Chapter 4- Samantha Carter and Gate Travel

The next day Laura stood in the conference room next to her father, wearing the uniform given to people who go on missions. It was a little harder to find a uniform that fit since no one on the base was 12 years old, but they found one that was close to Laura's size. All she had to do was tuck in the shirt and tuck the bottoms of her pants in her boots.

General Hammond then entered the room and all the soldiers, her father included, saluted. "Gentlemen and Miss O'Neill take your seats. Where's Captain Carter?" Hammond asked, looking around.

"Just arriving, Sir," Samuels said.

"Carter?" Jack asked, in the process of sitting.

"I'm assigning Sam Carter to this mission," Hammond said.

"I'd prefer to put together my own team, Sir," Jack said, still standing.

"Not on this mission. Sorry. Carter's our expert on the Stargate," Hammond said.

"Sir, so am I," Laura said quietly.

"Carter's not 12 years old," Hammond said, not unkindly.

"Where is he transferring from?" Jack asked, looking at some paperwork.

"She is transferring from the Pentagon," A woman with short blonde hair, wearing a Air Force uniform came into the room. "I take it you're Colonel O'Neill. Captain Samantha Carter reporting, Sir," Captain Carter said, saluting sharply.

"But of course you go by "Sam," Kawalsky said teasingly. What a doorknob, Laura thought, trying to not roll her eyes. Captain Carter gave a small smile.

"You don't have to worry, Major. I played with dolls when I was a kid," Carter said.

"G.I. Joe?" Kawalsky asked, apparently not knowing when to shut up.

"No, Major. Matt Mason," Carter said.

"Oh. Who?" Kawalsky asked Ferretti, who was beside him.

"Dummy," Laura muttered. Even she knew who Matt Mason was as her father had given Charlie all his old G.I. Joes and Matt Mason dolls when Charlie was alive.

"Major Matt Mason; Astronaut doll. Did you have that cool little backpack that made him fly?" Ferretti asked. It was a good thing Hammond decided then to interrupt.

"Let's get started. Colonel?" Hammond asked Jack.

"Thank you. For those of you on your first trip through the gate, you should be prepared for what to expect. Or for those you haven't been through the gate in awhile, you should remember what to expect," Jack said, looking at each in turn and his eyes stopping at Laura. It was then that Laura knew that her father wanted her to go through the gate to Abydos. It had been so long that Laura couldn't remember the last time she had been through a Stargate. She only knew that, for some reason that she couldn't remember, she had.

"I've practically memorized your report from the first mission. I'd like to think I've been preparing for this all my life," Carter said optimistically.

"I think what the Colonel is saying is, have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run in an F-16 at eight plus "G's?" Kawalsky asked.

"Yes," Carter said.

"Uh, no," Laura said. Kawalsky looked at Ferretti and then Jack.

"Well, it's way worse than that," Kawalsky said.

"By the time you get to the other side, you're frozen stiff, like you've just been through a blizzard, naked," Ferretti said. Laura shuddered at the thought. She had seen movies about people freezing to death, but all this made her want her heated mattress pad and thermal blankets at home.

"That's a result of the compression your molecules undergo during the millisecond required for reconstitution," Carter said, sounding like a science text book.

"Oh, here we go. Another scientist. General, please," Jack said with a groan.

"Theoretical Astrophysicist," Carter said.

"Which means?" Jack asked densely.

"Which means she is smarter than you are, Colonel. Especially in matters related to the Stargate. She'll also help when Miss O'Neill is in school and can't help us. You do go to school, right?" Hammond asked Laura.

"Uh, yes, Sir. But school is in fall break for a week, so I'm available to help," Laura said. Kawalsky and Ferretti smothered laughs, which earned them a glare from Jack. Laura could only guess that it was on account of what Hammond said about Carter being smarter than Jack. Laura had no argument with that. Jack wasn't always the sharpest tool in the drawer.

