Chapter 1: Mystery Scientist

Briefing Room, 1000 hours

"So you guys ready for your trip to P4X-237?" Jack asked

Sam answered "Yes sir, but have you found out who this mystery scientist is?"

"No, I've tried everything. No one will tell me who he is."

"What makes you think it's a he?" Sam asked bluntly.

"It. He, she, whatever. Anyway, you would think they would tell the guy running the base who's going to be on it." Jack said staring to sound slightly annoyed

In the corridor leading to the briefing room, Sgt. Davis walked a beautiful young Major in Dress Blues up the hallway. "Are you sure you don't want me to announce you to the General, ma'am?"

"No thank you Sergeant. Don't worry; he won't be mad at you." She replied with a reassuring smile, noticing how uncomfortable the Sgt was with the situation.

As she walked up to the window of the briefing room, she looked in and paused. "Oh, this is gonna be fun." She muttered under her breath.

As the mysterious Major stood at the window looking in Sam happened to look out.

"Who is that?" she asked, thinking the young woman looked slightly familiar.

When Jack turned to see who was there he froze in his chair. A barely audible "oh my god" slipped from his lips as he jumped from his chair and ran out to greet the mystery woman. Stunned, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c just sat there watching the Generals response.

"Hey, Jackie." The Major said smiling at Jack.

"Jackie?" Sam mouthed to Daniel who shrugged back a quick "I don't know"

"Kristi." Jack breathed out as he swept her in to a spinning hug. "Now, you know I hate it when you call me that."

"Who is she?" Sam whispered to Daniel.

"I have no clue." He replied, still staring as if in shock.

"Could she be a new female companion?" asked Teal'c who was also still staring at the two in the hallway.

"I doubt it; she looks like she's only about 27."Sam said trying way too hard to hide her jealousy.

"Kristi, what are you doing here?" Jack asked as he let her out of the hug.

"Now, Jack I know your smarter than that. Think about it for a minute."

"The mystery scientist."

"Ah, there's my Jack. Thinking once again. So, aren't you going to introduce me?" She asked noticing the stares coming from the briefing room.

"Oh, yeah." Jack said turning and leading her in to the room. "Hey, guys, I'd like you to meet the mystery scientist, Major Kristine O'Neill. Major meet SG-1."

There was a short uncomfortable silence as Daniel and Sam's jaws dropped. Teal'c stood up giving Jack an inquisitive look.

"It's nice to meet all of you, and apparently you have never heard of me." Kristi said with an affliction that mirrored that often heard from the General. "Well, I'm Jack's cousin, you can call me Kristi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you KristineO'Neill" Teal's replied with the bow of his head. "I am…"

"Teal'c, right? Now, I have heard of all of you." Kristi said as she shot a look a Jack. "Dr Jackson I presume?" She asked as she smiled and shook his hand.

"Yeah, so Jack's cousin. I take it you had to grow up with him, huh? I'm sorry." Daniel smiled back, his brain thinking at a mile a minute.

"Thanks." She replied giggling a little. "But, I wasn't as bad as you would think."

Daniel, realizing he still was holding her hand, let it go and quickly broke eye contact.

"I'm Colonel Sam Carter; it's nice to meet you." Sam finally said.

"Colonel" Kristi replied saluting in a perfect Air Force manner.

"Major." Sam nodded. "You're awful young to be a Major. How long have you been in the Air Force?"

"Actually, Ma'am, I'm 29, and…."

"And, I thought you were not supposed to be here till tomorrow, Kristi?" Jack quickly cut in knowing how Kristi's bluntness was much like his own, and knowing how it pushes here buttons when people brought up her age. "And why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Well, I had to pull a lot of strings to keep secret that I was coming in the first place, so I thought I would come in early before you could convince and/or annoy someone into telling you."

Sam could hardly hold back a snicker; she liked the way this girl could hold her own with the General.

"Wait a minute, you're a scientist!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Well, yeah." Kristi said, giving Daniel a slightly dumbfounded look. "Mainly, I'm a Biochemist, but I try to dabble in a little bit of everything. Why?"

"Well, supposedly, Jack never liked scientists." Daniel said smugly.

"Ha, I don't know about that, I usually find he has quite a soft spot for scientists."

"Only the special few, and my genius baby cousin. Not to mention she's the only one of you Doctors who is actually a doctor." Jack replied in his own defense.

"General, sorry to interrupt, but your teleconference is in 5 min." Sgt Davis said sticking his head in the briefing room.

"Ok, I'll be there in a minute. Hey Carter, why don't you show the Major around the Labs, I know she will enjoy that. Oh, and get her some BDUs."

"I'll be glad to, sir"