Chapter Four:
For the next three months, I worked in one of the labs at the SGC, gradually adapting to the rhythms of the base – both with the occasional off-world activation and crisis and the routine of the military personnel. In that time I also had time to process the information behind the Stargate Programme and found it absolutely fascinating. I still got a thrill every time I read some more information about the gravitational cycles of an alien planet or behaviour of the wormholes within the gate system.
What can I say? I am an astrophysicist after all. I get excited about wormholes and stuff. It's what I do.
It was late one Monday morning that my mother came to see me. "Hey Shannon." She greeted me, startling me from the experimental data I was reading.
"Hi mom." I returned. "What can I do for you?"
"I came to talk to you actually." My mother said.
"What about?"
"How would you like to be a member of an SG team?"
"What!" I spluttered.
"The General thought we needed more scientists in the field and I recommended you." My mother explained.
"No way!" I said, still in shock.
"I take it, you're interested?" my mother asked, clearly amused.
"Of course!" I cried. "When do I start?"
"You report for a three week training course next Monday. 0800 hours."
"Thanks mom!" I said, giving her a quick hug.
Man, this was great! I was going to do just what my parents had devoted their lives to doing – protecting our world and the rest of the Tau'ri and exploring the Universe. I couldn't wait to start!
Monday morning hadn't come fast enough for me. I was slightly apprehensive to what I might find when I reported to the camp, but eager to learn whatever I could.
I arrived at the deserted buildings at the edge of the Colorado Springs Air Force base just before 0800. My few belongings I had been allowed to bring were packed in the old duffel at my feet.
"Good luck, sweetheart." My mother said as she dropped me off. It felt rather like my first day at school.
"Thanks mom." I said. "I'll see you in three weeks."
I turned and took a look around as she drove off. I noticed a group of people dressed in military fatigues over to my left, along with two civilians in plain clothes standing a little to the right. Thanks to years of hanging around my mother, I could tell they were civilians – and scientists to boot.
I decided they would be friendlier than the military-types and walked over to them. "Hi." I greeted warmly. "Are you here for the training camp, too?"
"Yeah." Answered the woman.
She was a tall brunette and she looked about six years older than me. The blonde man next to her looked about 30 and was slightly dishevelled.
"Great." I smiled. "I'm Shannon Carter."
"Hi." The woman said. "I'm Dr. Elizabeth Scott."
"And I'm Dr. Conner Malone." The man introduced himself.
"Nice to meet both of you." I said.
Conner smiled at me. "What field are you in, Shannon?" he asked curiously. "Elizabeth and I are both archaeologists."
"Astrophysics." I answered.
"Of course!" Elizabeth said. "Dr. Carter. I heard you joined the programme." She paused and looked at me curiously. "I don't suppose you're any relation to Colonel Carter, are you?"
"She's my mother." I replied.
Before anything else could be said, however, our attention was drawn to three men walking towards us. They stopped a little way off and the eldest of the three men spoke. "Good morning, people," he said. "My name is Major Blake. And beside me are Major Mackenzie and Captain Donaldson. We'll be your teachers for the next three weeks."
I nodded my head. All three men were seasoned personnel of the SGC and had been there for many years. It made sense for them to tech us what we would need to be safe up there.
"Air Force personnel," Major Blake continued. "Captain Donaldson will show you to your assigned quarters and explain your lesson plan."
There was a chorus of "Yes, sir's" from the group in fatigues and the peeled off to follow Captain Donaldson to one of the buildings.
Major Blake then turned to Elizabeth, Conner and me. He walked over to us, smiling. "Doctors," he greeted. "I'm glad to meet you. If you'll follow Major Mackenzie, he'll show you to your quarters and introduce you to the others."
"The others?" Conner asked.
"Yes." Mackenzie answered. "The physicist, Dr. Mallard and the chemist, Dr. King arrived two days ago."
