by ALC Punk! and Ryuu
Chapter Seven: In Which Daniel is Squicked
Jack eyed the radio in annoyance and concern as the stargate cut off. Daniel had answered which meant that Carter was probably out risking her life for the good of the team. And, while there was no one he'd rather have watching his back than Carter, he also knew that the gunfire and various explosions he'd heard over the radio argued that SG-1 was potentially in far more trouble than they could get themselves out of even with a commander as brilliant and resourceful as Colonel Carter.
He stared at the now-deactivated stargate, fighting the intense urge to jump through and save them himself. Not only did he have no idea what he was getting into, but it would fuel even more rumors about General O'Neill and his overprotectiveness towards Colonel Carter and SG-1.
"Sir?"
Jack looked up to find Walter regarding him. "Walter?"
"Sir, what should we do? It sounds like they need help."
"You're right," Jack replied, instantly coming to a decision. It didn't matter if he was worrying too much or if Carter would be mad at him later. "Tell SG-3 to arm themselves for heavy combat and prepare to go to SG-1's assistance. And have the infirmary standing by for possible casualties."
"Yes, sir!" Walter replied, snapping off one high-class salute.
Jack nodded.
Carter could be angry with him all she wanted later, he decided. At least she and SG-1 would be alive to get pissed.
Thanks to the metal fatigue, digging into the cargo ship had been a lot easier than it could have been. Jones had figured out where he thought Ba'al should be, and the three of them were concentrating on that while Daniel and Sam patroled.
So far there still had been no sign of the other jaffa. Sam was beginning to wonder if they'd all decided to desert, or were waiting for the right moment to attack. The uncertainty was making her jumpy. And finally, she looked at Daniel, "Go help them dig."
"You sure?" He made a face.
"C'mon, Daniel, an archeologist afraid of digging is like..." She trailed off unable to come up with the perfect analogy.
"Like a river afraid of flowing?" He suggested dryly.
"That works."
Sam continued to scan the tree-line while they dug.
Grimacing at the amount of metal the three men had already moved, Daniel joined them in their task. The metal felt curious, as if it would dissolve in an instant. Of course, it didn't, which meant they were stuck digging it out with bare hands.
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, "I believe I have found part of the remains of Ba'al."
"He truly was a false God," Mat'rik said, his voice soft.
"Indeed."
"C'mon, guys, let's find that device before the Replicator shows up. And watch out in case the symbiote is still alive."
Glancing at them, Sam half-smiled. "Good job, guys."
"I'm afraid they're a little too late," A hand closed on the back of her uniform, and Sam found herself flying through the air to slam into the ground. God. She closed her eyes against the searing pain in her side and rolled, trying to get to her feet before the Replicator made contact with her again.
"I'm afraid there's no Glinda, Dorothy." The creature who looked like her mocked, "You're going to die, and then your little dogs will, too."
"Screw you."
"Do you know how long it took me to get back together after your little stunt?"
"About three hours," Sam replied, dodging and discovering that the Replicator moved too damned fast. "Kind of slow. Maybe you're getting old?"
"Sam!"
"I'm a little busy right now, Daniel." She ducked away from another punch and came up firing.
The Replicator gave a contemptuous laugh and spread her arms. "That tickles."
Where the impact sites blossomed across her torso, little sparks took hold and immediately the gaps began to close.
"But, Sam-oh, EW."
"Daniel, I'm -" She swore as her clip ran out. Without another one, she wasn't going to have any luck against her nemesis.
"Fire!" The voice was new, familiar, and male.
Sam danced backwards away from the Replicator, and someone opened fire. A glance to her right showed two of the marines from SG-3, P-90s aimed competently at the machine.
"Here." Daniel thrust something at her. "It's a little slimy, but it should work."
"What?" For a moment, she stared at the twist of metal, then slid her hand into it, adjusting to the feel of the wires against her skin. "I have no idea how to use this, Daniel."
"It can't be that different from a normal hand device. Just try, Sam."
Try, he said, irritated, she raised her hand, palm out. For a second, nothing. Then an electrical charge ran up her arm, and a blast slammed into the Replicator, who staggered, but didn't go down.
She did, however, turn, "Oh, isn't this interesting."
More irritation flowed through Sam, and the second blast actually knocked the Replicator over. Sam didn't give her time to rise, striding across the battlefield, pushing outwards, suddenly feeling the difference in texture between Replicator and ground. There was something else, on the edge, but she couldn't decipher it for the moment. The force pinned the machine to the ground, although she struggled.
