Hello hello,
This is intended to be the penultimate chapter (I swear). It's long and somehow I found out that I had the whole last part written a couple of years ago. Apparently I wrote the almost ending before I knew I was writing this… amazing, huh?
Well, hopefully you'll like this… it doesn't tie all the loose ends… but it will... next time. Let me know if there's something that you think I'm missing. So I can check if I am or not!
And enough of me, you still have plenty to read below!
Enjoy!
M.
PS: If you read fems wonderful fanfiction, do not read mine afterwards. Hers is amazing! :3
Chapter 36 – When the other shoe falls
Meddling, that was probably, by far, the worst word in the English dictionary. At least, that was what Colonel and Major where thinking at that point. Meddling, however, was something they were both used to and (sometimes) hated to be part of…
They were okay with meddle when they were ordered to do so, as they had to in the many special operations over the years, and by their own decision when interrupting the ways of many aliens races during their tours with SG-1.
They were accustomed to the unobtrusive meddle of the base, where everyone liked to stick their nose in the private lives of everyone else, in an unstoppable grapevine to which they normally contributed to and used in their own favor, feeding it was a smart way to kept their real relationship out of the loop. Still surprised them they had managed to do it for so long and how highly people thought of them. And how easily was for anyone that knew them a little, to know they were in love.
On the other side of the whole situation, they were always aware that, no matter what, the other shoe always falls, and with that knowledge in their hands, they were sure that, at some point, all the meddling they did in their lifetime, would come and bite their asses off…
Not surprisingly, that day had come.
After they recounted the missing hours they experienced but they hadn't actually written down, "it seemed unimportant back then," all the humans of the team added or at least agreed, then turned back to Teal'c, who hadn't said a word (not that they expected him to) and they were answered with a raised eyebrow.
"I did not write about such incident either, I found strange you both lost time together. However, after the events of the last weekend, I considered to be more a risk to write it down than not." He explained in his deep voice, making General Hammond sigh.
Scrubbing his face impatiently, he thought that he was being punished for something since he was pretty sure no other base commander had to deal with such kind of team, not that he didn't appreciated SG-1… it was that sometimes…. Their ways made his position complicated.
"I expect all of your mission reports again for later today and I will be looking for each of your explanations of this exact moment," He added
Yes, he was close, really close with SG-1 but sometimes… sometimes, he preferred to deal with the extremely complete reports of the marines which tended to describe even who took longer to finish lunch or who picked the chicken mre and who got the mac & cheese one.
Than to have to deal with SG-1's ones, that he could recognize by the width of the folder.
The summary version of Jack's, never longer than a page.
The straightforward and weirdly written of Teal'c's… with five pages at most.
The shorter version of Sam's that often was between Jack's and Tealc's extension but came with two sets of documents. One, her summary and the second, a summary for doohickeys and such…
And the easiest one to pin point …. the extremely long version of Daniel, which included a meticulous detailed description of ancient writing and artifacts. Exactly as he noticed them.
And that preference of the marines reports over SG-1's ones was simple… It was too often that, extension notwithstanding, all four reports from SG-1 missed important stuff that he learned happened while doing the briefing but none of the four members considered too important to add until he ordered them to. So he always ended up reading them twice.
"But aren't you surprised with the news? You knew?" Daniel frowned incredulously, George shook his head trying to go back to the line of conversation and it dawned to him that he hadn't show any surprise by learning of Sam's pregnancy.
"Yes, I knew."
"As CMO is my duty to inform … changes of status… the moment I know about them. I had to let General Hammond know after I told Sam. It's procedure." Janet explained
"Change of status? You said it like it's …" Daniel started to complain for Sam's condition, she was pregnant not invalid, he wanted to add but he was cut short by Sam herself.
"I can't take part of SG-1 missions, not until I'm out of the maternity period, Daniel. Therefore, it is a change of status"
"What? Why?"
"It's part of procedure, Doctor Jackson, a pregnant woman is put in light duty to preserve her health and that of her child" General Hammond explained
"But ... it is not definite? Isn't?"
