*****
Scully, Teal'c, Graham Simmons, Janet and Sam sat in the control room. Apart from a squad of very young soldiers, they were pretty much the only people on the base. It had been Janet's turn to go on duty, and Cassie (thankfully a very understanding child!) had gone on holiday with her parents. Janet had wished she could have kept Cassie with her, but now things were beginning to go wrong, she was glad she was out of it.
"Maybe we should recall General Hammond and the others." Janet said.
"No, that's not a good idea." Lt. Simmons said, blushing at having to contradict a senior officer. "I have no doubt Maybourne would hear about it, and we'd lose all element of surprise.".
"I agree." Teal'c said, causing Graham to jump slightly with surprise. "We have the advantage now only because we have superior knowledge. Letting Maybourne know we know would take away the advantage.".
"You know, we could be panicking over nothing." Sam said, staring at the gloomy faces around her. "There may be nothing going on.". She looked at Teal'c, Graham, Janet and Scully.
"Yeah, right." she said. "Ok, Teal'c, get what soldiers we've got up and ready. Graham, lock out the iris and the dialling computer to everyone but ourselves.".
"Including me?".
"No, I want you to have access." She saw the sudden worry in Graham's eyes. He wasn't exactly cut out for this. Graham was very young, and she doubted he'd even be here if he wasn't quite so brilliant with computers.
She had to give him courage. She said gently. "Graham, you're a part of my team now. I trust you, and I know I can depend on you.". He blushed, and turned to the keyboard, his back stiff with pride. Sam smiled, and led Scully out of the room.
"He reminds of someone." Scully said, as soon as they were out of earshot. "Agent Pendrell. He was like that, all young and shy. Good in a crisis though."
"Maybe you should call him." Sam joked.
"He's dead." Scully said. 'Dead saving me.' she thought. She still felt incredible guilt over it, even now. She turned to Sam.
"You act like you're preparing for a seige.".
"Colonel O'Neill says always prepare for the worst possible scenario. He practices it.".
"You think this Maybourne's bad as that?".
Sam stopped and thought for a moment.
"Maybe not. Maybe I am over reacting. First time I've ever commanded a base. It's just that...Maybourne's a bastard, an idiot and a complete..dick. Problem is, the people he works for are evil through and through. We've come up against them lately, and they know we're a threat now."
"Who does he work for?".
"You tell me.".
Scully and Sam stared at each other a moment.
"I'm not sure." Scully said slowly. "But I bet I know what brand of cigarettes he smokes.".
***************
"And the Stargate's not the only thing. We saw a spaceship." Jack said, sounding not unlike a little boy, Daniel thought. Danny lay back in his seat and closed his eyes. He hated helicopters. He could cope with planes, they were big and strong. Helicopters were such flimsy things. He wished they hadn't left Sam on her own. It was just like Jack to go charging off like that, leaving Sam to deal with whatever was going on.
Daniel sighed. No, that wasn't true. Jack would never leave Sam in danger. And he did always assume the worst possible thing was going to happen. Still, he wished he'd stayed with Sam. Not that he could do much, but at least he'd be there. And he wished he didn't feel so nauseous. It didn't help that the interior still stank of the cigarettes the previous inhabitant must have smoked.
"Spaceship?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah, you know, spaceship, big, black, round, lots of twinkling lights." Mulder practically bounced out of the helicopter in excitement.
"I saw one in Antarctica!".
"No kidding! Hey , the second Stargate is in Antarctica - think there could be a connection?". The two men thought for a moment. Daniel wondered if he should point out to Jack how many regulations he'd just broken, then decided discretion was the better part of valour, and kept quiet. Then both the men spoke at the same time.
"Have to ask Carter.".
"Have to ask Scully.".
They looked at each other, and shared a flash of perfect understanding.
"She's smart." Mulder said.
"Way smarter than me." Jack agreed.
"At first I wasn't sure about her." Mulder said, almost tenderly, "but now...she's everything. I couldn't do it without her.".
Jack looked at Mulder, then leaned back and smiled softly. "Same here." he said.
