Sam stared at the completed machine on the central workbench of her lab and glanced up at the clock. Eleven-hundred and there had been no word from Carolyn about the test results. She looked back at the machine in front of her and smiled in satisfaction. The early start that morning had been worth it. She had come across the specs for the device when she had been tidying the lab the previous evening and building it had been just the distraction she had needed. She rubbed the small of her back tiredly; all she needed to do was test it. Sam sighed and got caught off guard by a sudden yawn.

She sank onto a stool. She hadn't really slept well the previous night. She hadn't told Jack about her sudden ability to access her Tok'ra memories and she couldn't help going over her argument with the Tok'ra. She had never been able to access Jolinar's memories as she had the day before and she had definitely never been able to access the Tok'ra symbiote's genetic memory. It had actually felt like her memory. In the darkness of her quarters lying in bed, she had been able to access more. She briefly wondered why; was it to do with Orlin's healing of her? Or was it that she was finally and truly accepting what had happened to her with Jolinar?

In the immediate aftermath of her ordeal she had been convinced that Jolinar had died to save her but in hindsight and with her new ability she could see the symbiote's motives had been less than selfless. The dying Tok'ra had used the pain and confusion of the Ashrak's attack to manipulate her and ensure that Sam would think positively enough of the Tok'ra and their cause to eventually seek out them out. Sam could clearly see that Jolinar's last hope was that Sam would offer herself as a host and her memories would be passed back to another Tok'ra. She understood the desperation that had led Jolinar to her actions and after so many years couldn't bring herself to be angry with the Tok'ra, could even forgive her in a weird kind of way. As she had said to Delek, their alliance with them had brought many benefits even if the Tok'ra were apt to use them for their own purposes now and again. She definitely wouldn't have given up the additional time with her father or knowing his symbiote Selmak. It was a shame, she thought, that the younger Tok'ra were not more like the older generation.

Her hand reached out to fiddle with a screwdriver on the workbench and her eyes fell on the device sitting beside it. It had taken her less time than she had anticipated building it and she knew it would work; she felt it with her whole being. She couldn't quite help remembering how the general would build things when he had been possessed by Ancient knowledge; what if Orlin had downloaded Ancient into her head like one of the head devices the general had used twice before? What if her brain was slowly being overwritten by Ancient data?

'Carter!'

Her head snapped to the door and Jack's concerned face. She guessed he had been standing there for a while trying to get her attention. 'Sorry, sir. I was miles away.'

'I noticed.' Jack said wryly taking a couple of steps into her lab. 'Whatcha doing?'

'I was just about to test this.' Sam said pointing at the device in front of her.

Jack frowned. 'Should I ask what it is?' He peered at the small square metal box.

Sam gestured. 'You remember me telling you when we went fishing that I thought I'd come up with a counter-measure for the Ancient weapon on Dakara?'

'Yes.' Jack caught on a split second later. 'This?' He pointed at the box.

She nodded. 'It has to be hooked up to the Stargate but yes.' She took a breath. 'It works on the same principle as the cipher the Replicators use to counter-act the energy disruptor weapon you designed. Essentially, the device should create a force-shield across the Stargate like an invisible iris. It will dissipate any energy wave set to frequency spectrum that the Ancient weapon on Dakara would need to be set at in order for it destroy all life and…'

'Ah!' Jack waved his hands at the technobabble. 'Enough, Carter.'

'Sir.'

'Does it work?' He asked.

'We can test it with other frequencies using the disruptor weapon but I think so, sir.' Sam said.

Jack nodded. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'Are you thinking the Tok'ra were right and the Jaffa won't destroy the weapon?' He asked seriously.

'I hope they're wrong,' Sam said, 'but I was thinking it might help reassure the Jaffa that we don't have a vested interest in the decision.'

'Good thinking, Colonel.' Jack said smiling back at her. 'The Joint Chiefs signed off on the plan by the way. You'll be heading back to Dakara as soon as Carolyn gives you the green light.' He waited a beat. 'She has the test results.'

Sam took a deep breath and they made their way to the infirmary in silence. Jack rapped on Doctor Lam's door and when she called out to enter, he pushed the door open and gestured for Sam to precede him. He shut the door firmly behind him and they both took seats as the doctor greeted them with a serious expression.

Carolyn folded her hands on top of the folder that held the test results and took a deep breath. She looked at the two military officers who were waiting for her to begin speaking and focused on Jack. 'Firstly, General, I don't think you're affected but I can't say that with absolute certainty. Your test results match your previous medical results within an acceptable variance.'

Jack frowned unhappily. It didn't really matter about him; his concern had always been for Sam. His brown eyes flickered over to her. She sat upright in the uncomfortable chair, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap and her face was an expressionless mask.