"Well, we'll have to see, Danny-boy, Sam's definitively out of regular duty, that's zero gate travel for her until she gives birth. At least, she still has time to think of what she's going to do…"
"She's going to do?"
"Daniel..." Sam warned.
"Shoot, yeah, you are right, sorry" He said with a sheepish smile. "You are going to ... think… about it then"
"Yeah… this is going to complicate things badly… and then again, I don't really want to … you know," she trailed blushing.
"No, I wasn't even thinking of an abortion Sam!" Daniel exclaimed quickly, General Hammond cleared his throat.
"Let's break this meeting here. Let's reconvene at 1400. Colonel, Major, bring your memory recall devices and let's see if we can get to the origin of this situation."
"Yes, sir"
"Also, we sent a word to the Tok'ra… to see if they have any idea about the magical dna, the Furlings are believing you now carry"
"Thank you, sir"
At 1359 the room was already filled with the members of SG-1 and Janet, who was there more out of curiosity than a real medical reason. Yes, she expected to see something medical in the memories implanted in both of her friends' brains but she also was there to provide some sort of moral support to them.
General Hammond entered the room, gesturing them to sit avoiding all the military paraphernalia that regularly happened when he entered a room. Although, by then, even his gesture was something they didn't expect anymore. The SGC was quite unorthodox in certain behaviors, they all nodded to him instead and soon, Jack and Sam were pulling their memories in display.
"You said it was day 3?"
"Maybe start with the party? When we lost you…"
"Nah, we were both conscious there, you said you lost us for 15 minutes, and that's exactly the time that passed until Mbyja and Arandu came to get us for the toast."
"All time there is accounted for… we can revisit if it's not related to day 3 time lost." Sam added
"Okay…if you are so sure… let's do day 3 then…."
P34XZ0
Day 3
It was just another boring day at P34XZ0. The other team had gone back to the council session while SG-1 once again was broken in two: one for science, one for archeology, as they did yesterday.
He yawned. The previous day, to avoid any comments from SG-21 about him and her, he divided SG-1 and got himself stuck with Daniel… and almost ended up throwing his dear friend in the lake. He was so short of doing it that he decided that listening to technobabble was good for his mental health.
Boy! He was so wrong.
The good side, or at least the better side of being stuck with techno-side was the ability to watch Sam in her environment, and that was something he could do for a long time. But even his Samwatching skills could only get so far, and at some point, he knew he was busted when she turned around, walked to him and handled him a game boy and a wink.
Where did she got the Gameboy from and how she smuggled it to an alien planet… was something he didn't even thought of before turning it on and play. The device in his hands could actually fool someone into believe he was distracted not to notice things going on, but that was so far away from the truth.
It was somewhere between level 20 and the condenser of something weirdly named that something gave him the chills. He looked around and couldn't find anything wrong nor could he remember how he got to level 20 already. Then he looked his watch and saw it was stopped.
SGC
Present
"That's what I remember happened then we went to find you guys"
"What about you Major?"
"I remember pretty much the same"
"Okay"
"Now, try not to think in what you remember but just, I don't know close your eyes and see what happens after that?" Daniel added skeptically.
"Yes, maybe we can see if there's something more if you are induced to think about it. Like how the hypnosis works," Janet reassured Daniel's opinion. And both comments where received with raised eyebrows from the couple.
"It might be worth it," Teal'c added calmly, "When we kel'no'reem we reach a point where we can contact our memories as we please. And as you know, we can also reach that of our symbiont."
"We don't have a thing to lose by trying," Sam shrugged. "I can go first I you like?" she proposed, knowing how much Jack hated anything related to meditation. "I guess you can tell what you remember and we can see if it brings some memories to my brain?"
"Sure…" he added with not so much confidence, "okay, day 3… you were talking about the condenser…"
"Then you asked what's the time… and we went to find them…" Sam added.
"Yes, that's what I remember…" he nodded.
"No, try slower… try to remember details…"
"Concentrate in your breathing," Daniel whispered.
"Really, that's what you are going with, space-monkey?" Jack questioned him, and it was answered with a shrug. "Never mind… Okay… we were in one of the rooms," Jack started and Sam closed her eyes with a sigh, "with this yellowish girl with bright purple eyes. She looked at you like you were a savior or something.
