"Right then, I'm going to go and fetch some water and get some boiling," and she stood up to collect the pots and canteens. "Why don't you take your temperature again?" she suggested and he rolled his eyes, but then complied without further complaint. He couldn't believe that he was going to finally hear what really happened...
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Ch 35: THE PATH TO PODUNK
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The evening air was rapidly losing the warmth of the day as they finished their evening meal. A few sparkling stars glittered through the open spaces between the clouds.
"So?" he prompted.
"So?" she deliberately pretended ignorance.
"So... it's your turn," he encouraged.
"My turn?" she drew it out with a quizzical expression.
"Sa-a-m," he deliberately overplayed a whine. "It's your turn... You know, I talk, then you talk, then I tell a story, then you tell a story... I shared a story before dinner... now it's your turn."
"Ahh...," and she looked thoughtful and thought back to what he'd suggested she talk about a few days ago. "Let's see... my first crush was on-,"
"Nah-ah-ah," he denied and she raised her eyebrows with a small smile.
"Jimmy Mathers was my first boyfriend and-," she tried again, but he interrupted quickly.
"Sa-a-amm," he growled her name and narrowed his eyes.
Sighing, she squinted her eyes at the fire and then took a breath, "Just after we headed back to towards base...,"
- - - - - - - - - -
Flashback
"Raptor Lead, this is Eagle Eye," the AWAC (airborne warning and control plane) radioed.
"Eagle Eye, this is Raptor Lead, we read you five by five," Major Rogers replied crisply.
"Raptor Lead, we have probable hostile radio activity and movement of a previously identified artillery battery in the vicinity of Grounder 1. Are any of your flight capable of returning to remove the threat?"
"Request understood Eagle Eye, checking status," Rogers returned and then, "Sound off airmen, let me know once more what you've got left above Bingo fuel," he ordered.
"Raptor 3 is Bingo800."
"Raptor 4 is Bingo650."
"Raptor 2 is fine on fuel. I can take care of it, sir."
"Two, Give me your status," he sent back.
"Raptor 2 is Bingo1200."
Silence.
"Eagle Eye, Raptor Flight is a no-go for a return, sorry," Rogers radioed the AWAC.
"Understood Raptor Flight. Have a safe trip home and we'll see you on the ground," the AWACs controller responded.
"Sir, we can't just leave him there alone. He won't stand a chance against an artillery battery and the rescue chopper won't be able to get to him," Raptor 3 appealed.
"Listen up airmen, we'd be sucking air before we made it back over the border. We don't have a choice. We'll just have to hope he gets lucky. We've done all we can," he sent back and then, "Raptor 2, where the hell are you going?"
"Yes sir, I'll see you back at the base," she replied to her CO's amazement.
"Raptor 2 – Get the Hell Back Here!" he yelled into his mike. "Shit!" he muttered into his cockpit and then checked his fuel – he was now Bingo400... he couldn't follow her if he wanted to. "Wizard, after you get back to base, if you get back to base, you're ass is mine," he sent after her as he and the other remaining two ships of Raptor flight headed for the border.
- - -
"Eagle Eye, this is Raptor 2, can you give me a location on the hostiles?" she radioed the AWAC.
"Raptor 2, good to see you. Your target is currently at 280 degrees, 55 miles and closing. Data link at three, two, one. You should be able to pick up the heat signature," he filled her in. "Recommend dropping to base2000 and approaching from a bearing of 220."
"Acknowledged, Eagle Eye. Data received," she returned as her computer accepted the transmission and both her console and HUD (Heads Up Display) lit up with information. She had just a few minutes to make the course adjustments so that she'd be coming in just over to the side of Grounder 1.
With scant seconds to spare, she dropped lower and pickled off the missile, "Missile Away," she radioed the control ship as she flashed over her target. Quickly swinging around, she caught the fireball that signaled that she'd hit more than just dirt.
"I think you got 'em, Raptor 2," the AWAC sent her confirmation of the kill.
"Secondary explosions confirmed, we definitely hit something," she agreed.