Carolyn's brown eyes moved to Sam. 'Colonel, the good news is that physically you're in perfect health.' She cleared her throat. 'Unfortunately, the only thing I've been able to identify is a small change in your brain wave pattern but nothing that would cause me alarm under other circumstances. It isn't rare to see alterations after serious head injuries. Everything else seems to be in order.'

Sam looked at her perplexed. 'My DNA results?'

'Came back identical to the one I took before the incident apart from the Ancient genetic marker but there doesn't seem to be any further change.' Carolyn assured her. She held her hands out. 'If the chair is looking for something other than the gene…I can't explain it from your current test results. I could run some more tests.' She said. 'But I don't even know what I'm looking for.'

'Sir, I think the chair holds the best bet of providing us with an answer.' Sam said. 'When I return to Dakara I can use it to find out why I can access it.'

'I'm not sure returning to Dakara is a good idea.' Carolyn replied before Jack could say anything. 'I'd like to keep you on base under observation for a few days just to be sure.'

'I feel fine.' Sam said stubbornly.

Jack could see the impending argument.

'Colonel, whatever this is, could be pervasive throughout your whole body. We really don't know what the effect is.' Carolyn pointed out gently. 'We don't even know if Orlin deliberately altered you for some reason or if this was an accidental side-effect of his exchanging his life for yours.'

'Is the observation completely necessary?' Jack asked. 'We have an urgent mission for Colonel Carter on Dakara.'

Carolyn sighed. She knew Jack would back her up if she made it an order; she had learned over the last month that his primary concern was the well-being of his people. She also knew Colonel Carter knew the same thing. She leaned back in her chair. 'I won't order it.' She said. 'But,' she stressed before Sam could get too excited, 'I want you to promise me, Colonel, that if you start to exhibit any unusual behaviour or start to feel unwell in any way you'll return immediately to the SGC.'

'I promise.' Sam said quickly.

'OK.' Carolyn shrugged helplessly. 'Then I'll see you shortly for your pre-gate travel check.'

'Thanks, Doc.' Jack stood up and Sam followed him with a relieved word of thanks to the slightly disgruntled doctor. He glanced over at Sam as they made their way down the corridor to the elevator. 'You should gear up for Dakara. I'll inform the control room.'

'Actually, sir,' Sam looked at him hopefully, 'is there any chance you could come back with me?'

A grin made its way across his face. 'Missing me out in the field, Carter?'

Her lips twitched. 'I have a theory, sir.'

'Only one?' Jack punched the call button.

This time he managed to raise a small smile from her. 'I think there is a way to determine whether you were affected or not. The chair won't respond to Doctor Cooper despite his having the Ancient gene so it's unlikely that's the only trigger. However if the chair responds to you too…'

'Then we know for definite that whatever Orlin did is affecting us both.' Jack concluded.

'Yes, sir.' Sam agreed as they stepped into the elevator. 'It would only take a couple of hours.'

Jack nodded. 'I think I could manage that.' He said stuffing his hands in his pockets. He smiled at her surprise. 'Hammond's on base. He can step in and take the meetings for the rest of the day.' He said with unhidden delight. 'I'll need some time to get things arranged. Why don't you inform the control room and I'll meet you in the gate room at thirteen hundred?'

'Yes, sir.' Sam said as they exited the elevator and split up to make their respective arrangements.

It was just before thirteen hundred when Sam walked into the gate room after leaving the new counter-measure with one of the base scientists to test. Jack was already there providing last minute information to Hammond, the gate spinning behind the two Generals.

'…and SG12 should be checking in this afternoon with an update on the situation on Medrona.' Jack concluded.

Hammond smiled. 'I think I can handle things here, Jack.'

'Yes, sir.' Jack grinned and put his baseball cap on. 'Ready to go, Carter?'

'Yes, sir.' Sam adjusted the position of her P90 as the gate activated and the wormhole cast them all in a pale blue light.

Hammond nodded at them. 'Good luck and Godspeed.'

Jack was smiling as he walked up the ramp with Sam beside him. They stepped through the wormhole and onto Dakara.

'Ah!' Jack breathed in deeply and put his sunglasses on. 'Just like old times.'

'Yes, sir.' Sam said amused at his evident enjoyment at being back off-world. 'It's this way.' She pointed and they began the walk away from the Stargate.

'This is great.' Jack said after a while.

'You miss it, sir?'

'Being off-world? Being shot at and chased by a bunch of angry natives? Dodging battalions of Jaffa and exchanging insults with overdressed snakes?' He said cheerfully. He looked over at her smiled. 'Yeah I do.'