P34XZ0
Day 3
"Okay, so if we have this… Ilex?" she tried the weird name and was welcomed with a grin "then we can power up this and easily change naquadah form?" the girl, Yvy, nodded. But there was something really weird in the way she looked at her. Surely, if she saw it, Jack would see it too, wouldn't he?
She turned around and found his eyes, he looked extremely bored but at the same time he was highly aware, which she knew always ended up giving him a headache because he processed each and every breath that happened in the room if he didn't have a distraction. She raised her eyebrow slightly and with an almost imperceptible turn of her eyes, she questioned his perception of the alien girl. His answer, a curt and almost as imperceptible nod, was all she needed to know he too felt something was wrong. To cover the small exchange, she took the Gameboy she smuggled with her things and gave it to him with a wink. And the giggle of the girl was something they didn't expected.
"Don't worry you won't remember this," she smiled softly at both of them, before everything went black
SGC
Present
"What the actual hell!?" both jumped up, and in a uniform action they both took a step back from the device. But whatever they had triggered continued going.
On the screen they saw themselves being taken to a bed on what appeared to be the next room while Yvy smiled lovingly to whomever was the owner of that memory. and then, they heard it…
"The council agreed to implant my memory of this moment to your brains."
They didn't need to see the reflection in the glass wall to know who was talking…
"Arasunu" they both growled.
P34XZ0
Day 3
He thought he managed to get both of them away of their people the first day, but then those kids' came and took them away from his lab. Probably because they knew what his duty was and despite what the council agreed they both were still against it.
That day, just not to give away what his intentions where, and not to confront Mbyja and Arandu, he left them go… 'there will be plenty of chances tomorrow' he thought that night and how wrong he was.
The next day, the humans had split into groups. Four of them went to the Council, then the other divided themselves in two. He hoped the couple would end up together due to their bond, surprisingly, they didn't.
And he needed both of them at once.
All the experiments he had done with what they had left behind after their first visit, ended up not working quite as well as he expected… and to create the embryo to be implanted and making it grow without compromising anything in his health nor the basics threads they were in desperate need of, he needed to make the process of modifying the basics of the parents in their own bodies before taking them out to create the child.
After that, he had steps planned but he would have to take any issue as they appeared. But that would only happen if they both were together and he couldn't come up with anything to force them to be together and out of the reach of Mbyja and Arandu for a couple of hours of a day.
That day wasn't right either… but, there always was the next one…
If the third day wasn't possible, then he would have to resort to a more complex solution, doing in their living quarters while they. were asleep. That the council considered to risked, they couldn't know for sure if some of their friends would show up out of nowhere and discover what they were doing or even interrupt the process.
But then, at the third day, he saw them leaving the mid meal together and walking from there towards the science building. He couldn't help the smile, and his smile let his partner, Yvy, know that something good was about to happen.
"What is it, love?" she asked softly, her purple eyes glinting lovingly.
"They are coming together." He said, "we will be able to put our plan into action"
"Is everything ready in my lab?"
"Yes, we only need them to be close enough to each other and further away from you".
She nodded and he saw her disappear into her lab, she made the wall separating them clear from his side, so he would be able to see what was going on. And with that he saw her turn around to receive the humans.
He saw how Jack paced the room with critical eyes, without finding anything and he sighed in relief. Samantha, pointed by Yvy, took a seat in front of the device Yvy was supposed to teach her how it worked. And they started and he couldn't avoid but follow Jack's pacing. Back and forth they were both going separated by the glass wall. Then, at some point the human decided it was enough and he sat in a bench somewhat far away from the girls and he smiled.
Now, all they needed was for her to approach him and for Yvy to stay away while they did. Another hour or so passed until, he felt Yvy looking towards his direction. She looked pissed off but she just grinned and nodded once.
Then, it happened. Samantha turned around after a quick look at Jack, she walked to him taking something out of her pockets and giving it to him. And then they were close enough and he reacted. He gave the order and the humans both received a dose of their sedative. Both reached for the little prick they didn't even felt in their necks and Yvy giggled at the similar reaction
"Don't worry you won't remember this," she smiled softly at both of them, before Sam's body awkwardly collapsed on top of Jack's.