"How long can you stick around Raptor 2?" the controller asked.
"How much longer until the chopper gets here?" she sent back.
"ETA is 7 mikes," he returned.
"Understand 7 mikes, Raptor 2 will stick around," she replied.
- - - - - -
"Grounder 1, this is Raptor 2, are you still with us?" she called down to the injured soldier on the ground.
"Abso-freakin-lutely, Raptor 2! I'm still here and I can't tell you how glad I am to see you!"
"Glad to be of service, Grounder 1,"
"I thought you guys were Bingo fuel and had to RTB?"
"My ship sips its fuel, so I decided to stick around a bit longer," she replied.
"You decided? You're not going to get in trouble on my account are you?"
"Only if we don't haul your sorry ass out of there while you're still breathing, Grounder 1," she sent back just as the AWAC controller broke in, "Heads up, Raptor 2, hostile aircraft at bearing 335, 105 miles out and closing rapidly."
"Tally Ho, Grounder 1, I'm going to be busy for a few minutes with another of our MIG visitors... just sit tight - that chopper is on its way."
"Roger that, Raptor 2"
The skirmish with the MIG was short and sweet. She got off an air-to-air missile that exploded close enough to the other ship to cause enough damage for it to have to break off and retreat from battle. Satisfied that the MIG would not be a further threat today, she returned to the air space over the injured officer on the ground.
"Still there Grounder 1?"
"Still here," but he sounded fuzzy and slow.
"Grounder 1, you're not going to have the audacity to up and die on me are you?"
"Trying not to," and he was obviously having difficulty finding breath to speak.
"Listen up, soldier, if you die on me now, I'll follow you into your afterlife just for the pleasure of kicking your ass for giving up on us!" She sent him a ration of military bravado and challenge.
Silence answered her.
"Grounder 1, do you copy?"
Silence again and she was worried that they'd already lost this soldier. That their efforts to bring this warrior home had just failed.
"Grounder 1, acknowledge!"
"Grounder 1 copies, Raptor 2," the reply was barely intelligible, but the fact that he was still alive was all that mattered at this point. Both her radar and the AWAC controller were feeding her data about the inbound rescue chopper. It was just a few minutes away.
"That's more like it, Grounder. Now stay with me. I don't want to have to kick your ass, but I will if you give up on me now, copy that?" She continued the challenging dialogue – daring him to stay alive.
"Roger, Raptor 2... one ass-kicking if I die on you," and the increased clarity of his words bolstered her confidence that he might survive.
"That's better, Grounder 1...," and she could see that the chopper was closing in his position, "and here's your ride, just in time..., so I'll just be moseying back in the direction of home base."
"Copy, Raptor 2. Safe journey home - and thanks,"
"Just don't up and die on the ride home or something equally stupid, Grounder 1. I'll find out about it and I'll still come and deliver that ass-kicking – I'm not one to renege on a threat – or a promise," she wanted to make sure that he knew that it wasn't quite over.
"Understood, Raptor 2."
"See you stateside soldier, Raptor 2 out," she sent back warmly as she headed her ship back towards the border.
"Raptor 2, the beer's on me, Grounder 1 out," came back to her.
End Flashback
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"Sounds pretty familiar," he smiled sympathetically.
"Yeah," she agreed.
"I owe you one," he stated.
But she just shrugged, "And I owe you several from over the past 8 years," she replied dismissively.
"Oh, I think we're about even over the past 8 years or so," he pointed out. "And even if I don't owe Colonel Carter, I still owe Raptor 2," he added.
She looked up at him for a moment and then looked back at the fire, "Raptor 2... doesn't exist anymore. Hasn't for a long time.... It was all a long time ago... a lifetime ago," she said quietly.
"Oh, I think the old Raptor comes out every now and then... to fly an X302... to fly a Flthlian," and she couldn't fathom how he wrapped his tongue around that, "spaceship... to fly in an alien space race...," he pointed out affectionately.
She blushed a little and allowed a small, soft smile, "Sometimes," she conceded.
