Chapter 10
July 31, 1997
Stargate Alliance (SGA)
Cheyenne Mountain
Sam can feel the heavy stares of those around her; the hushed conversations of officers and civilians alike as to whether Ferretti is correct with his intel – but she can also hear their questions, their curiosity, as to whether she really is as good at her job as people claim and if she really can input the given gate address and establish a successful connection to another world.
Usually, Sam thrives on a challenge; it's an opportunity to push herself harder and how she learns and improves her knowledge, but this? This is different.
The pressure is different because people's lives hang in the balance and for every second that passes, it's another second wasted that Sha're, Skaara, and who only knows who else, do not have. It's strange, but even though Sam hasn't met any of them, she's heard the others speak about them with such respect, fondness and appreciation over the past couple of days that she feels the responsibility pushing down on her shoulders. She needs to bring them home safely.
She takes a deep, calming breath to try and dispel her colleagues' anticipation from her thoughts, but there's so much expectation on her – especially now since Catherine said she was stepping back to allow Sam the chance to implement some of her ideas and improve the SGA's gate system. She thinks back to their conversation only a few hours earlier, after Ferretti had provided them with the seven symbols they needed.
Sam cast a glance at the others sitting around the briefing room table as she finished explaining how, if they can recalculate and adjust for the displacement, they can travel to the address they'd been given. Jack studied her for a moment, before he turned to George.
"How many teams can we send?"
"We don't have a lot of resources right now, Jack," he reminded him gently, "nor do we know the risks involved."
Jack sighed, then ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, I know."
He lifted his pen, tapped the end of it against the table a few times, and then looked to Sam and Catherine. "One last time. How sure are you that we can secure a connection – and when?"
"Samantha's ideas will work," Catherine supplied. She then glanced at Sam before she continued, "and – if it's okay with you Jack – I would suggest she takes the lead on this one."
Both Sam and Jack's eyebrows rose in surprise at her words. "I don't –"
"I'll help with anything Sam needs," she promised, interrupting the younger woman, "but it's her you need to make this work."
"No pressure," Sam mumbled before she could stop herself. With a small smile, Catherine reached over and squeezed her hand.
The General observed the interaction, then leaned back in his chair.
"Carter," he said, "are you confident that you can do this?"
She isn't sure – not completely anyway – but she does know that she'd make it work one way or another. She held his gaze and nodded.
"Yes – but I will need help," she added, staring pointedly at Catherine.
Jack's lips twitched slightly.
"Very well," he said. "Consider the full resources of the SGA at your disposal, Doc. Anything else?" he asked to those in the room.
Met with silence and shakes of the head, he pushed his chair back and got to his feet.
"Then let's get to work, people. Catherine – keep me updated."
Pulling herself from her thoughts, Sam realizes that she hasn't seen Catherine in a while. Her mentor had said she was going to update the General on their progress, before she would grab Sam a coffee and a sandwich, but she's yet to return. She idly wonders how long she'll be and whether she should go herself, but she also doesn't want to leave the computers unattended just yet while it's still running. She decides to wait a little longer.
The program continues to run and Sam watches as the progress bar creeps ever closer to completion when she feels the atmosphere in Catherine's lab change. She can't necessarily see anything as her back is to the door and, subsequently, the rest of the room's occupants, but then a voice cuts through the others.
"If you're not helping, or don't need to be here, clear out people."
His tone brooks no argument and Sam turns slightly in her chair to see virtually everyone leave the room until it's just her, the General and Sergeant Siler left. Sam raises a brow and watches as the General makes his way over to her desk.
"What's up, doc?"
He doesn't even try to hide his smirk at the greeting, so Sam doesn't try to hide how funny she doesn't find his popular culture reference. Instead, she angles the computer screen further towards her. Then, without warning, a cup of coffee and sandwich appear in her line of sight, right before Jack grabs one of the recently vacated seats and pulls it closer.
"Thought you'd be hungry," he offers with a shrug. She smiles her thanks and takes the proffered items. "I also thought you'd appreciate people not watching you work."
She burns her fingers against the Styrofoam cup and then her tongue as she takes a sip of the hot liquid but it's just what she needs right now. She also appreciates his thoughtfulness to get rid of everyone so she can work in relative peace.
"Thank you," she finally says, but doesn't elaborate on what part of his actions she's thanking him for. Although when he throws a small smile in her direction, she figures he somehow knows. They sit in comfortable silence for a few moments when the General's gaze shifts.