We followed Major Mackenzie to another large building. "Dr. Carter and Dr. Scott, you'll be bunking in the room on the left. Dr. Malone, you'll be sharing the room on the right with Dr. Mallard and Dr. King." Mackenzie said. "There are times and places for your lessons posted in each of the rooms, along with mealtimes. The mess hall is directly opposite your front door."
"Thank you, Major." Elizabeth smiled.
"You're welcome." Mackenzie smiled back. "If you have any problems, don't hesitate to tell us."
"Will do, Major." I said, before turning towards the room where I'd be bunking.
It was a fairly simple room with two beds, one along each wall, and a simple chest of drawers between them. I dumped my duffel on one of the beds and walked over to the lesson plan tacked onto the wall. It seemed there was the standard sort of thing I expected: shooting practice, basic self-defence and talks about what exactly we'd find out there – including, I noticed, a lecture on cross-cultural diplomacy.
"Hello?" a voice called, as a head stuck itself around the door.
"Hi." I said.
"I thought I heard new voices." The man said, coming into the room. "My name's Dr. Jonathan Mallard."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shannon Carter." I replied. Then I shook my head slightly. "Dr. Shannon Carter. I always forget the doctor bit."
"Ah, a recent graduate." Mallard said knowingly. "Don't worry, you'll soon get used to it."
I smiled as I looked at the man in front of me. His hair was slightly dishevelled and intelligent green eyes gleamed behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. "Come on," he said. "I'll introduce you to Miles."
"Sure." I said and followed him out the room.
Elizabeth and Conner seemed to have already been introduced to Dr. King as they were all laughing uproariously as I walked up to them. "Hey, Miles, what's so funny?" Mallard called as he ambled over.
"I was just telling them about breakfast." Miles answered in a faint British accent.
"Oh, yeah." Mallard chuckled.
I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Elizabeth. "Oh, Miles." She said. "Let me introduce Dr. Shannon Carter. She's an astrophysicist."
"So you're the young prodigy." Miles said, looking at me with intent grey eyes.
"I'd hardly call myself a prodigy." I said.
"Pity." Miles replied. "I've always wanted to meet a prodigy."
I laughed. The next three weeks were going to be fun.
The next three weeks were indeed fun and as a result, they flew by. I learnt how to use and fire the Beretta I was expected to carry when off-world and learnt all sorts of interesting and intriguing information about the rest of the Universe. Basic self-defence hadn't been as bad as I had expected, though. It was probably due to the few kick-boxing classes Jessie had dragged me to in Chicago, during her 'athletic' phase.
But despite that, I was glad to be home and have the next three days off. I was to report to my new SG team on Monday, but until then I had a little time off. I snuggled deeper into the couch and watched the TV in front of me. The movie was one of my favourites and I thought it was the best way to pass a lazy afternoon alone. Especially since mom wasn't due back until Sunday evening.
I was interrupted by a knock at the door. I paused the movie and went to answer it. When I opened in the door, I got the shock of my life. Jessie and Alec stood on the doorstep, wide grins on their faces and suitcases at their feet.
"Hey, girl." Alec greeted.
"Guys!" I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
Jessie looked at me. "You mean your mom didn't tell you?" she asked. "She told us you'd finally got a few days off, so we decided to come down for the weekend!"
"No, she didn't mention it." I said, before standing aside. "Come in."
"I thought you'd never ask." Jessie said as she walked in, before thumping herself down on the couch.
I shook my head in amusement as Alec chuckled softly beside me. "Please make yourself at home." I said dryly.
"Oh, don't mind if I do." Jessie said with a grin.
I grinned back at her. "It's great to see you both. I can't believe how much I've missed you two."
"Everyone misses me when I'm not there." Jessie said with a flick of her hair.
"That's what she likes to think anyway." Alec added.
I laughed. "You guys want something to eat?" I called, walking towards the kitchen.
"What have you got?" Alec asked, following me.
