness attacked the white light surrounding her and the young man standing before her. Silvery whorls flowed over the surface whenever the dark tendrils tried to break through. Even with the frightening strength of Sekhmet's madness trying to break through…the effect was dazzling.
"Reborn?" she asked the young man, never taking her eyes from the mesmerizing sight.
"Yes."
A frown marred her forehead and she glanced at the man. "I'm not coming back as a bug or something am I?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
The young man smiled, clearly amused. "No."
Sam did not return the smile but instead studied the man for a moment wondering why he seemed so familiar to her. He was not a striking figure; with light brown hair and an average build he would have blended into any human population. He was…..well…..normal looking…..almost. It was when Sam looked into his eyes that she saw the difference. The light hazel eyes were old……no, they were Ancient.
"Oh my God…" she breathed.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
"Close the door Colonel." General Hammond said gruffly.
Jack closed the door then turned to face his CO as the General walked behind his desk and sat down.
The General looked at his 2IC sternly. "OK, Jack, out with it."
"Sir?"
"You're obviously angry with me about Major Carter's mission. I just want the specifics."
When Jack remained silent, the General let out a long sigh. "Jack, before I send you after Sam I need to know what's going on in that head of yours."
Feeling like he was beating a dead horse, but unable to reconcile this issue, he decided to come clean with his frustrations regarding his role, or lack there of, in Carter's mission. "Why was I left out of the loop on this mission, Sir?" Jack asked, truly troubled by the General's lack of trust in him as Sam's CO. "I know Carter didn't want me to know, but I am having difficultly with the fact that you agreed."
General Hammond studied his second in command weighing in his mind how he should proceed. Jack O'Neill was the best officer he had ever commanded, but he was unsure how the younger man would react to the General's reasons for agreeing to keep him out of the loop this time around.
"My decision had nothing to do with your competence as Major Carter's CO, Jack. I did it because I understood and respected the Major's reason for requesting it."
"Well, I'm glad somebody understands, because I sure as hell don't." Jack said in exasperation. "I mean Daniel gets it and I can guarantee that Teal'c does too. Am I just too dense or what?"
"I agreed with Major Carter's request because I was concerned that your feelings for Major Carter would cloud your judgment…"
"Sir! My feelings for the Major are…"
"More than they should be, Colonel." General Hammond responded gently.
Jack said nothing for moment. The fact that the General was aware of his feelings for Carter did not surprise him. Yet he did feel the need to clarify their relationship. "Sir, the Major and I have never acted on those feelings."
The General gave him a small smile. "Physically no. Emotionally, you have never stopped acting on them."
"Sir…"
The General held up his hand, silently interrupting the Colonel. "We've known each other for over seven years, and I've seen you and your team go through things that no human should ever have to endure. During that time I have seen Colonel Jack O'Neill meet and overcome everything thrown at him, protecting the man Jack O'Neill from the trauma of your life and the heartbreaks. But every man has his breaking point, Jack."
"Sir, I can handle my feelings, besides Carter's got this Pete guy and…." Jack stopped not really wanting to think about Sam's boyfriend. "Anyway, Carter wanting to keep me uninformed on this mission….says a lot."
General Hammond shook his head ruefully at the younger man. "No Colonel, her not wanting to tell you should say everything."
"Sir?"
General Hammond leaned forward trying to impress on the man the gravity of what he was saying. "When Major Carter told me that her secrecy was for the benefit of the entire team, I was confused by her request. It was a simple recon mission, but knowing what we know now……Sam would not ask you to order her into a situation that would get her killed."
Jack scowled at the General's words.
"Major Carter was doing what she always done, Jack." General Hammond said sadly. "Sam was protecting you."
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"You're an Ancient…"
The man's smile widened at the woman's obvious intelligence.
"…and I'm dying." Sam said sadly.
The man's smile faded. "Yes, your body's systems are collapsing. Soon everything will break down, your heart will cease to beat……and you will die."
Sam nodded in understanding. "So why are you here?"
"To protect you." he said, waving his hand toward the darkness.