With a smile, he opened a door between the two rooms and went in, his team already moving to put the humans in the position they needed them.
"The council agreed to implant my memory of this moment to your brains." He said loudly, "this is what I've done…"
"You, take that device and check what it is," he showed the device that used to be at Jack's hands, and then, he started to work on Sam's body. "First, I need to mature a couple of your eggs. For them to be strong enough to support the change we need to make." They heard some sort of typing and the screens in the alien language. Then at some point, he raised his eyes to watch them.
"Arasunu, it appears to be some sort of testing environment," the alien with the Gameboy told him.
"Then, use it until we finish, that way when he wakes up will be able to see he was just to concentrated in his testing and didn't noticed time stop."
"We already stopped their time devices"
"Good, carry on…" he waited for the other alien to be concentrated in the testing device before bringing his focus back in what he was doing before, "now, I'm going to modify your basics to make sure all the traits we need from you, are passed over the eggs in a similar way, Samantha" he said and went back to his screens.
"We are done with Samantha for now. It's time for Jack's side. We will also mature your sperm. We need more of them because male reproduction cells are weaker for this purpose. After, we are going to modify them so your traits are duplicated in the way we need them to be"
"All done, now…. Comes the complication, you'll see… I have tested this, with those you left us before, but I did it wrong. In my experiment, I waited for egg and sperm to be joined before doing the modifications … and it didn't work. It didn't survive the growth"
"With the data collected, I ran simulations and found this was the only way it will come to term. Sadly, we can only growth the child for a determined amount of time for day. Otherwise it will not develop correctly," he explained while he attempted to fertilize Sam's egg with Jack's sperm. After a few attempts one sperm finally made it.
"We don't have much time, love," Yvy said, "It's almost time for the meal"
"It's done, the egg's implanted"
"What about the growth?"
"I'll start the growth process when she wakes up, you will need to keep her here until the traits of the sedative are fully gone, then I will implant the growth and it will be done for today. Tomorrow, when she comes back to meet Moroti, I will do the second growth, when she meets Yasy, I will do the third growth"
They saw how their limp bodies were dragged back to the other room, both were placed in the bench's they sat before getting closer. "What about your memories?" Yvy asked returning to the place she was before they collapsed.
"I will put them in place, in their last night here," he said to her before the wall closed again.
"Okay," he saw Yvy look at the screen in front of her and sigh. "As I was explaining the Ilex is…" she trailed and he saw in the screens that Samantha blinked quickly. On another screen, he saw Jack doing the same.
They both frowned, "Can you said that again? I think I lost focus", Samantha added and Yvy smiled and started the explanation she never gave before, trying her best to make Samantha feel comfortable, but she couldn't manage to take the confused expression out of the taller woman's face. On the other side of the room, Jack looked around as if something was wrong.
He waited for the levels of the drug they put them to be completely out of Samantha's body before sending the small needle towards her. If she felt the prick she didn't complain but she again scratched her neck, making the small dissolvable needle go further in and in his screen he saw the growing complex making its way into her bloodstream. As if on cue, Jack's voice interrupted Yvy, "Carter? What's the time?" Samantha frowned and looked at her watch.
"My watch's stopped" she answered.
"Oh," Yvy interrupted them, "we must have been too immersed in our conversation, I too lost track of time, we should all go, it's almost last meal time"
And with that, he saw the three of them disappear trough another door, before taking a shortcut to the meal room.
SGC
Present
"I remember I found extremely weird for both our watches to stop, I mean they are automatic watches and they are protected against electromagnetic fields. However, they are from the same provider and same year of make… so I didn't really give it much of a thought"
"Well, now we know what the hell happened. And how is possible for you to be 7-8 weeks pregnant."