"Pizza!" Jessie called from the couch.
"Not much." I answered Alec as I looked in the fridge. "Spaghetti?"
Alec shook his head. "Not really. Fancy eating out?"
"We could go to O'Malley's." I suggested. "They serve great steaks."
"Sounds good to me." Alec agreed. "Jessie?"
"They got pool tables?" she asked from the doorway.
"Of course!"
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Since it was still rather early, O'Malley's was mostly empty when we got there. Which I was grateful for, having forgotten it was a favourite hangout of SGC personnel.
"So what can I get you guys?" the pretty waitress asked once we were seated.
"I'll have a well done steak with a baked potato and salad." I ordered.
Alec nodded. "Sounds good. I'll have the same."
"Me too." Jessie said. "Except make mine medium rare and I'll have fries instead of a potato, if you've got them."
"No problem." The waitress said. "Three steaks coming right up."
I took a sip of water as the waitress left and looked at my two friends. "So, what are you guys up to these days?" I asked.
"Well, I've still got two years til I complete my Masters, so I'm just looking for two new room mates at the moment." Jessie said.
"Two?" I echoed, turning to Alec.
"I haven't made any plans yet." Alec said. "But I've got a job interview next Friday for a job up in New York at the UN building."
"And he'll get it, coz he's a brilliant linguist." Jessie added.
"Wow. Congratulations." I said.
"Thanks." He replied. "Although it's just an interview."
I smiled at Alec. "All the same…"
"Thanks."
Alec was a few years older than me, and had graduated with a Masters in Linguists at the same time I had graduated with my PhD. He was the only other person I knew apart from Uncle Danny who could actually speak Latin…and understand Ancient Egyptian.
"So, I suppose you can't really tell me what you're really doing under that mountain, can you?" Jessie asked, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You don't really expect me to believe that someone as smart as you is really doing radar telemetry?" Jessie asked.
"It's a fascinating subject…"
Jessie snorted. "For a hobby, maybe."
I sighed. "Jessie…" I began.
She held up a hand before I could continue. "I know, I know." She said. "I just wanted to see if I could get anything out of ya."
"Sorry." I said.
"It's okay." She said. "Now, you'll never guess what Belle Newman's up to these days…"
The rest of the weekend past without mention of my current occupation, for which I was grateful. I hated lying to my friends and got a feeling of what it had been like for mom all these years. It wasn't a nice feeling.
All too soon, the time came for Alec and Jessie to leave. "Man, I don't wanna go." Jessie moaned, hugging me.
"I don't want you to go, either." I said, hugging her tighter.
We clung to each other for a second more, before letting each other go. We were standing in the small Colorado Springs airport, waiting for Alec and Jessie's plane.
"Write heaps, okay?" she said. "And call anytime you want to talk. Promise?"
"Promise." I agreed.
Just then, the boarding call came over the speakers. "That's us." Jessie said.
"Take care, Shannon." Alec said, giving me a hug too.
"You, too." I said. "And good luck with the interview."
"Thanks." Alec said, pulling back. "I'll miss you, Shan."
Alec kissed me on the cheek, before turning and walking over to where Jessie was waiting. I waved to them as they turned towards the check in. Then Alec turned around and three steps later he was standing in front of me again.
"Sorry." He whispered, before he kissed me full on the lips.
I was startled for a moment, but his lips were so warm and soft that I couldn't help but kiss him back. I felt something warm expand in my chest as I did. He leaned back after another moment and cupped my cheek. I blushed as he looked down on me. "Don't be sorry." I murmured.
Behind Alec, Jessie was grinning delightedly. She flashed me a thumbs up, just as the second boarding call came over the PA. "Alec." She called.
"Be careful, Shan." Alec told me and gave me another brief kiss. "I'll see you soon."
"I'll look forward to it." I replied.
I waved again, unable to keep the grin off my face. I grinned the whole way home, too.