********************
"And Mulder says I was being held by these grays.".
"Yeah, Jack's met them. Likes them.".
"The ones we met - he wouldn't have liked them.".
Sam looked up from the computer screen. "You know, we really shouldn't be discussing this.".
"Think of it as a pooling of information." Scully said.
"Bending the rules a little?" Sam asked.
"Bending the rules a lot!" Scully replied. "I've done that a lot since I met him. I've lied to my bosses. I've worked with people I should have turned in to the authorities." She looked towards the 'Gate. "I've come to believe things I never thought possible. When we started, the lines were so clear, so defined. I was the scientist, the sceptic. He was the believer. Now...now those lines are blurred. There's no longer a clear line of separation between us. It's like we've become one being.". Her voice trailed off. Sam could see that there was more here than belief. She wandered what it was like, to belong so much to another person, that the two of you became one. She doubted it would ever happen to her. She could feel it, had come so close to feeling it, but she doubted anyone would ever feel that strongly about her.
"You know." she said, slowly. "I'm a scientist too. In my way, I'm a sceptic, though not as much as Jack. He doesn't believe anything unless it happens in front of him, and then only if he can't see the strings. The arguments him and Daniel have about mythology. Daniel thinks it's all true, Jack doesn't believe a word of it. But he's come to believe. He has no choice. It's made him a better person.".
"Oh, I'm not complaining." Scully said. "It's just, it used to be simpler.". She took a deep breath.
"Anyway, back to the greys. There was a vaccine against the ones I met, but Mulder used it up, saving me. He's done that a lot, sacrificed a lot for me.".
Sam said nothing. She thought of Jack. Jack had done a lot for her, but surely no more than any commanding officer would do for his captain?
Scully continued. "You know, I wasn't sure about him at first. But now - I couldn't live without him." she said, smiling gently, as if aware of how ridiculous she sounded.
"Me too." Sam said under her breath.
"Ma'am?".
Sam turned. Graham and Janet were in the doorway.
"Ma'am, General Maybourne's here, and he's demanding to speak to the senior officer.".
******************
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN, 5PM
"Dammit Graham, I need you to get out of here, and track down General Hammond!"
"I'm not leaving her!".
Janet stared at the young Lieutenant cradling an unconscious Sam's head in his lap. She was getting very exasperated. Communications were down. Mulder and Colonel O'Neill hadn't got back. Simmons was the only uninjured personnel left after Maybourne's drastic attempt to wrench control of the SGC by force. Janet didn't know who Maybourne was working for, but she knew enough to be very scared. What's more, since Sam was now out of action, Janet was the senior officer on the base. The last thing she needed was Graham and his dog-like devotion to Sam getting in the way.
"Lt. Simmons." she said, enuciating every word carefully. "I have never pulled rank in my life before, but I'm starting now. I am senior to you, and I am ordering you to get out of here and find General Hammond or Colonel O'Neill."
He looked up, then back down at Sam's pale bleeding face. She could see he was torn between obeying her, and staying with the woman he adored. She sighed, and said softly, "Graham, I am her Doctor, and her best friend. I won't let anything happen to her. Now go and get help.".
He laid her down gently, nodded and got up.
"She ought to have Colonel O'Neill with her." he said softly. "I'll find him." and he left, looking serious and determined.
******************
Mulder and O'Neill landed as Lt. Simmons was leaving. O'Neill grabbed him, alarmed at the man's pale face.
"Simmons, what's happened here?".
"Maybourne." Simmons replied shortly. "He wanted control of SGC. he thought he could take it while General Hammond was gone. We couldn't get in touch with the General, and then all communications went down.". He took a deep breath, and steadied himself before he continued.
"Captain Carter refused to hand it over. Maybourne pointed out that in effect, she was mutinying. She still refused.".
"Typical Sam, stubborn as a pack mule. What did Maybourne say?.".
"He said, as she was mutinying, he was quite within his rights to take the base by force. She said that was ridiculous. Maybourne said he had friends in high places who could back him up. And then...and then Sir, he pulled out his gun, and shot her."