"The last day we were there, I didn't go to the lab, so if we say it's 8, then they managed to grew it 2 weeks per day. If it's 7 then I will say that the first day they did it only one week and then on the sixth they didn't manage to send the second dose either"
"Is there any way to save this memory to something? This is the only proof that you didn't actually break any rule." Hammond frowned hearing how silly that sounded when he knew they were married and had a kid. Sam smiled at him
"Yes, there is. I will make a copy of it"
"Good"
"Well, we have proof, now we only need a way out"
SGC
Four weeks later
This wasn't a regular day at Cheyenne Mountain Complex, there were no teams returning from planets far away from Earth. There were no aliens apart from the regular ones. No plagues, viruses or dying people. There was this eerie silence, there were as many man and woman in A class uniforms as the gate room could support and there was a podium and 10 chairs in the normally empty base of the Stargate. Definitively not a normal day… but as every not normal day… it would be a really special one.
One Colonel was very uncomfortable and was trying really hard not to complain about how awful was using the blues, and of course was trying really hard not to look over and over again to his 2IC never ending legs. At the same time, said 2IC was trying to remember if she left some experiment running in her lab. None of them was expecting what was about to happen, all they knew was that somehow the board of promotions had chosen many of the SGC members to move forward a rank, and someone had convinced them to make a party to celebrate it.
Colonel and Major also hoped this wasn't the day they would hear about their future. They still were anxiously waiting for an answer from the JCOS, the President or whomever would decide their future. Yes, they were married and working together and pregnant with a child they didn't searched for. However, they had presented their case two weeks ago and if the unconvinced looks of the JCOS gave them at that point were something to take in consideration, well, they were pretty sure they were nothing but screwed. They had already started to think what they were going to say when all possibilities of keeping Sam's pregnancy hidden was null, and also, there was just so much out of roster time that SG-1 could take without raising to many questions… .and they were already almost at the brink of them.
Added to that, when they received noticed of all this thing about the board coming to the SGC, their nerves only spiked up. And then they learned that General Ryan, Chief of Staff of the Air Force was there too, and that also didn't help. And then, when Jack was about to make a joke to see if he could somehow take some of the stress out of Sam's body, the feared owners of the chairs were coming in and all their doubts were to be postponed and hided under a mask, until whatever the ceremony purpose was, ended and they were once again home.
All the Officers did a perfect salute while the Generals started to take their sits in front of the gate. SG-1 had discussed that decision with General Hammond, but with Walters in command of the iris, they were sure they would contain the whiplash of the connection. Hammond smirked as he went pass them, confusing the hell out of the two officers with that action. Soon, their salutation was dismissed and the out coming Generals were introduced.
"Today, General Ryan, wants to give you some words. Ladies and Gentleman, General Ryan," Hammond finished with claps and the room followed suit. Ryan raised his hands and they stopped.
"Good Morning Officers, and thank you for such a warm welcome. I know this is the first time that the board decides to do something like what we are about to do, or that a Chief of Staff is standing in this position... Many of you are putting your lives at risk every other day to fight not only the common battle but to fight against aliens on alien ground; we considered that many of you are ready for the next grade. However, before we can give a hand to the future, we need to fix a couple of mistakes which were done in the past. I have a secret and a story… which I will like to share with you all"
"Under the secrecy of this base lies another secret which comes from before those early days where you didn't know for sure what a Goa'uld was or how to shoot a zat... A secret that makes the protagonists of this, even more heroic in your eyes than they already are. Inside a top secret folder in an ultra-secret briefcase which exist on a secret storage of a top secret facility… there's a paper… a wedding certificate to be exact. And this piece of paper is attached to a mission report which has never seen the light since the day it was delivered. In my long career I've heard of only 3 cases of top secret marriages. Only one of them succeeded."
"A top secret marriage implies that, only the couple knows they are married, and everyone else… well, they don't know. This couple, as many other military couples, has to survive being apart. But contrary to others, they are often being judged as if they were doing wrong things. They have to make hard decisions based on the secrecy which has fallen upon them… If you believe marriage isn't easy... A hidden marriage is even worse… and you might wonder why I am telling you this? What any of this has to do with us? We've known each other for ages! And yet… the couple that managed to overcome every obstacle that such situation provokes and still be together and have a family … works here." General Ryan stopped to asset the crowd, the ones who knew didn't look less surprised that the ones that had no idea of what he had said. He smiled.
