Van Diemen's Land: part seis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack, General Hammond, Teal'c and Daniel all sat round the table in the debriefing room, listening to
Helena tell her story.
"I am very young compared to many of my race, indeed, in my town I am the youngest member of the
council. When I was a young child, I was taken as a host for the Goa'uld Xanthe."
Jack and General Hammond looked at Daniel for an explanation, but he shook his head.
"You have probably never heard of Xanthe. She is a little known System Lord, often referred to in your
legends as Helen of Troy. Luckily, my race was able to remove the symbiote, and I returned to my
people. However, later in my life, when I was 21, I was again captured by the Goa'uld. I was taken as
host to Aphrodite."
Daniel cleared his throat.
"The Ancient Greek Goddess of Love and Desire." He informed Jack and the General.
//I can see why// thought Jack.
"But again," Helena continued, "I was relieved of my symbiote."
"Wasn't this thousands of years ago?" Daniel asked.
"Our people have a technology to prevent ageing."
"Sweet." Jack interupted, to be glared at by Daniel. "Sorry."
"Only people useful to the high council are treated." She continued. "Because of my Goa'uld memories,
and because of my beauty, I was treated."
"Modest as well." Jack muttered.
Helena smiled.
"It is useful to gain access to Goa'uld facilities. The System Lords are not good at resisting temptation."
She smiled again, but more seductively. Jack and Daniel understood what she meant.
"I have never heard of Aphrodite being a System Lord." Teal'c spoke suddenly.
"She was taken, and me with her, as Queen by Cronos. When I bore her a son, she accelerated his
growth so that he would overthrow Cronos. However, she failed and they were exiled." She smiled at
Teal'c, "This was long before your time, and in a far-flung corner of the galaxy. Also, Cronos did not
publicise this embarrassement."
"Not meaning to sound rude, ma'am. But why are you here?" General Hammond asked.
"I believe some of our technology may have injured one of your number. Samantha Carter."
"That was you?" Jack asked. Daniel didn't like his tone.
"The technology was built on that planet millennia ago as a defence system against intruders like the
Goa'uld. We left in a short space of time and the defence was left by accident. It was assumed that
there would be no visitors to the planet after we left. Unfortunately, you obviously did visit, and I
believe one of you was struck by the laser." Helena waved her hand over the table and a holographic
image of the defence system appeared.
"Sam was." Daniel said.
"I have come from my people to offer you a cure, and to convey our sorrow that this has happened. I
presume that Samantha is blind?"
"Yes." General Hammond nodded, "You can cure her?"
"Yes. It will be easy to reverse the effects of the technology on a non-sybiote-carrying person."
"What if that thing had got Teal'c?" Jack asked.
"I regret to say that it would have resulted in his death. Our operatives are currently working on the
planet to remove the technology."
"Won't you need the technology to defend yourselves?" Daniel asked.
"As I said, we left the planet millennia ago, and the Goa'uld there are no longer a threat. Even if they
attacked our home planets, I assure you we would be perfectly capable of defending ourselves. Could
you bring Samantha here?" Helena asked.
"Yes." General Hammond nodded.
"I'll go, sir." Jack stood up.
"Very well, Colonel."
"Sir." Jack left.
Sam's house
~~~~~~~~
Jack knocked on the door and waited for Sam to open it. He heard her walking down the hall, then
heard a muffled 'thud' and an "Oh shit!". She'd obviously bumped into the table. The door was
opened by a much happier looking Sam, wearing jeans and a long sleeved blue top.
"Hi, Carter." Jack said.
"Sir. What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I'm on an errand from Hammond. I think I'd better come in."
"Okay, sir." Sam looked puzzled, but held the door open and he walked in.
He walked into the living room and noticed that the coffee stain had been cleaned off the wall. She
was playing the U2 C.D. that he and Daniel had taken into the infirmary for her when she was
unconcious.
"Would you like a drink, sir?" She asked while he sat down on the couch.
"No, thanks. Come and sit down."
Sam joined him on the couch, frowning. Why was his voice so serious?
"What's happened?" She asked.
"We just had an interesting visitor through the gate."
"Not Apophis again?" Sam groaned.
"No, suprisingly. One of the Ancients."
"Holy Hannah! The Ancients?!" She exclaimed. Jack grinned at her choice of euphemism. "But, what's
this got to do with me, sir?"
"It turns out that the...thing...that got you belongs to them." Jack watched her tense as he mentioned
her becoming blind, "And they came to repair the damage."
"Repair...?"
"They've got a cure, Carter." He said gently.
"But..."
"I've been sent to take you back to the base."
Sam sat and stared unseeingly at the opposite wall. A tear rolled down her cheek. Jack's face fell. He'd
been sure she'd be happy.
"Carter, why are you crying? Aren't you glad?"
Sam nodded, then burst into tears.
"I'm just happy." She sobbed.