"I see you're finally reaching your full potential."
"Shut up."
"But, it's not," Eighth rolled, breaking the hold of the hand device, and staggered to her feet. "Going to be enough."
A curious sensation passed through her body. As if she were standing outside of it, her palm reached out and touched the chest of the Replicator, "That's where you're wrong."
Daniel watched in surprise as the Replicator froze in place, Sam's hand holding it in place. "Good job, Sam."
"Thanks," there was strain in her voice, "But I'm not sure-"
"Not good enough." The words were wrenched out painfully, and then the Replicator swung her arm. The motion was slow, but the force behind it slammed into Sam's face, and her concentration was broken as she staggered backwards.
Daniel caught her. "Maybe Ba'al was wrong?"
"I don't know."
The marines opened fire, distracting the Replicator again. Or just making her amused. Daniel didn't care which. "Well, we know that Ba'al had to have some sort of control. Something that he thought gave him the edge."
"Maybe she played him." There was a bitterness in Sam's voice that made Daniel look at her sharply. Her eyes were shadowed with something he recognized.
"Sam..." But this wasn't the time for this sort of conversation. "Look, maybe Ba'al calculated wrong. Or he had a finer control. Something you haven't had time to learn. Or, maybe it has to be used with the other machine in the ship, or -"
"Control," Sam whispered, her eyes widening. "Of course."
"Sam?"
She stepped forward, pointing the hand device at Eighth. "Control..." she murmured, half to herself. She could hear Daniel calling out faintly behind her. She pushed his voice away from her awareness and tried to place her entire focus on the Replicator and on the device on her palm that was beginning to grow warmer. She felt fury rise within her and let it come, focusing it and imagining it as a hot, steady stream pouring down her arm and out at the being in front of her.
"Sam! Are you crazy?" Daniel watched in horror as one of his dearest friends moved closer and closer to what was proving itself to be an unstoppable killing machine. "Sam! You-" he broke off as a bright beam shot from the hand device and surrounded Eighth, knocking her backwards and forcing a pained cry from the Replicator.
The fury sustained her, pulsed down the beam and Sam began tightening it, imagining the equations that would force gravity into a beam, splashing outwards to surround its subject. Gravity, or power. Something that the Replicator couldn't absorb and turn to her own ends. Higher math, something to hang her concentration on. The intricacies of cosines, imaginary numbers, and a Replicator slowly being torn apart.
It started with a few small blocks, falling down like drops of water. They were inert, Sam didn't even have to check them to be certain.
Somehow, the device was ripping apart the energy that connected them. Later, she could figure it out. Right now, she just had to maintain her pressure on it. Which wasn't hard, considering how angry she'd been at the betrayal of herself. "I should have known better." The words came out before she could stop them, boiling to the surface as more and more blocks began dripping to the ground. "But you were so very like me. So very damaged. And I was so curious..."
"You were so easy. Weak." The words ended on another scream, this one almost inhuman. "What are you doing to me?"
"Killing you."
"Uh, Sam..."
Amazingly, the Replicator dragged herself to her feet and began struggling forwards, towards Sam. "You can't win, you know."
Sweat beaded on Sam's brow, soaking the back of her shirt. "You'd be surprised what I can and can't do." She pushed with the beam, and Eighth staggered. "What was it you said? Untapped potential?"
"Letting your morals slide, are you?" The words were taunting.
"Only for you, darling."
"I feel so..." A pause, as if she was beginning to lose the ability to think coherently, "...special."
The blocks were landing on the ground in a steady stream, one after the next. The sound was akin to the rain on a sandy beach. The Replicator was losing body mass, her skin peeling back to reveal deeper layers of skin and metal.
A high-pitched whine accompanied the impact of the first staff-blast, and Sam fought to keep her concentration as Daniel dragged her down in an attempt to find cover. More blasts began peppering the area, and SG-3 did a neat about-face and began firing on the attacking jaffa. Several blasts hit the Replicator, and she seemed to arch into them, suddenly smirking.
"So, you want to play with the big guns, little girl?"
Before Sam could react, the Replicator moved, breaking free of the beam.
Then Daniel was firing on her, the bullets from his P-90 ripping into the already eroded frame. Her left arm went, then her right, the chips scattering even more when Sam reacted by lashing them with the hand device. Their connectivity severed, they lay inert.