"We are still amazed with how they managed to live with the secret and we are still wondering how, after all this time, we never got a single complain of fraternization related to those two. And nothing but praises of those who worked with them. Thus, after a long deliverance by JCOS, we presented their case to the Senate and the President himself. It wasn't an easy choice and I'm honored to announce that file SK29381/USAF_L7 is not classified anymore. You two deserve to be free of that kind of secret, especially now," He said looking around, searching for a reaction and when he found none, at least not from the couple, he smiled. "We know you both must be extremely happy, but as we expected you are still officers first. Again, thank you, we appreciate the sacrifices you did for the USAF," He said seemingly to no one in particular
"And that's the secret… the story… it goes like this: I remember it was many years ago, I was just a Lt Colonel at the Academy… when I saw her. She was the most beautiful girl that I have seen. She didn't look like an Officer back then; I know now she wasn't even of age yet… Anyway, I saw her standing next to her dad, who's someone I still admire, and he was talking with the General, and I remember walking closer to them and hearing the General say to this man. 'Are you sure? She will miss the freedom of life' and before he could answer, she did. And I still remember her answer word by word, she said: 'I was free and failed, I am here to correct my mistake, sir'. Those words coming from such a young mind left me baffled. What possible mistake could you make at 17 to think like that? I wondered. I still wonder… and I remember, later that year, when I went back to the Academy for the Special Ops selection. The best students were called… and there she was, and with the same certainty she said those words before, she took a step forward where everyone else faltered."
"I remember thinking 'oh this girl will be trouble' when after finishing her first ever special ops mission, she reported back and had the guts to question an order, and I remember the exact moment when I changed that statement to 'she will be a very good officer'. It was easy to do so, after I learned that, with the permission she got after questioning that order; she and her Barret M82 saved not one but 5 other soldiers. Hadn't she questioned that order and saved those men, you wouldn't know of Jack O'Neill." He paused for effect, and Sam gulped, trying hard not to blush with the knowing look she received from Generals Hammond and Ryan.
"In the four years of her stay in the Academy, she managed to keep not only her grades high, finish many careers and get every single mark as the highest. To manage what she did is still a prized goal inside the Academy walls and remains unbeaten. And added to all that, she managed to tutor most of her classmates, along with younger and older cadets who had the pleasure to meet her. Her marks may be surpassed one day, but the fact that every single student who got her helping hand or rather helping brain was a perfect student is something that we won't believe we will see again."
"Knowing all that, we expected great things for her future and she didn't disappoint. The USAF, however, did. Someone pointed us to her file, and we noticed something was not right. So, after many hours of debate, it was granted for us to read her full expedient and by full, I mean the fully unclassified one, and I am talking about a file that has about the same length of the full Harry Potter series and like it, is still waiting for a continuation… This file, is quite enjoyable and amazing"
"And just like one of those cheesy movies about destiny, she saved the man from which her file can't seem to be severed out, her following missions always end up bringing them together and it is in one when they weren't really in the same place, that we found the wrong… She was captured and she found herself thrown in the same cell that this man… and against all odds, they both survived. Despite of his complaints and a note where he states he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her, he was given a star… and she? She was demoted." This time he stopped when he heard the crowd gasps. "Yes, she got back home broken, kicked, famished, sick… and we gave her a knife in the back."
"And we need to correct this… not only because of her work, but because of her genre. We need more women like her joining and we need them knowing they will be valued. With that, I'm telling you… we are reinstating your first promotion and we are also keeping your second promotion in the right date."
"Now, less proceed with the Promotion Ceremony. The first person I'm going to call, has a long and complicated history with the USAF, his file doubles the size of the woman I just described. He even resigned a couple of times just to return, or rather being dragged, back to the USAF. Most of you, if not all, know what he did in order to protect the Earth, and therefore, you don't need the explanations about his qualifications. And yes, I'm talking about you… Colonel O'Neill, front and center" Jack marched up to the ramp, the only one that knew how confused he was, was the woman that knew him so well.
