A/N: Thanks, as always, to those who have read and reviewed thus far. You've all inspired me immensely. And thanks also to my buddy Jeff, who may be the only person on Earth more anal about Stargate details than I am.

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Chapter 7

Staring intently at the crystal-topped metal cylinder on her workbench, Sam went over the information again in her mind. The purpose of the device was no clearer to her now than it had been three weeks ago. And, though they had admittedly been three rather hellish weeks, she'd spent every spare moment working on the puzzle. She was starting to worry that the pregnancy hormones were somehow interfering with her thought processes.

The device was designed with a simplicity that belied its sophisticated nature. The crystals were clearly generating power surges in a regular, repeating pattern. Sam had pored over the electromagnetic data for days with absolutely no clue what it could mean. If it was some kind of communication beacon, she would expect it to be generating more power. Though the device was painful if touched, it did not emit enough energy to be dangerous.

"Mind if we interrupt?"

Snapping to attention, Sam was surprised to see Daniel and Teal'c standing in her office. "Wow, I didn't even hear you guys come in." She blinked and shook her head, as if to clear it. "I've been pretty wrapped up in figuring this thing out."

Daniel sighed ruefully. "Wish I could shed some light on it, Sam. But even after spending days at the ruined city with SG-4, I haven't found a single clue."

Sam's face reflected her frustration. "It just doesn't make any sense. The crystals aren't powerful enough to be an energy source. It emits a repeated set of frequencies, but not strongly enough to be picked up at any useful distance. And yet, its designers were clearly very advanced. The craftsmanship is equivalent to that of devices built by the Ancients." She paused, looking puzzled. "Originally, I thought perhaps the crystals had just lost some of their strength over time, but from the electrochemical analysis I performed, it seems clear that these particular crystals were never very powerful to begin with."

Daniel leaned over the device. "Is it some sort of weapon? Clearly, it does hurt to touch it."

She shook her head. "It's not powerful enough to even stun someone, much less injure them. You'd get more of a shock if you touched an electric cattle fence." She tapped her fingers on the workbench. "No, the jolt must be a side effect of its true purpose." She made a face. "Whatever that might be."

Teal'c pointed to the metallic portion of the device. "Have you any idea what these lines may indicate?" There were long, irregularly sized grooves carved into the length of the cylinder.

Sam looked blank. "Not a clue. We wondered if they might be some sort of code, but if that's the case, it's completely over our heads." She shrugged. "And as far as we can tell, the cylinder is completely solid. There are no mechanisms or hollow sections inside the base. It's pretty much just a chunk of steel alloy with those crystals stuck to the top of it."

Daniel scratched his head. "Maybe it's just art?"

Sam laughed. "I hope not, because if so, it's pretty bad art. I'd have thought the Ancients had better aesthetic taste than that."

Teal'c smiled at her. "Colonel Carter, I am sure you will eventually unravel this mystery."

"I wish I was as confident." She grimaced. "I think being pregnant has scrambled my brains."

Daniel smiled. "And how are the little juniors doing in there?"

"Daniel," Sam said with a wince, "could you please not call them 'juniors?'"

Daniel looked puzzled. "Okay… Mind if I ask why not?"

Teal'c replied before Sam had a chance. "If you recall, Daniel, 'Junior' is what O'Neill formerly called my symbiote. I imagine that using the same nickname on her unborn children would make Colonel Carter most uncomfortable."

"Oh!" Daniel chuckled. "Sorry, Sam. I didn't even think about it."

Sam just smiled. "Don't feel bad. Jack–" She broke off, blushing, and quickly corrected herself. "General O'Neill used the nickname in a previous conversation, and it didn't occur to me until later why I didn't like it." If either Daniel or Teal'c noticed Sam's use of O'Neill's first name, neither gave any indication of it. Sam once again said a silent prayer of thanks for having the best friends in the galaxy.

"We actually just stopped by because we're going to the mess hall to grab some lunch. We thought we'd see if you wanted to come with us." Daniel smiled. "Since they finally have those refrigeration units fixed, I think we can actually get real food again."