"So what happened next?" he nudged for more of the story.
She glanced back up at him and then winced. "I... didn't quite make it back to base," she revealed and at his raised eyebrows and questioning look, she added, "Ran out of fuel." She'd known she wasn't going to make it back to base from the moment she returned for Grounder 1. And she'd never regretted her decision. It had ultimately changed the direction of her career, but she never regretted her decision to go back.
His eyebrows hiked up even farther and then he nodded in understanding. "How close did you get?"
And she grimaced, "Not close enough... she went dry and I stayed with her as long as I could, but then I had to punch out," and she paused as the memories and images passed in front of her eyes.
"Had you crossed the border?" he asked with concern.
She shook her head, "No... didn't quite make it. I figure that I landed my 'chute... oh... 6-7 miles from the border. I'd made a clean landing chute landing though, no broken bones or twisted ankles."
"You shouldn't have done it. Trading your life for some half-dead soldier on the ground – what the hell were you thinking?" he admonished her.
"You're just saying that because you were that half-dead soldier," she pointed out.
He opened his mouth to start to argue, but then reluctantly had to acknowledge that she was right and he gave a small shrug and nod of his head.
"You would have done the same thing if you'd been in my place," she added.
"What happened next?" he asked and avoided verbally confirming her assessment.
She sighed again, "Next, I started walking out. It was still dark... early in the morning... around 0430 or so... the sun would be up soon and I wanted to get as close to the border as I could before the natives got too restless. I'd only been walking for an hour or so, though, before a second rescue chopper appeared over the horizon and picked me up. Apparently, they'd scrambled the chopper that had been prepped as backup to the one that picked you up. I was back on base a little over an hour or so later," she finished.
"Mmmhmmm... and then what?" he asked knowing that there was more.
She made a face but continued, "Well, first there were the checkouts in the infirmary, then the debriefing... then the brig," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Ooops," he commented and she gave him a sideways look. "Sorry," he added and he meant it.
"Wasn't your fault," she replied. "After giving me an official verbal tongue-lashing, my CO told me that he was proud of me – unofficially, of course. He also informed me that the brass further up the line weren't quite as pissed about my disobeying orders as they were about the multi-million-dollar aircraft that I augered into the desert in hostile territory."
"That does tend to tweak the bean-counters and paper-pushers," he agreed sympathetically.
"Yeah, they left me to stew in the brig for two days while they decided what to do. Ultimately, I was taken off active flight duty and slated to be sent back to the States before they would decide my ultimate fate," she continued. "In the meantime, I was allowed to visit the infirmary... just to see the true reason for all this brouhaha," and she gave him a sly smile.
"You visited me in base hospital?" he asked curiously.
She nodded with a wider smile, "Oh yeah, I had to see what the trouble was all about... and to see you alive... made it all worth it..."
"I couldn't have looked like anything that was worth all that effort," he noted.
She nodded again, "You did look a lot like death-warmed-over," she acknowledged, "And I pressed the doctor to make sure that you had a positive diagnosis... that you weren't going to up and die... on me," she ended with a small challenging smile.
"No way that was going to happen," he retorted, "Someone had threatened me with a serious ass-kicking or some such if I had the cheek to up and die on them."
"You got that right!" she returned firmly, but with a twinkle in her eyes.
He tried to dredge up memories from that base hospital, but had to admit, "I don't remember seeing you."
She smiled softly, "No, you wouldn't. You were unconscious."
"Wish I'd woken up," he murmured, but she heard him and gave him a soft, shy smile.
- - - - - - -
"So... The Road to Podunk?" he prodded with a friendly but questioning look.
Sighing, she continued doggedly, "When I got back stateside, they held a hearing-,"
"Fun!" he interjected sardonically.
"No," she countered.
"No," he agreed.
Clearing her throat softly, she continued, "There was a lot of... discussion about what should happen to me... some wanted to send me up on charges.... others argued that I'd shown initiative and heroism... My CO actually argued strongly that I be allowed to return to active flight status... But ultimately they settled on removal from flight status followed by a transfer to a 'quiet' research facility."