"Colonel O'Neill, the board of qualifications noted that your actions in the defense of the Earth were beyond the limits of your current rank and with the full support of the President of the United States of America, we grant you the rank of Brigadier General. Congratulations General O'Neill, General Hammond," Ryan said and Hammond came forward holding the box with his new rank. "SK29381/USAF_L7 is of public knowledge, General," Ryan whispered to Jack, "will you want her to do the honor?" Jack looked bewildered at Ryan, then at Hammond. Then to all the other General's standing around with knowing looks and he grinned.
"Yes," he turned around and made eye contact with Sam, and she frowned. He made a gesture with his head showing the pins and she smiled and nodded. Then, surprising all unknowing officers, she completed the steps that kept her away from the podium and took the box with a bright smile and soft 'Thank you'. Once she finished pining his new star, General Hammond took his oath and she walked back to her position, getting intrigued glances from her pairs, but she couldn't care less, Jack was being promoted and she couldn't be happier for him. Jack exchanged salutes with the General's and turned around to go back to his position. However, he was stopped by Hammond and Ryan. Hammond gave him a box and dared him to open it with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I've been told SGC personnel is one of the most capable groups of people in the USAF. However, I will be very honored to watch this one. Lieutenant Colonel …" all the men with that rank inhaled waiting to hear their names, "Samantha Carter, front and center," he smiled at her confused look, that she tried hard to contain as she walked back up to the podium. "In the name of the USAF, I apologize for what it was done to your remarkable career." Ryan said, before giving the mic and space to Hammond. Her CO approached the mic with a bunch of papers on his hands.
"I have been asked to do the official reading of some documents which affect your career Lieutenant Colonel Carter. And no, there's no mistake in the rank we just used… Document USAF 3492-0713/89. July 13th, 1989. Captain Samantha Carter, the board of qualifications noted that your actions in the defense of the country were beyond the limits of your current rank and with the full support of the President of the United States of America, we grant you the rank of Major." He read one paper.
"Document USAF 1389-0606/91. June 6th, 1991. Captain Samantha Carter, for your actions in the field. We … demote … you to the Rank of Captain." He raised his eyes to look at Sam who blushed and the people who didn't know about it, which was almost everyone in the crowd, gasped. A murmur was heard before Hammond continued. "Document USAF 4922-0709/99. July 9th, 1999. Captain Samantha Carter, the board of qualifications noted that your actions in the defense of the Earth were beyond the limits of your current rank and with the full support of the President of the United States of America, we grant you the rank of Major." Hammond read, remembering that day vividly… and then he added proudly.
"Document USAF 3401-0701/02. July 1st, 2002. After a thought revision of the missions that led to the creation of document USAF 1389-0606/91. The JCOS did not found the reasons claimed to make said document valid. Hereby the document USAF 1389-0606/91. June 6th, 1991, is annulled." And without giving her time to react, her added, "Document USAF 3402-0701/02. July 1st, 2002. Amend to the document USAF 4922-0709/99: which reads: July 9th, 1999. Captain Samantha Carter, the board of qualifications noted that your actions in the defense of the Earth were beyond the limits of your current rank and with the full support of the President of the United States of America, we grant you the rank of Major. This document has to be amended with the following correction:" General Hammond stopped and looked at Sam, who in turn was looking at Jack without believing a word of what she heard. "July 9th, 1999. Major Samantha Carter, the board of qualifications noted that your actions in the defense of the Earth were beyond the limits of your current rank and with the full support of the President of the United States of America, we grant you the rank of Lieutenant Colonel".
With that General Hammond took a step back and Ryan took the mic again. Sam waited for Jack to come closer to her to change her pins but he didn't move. She was about to frown when General Ryan voice added: "Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, after an exhaustive revision of your file, the board of qualifications noted that your actions in the defense of the country, Earth and the galaxy were beyond the limits of your current rank and with the full support of the President of the United States of America, we grant you the rank of Colonel".
"General," he said to Jack, who replaced her old golden leave for the silver eagle of her rank with a proud smile. Then, before taking a step back he showed her the contents of the box where her old golden leaves sat next to the silver ones she never got to use. O'Neill took a step back and waited as General Hammond took her oath, and finally they went down back to their positions within the crowd.