Sam swallowed. "Thanks, but I'll pass." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily. When she reopened them, she smiled wryly. "Guess my little 'symbiotes' aren't fond of cafeteria food. I'm pretty nauseous these days. The doc says I can skip a few meals in the first trimester, as long as I keep pushing the fluids." She sighed. "I think I'll just stay here and work on this contraption some more. The nausea tends to ease up a bit around dinner, so hopefully I'll be able to eat then."

Daniel nodded. "Okay, but don't overdo it. And please, call if you need anything."

Teal'c chimed in. "Later on, if you would like, I can teach you some deep breathing exercises. They are useful in mentally conquering pain and discomfort."

Sam smiled, genuinely touched. "Thanks, guys." She waved as they turned and left the room. As they disappeared down the hallway, Sam propped her elbow on the bench and rested her chin in her hand. Since Daniel and Teal'c had discovered her condition, they had both been going out of their way to make her feel welcomed and comfortable. She supposed they didn't want her to feel left out, since she'd opted to suspend gate travel until her pregnancy was finished. Sam swallowed at the hollow feeling inside her. Honestly, she knew that her career could end much sooner than her pregnancy, and that she may never have the chance to resume gate travel. But, in light of the countless risks associated with her job, not to mention the unknown effects of gate travel on a developing fetus, Sam couldn't have made a different decision.

Sighing, she folded her arms and buried her head in the crook of her elbow. Everything about the situation was complicated. Despite the chaos surrounding their conception, Sam already felt an immensely powerful bond with the two little passengers in her body. She felt like she might finally have the chance to love something without reservation or conditions, and to feel that love returned wholeheartedly. More importantly, she was actually going to be needed by someone. She supposed that the SGC and a host of innocent lives needed her in some capacity. But that was a pretty vague concept, and not one that made her feel warm and fuzzy. The need of a child for its mother, by contrast, was sharp and powerful. She was naturally still terrified of the consequences of her pregnancy, but at the same time, she felt a steady, underlying layer of joy in the situation.

Breathing evenly, Sam let her thoughts wander. There was so little joy in her life. Satisfaction? Sure. She even felt happy sometimes. But real, undiluted joy was in short supply. There had been a few, fleeting moments with Pete. And, of course, there was Jack. Her heart fluttered. Before this whole mess, she had gotten very good at suppressing the small doses of pleasure she'd felt when in his presence. But even then, on the far too numerous occasions when he'd narrowly escaped death, Sam had to admit that pure joy had filled her heart when she'd learned he was safe. To the rest of the world, he was General O'Neill, her commanding officer and friend. But in the privacy of her own mind, she'd long since acknowledged that he meant much more to her than that. Much more, in fact, than he should.

Sighing, she tried pushing back a feeling of melancholy. Somewhere in her heart, she'd always assumed that Jack felt the same way about her. But if that was the case, then why hadn't he said something in the last few weeks? It wasn't as if they had anything left to lose. The damage to their careers would be irreparable when the scandal finally broke. In her mind, she thought they might as well take what little comfort they could find in each other. Silently, she feared that she may have made a terrible miscalculation. Perhaps it wasn't fear of professional repercussions which had kept Jack from expressing feelings toward her. Perhaps it was something deeper and more personal. If that was the case, there was nothing to be done about it. She knew she'd be devastated and emotionally bare, stripped of the lone excuse that she'd comforted herself with for years.

Exhaustion crept over her like a shadow. Her mind drifted, and numbness settled over her…

"Carter, I've got some news." Jack's voice sliced through the fog in her mind.

Sam's head shot up immediately. She must have drifted off. "Sir?" She blinked, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught napping at her desk.

"It's about the Ka'Shakk, Sam." His voice was distant, and slightly cold. "There's more to the story than you know. That drink didn't just relax you. It knocked you out." His eyes seemed to burn holes in her brain. "We never slept together, Carter. It was a memory planted by the Colonists. And that's not all they planted." He held up a piece of paper. The grainy, black and white image marked it clearly as a sonogram. "Take a look, Carter. Look at those twins you're carrying."