******************
Scully, Teal'c, Graham Simmons, Janet and Sam sat in the control room. Apart from a squad of very young soldiers, they were pretty much the only people on the base. It had been Janet's turn to go on duty, and Cassie (thankfully a very understanding child!) had gone on holiday with her parents. Janet had wished she could have kept Cassie with her, but now things were beginning to go wrong, she was glad she was out of it.
"Maybe we should recall General Hammond and the others." Janet said.
"No, that's not a good idea." Lt. Simmons said, blushing at having to contradict a senior officer. "I have no doubt Maybourne would hear about it, and we'd lose all element of surprise.".
"I agree." Teal'c said, causing Graham to jump slightly with surprise. "We have the advantage now only because we have superior knowledge. Letting Maybourne know we know would take away the advantage.".
"You know, we could be panicking over nothing." Sam said, staring at the gloomy faces around her. "There may be nothing going on.". She looked at Teal'c, Graham, Janet and Scully.
"Yeah, right." she said. "Ok, Teal'c, get what soldiers we've got up and ready. Graham, lock out the iris and the dialling computer to everyone but ourselves.".
"Including me?".
"No, I want you to have access." She saw the sudden worry in Graham's eyes. He wasn't exactly cut out for this. Graham was very young, and she doubted he'd even be here if he wasn't quite so brilliant with computers.
She had to give him courage. She said gently. "Graham, you're a part of my team now. I trust you, and I know I can depend on you.". He blushed, and turned to the keyboard, his back stiff with pride. Sam smiled, and led Scully out of the room.
"He reminds of someone." Scully said, as soon as they were out of earshot. "Agent Pendrell. He was like that, all young and shy. Good in a crisis though."
"Maybe you should call him." Sam joked.
"He's dead." Scully said. 'Dead saving me.' she thought. She still felt incredible guilt over it, even now. She turned to Sam.
"You act like you're preparing for a seige.".
"Colonel O'Neill says always prepare for the worst possible scenario. He practices it.".
"You think this Maybourne's bad as that?".
Sam stopped and thought for a moment.
"Maybe not. Maybe I am over reacting. First time I've ever commanded a base. It's just that...Maybourne's a bastard, an idiot and a complete..dick. Problem is, the people he works for are evil through and through. We've come up against them lately, and they know we're a threat now."
"Who does he work for?".
"You tell me.".
Scully and Sam stared at each other a moment.
"I'm not sure." Scully said slowly. "But I bet I know what brand of cigarettes he smokes.".
***************
"And the Stargate's not the only thing. We saw a spaceship." Jack said, sounding not unlike a little boy, Daniel thought. Danny lay back in his seat and closed his eyes. He hated helicopters. He could cope with planes, they were big and strong. Helicopters were such flimsy things. He wished they hadn't left Sam on her own. It was just like Jack to go charging off like that, leaving Sam to deal with whatever was going on.
Daniel sighed. No, that wasn't true. Jack would never leave Sam in danger. And he did always assume the worst possible thing was going to happen. Still, he wished he'd stayed with Sam. Not that he could do much, but at least he'd be there. And he wished he didn't feel so nauseous. It didn't help that the interior still stank of the cigarettes the previous inhabitant must have smoked.
"Spaceship?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah, you know, spaceship, big, black, round, lots of twinkling lights." Mulder practically bounced out of the helicopter in excitement.
"I saw one in Antarctica!".
"No kidding! Hey , the second Stargate is in Antarctica - think there could be a connection?". The two men thought for a moment. Daniel wondered if he should point out to Jack how many regulations he'd just broken, then decided discretion was the better part of valour, and kept quiet. Then both the men spoke at the same time.
"Have to ask Carter.".
"Have to ask Scully.".
They looked at each other, and shared a flash of perfect understanding.
"She's smart." Mulder said.
"Way smarter than me." Jack agreed.
"At first I wasn't sure about her." Mulder said, almost tenderly, "but now...she's everything. I couldn't do it without her.".
Jack looked at Mulder, then leaned back and smiled softly. "Same here." he said.
