708 Space Race

Diplomacy between Earth and Hebridan had been slow to develop, the same as with all "more advanced" civilizations. So when Warrick Finn invited Samantha Carter and the people of Earth to join him in the Loop of Kon Garat General Hammond saw it as an advantage. Also Colonel O'Neill was recuperating from serious injury to his shoulder and a diplomatic mission was preferable at this stage.

Warrick proposed a trade. He was willing to provide information on the ion propulsion engine in exchange for the use of a naquadah generator. For any hopes of winning the no holds barred race he needed a boost for his engines and the naquadah generator was just the ticket.

When Jack along with SG-1 were assigned to this mission to reconnect with Hebridan, the homeworld of a mixed population of Serrakins and humans, this was not what he had in mind. He originally thought it was just a trade of information. However Carter participating in the Loop made her so happy he could not refuse her co piloting in this race.

Daniel and Jack stood in the enormous hanger.

"She gets anything she wants."

"Come on, Daniel, it's all about the SGC getting cutting edge tech." O'Neill replied.

"Uh huh, sure."

"You try saying no to her.

Daniel laughed and said in a voice barely audible "Wrapped around her little finger." as Sam and Warrick passed by.

"Nervous?" Daniel asked Jack.

"No. Carter is a bit of an adrenaline junkie but she's not crazy."

No, not much Jack thought. "Maybe a little concerned about those Sarekin fellows and their crap ship."

"I thought they were supposed to be more advanced than us?"

"The only ship of theirs we ever ran across was a crashed wreck."

"Well that's comforting." Daniel said.

"Teal'c will watch out for her."

Teal'c rather enjoyed Warrick's brother Eamon. He reminded Teal'c of O'Neill - bitingly sarcastic yet totally loyal to his brother. And Teal'c got out of the mind numbing meetings O'Neill was forced to attend.

Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were to go to the capitol building where they would hopefully engage in negotiations with government officials as well as meet with the business community. For O'Neill the only saving grace, while engaged in the boring meetings, was most of the Hebridans were more interested in the Loop of Kon Garat, rather than nattering on about treaties. The race was playing on enormous screens in the conference room. It seemed most of them had money on the race.

O'Neill excused himself needing to check in with Carter. From the chatter he heard over the conference table, he couldn't read the scrawl on the screens, it was obvious Warrick's ship was in trouble. Jack hadn't realized how dangerous the race was.

Added to this Teal'c and Eamon were held prisoner to force Warrick to lose the race. Jack and Daniel took care of that dilemma but not soon enough for Warrick and Carter to make up for lost time.

The Seberus didn't win, they came in second but Sam was elated. She had fun and the schematics for the ion propulsion engines. Her smile made Jack's day.

As they walked toward the gate to travel back to Earth, Carter was happy, bubbly even and said "Granted we didn't win but it was an experience of a lifetime."

This, Jack thought, from a woman who walked the stars and blew up a sun.

"The others cheated, you know. But we can enter again next year." She looked at O'Neill with bright eyes and a wide smile.

Oy, Jack thought, more heartburn and high blood pressure.

"This has given me an idea about souping up my Indian."

Jack replied "Now I know you talk to your plants but do you talk to engines?"

"Only if I want to make them purr."

She left the poor man in the dust.