Jack sighed and reached towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms round his
neck as she had done the night before, and he held her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He noticed
that by chance, the one slow song on the album was playing.
#Hold me now, hold me now,
Till this hour has gone around.
And I'm gone,
On the rising tide,
For to face Van Diemen's Land.
It's a bitter pill I swallow here,
To be rent from one so dear.
But we fought for justice,
And not for gain,
But the magistrate sent me away.
Now kings will rule and the poor will toil,
And tear their hands as they tear the soil.
But a day will come in the dawning age,
When an honest man sees an honest wage.
Hold me now, hold me now,
Till this hour has gone around.
And I'm gone,
On the rising tide,
For to face Van Diemen's Land.#
He sighed again as Sam's sobs subsided. She drew away from him and smiled.
"Thank you, sir." She whispered.
"What for?"
"For staying with me."
"That's okay." He grinned, "I had nothing better to do anyway."
Sam slowly reached up and put her fingers on Jack's lips. She traced his smile. She felt him about to
speak and guessed his question.
"I wanted to see you smile." She said.
She let her fingers wander over Jack's face, he closed his eyes and she traced his eyelids, then down his
cheek to his mouth again. His lips parted slightly and she withdrew her fingers.
Jack opened his eyes, no longer smiling, and leaned slowly towards Sam. She sensed what was
happening and leaned towards him as well. Their lips were almost touching when Jack turned his head
away.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I don't want to spoil it yet."
She nodded and lay her head on his chest again. He wrapped his arms round her and kissed her hair.
"I have to take you back to the base." Jack said quietly.
"Okay."
In Jack's car driving to Cheyenne Mountain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack looked over at Sam from the drivers seat and watched her. He brought his eyes back to the road
and thought.
What he had shared with Sam moments before was what he wanted for the rest of his life. He knew
that now he'd crossed the final barrier of admitting to himself just how much he needed her, there was
no way he could live without her.
He couldn't risk her career, when she had just been given it back to her, especially when she had so
many years left ahead of her. But he was old. The time would come soon anyway when he would
have to retire, what was a few years earlier to him?
He knew now that it was time to settle down. They weren't as invinsible as they liked to think, and Sam
had proved it. For the first time in his life- he hadn't even felt like this with Sara- he felt that all he
wanted to make him happy was Sam, the military could go hang, and he'd be content.
If the regs wouldn't allow them to be together now, then he'd have to go. If that was what it took to
be with Sam, so be it. He just hoped she felt the same way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack, General Hammond, Teal'c and Daniel all sat round the table in the debriefing room, listening to
Helena tell her story.
"I am very young compared to many of my race, indeed, in my town I am the youngest member of the
council. When I was a young child, I was taken as a host for the Goa'uld Xanthe."
Jack and General Hammond looked at Daniel for an explanation, but he shook his head.
"You have probably never heard of Xanthe. She is a little known System Lord, often referred to in your
legends as Helen of Troy. Luckily, my race was able to remove the symbiote, and I returned to my
people. However, later in my life, when I was 21, I was again captured by the Goa'uld. I was taken as
host to Aphrodite."
Daniel cleared his throat.
"The Ancient Greek Goddess of Love and Desire." He informed Jack and the General.
//I can see why// thought Jack.
"But again," Helena continued, "I was relieved of my symbiote."
"Wasn't this thousands of years ago?" Daniel asked.
"Our people have a technology to prevent ageing."
"Sweet." Jack interupted, to be glared at by Daniel. "Sorry."
"Only people useful to the high council are treated." She continued. "Because of my Goa'uld memories,
and because of my beauty, I was treated."
"Modest as well." Jack muttered.
Helena smiled.
"It is useful to gain access to Goa'uld facilities. The System Lords are not good at resisting temptation."
She smiled again, but more seductively. Jack and Daniel understood what she meant.
"I have never heard of Aphrodite being a System Lord." Teal'c spoke suddenly.
"She was taken, and me with her, as Queen by Cronos. When I bore her a son, she accelerated his
growth so that he would overthrow Cronos. However, she failed and they were exiled." She smiled at
Teal'c, "This was long before your time, and in a far-flung corner of the galaxy. Also, Cronos did not
publicise this embarrassement."
"Not meaning to sound rude, ma'am. But why are you here?" General Hammond asked.
"I believe some of our technology may have injured one of your number. Samantha Carter."
"That was you?" Jack asked. Daniel didn't like his tone.
"The technology was built on that planet millennia ago as a defence system against intruders like the
Goa'uld. We left in a short space of time and the defence was left by accident. It was assumed that
there would be no visitors to the planet after we left. Unfortunately, you obviously did visit, and I
believe one of you was struck by the laser." Helena waved her hand over the table and a holographic
image of the defence system appeared.
"Sam was." Daniel said.
"I have come from my people to offer you a cure, and to convey our sorrow that this has happened. I
presume that Samantha is blind?"