She looked into the darkness that was devouring her mind.
"Protecting me…"
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
'Protecting me… '
Jack wandered aimlessly through the halls of the SCG. "God, Carter." he whispered. The hollowness he had been holding at bay this whole time began to fill his chest. He shook his head in denial. 'What the hell had she been thinking? Protecting him was the last thing she should have been doing. She was a hell of lot more valuable than he was…' He closed his eyes as a bitter smile touched his lips. Sam would never see that though…. The General had been right…Sam had been protective of him since day one.
Jack stopped walking, surprised to find himself standing in front of the closed door to Sam's lab. He reached down and grasped the cool metal of the door latch and slowly opened it into her darkened lab. Without turning on the light he entered and closed the door behind him. Darkness enveloped him as he made his way without incident to Sam's desk. His fingers reached out and brushed the desk lamp. He turned it on and a weak light came on, barely penetrating the darkness around him. He sat down in Sam's chair and looked at the various little things that littered her desk.
Nothing personal. Her pictures and personal stuff had been taken home with her. Still, Jack could see the imprint of her presence.
He ran his fingers lightly over her computer's keyboard noticing where the home keys were faded and worn from the hours she had spent typing technical reports on her doohickies. He picked up a pencil that was resting just above the F keys and smiled slightly at the teeth marks that marred the yellow wood. It was so easy to see her sitting there chewing on the thing as she mulled over some technical mystery that would be stumping her at the moment. His 2IC had the goofiest quirks and God he missed every one of them.
Jack took a deep breath…Sam's absence was a gaping hole in his team…and in his life.
It was time to get her back.
"Hang in there Sam…..I'm coming."
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Ancient touched the swirling silver and white light above them, trailing his fingers through the luminous barrier. "It is almost time." He said quietly.
Sam nodded as she watched the silvery swirls in the light surrounding them fluctuate erratically as the light began to falter.
The young man's hand fell to his side as a soft light began to glow from within his chest then spread, transforming him into the recognizable form of an ascended ancient. Sam reached out to him…
"Does dying hurt?" she asked. Her heart was breaking at the thought that everything she had done would be for nothing. She was sure the Tok'ra would go forward somehow, but those she loved would never know why she did what she did…..or how much she loved them.
"No," the light said gently, "but this will…"
Without warning the barrier of light disappeared and as the darkness rushed in a searing bolt of light enveloped Sam. A scream was torn from her throat as the white fire consumed her soul.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Garshaw!" Pha'esh yelled at the woman behind the medical consol. Samantha's body was still being rocked with frightening convulsions.
"Her entire cellular make up is breaking down! She is being consumed from the inside out!"
"By what?"Yelling to be heard over the medical alarms she shook her head. "I do not…" Suddenly, silence filled the room and Garshaw's loud voice reverberated through the room. "…know." She looked up from console to the medical display watching in despair as the red lights began fading.
With tears in his eyes, Pha'esh looked down at the table where Samantha's still body now rested quietly. He reached out a shaky hand and placed two fingers against the pulse point of her neck. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
Samantha Carter was dead.
He opened his eyes and picked up her delicate hand, holding it in his larger one. "Forgive us…Samantha…" He turned the pale hand over in his and frowned when he saw a deep cut on the index finger.
"Pha'esh!" Anise screeched in alarm.
His head jerked back down to Samantha's body, dropping her hand as a white light flowed from her chest and began enveloping her body.
Sam's eyes flew open as she gasped in a lungful of air and…….screamed…..
Medical alarms screeched to life once more and the white light became brighter. Pha'esh reached out and grabbed Sam's arm then yelped in pain pulling his hand back, revealing severe burns to his palm and fingers.
A crackle of energy pulsed through the air as the light flooded the room, blinding the occupants and driving them back from the writhing form on the table. A high-pitched whine joined the screeching alarms causing the room around them to vibrate violently.
"Get down!" Garshaw screamed as the deafening whine of the console overshadowed the alarms and Sam's screaming.
They threw themselves to the ground just as the console overloaded and exploded.