"Jack!" Sam Carter came rushing around the corner and into the infirmary.
"Yes, I know I've heard!" Jack said exasperated, a lot of things were running through his mind. Where could they have gone? Who took them? If they had, why?
"You've heard?" Sam said, puzzled.
"Yes!" Jack shouted as he started pacing up and down. "Kinsey came here and rubbed my face in it,"
Janet walked off with a bundle of papers under her arm and mumbled something about Alex's health report.
"Kinsey knows?"
"Sam, are you being deliberately repetitive?" Jack said turning to her.
"Well no but are you sure we're talking about the same thing?" Sam said starting to get a bit annoyed herself. Something was obviously distressing him and she didn't know what it was and it wasn't the same thing that was worrying her.
"What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Colonel..." Jack growled menacingly.
"A device has appeared in my lab,"
"I'm sorry Sam but that doesn't exactly strike me as news,"
"No," Sam said "It appeared, as in puff," Sam made a kind of explosion gesture with her hands. "What have you got?"
"Well Alex and Cian have disappeared,"
"That's not exactly new news, either," Sam said grimly.
"No," Jack said "As in puff,"
"Do you think the incidents may be related?"
"I bet any amount of money that they are," Jack said rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. He was too old for this. With a meaningful look at Sam they set off towards her lab at a quickened pace. They scooted down corridors and Jack sent for the other science buffs to report to Colonel Carter's lab immediately.
OoOoOoOoO
Alex's eyes grew heavy as she watched Cian's frustrated efforts become monotonous and repetitive. The angry glint in his eye had even disappeared, it was replaced by something else, maybe distress or desolation. Anything he tried the device seemed to glint evilly in the light. Patronising. Cian placed the device on the tabletop and rested his head in his hands. He closed his eyes.
Let her do it.
Cian looked at Alex. She was dishevelled and pale against her hospital scrubs; her hair was an untidy mess of matted tangles from where she had had restless sleep. Eyes drooping and a silent yawn escaping from her mouth, Cian couldn't help but smile, but regardless of her childish attitude, she was old. So was he, he guessed. They had been through a lot together… too much. Despite his better judgement Cian picked up the device and held it out to her. Alex's eyes opened wider to make herself more awake and peered at Cian doubtfully. Cian waved the device in front of her to let her know that she should take it and she cautiously lifted her arm.
OoOoOoOoO
Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c arrived at the door of the lab all at once from different directions. Word travelled fast in that base when it needed to.
"Where is it?" Jack asked as he swung around the door.
"I left it right here on the desk!" Sam said. They all started searching around the papers and drawers. On the floor, under chairs and cushions.
"Did it have any symbols on it?" Daniel asked during the hunt. "Anything that might indicate what it was?"
"No, it was plain,"
"Plain?" Jack enquired disbelievingly "Are you sure it wasn't a piece of scrap metal?"
"Well, it hummed,"
"Hummed," Jack confirmed. "Of course,"
OoOoOoOoO
Alex touched the tip of the corner and stroked down the edge as though if she touched the panels she might disturb something dark and intimidating. She reached out both hands and took both sides. Her fingers tingled as if she had pins and needles and her spine shivered and a sensation crackled along her back. She took a glance at Cian who was still eager for her to take it; she didn't feel so sure of herself now. She was confident in Cian. She used to be confident in herself but she was afraid that she wasn't so sure any more. Afraid, frightened, petrified. She would have scowled at those words two years ago. Fear was for losers. Not now. She had seen so much fear that she couldn't stand the thought of going through it again.
Cian paused and looked at her questionably. Alex smiled and gently pulled the device from his hands, she had a reputation of being stubborn to uphold after all.
OoOoOoOoO