"How are things going?"
"Good," she nods, as she pushes the sandwich away for a moment and gestures to the computer screen. "I've been able to input the data to account for –" She stops immediately at the expression on his face, and winces. "It's going well, General."
He studies her for a moment, then purses his lips as if he's trying to come to some kind of decision.
"Siler?" he suddenly calls over his shoulder and a moment later he appears from the console he's been working at. "Take five," Jack says with a nod towards the door.
While Sam's pretty sure her confusion shows on her face, the sergeant doesn't bat an eye and instead follows the order.
"Carter," Jack says with a sigh when they're alone, "I think we can both agree that you are way, way smarter than me, and that I'll probably be lucky if I can understand at least ten percent of the words that leave your lips."
She tries to hide her smile at his honesty.
"But that doesn't mean that I don't want to hear the words – understand?"
"So," she asks slowly, "are you saying you want to hear about my work?"
He cants his head slightly, as if weighing up his options, before he leans forward, his elbows resting on his thighs.
"I've gotta be honest with you, doc: I don't really care for science, but Catherine trusts you and from what I've seen and heard so far, you know your stuff. That's good enough for me,' he admits, "but I still need some idea of what's going on here. I need to know that my people – and what we're all doing here – are safe and above board."
Sam nods. "So…"
"Use small words with me."
She can't help the laugh that escapes. "I can try."
"And I'll try not to be so dismissive of science," he offers, "even if my face says otherwise."
They share a smile before Jack clears his throat. "So, I'll ask again," he says brightly, "how are things going?"
Sam takes a moment to decide on the easiest way to explain the process in just a couple of minutes and by the time she's finished, the General not only looks like he's still paying attention, but that he does understand the work she's doing. She doesn't want to assume, however, and bites down on her bottom lip as he studies her.
"You really are the one who got the gate up and running."
There's no hint of mockery or teasing in his words, so Sam acquiesces. "Yes, General. I am."
She says it confidently, but not boastful, and even if Jack thought she was bragging, he doesn't let his feelings show. Instead, he nods thoughtfully.
"Think you can do anything about the shaking?"
She frowns at the sudden question and he pulls a hand from his pocket, waving it around as if the gesture explains everything.
"The gate. Every time it activates, it feels like I should be awaiting a call from NEIC."
She huffs out a laugh and it seems to not only break the last vestiges of tension between them, but also acts as an apology – one both offered and accepted – and suddenly the General reaches out his hand and Sam accepts it without thinking.
"General Jack O'Neill," he says.
"Doctor Samantha Carter."
"I guess we got off on the wrong foot."
"I'm sorry, General," she sighs. "It's just –"
He waves off her apology. "In case you haven't picked up on it by now, people skills aren't really my thing."
They aren't Sam's either, but she refrains from saying as much and listens as the man before her continues to talk.
"With everything that's going on under this mountain right now... sometimes it's easy to forget that not everyone here is Air Force. Or a man."
Sam nods, touched by his need to offer her an explanation as part of his apology. She has a feeling they don't come from him often.
They fall into a silence that's neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, but it leaves Sam wanting more and she clears her throat softly.
"Are you still willing to send your teams through the gate?"
"We've no choice right now," he admits and they share a heavy look before they turn and look at the computer screen once more.
"I kind of wish I was going with them," she murmurs.
Jack glances at her out of the corner of his eye and can feel her desire to go through the gate, but he's no idea what kind of situation he will be sending his men into so he resists the urge to tell her that he's kind of glad she's staying behind. After a few moments, he pushes himself to his feet.
"Well, I'm sure you have a lot of work to get on with, Carter, so I'll leave you to it." He then reaches over for the sandwich Sam pushed aside earlier and pulls the plate closer.
When she looks at him, he simply shrugs. "Catherine says you forget to eat."
He takes a step back but hesitates as if he wants to say something else, and it's not long before Sam's assumptions are proven right. "I guess I'll see you around."
It sounds almost like a question, rather than a statement; almost as if the General wants to see her again and Sam decides that it might not be the worst thing in the world if he did.
She nods. "I'll see what I can do."
When he gives her a strange look, a smirk graces her lips. "About the shaking."
"Oh. Oh! Right, yes. The shaking."
This time, she doesn't miss the smirk on his face as he leaves her lab. "Welcome to the SGA, doc."