Part IX
Present Day, 08:29AMJack rubbed his temples as he stepped into the elevator, pressing for 'level 28'. Ever since he got up this morning, he had a killer headache – though he had no idea how or why. Might have had something to do with the bizarre situation the SGC was in, but right now his first priority was some aspirin – and fast.
However, the Colonel's mood didn't get any better as the elevator shut down somewhere between level 21 and 22. Muttering a few profanities, Jack picked up the phone in the elevator. Unfortunately, the line was dead, so SG-1's team leader was about to escape through the hatch in the ceiling of the elevator, as he heard some voices above him.
"Damnit, Yuy – that was my foot!"
"Should've watched were you were going, then."
"Me?"
"This is the right level," Heero continued, ignoring Wu Fei. "You got that paperclip with you?"
"Yeah, it's right here – what the hell are you planning to do? Open a door on the 22nd level of a top secret facility with a paperclip?"
"Paperclips can do amazing things, you know," suddenly came a third voice – from within the elevator.
"Shit," Jack heard one of the two teenagers mutter, "Yuy, I thought you said the elevator was empty?"
"Apparently not."
Jack couldn't help but smile. Oh, they're SO busted…
Five minutes later, the two Gundam pilots were back in their quarters. Not very pleased.
At the same time, Jack was standing in his CO's office. Even less pleased.
"Colonel, how the hell did that happen? I thought you'd stationed a couple of Special Forces at their quarters?"
"Yes, sir," O'Neill replied, "And I swear to God I don't know how they did it, but they managed to knock both men unconscious and enter the elevator shaft on level 11. They descended to level 21, where they were attempting to open the door with a… paperclip."
"A paperclip?" exclaimed the bald man from Texas, "Jack, you know I have the utmost confidence in you, but I just can't afford to let something like that happen again! I have my hands full keeping the NID away from this place at this very moment, I'm sure you realize that when our time-travelers escape their quarters again, I see no other way but to report it. And then it's gonna be a hell of a lot harder to keep the NID away from them or their 'Mobile Suits'."
"Yes, sir! I'll check on them every fifteen minutes myself."
"That's what I wanted to hear. Dismissed."
As the Colonel walked away from the General's office, he didn't feel any better than when he first stepped into the elevator that morning. Where was the aspirin when you needed it?
Present Day, 09:02AM
"Colonel!"
The man in question had already been on his way to his CO's office as he heard the not-so-pleased shout of General Hammond. And Jack knew why.
"Colonel, don't tell me those two young men escaped out of their quarters again?"
"Yes, sir – they did, unfortunately. Several Airmen caught them wandering around level 23."
"That's the second time this morning, Colonel! I hope I don't need to remind you what I told you last time?"
"No, sir."
"Good. Make SURE it doesn't happen again. The last thing I want, is to have two possibly hostile time-travelers on the loose, with the NID chasing 'em around."
"Yes, sir. I'll personally look after it that the guards will be doubled."
"Dismissed."
Present Day, 09:32AM
"Colonel!"
The man in question was yet again on his way to his CO's office as he heard the not-so-pleased shout of his superior officer for the third time that morning. And Jack knew damn well why.
"That's the third time in a row those young men escaped their quarters, Colonel! I don't know how they pull it off, but you assured me last time that you would double the guards?"
"Yes, sir, I did! Doubled the guards, but somehow they still managed to get through."
"And you have no idea how they do it?" the General asked incredulously.
"No, sir," Jack replied, "Not a clue."
"Colonel," Hammond sighed, "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."
Present Day, 10:04AM
"Colonel!"
Jack sighed as he entered his CO's office. He knew what was coming.
"Please don't tell me that our time-travelers have escaped their double-guarded quarters yet again?"
The Colonel in question sighed again. "I'm afraid so, General. This time, we caught 'em on level 25."
"Level twenty-five? Jack, I don't need to tell you, that if they get three levels below that…"
"Sir!" Major Carter suddenly said, seemingly out of nowhere – neither of the two men in Hammond's office had heard her entering the room, "I think I've found a pattern!"