"It's only a flesh wound," the Replicator mocked, still moving forward.
Daniel's next targets were her head and torso, and she began to dissolve faster and faster, Sam's use of the hand device turning them into a pile of silicon dust.
Within a minute, there was nothing to indicate there had been the simulacrum of a woman standing in front of them. "Well," Daniel turned and glanced over his shoulder to see Teal'c and Mat'rik speaking to the jaffa. "That was anti-climactic."
"Works for me," Sam whispered. She turned and staggered, falling to her knees. Daniel was at her side instantly, helping her to her feet.
"You okay, Sam?"
"Tired," she murmured. "Just tired."
Daniel grinned affectionately at her. "I can't imagine why." He slid his arm under her shoulders, supporting her. "C'mon... let's get you home, Colonel Carter. You've definitely earned your paycheck today."
She shot him a weary smile. "Let's get that gravity engine first."
"You got it, Sam." Daniel helped her stagger to the remaining cargo ship.
"Colonel Carter," Teal'c appeared at their side. "These jaffa wish to make amends for their attempt to attack us." He sounded almost sardonic. "I believe they are considering joining the ranks of the rebel jaffa."
"Really?"
"I do not, however, trust them."
Sam nodded and stepped away from Daniel as they entered the ship. "Well, can we take them to a neutral planet where members of the rebel jaffa could speak with them?"
"Yes."
"Right." She stopped in front of the console, studying it.
"Colonel Carter?"
She glanced up and met Colonel Reynolds' eye. "Colonel."
He shifted, straightening, "SG-3 and I are here to get you out, sir."
"Thanks." She looked back at the console, tracing one hand over the side trying to find the connections. "Colonel, if I program the coordinates in, do you think you and your men would survive the journey to Earth in this ship?"
"Is that wise?" Daniel asked, "I mean, there could be some sort of fail safe device here."
"There is not." replied Mat'rik, who had apparently joined them out of interest. "Ba'al detested such subterfuges."
Sam considered, "How about this. We send the ship to the Alpha Site. That's close enough for us to get people through the gate to study it."
"Well, why not just leave it here?" Reynolds asked.
"Because there's one of Ba'al's super soldiers out there." Sam frowned, "Although I'm not certain why it hasn't attacked us."
"Then let's get the hell off this planet before it does?" Daniel suggested.
"Good plan." Sam nodded. "We'll hike back to the stargate with our new friends and send them on their way first." She paused. "Although... Mat'rik?"
"...Colonel Samantha?" the jaffa asked hesitantly.
She grinned. "I'd like you to go with Colonel Reynolds to the Alpha Site. We already have several rebel jaffa there. You'd fit right in."
He smiled and nodded. "I would be honored, Colonel Samantha."
"Good." She found what she needed and began programming the data she needed into the ship.
"Colonel Samantha," Daniel murmured, straightening his glasses. "I like it."
"I'm glad you do, Daniel." She typed a last string of digits into the computer. "But you don't get to call me that."
"Uh, Sam?" Daniel watched as Colonel Reynolds and SG-3 filed into the cargo ship, looking around them with distaste. Reynolds looked like he wanted to object to her decisions, but hadn't said anything. Maybe he wanted a vacation.
"Tell me on the walk to the gate," she replied absently.
"Look, Colonel Carter," Reynolds moved towards them. "The SGC sent us to retrieve you, not-"
"Serve as glorified shuttle pilots?" She asked, her tone cool. "Well, I'm sorry, Colonel, but this technology needs to be studied to find out how to duplicate it. It could become an invaluable tool in our fight against both the Replicators and the goa'uld."
"Colonel, with all due respect, General O'Neill put me in charge."
"Fine." She smiled at him.
Daniel looked around, wondering if there would be a place to hide from the coming apocalypse.
"Colonel Reynolds, you and your team will escort the jaffa back to the gate, Teal'c will go with you and all of you will gate to the site Teal'c knows about. Proceed back to the SGC from there. Daniel, Captain Jones, Mat'rik and I will fly the cargo ship to the Alpha Site." Sam glanced around. "Any objections?"
Reynolds managed to get out a terse, "No, Colonel." He looked like he was about to choke.
"Good." She nodded. "Give my regards to General O'Neill when you return and tell him I'll have the rest of SG-1 home in a couple of days."