"Colonel, I was studying the gate technology for two years before Daniel Jackson made it work and before you both went through. I should have gone through then. But, Sir, you and your men and daughter might as well accept the fact that I am going through this time," Carter said.

"Well, with all due respect, Doctor, I-" Jack started to say.

"It is appropriate to refer to a person by their rank, not their salutation. You should call me "Captain" not "Doctor," Carter interrupted in true military fashion.

"Captain Carter's assignment to this unit is not an option. It's an order," Hammond said.

"I'm an Air Force officer, just like you, Colonel. I'm just a woman and it doesn't mean I can't handle whatever you can handle," Carter said. Someone lightly chuckled and Laura found herself grinning.

"Oh, this has nothing to do with you being a woman. I like women since I've adopted and raised this one. I've just got a little problem with scientists," Jack said, sitting down and gripping Laura's hand.

"Colonel, I logged over a hundred hours in enemy airspace during the Gulf War. Is that tough enough for you? Or are we gonna have to arm wrestle?" Laura snorted. This time everyone heard her. Jack pinned her with what Laura called "The Look."

"Sorry, Dad. She has a point," Laura said, starting to laugh.

"Sorry to throw a damper on your enthusiasm, but I still say the safest, most logical way to deal with this is to bury the Stargate, just like the ancient Egyptians did. Make it impossible for aliens to return. It's the only way to eliminate the threat," Samuels cleared his throat.

"That won't work. They will still come. I've read the Animorphs books. Aliens always find ways to get here," Laura said.

"That from a Science fiction series about slugs in people's heads?" Kawalsky asked.

"Yep. Amazing what you learn from sci-fi books written for kids," Laura said.

Burying the gate worked before, Miss O'Neill," Hammond said.

"They know what we are now. They now how far we've come. It's only a matter of time before they find out that what I know about them is a threat to them. And you are a threat to them. They've got ships, General. Ra had one as big as the great pyramids. They don't need the stargate to get here. They can do it the old-fashioned way. Now with all due respect to Mr. Glass-is-half-empty over here, don't you think that maybe we should use the stargate to do a little reconnaissance before they decide to come back? Again?" Laura asked sounding like the voice of reason even to herself.

Hammond looked around at them. "I'll give you exactly 24 hours to either return or send a message through. No Kleenex boxes, please. Otherwise we'll assume the worst and send a bomb through," Hammond said as they all stood.

"Understood," Jack said.


Laura straightened her beige hat as the wormhole was established. The cold air from the gate bathed her face, sending goosebumps up her arms. It had been so long that now when she could go through the gate, she was almost to nervous to do it. "Try to follow orders this time, Colonel," Hammond said.

"Sir?" Jack asked.

"This time you bring Daniel Jackson back. Is that clear?" Hammond asked.

"Yes Sir," Jack said as Hammond and Samuels saluted him. "Move out," Jack ordered sharply and they went to the wormhole. Laura licked her lips as she stood next to Jack. Carter stood on the other side, just staring at the gate as Kawalsky, Ferretti, and two others entered the wormhole. "Captain?" Jack asked Carter.

"Oh, don't worry, Colonel. I won't let you down," Carter said, her face reflecting the nervous feeling Laura felt.

"Good. I was gonna say "Ladies First," Jack snarked as the three of them went up the ramp.

"You know, you really will like me when you get to know me," Carter said.

"Oh, I adore you already, Captain," Jack said, keeping his eyes on the wormhole.

"My gosh, look at this! The energy the gate must release to create a stable wormhole- it's astronomical to use exactly the right word," Carter said and then tentatively touched the wormhole. "You can actually see the fluctuations in the event horizon," Carter said in an awed voice as Jack gripped both hers and Laura's arms and pushed them through. The freezing cold was exhilarating as Laura zipped faster than a minute through the wormhole. It was more exciting than she had remembered and all too soon she was on the other side of the galaxy, watching as Ferretti, Carter, Kawalsy, and their backup threw up whatever they ate for breakfast.