"And no astronaut track," he added sympathetically.
"No astronaut track," she echoed softly, "With that as punishment, they apparently didn't feel the need to press charges."
"They wouldn't have had you where they wanted you if they'd pressed charges and you'd ended up in Leavenworth," Jack spoke knowingly and she looked back at him questioningly.
"Where they wanted me?" she repeated and her brows furrowed.
"In some Think Tank research lab, Sam," he spelled it out and she looked surprised.
"Well...," and she was staring into the fire, "I was sent to the research lab in Indiana and the entire mission – and the aftereffects - were given a 'Classified' status in my file... apparently, Grounder 1 had been on a Very Unofficial Mission...," and she gave him a knowing look.
"Um, yeah... just one more of those 'special' little missions that our team was sent on," he admitted.
"So there you have it. The whole story," she summed it up.
But he wasn't done yet. "So how did Katherine spring you from the lab to work on the Stargate project?" he questioned.
She smiled back and chuckled softly, "It was just another military research project at the time. And, I have to admit, I found it exciting. Undeniable proof of aliens on Earth! All that science fiction that I'd read as a kid... and there it was in front of me. I figured that even if I never got to go into space, that this alien technology was a pretty fantastic project. Unbelievable actually!" And now she was smiling with some of the enthusiasm that she'd hadn't lost in over 10 years of working with the Stargate.
Her smile faded though, as she added, "But I was furious when they decided to close the project down and started pulling the team apart. When I was transferred to the Pentagon, I could hardly keep the secret. I was bursting to talk to someone - to get the project back to full strength," she paused for a moment and then continued, "I was devastated when I found out that I'd missed out on seeing Daniel get it to work... and the trip to Abydos," and her voice was full of anger and regret. "That was worse than losing the chance to be an astronaut for NASA."
"They weren't about to send you on a suicide mission, Sam," he tried to console her.
But she just looked disgusted and shook her head. "Two years later though, when they called you back to go after Ra again... 'They'," and she pantomimed quotation marks with another look of disgust, "apparently decided that my expertise might be necessary."
"'They' were right," he said softly and she looked down at her feet in embarrassment.
"I was so afraid you weren't going to let me go with you," she admitted.
"You're kidding!" he mocked. "You sure didn't show it!" and he gave her a smirky grin.
She rolled her eyes. "You and your teams were special ops trained and I was a scientist coming recently from an administrative position out of research. I figured I'd have to stand up to you right away or I'd find myself watching from the control room when you went offworld."
"Had you ever challenged your new CO to an arm-wrestling match before?" he asked with a wide smile.
"No... but then none of them had such a direct opportunity to take away something I'd wanted to do my whole life," she confessed. "I was afraid that I was going to miss that once-in-a-lifetime chance."
- - - - - - -
"You still could have told me that you were Raptor 2, Sam," he chided. "Sometime... over the past 8 years..."
She shook her head negatively, "There just wasn't any easy way to lead into it. What was I supposed to say... 'Oh... and by the way... I was Raptor 2?'... No," she shook her head again, "It was simpler to leave it in the past. I wanted to earn my right to be on one of the SG teams."
"You more than earned it," he informed her, and with no small amount of pride for having been her CO and mentor.
She started to protest, but then simply decided to mumble a "Thanks." She actually couldn't believe how it had all turned out. She'd actually ended up on the one program that could take her further into space than any space shuttle. And to have ended up working with Grounder 1... well, as a scientist, she didn't believe in fate or destiny... but she could appreciate the... symmetries in her life.
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TBC (to be continued)
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Author's Note: I apologize for any inconsistencies with the military jet flights, fuels, distances, lingo, etc. I tried to keep within what I've read over the years, but any goofs or gaffes are mine... and I ask any pilots or military personnel to simply read more for the sentiments rather than the technical details. I sincerely appreciate your tolerance. :)
The call sign 'Wizard' was given to Sam Carter in the fanfic '1991' by Starbuck92, which can be found at the Stargate Novel Archive website
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