********************
"And Mulder says I was being held by these grays.".
"Yeah, Jack's met them. Likes them.".
"The ones we met - he wouldn't have liked them.".
Sam looked up from the computer screen. "You know, we really shouldn't be discussing this.".
"Think of it as a pooling of information." Scully said.
"Bending the rules a little?" Sam asked.
"Bending the rules a lot!" Scully replied. "I've done that a lot since I met him. I've lied to my bosses. I've worked with people I should have turned in to the authorities." She looked towards the 'Gate. "I've come to believe things I never thought possible. When we started, the lines were so clear, so defined. I was the scientist, the sceptic. He was the believer. Now...now those lines are blurred. There's no longer a clear line of separation between us. It's like we've become one being.". Her voice trailed off. Sam could see that there was more here than belief. She wandered what it was like, to belong so much to another person, that the two of you became one. She doubted it would ever happen to her. She could feel it, had come so close to feeling it, but she doubted anyone would ever feel that strongly about her.
"You know." she said, slowly. "I'm a scientist too. In my way, I'm a sceptic, though not as much as Jack. He doesn't believe anything unless it happens in front of him, and then only if he can't see the strings. The arguments him and Daniel have about mythology. Daniel thinks it's all true, Jack doesn't believe a word of it. But he's come to believe. He has no choice. It's made him a better person.".
"Oh, I'm not complaining." Scully said. "It's just, it used to be simpler.". She took a deep breath.
"Anyway, back to the greys. There was a vaccine against the ones I met, but Mulder used it up, saving me. He's done that a lot, sacrificed a lot for me.".
Sam said nothing. She thought of Jack. Jack had done a lot for her, but surely no more than any commanding officer would do for his captain?
Scully continued. "You know, I wasn't sure about him at first. But now - I couldn't live without him." she said, smiling gently, as if aware of how ridiculous she sounded.
"Me too." Sam said under her breath.
"Ma'am?".
Sam turned. Graham and Janet were in the doorway.
"Ma'am, General Maybourne's here, and he's demanding to speak to the senior officer.".
******************
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN, 5PM
"Dammit Graham, I need you to get out of here, and track down General Hammond!"
"I'm not leaving her!".
Janet stared at the young Lieutenant cradling an unconscious Sam's head in his lap. She was getting very exasperated. Communications were down. Mulder and Colonel O'Neill hadn't got back. Simmons was the only uninjured personnel left after Maybourne's drastic attempt to wrench control of the SGC by force. Janet didn't know who Maybourne was working for, but she knew enough to be very scared. What's more, since Sam was now out of action, Janet was the senior officer on the base. The last thing she needed was Graham and his dog-like devotion to Sam getting in the way.
"Lt. Simmons." she said, enuciating every word carefully. "I have never pulled rank in my life before, but I'm starting now. I am senior to you, and I am ordering you to get out of here and find General Hammond or Colonel O'Neill."
He looked up, then back down at Sam's pale bleeding face. She could see he was torn between obeying her, and staying with the woman he adored. She sighed, and said softly, "Graham, I am her Doctor, and her best friend. I won't let anything happen to her. Now go and get help.".
He laid her down gently, nodded and got up.
"She ought to have Colonel O'Neill with her." he said softly. "I'll find him." and he left, looking serious and determined.
******************
Mulder and O'Neill landed as Lt. Simmons was leaving. O'Neill grabbed him, alarmed at the man's pale face.
"Simmons, what's happened here?".
"Maybourne." Simmons replied shortly. "He wanted control of SGC. he thought he could take it while General Hammond was gone. We couldn't get in touch with the General, and then all communications went down.". He took a deep breath, and steadied himself before he continued.
"Captain Carter refused to hand it over. Maybourne pointed out that in effect, she was mutinying. She still refused.".
"Typical Sam, stubborn as a pack mule. What did Maybourne say?.".
"He said, as she was mutinying, he was quite within his rights to take the base by force. She said that was ridiculous. Maybourne said he had friends in high places who could back him up. And then...and then Sir, he pulled out his gun, and shot her."
******************