With growing horror, Sam examined the picture. She wasn't a doctor, but clearly, something was wrong. Her babies, who last week had appeared so perfect on the ultrasound, now looked distorted. Wrong… and yet, familiar. All at once it hit her. "My God!" she gasped. "They're Goa'uld!" Sam felt a wave of nausea crash over her.

Jack's eyes showed nothing but pity and contempt. "I'm afraid so. We're going to have to kill them, Carter." He reached over and grabbed her arm. "I'm taking you to the infirmary now."

Sam tried pulling away. "No!" She felt hot tears spring up in her eyes. "Jack, please, let me digest this for a second–"

"No time," he snapped. Again, he pulled on her arm. "We have to go now, Carter." When she resisted, he yanked again, shaking her. "Carter! Carter!"

"Carter!"

Sam's eyes sprang open. She was hunched over her workbench with her head in her arms. Jack stood beside her, gently grasping her elbow, shaking her slightly. Immediately, she gasped with relief. A dream. It had all been a dream. Sitting up, Sam looked wildly at Jack, trying to shake off the rest of the nightmare.

Something of her terror must have shown in her eyes, because Jack immediately looked concerned. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"Bad dream," she mumbled. "I'll be fine." She blinked rapidly, still feeling unsteady.

He squeezed her arm gently. "I came to see if you'd figured anything out about the do-hickey. But maybe I should just make you go home and get some sleep, instead."

Sam tried to smile, but was pretty sure she failed miserably. Giving up, she settled for a grimace. Glancing around to be sure they were alone, Sam continued in a very quiet voice. "Sir, I think we have to come clean." She swallowed. "I can't live with all this secrecy anymore." She inclined her head thoughtfully. "Ironic, considering what we do for a living. But still true. Sir, I think our best bet is to just spill it all to our higher-ups and let them decide our fates."

Jack paused, considering her words. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, and knowing there was an identical set on his own face, O'Neill leaned heavily on the workbench. He released her arm and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I've been thinking, too." He looked at her piercingly. "When do you want to do this?"

Sam straightened. "The sooner, the better, sir."

He nodded. "I'll set it up right way."

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Less than six hours later, Teal'c, Daniel and Sam sat in the briefing room. They weren't alone. Across the table, three high-ranking Air Force officers, including General Hammond, sat looking stern and grim-faced. O'Neill stood at the head of the table, looking even less cheerful than the others assembled. Sam could sense Daniel and Teal'c's apprehension and puzzlement. They had no idea what was coming, though surely they must have their suspicions, given the circumstances.

Jack looked at the members of SG-1. There was no hint of warmth or friendliness in his eyes as he spoke. "I've called you here today so that we can correct a mistake." He inclined his head toward the three officers seated across from them. "These gentlemen will be overseeing the process, to ensure there are no further discrepancies. In a moment, you'll each be going with one of these men and revising your mission briefings for the diplomatic assignment to P6Y-441. There were several pertinent details left out of those reports. I'm sure I don't have to remind you exactly which details I'm referring to." O'Neill did not make eye contact with Sam at all. "Please be as thorough as you possibly can." Sam inwardly winced. No matter how dedicated she was to bringing out the truth, there were some things that she simply was not going to record officially.

Jack's face was hard as stone. "I've already submitted my revised report under the supervision of General Hammond. I'm sure I don't need to remind you that the integrity of the SGC is at stake here." He took a breath, still avoiding Sam's eyes, and then nodded to General Hammond.

The General stood, and sent a hard look at the team members. In his trademark no-nonsense tone of voice, he picked up where Jack had left off. "Once your reports are complete, you may return home for the next several days, pending a review of the situation. General O'Neill has requested that any disciplinary actions be decided upon quickly, and has waived any right to a court-martial. Colonel Carter has also indicated this preference. Since Doctor Jackson and Teal'c are non-military personnel, there is no court-martial issue to discuss. However, we all feel it would be best for everyone involved to take paid leave until all actions and penalties resulting from the situation are decided." Then he turned and nodded to the officers. At once, each of them stood and motioned for an SG-1 team member to follow him. To Sam's combined relief and discomfort, it was General Hammond who gestured toward her.

Taking a deep breath, Sam stood and followed him. It was time to face the music.