"Yes." General Hammond nodded, "You can cure her?"
"Yes. It will be easy to reverse the effects of the technology on a non-sybiote-carrying person."
"What if that thing had got Teal'c?" Jack asked.
"I regret to say that it would have resulted in his death. Our operatives are currently working on the
planet to remove the technology."
"Won't you need the technology to defend yourselves?" Daniel asked.
"As I said, we left the planet millennia ago, and the Goa'uld there are no longer a threat. Even if they
attacked our home planets, I assure you we would be perfectly capable of defending ourselves. Could
you bring Samantha here?" Helena asked.
"Yes." General Hammond nodded.
"I'll go, sir." Jack stood up.
"Very well, Colonel."
"Sir." Jack left.
Sam's house
~~~~~~~~
Jack knocked on the door and waited for Sam to open it. He heard her walking down the hall, then
heard a muffled 'thud' and an "Oh shit!". She'd obviously bumped into the table. The door was
opened by a much happier looking Sam, wearing jeans and a long sleeved blue top.
"Hi, Carter." Jack said.
"Sir. What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I'm on an errand from Hammond. I think I'd better come in."
"Okay, sir." Sam looked puzzled, but held the door open and he walked in.
He walked into the living room and noticed that the coffee stain had been cleaned off the wall. She
was playing the U2 C.D. that he and Daniel had taken into the infirmary for her when she was
unconcious.
"Would you like a drink, sir?" She asked while he sat down on the couch.
"No, thanks. Come and sit down."
Sam joined him on the couch, frowning. Why was his voice so serious?
"What's happened?" She asked.
"We just had an interesting visitor through the gate."
"Not Apophis again?" Sam groaned.
"No, suprisingly. One of the Ancients."
"Holy Hannah! The Ancients?!" She exclaimed. Jack grinned at her choice of euphemism. "But, what's
this got to do with me, sir?"
"It turns out that the...thing...that got you belongs to them." Jack watched her tense as he mentioned
her becoming blind, "And they came to repair the damage."
"Repair...?"
"They've got a cure, Carter." He said gently.
"But..."
"I've been sent to take you back to the base."
Sam sat and stared unseeingly at the opposite wall. A tear rolled down her cheek. Jack's face fell. He'd
been sure she'd be happy.
"Carter, why are you crying? Aren't you glad?"
Sam nodded, then burst into tears.
"I'm just happy." She sobbed.
Jack sighed and reached towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms round his
neck as she had done the night before, and he held her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He noticed
that by chance, the one slow song on the album was playing.
#Hold me now, hold me now,
Till this hour has gone around.
And I'm gone,
On the rising tide,
For to face Van Diemen's Land.
It's a bitter pill I swallow here,
To be rent from one so dear.
But we fought for justice,
And not for gain,
But the magistrate sent me away.
Now kings will rule and the poor will toil,
And tear their hands as they tear the soil.
But a day will come in the dawning age,
When an honest man sees an honest wage.
Hold me now, hold me now,
Till this hour has gone around.
And I'm gone,
On the rising tide,
For to face Van Diemen's Land.#
He sighed again as Sam's sobs subsided. She drew away from him and smiled.
"Thank you, sir." She whispered.
"What for?"
"For staying with me."
"That's okay." He grinned, "I had nothing better to do anyway."
Sam slowly reached up and put her fingers on Jack's lips. She traced his smile. She felt him about to
speak and guessed his question.
"I wanted to see you smile." She said.
She let her fingers wander over Jack's face, he closed his eyes and she traced his eyelids, then down his
cheek to his mouth again. His lips parted slightly and she withdrew her fingers.
Jack opened his eyes, no longer smiling, and leaned slowly towards Sam. She sensed what was
happening and leaned towards him as well. Their lips were almost touching when Jack turned his head
away.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I don't want to spoil it yet."
She nodded and lay her head on his chest again. He wrapped his arms round her and kissed her hair.
"I have to take you back to the base." Jack said quietly.
"Okay."
In Jack's car driving to Cheyenne Mountain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack looked over at Sam from the drivers seat and watched her. He brought his eyes back to the road
and thought.
What he had shared with Sam moments before was what he wanted for the rest of his life. He knew
that now he'd crossed the final barrier of admitting to himself just how much he needed her, there was
no way he could live without her.
He couldn't risk her career, when she had just been given it back to her, especially when she had so
many years left ahead of her. But he was old. The time would come soon anyway when he would
have to retire, what was a few years earlier to him?
He knew now that it was time to settle down. They weren't as invinsible as they liked to think, and Sam
had proved it. For the first time in his life- he hadn't even felt like this with Sara- he felt that all he
wanted to make him happy was Sam, the military could go hang, and he'd be content.
If the regs wouldn't allow them to be together now, then he'd have to go. If that was what it took to
be with Sam, so be it. He just hoped she felt the same way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
