STARGATE SG-1: Operation Checkmate
Summary: When General O'Neill is incapacitated, Carter finds herself in over her head as the helpless puppet to a madman! ...
Season: 8
Pairing: Jack/Sam (suggested)
Spoilers: New Order, Lockdown
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Stargate SG-1. Please don't sue me for this story!
Author's Note: I apologise if some of the plot details in this one are a little thin in this chapter. Also, apologies for the slight(!) rip off of The Net! Don't forget to review all the same. Thanx. Enjoy!
NB: Apologies for the wierd formatting before. Don't know what was going on, but I think it's sorted now. Thanx for letting me know about it!
WARNING: Strong Language!
Operation Checkmate: Chapter 4 - Wing Attack
About six months ago now, there had been a security breach in the NID head-quarters network computer. The perpetrator was never apprehended, but it had prompted an entire over-haul of their Network's security measures.
As such, it was discovered that the hacker had set up a series of internet games that -- when played out in a certain way -- lead to the NID mainframe. These games had been fairly elusive from the security team as they could only be traced if someone activated them.
That's where Sam had come in.
Barrett had enlisted her help to track them down. The deal was that she would use the games and attempt to access the Network and the security team would track and stop her -- shutting down the games as they went.
They ran dozens of permutations on it, but every time she ran through the games, she breezed through -- mainly because she had been able to write in a load of short cuts that reduced the six games to one. She was in the system a good ninety seconds, each time, before the security team could lock her out.
Ninety seconds may not sound like much, but it was plenty of time to smuggle, say, five files out.
"You're taking this way too seriously," Barrett commented to her at the time, as her competitive nature had compelled her to push the limit on the exercise.
"I'm just trying to keep it realistic for your boys!" she had replied. "They need to know what could be thrown at them."
She only hoped they hadn't tightened their act much in the last six months...
It was getting late when Sam arrived back home from Washington. But she knew there was more she had to do before turning in for the night.
She only had two days left, now, to deliver everything to 'him'.
She made her way through the dark house into the study, only turning on the light to find the power switch for the computer. While it started up, she set about making sure she had everything at hand for whatever she may need.
As soon as her Desktop was fully operational, a message appeared on the screen, prompting her to check her e-mail account.
Sam took in a few deep breaths. "Here goes..." she muttered as she opened the new message waiting for her. She was ready for a great torrent of taunts and abuse to be included in it -- after all, they had accompanied everything else 'he' had done so far. But there was none. All the message held was the e-mail account for the NID files:
Sam quickly noted it down before loading a blank CD into the drive and logging onto the internet.
All Sam could hear as she made her way through the internet routine was the thumping of her heart as blood and adrenaline mingled together and raced through her veins. One thing was on her mind: 'Please god, don't let them have taken it off line'.
After nearly half an hour of searching, she found it. The one game that stood between her and the NID mainframe. She sat for a moment, the mouse poised over the Enter icon on the screen. Nerves, guilt and fear held her back.
"C'mon," she muttered to herself. "Can't back out now."
Her finger felt like lead when she finally willed her muscles to depress the button on the mouse.
She screen in front of her changed quickly to reveal a Chess board, each of the pieces in its place and ready to play.
As she recalled, there were two ways to play. The first was manual -- computer and player each taking a turn to play out their strategies. This, of course, dragged out the game and could often take several games to reach the NID. The second was programmed -- a few of the short cuts she had added, much to Barrett's annoyance.
She had discovered what it was that finally opened the door -- so to speak -- to the NID computer and so had written in various commands to achieve them.
Sam stared at the request on the screen: Select side. Obediently, she opted for the white pieces, thus giving her the opening move.
The board re-set itself to her choice and awaited her first move.
She selected the Auto-Play and then typed in her command: Initiate Wing Attack. Enter.
The pieces on the screen began to move themselves. White pawn. Black pawn. White pawn. Black knight. And so on.
Sam's fingers tapped nervously at the edge of the keyboard as the familiar game played itself out on the screen in front of her. The computer -- having taken over both sides of the game -- began to increase the speed at which it was played. Before long, it seemed to be speeding out of control, as neither side was able to break the other's defences.
Sam, now concentrating hard on the game in front of her, watched for her cue.
Over the game flashed a message: Perpetual Check. All the time, the pieces behind continued to dance about the board trying desperately to break the cycle it found itself in.
Then, in the corner of the screen, she saw what she had been waiting for.
A small, barely noticeable 'Infinity' symbol was blinking in time to the message on the screen.
She clicked on it.
Instantly, she screen warped and dissolved into a random blur of computer code, appearing and disappearing just as quickly as the game had done.
As soon as it appeared, Sam's finger was poised over the Delete key on her keyboard.
"Ten... nine... eight... seven... six..." she counted down steadily, ignoring the drum of her heart in her throat. "Five... four... three... two..."
Her finger struck the key.
The screen flashed to black. The cursor blinking in the top left corner.
After what seemed like and eternal pause, another message appeared on the screen: Enter Pass Code.
Sam entered the code the NID had given her for the exercise, hoping it was still valid.
Another pause.
Then she was in. A timer had also appeared in the bottom corner, alerting her to how long she had been there. She couldn't be in for more than ninety seconds. Hurriedly, she set about her task.
Search: File names; 016835
2014327
4242133
7746215
8900016
Within thirty seconds, all the files had been found. She proceeded with her commands.
Copy and save files to hard drive.
The computer complied and she watched as a dialogue box updated her with the progress of the transaction. All the while, she kept a close eye on the timer, now coming up to 45 seconds. She was nearly done.
Just as the last file saved, the screen warped once again and was filled with the same computer code that had led her into the system.
"SHIT!" she cursed, knowing what it meant.
She had been found. The security team had clearly been working hard on the system since she had been working with them and had shaved a good thirty seconds off their record.
In a panic, Sam pulled the plug from the back of her machine. The screen fell completely dead. But she knew it would be too late. Her entire system would have been flooded with a virus the second they knew she was there. It was their way to track the incursion. They would also be able to see where the files she had taken would be sent to.
That part she didn't mind so much. It was explaining her part in it that was going to be hard.
Author's Note: Like I said before, sorry about the thin plot in this one. It was the only way I could think to write my way out that one! Remind me in the future NOT to do lots of technical stuff with computers!!! (Sorry if any of the funny symbols survived the editing!)