"Please explain, Major," Hammond replied.
"Well, think about it, their first 'escape' was at 08:30, right?"
"And, Carter?"
"With their first escape, they only managed to reach level 21, however, thirty minutes later, they managed to reach level 22. Yet another half an hour later…"
Hammond nodded, "I get it, Major. I'll have some Special Forces standing ready at level…"
"Twenty-six, sir."
"Right, twenty-six."
Present Day, 10:30AM
"COLONEL!"
"I know, I know," Jack replied, "Yes, they've escaped their quarters again, no, we didn't caught them on level 26… but on level 27."
"Twenty-seven?"
"That means they figured out we figured out their strategy…"
"Is that bad, Major?" General Hammond asked.
"Yes, sir," the blonde woman replied, "It means we can't predict their next step anymore. They could show up anywhere – including level 28."
"Sir, if I may," Jack suddenly said, "I don't think increasing the number of the guards will do them any more good. They just… keep escaping, no matter how many guards or SF's in front of their door."
"Colonel, this is the final straw. Get those two young men out here, to the briefing room, this instant. I wanna know what they're planning to do, why they want to do it, and how they managed to pull it off – even if that means I'll have to ask them myself! Is that clear, Colonel?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
Meanwhile
Daniel sighed. After Jack had announced he'd had to go to the bathroom – two hours ago – he hadn't returned. And now, Daniel had to perform the sixteen interrogations all by himself..
The first had told him nothing. Refused to open his mouth. For twenty minutes, Daniel had frantically tried to make him talk, but nothing had helped.
The second wasn't much of a talker either. Didn't say anything, except for 'Go to hell'.
The third had opened up a little, although he didn't say more than 'I'm not gonna tell you anything about those damn Gundams, 'cause they scare the shit out of me'.
The fourth had, once again, told him nothing. Just like the first, he'd refused to speak.
The fifth was, in comparison with the previous four, a gift. After he'd started talking, it seemed like he would never stop. Daniel suspected he was one of the rookies of the squadron.
He first started talking about his colleagues. About how his commander always neglected him, and about how he was forced to join 'Mariemeia's Army', because his brother had served someone called Treize, and his family more or less forced him into the Army.
And now, Daniel sighed. The guy had been talking non-stop the last twenty-five minutes, but not about something actually relevant. Sure, it was nice to know how great his family was, but that wasn't going to help anyone with the SGC's current situation.
"…so, five months after that, I…"
"Look," Daniel interrupted, "I hate to do this, but can't you tell me anything about how you got here? And what about those 'Gundams'?"
"Oh," the soldier slightly hesitated, "I'm not sure if…"
"It's okay to talk to me," the archeologist reassured him, "Go ahead."
"Well, I first saw a Gundam on TV, last year. By then, the Alliance was still pretty much ruling all of Earth and the Colonies…"
Present Day, 10:46AM
"Colonel," General Hammond said to his 2IC, "You have any idea where Dr Jackson is?"
"Well, sir," Jack replied, "Last time I saw him, he was still interrogating those… Serpent soldiers, General."
The bald man from Texas nodded. "Then I guess we'd better start without…"
"General!" suddenly said the archeologist, running towards them, "I have to talk to you."
"Go ahead, son," Hammond replied.
"Well, ehh…" Daniel said, and looked at the two Gundam pilots, sitting side by side in the briefing room, "Maybe we could talk in private? Jack, you might want to hear this too."
"Sure, why not," the Colonel replied.
"What's this all about?" the General asked, as soon as Jack had closed the door to Hammond's office. "I assume it's important enough to interrupt our interrogation of the two pilots?"
"That's why I wanted to talk to you, sir," Daniel replied, "One of those soldiers from Mariemeia's army said that the two pilots currently sitting in your briefing room are two out of five highly skilled and dangerous members of some sort of suicide squad, terrorizing the surface of the Earth in the future…"