"Yes, Colonel Carter." Reynolds turned and snapped orders out to his team, many of whom shot Sam sidelong glances filled with newfound respect. They filed out to take command of their new charges.
"Colonel." Jones saluted, a faint smile fluttering over his face. "Should I go retrieve the rest of our supplies, sir?"
"What about the drone?" Daniel asked, eyeing the retreating marines.
"I've been wondering that myself," she replied. A faint frown touched her lips. "It's just possible that these drones were of the earlier generation-perhaps it self-destructed from exhaustion or heart failure."
"Possible," acknowledged Daniel.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. Jones, take Mat'rik with you. And if you see the super soldier, dodge. I've noticed they're a little near-sighted."
"Yes, sir. C'mon, Mat'rik."
A few minutes after the two had gone off, Daniel decided to focus on something that was bothering him. "So, Sam..."
Looking up from the console she had gone back to poking at, Sam blinked, "Daniel?"
"You're still wearing the hand device." Maybe the oblique approach would work.
"Huh? Oh." The Lieutenant Colonel stared down at her right hand then slowly began removing it. "I'd forgotten it was there."
"Ah."
"Daniel."
"Sam."
A smile touched her lips, "Just tell me, Daniel."
"Nothing," he crossed his arms, "I just... think you should be careful with that thing."
She handed the device over, wordlessly acknowledging what he hadn't said. "Here. I want you to hold on to it."
Daniel studied her for a moment, then nodded. "You've really put in a day, haven't you?" he commented softly.
"Oh, I think you guys did your bit," she replied, amused. "Just all in a day's work for SG-1."
"Yeah." Daniel slipped the hand device into a pocket. "We're the coolest."
"She did what?"
Colonel Reynolds shifted a little, feeling vaguely uncomfortable. "She took the ship to the Alpha Site, sir."
The General ran his hands over his face, "Let me get this straight. I send you through on a rescue mission and instead of coming home with you, Colonel Carter goes to the Alpha Site."
"Yes, sir."
"Did she not understand the part of her orders that said she was supposed to come home?"
Reynolds coughed, "Actually, sir, I never mentioned that."
"You didn't."
"No." Straightening even more, Reynolds continued, "You see, sir, Colonel Carter was-is-right. If that device can be used against the Replicators and the Goa'uld, it's invaluable, and needs to be studied."
"So, she went to the Alpha Site instead of you and your team," Jack commented mildly.
"Er, yes, sir." Reynolds shifted uncomfortably. "I guess she felt that she and Mat'rik would be better able to handle the ship than SG-3."
Jack blinked. "Mat'rik? Who's Mat'rik?"
"One of Ba'al's jaffa who she convinced to switch sides, sir."
Jack shook his head. "Who's she bringing home next?" he muttered half to himself, "The Cowardly Lion?"
"Sir?"
Jack sighed. "Never mind. Thank you. Dismissed, Colonel."
"Thank you, sir." Reynolds saluted and exited Jack's office.
Jack shook his head again. Trust SG-1 to turn a simple mineral survey into an all-out battle against two of Earth's nastier enemies. And trust Carter and her team to come up with a way to take them both out. Jack allowed himself a quiet, proud smile at the preliminary reports he'd heard of SG-1's latest escapade. When Carter wanted to prove a point to him, he reflected wryly, she didn't mess around.
"Sir?"
Glancing up at Walter, Jack blinked, "What is it?"
"You have a meeting in ten minutes with Major Davis, and SG-18 wants to know if you've decided on the correct disposition of the artifacts Major Dallas brought back."
"Ah." Jack considered for a moment, "Where's Teal'c?"
"He's still getting checked out in the infirmary."
"Well, have him report to my office as soon as he's done. And tell Davis to get his ass in here."
"And SG-18?"
"Tell them to all go home. It's pointless to do anything until I've asked Dr. Jackson's opinion."
"Ah. Right, sir." Walter turned, then stopped, "And, sir?"
"Yes?"
"I'm glad she's all right."
Jack gave Walter a rare smile. "I am too."
Walter nodded and started to walk out.
"Walter?"
He turned back. "Sir?"
"Carter's transfer papers... put them on my desk."
Walter's eyebrows shot up. "Sir?"
"Well, I have to have them handy while I talk her into letting me tear them up, don't I?" Jack asked.
A rare smile broke across the sergeant's face. "Yes, sir!"
