Chapter 3- Options and Kleenex Boxes
The Airmen put them both in a small room and a man stood sharply and saluted. "Colonel O'Neill, Sir," the man said, his voice as sharp as his salute.
"I'm retired, Kawalsky. Lose the salute," Jack said dryly. Kawalsky dropped his hand and grinned.
"Me and Ferretti didn't tell them anything," Kawalsky said, shaking Jack's hand.
"I appreciate that. This is my kid, Laura," Jack introduced Laura.
"Hi. Nice to meet you," Laura said, shaking Kawalsky's hand.
"Nice looking kid. Doesn't look a thing like you," Kawalsky said, apparently very observant.
"I'm adopted," Laura said.
"Yep. Me and my wife adopted her when she was three. They found her on some porch when she was three and she couldn't speak English or tell them where she came from. All she had with her was some pink scarf," Jack said.
"Yeah. Kawalsky, how come you didn't tell them about Dr. Jackson?" Laura asked as they sat.
"Hey, those kids on Abydos saved my life too," Kawalsky said.
"Yeah. The kids," Jack said.
"I mean, they're the whole reason that we kept the secret. Right?" Kawalsky asked Jack.
"Yeah," Jack said.
"That one kid idolized you. Remember him? Weird name. What was it?" Kawalsky asked dryly.
"Skaara," Jack said.
"Right. Remember how he was always saluting you?" Kawalsky asked with a laugh as he gave mock salutes.
"Yeah. My kids used to do that when they were little. Laura, you did that and your brother turned around and would copy. Skaara kind of reminded me of them," Jack said.
"When I was little, you had the coolest job, Dad," Laura admitted, sitting on Jack's knee and resting her head against his shoulder.
"Oh, man, Colonel. You and me went through that whole mission together. I never even knew you had a son and a daughter," Kawalsky said, not realizing the sore spot he hit. Laura winced as the memory of Charlie bleeding out brought tears to her eyes.
"Well, he died. Just before the Abydos mission, Jack said in a subdued voice.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I had no idea," Kawalsky apologized as the door opened and General Hammond entered. They all stood.
"How many people did you say were on Abydos?" Hammond asked.
"That we saw? Maybe...5,000," Jack said, making a guess.
"Does this mean you're reconsidering sending the bomb, Sir?" Laura asked, feeling a small spike of hope.
"It means, Miss O'Neill, I am open to suggestions," Hammond said, a steely edge to his voice.
"General, let me take a team through that gate. We'll find out who those aliens are. Kawalsky and I have been there before. We know the lay of the land. We know the people," Jack said.
"You think you know them. Jackson could be dead. You don't know what you'd be walking into," Hammond said.
"Sir, there is one way to find out. Laura, hand me that tissue box," Jack said, holding out his hand.
"Uh, yes, Sir. Not that I know what you are doing," Laura muttered.
"We'll have the prototype probe shipped from MIT," Hammond said.
"General, we don't need that probe. Laura, the tissue," Jack held out his hand and Laura gave him the Kleenex box.
"We don't?" Kawalsky asked.
"Nope. This'll do," Jack said, running quickly out of the room.
Laura felt a thrill of excitement as the gate spun. She had seen this before, but her memory couldn't tell her where as the gate coordinates was repeated through the gate room. "Care to explain this concept?" Hammond asked.
"Jackson has allergies," Jack said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
"I get it," Kawalsky said with a grin.
"So do I. Dad, will Dr. Jackson know it's from you?" Laura asked, biting her lips.
"He'll know it came from me and not from someone- with all due respect, Sir, like yourself," Jack said, Laura covered her mouth to hide a unladylike giggle and snort. The gate then opened, revealing a blue, watery, event horizon.
"Wow! I had forgotten how cool this thing is," Laura said in a hushed voice. It was like being in a dark theater right when a movie that you had been waiting to see started or when Laura would come to the conclusion of a history project she had been working on for months, The stargate gave the same kind of thrill.
Laura followed Jack down to the gate room and both stood in front of the event horizon. The cold air of space bathed Laura's face as they stood for one suspended moment. Jack tossed the Kleenex box into the wormhole.
"Now what?" Hammond asked as the event horizon disappeared.
"Now we wait. If Daniel's still around, he'll know what the message means," Jack said as he and Laura came back into the gate room.
"What if the aliens get it?" Samuels asked.
"Is that what's concerning you? Well, they could be blowing their noses right now if the slugs have noses," Laura snarked.
"They could be planning an attack," Samuels said.
"Aw, come on, Samuels. Let me be the cynic around here, okay? Sir, this could take some time. Can we put Laura to bed since she's up way past her bedtime?" Jack asked Hammond.
"Sure. We have rooms for guests. Airman, escort, Miss O'Neill to a guestroom," Hammond ordered a young soldier.
"Yes Sir. I'm Jonathan Patrick, Ma'am," the airman said as they walked down the corridor.
"Laura O'Neill," Laura said.
"You seem kinda young to know about the stargate," Jonathan said.
"So? You seem kind of young to be an airman in the Air Force," Laura pointed out. Jonathan looked to be no more than 16 or 17.
"I'm a genius and, ergo, I can be here," Jonathan said.
"So am I. I know what that person was in the infirmary and the weapon my dad demonstrated. I also know how the Stargate works," Laura said as they stopped at a door.
"Well, here we are. Are you hungry? We have a commissary and the cooks made hamburgers and French fries," Jonathan asked.
"Sounds good. Any Dr. Pepper?" Laura asked.
"Well, that depends. Do you want regular, diet, cherry, or vanilla?" Jonathan asked.
"Cherry please. And could you tell me when they hear from Dr. Jackson?" Laura asked.
"Sure," Jonathan said, walking away.
Five hours later, Laura sat in the conference room. A few hours sleep and some food and Laura was ready to go. Laura and Jack looked over at the glasses on the table shake as the stargate rumbled. They entered the gate room and a white package came out of the event horizon. Jack picked it up and, grinning, tossed it to Laura. Laura grinned and tossed it to Samuels. The words Thanks and Send More were on the box.
"Permission to take a team through the Stargate, Sir," Jack said.
"Assuming I get the president's authorization, the mission briefing will be a 0800 hours. Consider yourself recalled to active duty, Colonel, and your daughter an advisor on your missions," Hammond said, turning sharply and leaving, followed by Samuels. Kawalsky grinned and shook Jack's hand as they left the gate room.