'Maybe with Colonel Emerson in place with the restructure you'll have more opportunity to accompany the team now and again like you originally intended.' Sam commented.

'The thought had occurred to me.' Jack admitted. His eyes narrowed on her. 'That's if you don't mind having your old CO tag along?'

'I'm sure we'll cope, sir.' Sam said wryly. She caught a slight flicker of something in his eyes and lifted a hand from her P90. 'You know we all still consider you part of SG1, sir.' It was said casually, almost absent-mindedly as though it was something that was taken as read, but its effect was immediate as Jack's shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. 'Just as long as you remember rule number three,' she added cheekily.

Rule number three? Jack thought blankly before his memory supplied the answer; his rules for Mitchell. Number three was 'Carter's the boss.' He grinned back at her. 'Just as long as you remember there's still six days to go yet, Colonel.' He put a little extra stress on her rank.

'I know, sir.' Sam smiled at him. 'I'm counting.'

Their eyes met and held for a long moment before they both broke the eye contact and continued to walk in a comfortable silence. They ambled down the path to the entrance to the buried Ancient buildings spotting Mitchell who was obviously keeping guard.

'Colonel Mitchell.' Jack greeted him and returned his salute.

'General O'Neill, sir.' Mitchell's blue eyes gleamed with curiosity. 'It's good to see you, sir.'

'It's good to be back.' Jack said breezily.

Sam took pity on Mitchell. 'I need the General for an experiment with the chair.'

Mitchell nodded in sudden understanding. 'Teal'c and the rest of the Jaffa are attending some meeting up at the Council building but everyone else is inside, Colonel.'

'Thanks.' Sam said.

Jack gestured at the entrance. 'Shall we, Carter?'

Sam rolled her eyes and gave a nod to Mitchell who tipped his cap at her.

She strode into the passageway with Jack just behind her. They switched the lights on their P90s simultaneously.

'Creepy.' Jack commented as they reached the blasted first chamber and followed Sam into the second chamber.

Daniel sat at one of the consoles on the upper level and glanced up as they entered. 'Hey Sam, Jack.' He did a sudden double take. 'Jack?'

'Daniel.' Jack acknowledged him cheerily.

Daniel frowned. 'What are you doing here?'

Jack sighed for effect. 'No 'pleased to see you'?'

'Well, of course I'm pleased to see you, Jack, I just want to know what you're doing here.' Daniel retorted.

'Helping Carter with one of her experiments.' Jack said.

Daniel looked at Sam questioningly and she nodded.

'I have the Ancient gene but Carolyn pointed out the chair was probably responding to something more given Doctor Cooper couldn't access it.' Sam replied. 'The rest of her tests didn't show anything else.'

'Oh.' Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. 'Isn't that a good thing?'

'We don't know and we don't know for certain that I'm the only person affected.' Sam said. 'If the chair doesn't respond to General O'Neill then…'

'It's just you.' Daniel concluded. His frown deepened. 'Only we don't know by what.'

Sam shrugged. 'I'm hoping there's something in the Ancient system here that will give us an answer.'

'Good idea.' Daniel murmured. He waved at the room. 'We're only about ten per cent through the download. There's an incredible amount of data in the systems.' He smiled and whirled back to the console. 'I think I might have found some historical data on why they travelled to Dakara and…'

'Daniel.' Jack interrupted Daniel's report. 'I'm sure that's all very interesting but we don't have unlimited time here. Carter?'

'Right, sir.' Sam patted Daniel's arm soothingly. 'Let's get on with the experiment.' She led the way down the stairs to the chair.

Jack greeted the other scientists absently and dumped his backpack and gun on the floor.

'It just won't work for me.' Doctor Cooper complained a little aggrieved.

'Nobody's blaming you, Gary.' Sam said reassuringly. 'But outside of the Atlantis team, General O'Neill does have the most experience at operating Ancient technology.' She waved Jack up the platform to the chair.

Jack walked up slowly trying to rid himself of the image of Sam's broken and dying body sitting in it. He lowered himself into the chair and frowned. No lights or activity of any kind. He pressed his fingers into the cushiony controls. Nothing.

'Maybe you're not doing it right.' Daniel suggested.

Jack glared at him.

Daniel gestured at Jack. 'Think about switching the chair on.'

Jack looked at Sam.

'It couldn't hurt, sir.' She replied.

Jack closed his eyes and settled back into the chair. He tried to focus his mind; tried to think about switching the chair on. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes cautiously and found everyone looking at him expectantly. 'It didn't work?'

They all shook their heads.

Jack got to his feet. 'Well, my work here is done.' He waved at Sam to take his place. 'Carter.'

Sam took a deep breath and stepped up to the chair. Jack stood beside Daniel and crossed his arms as he watched her. She sat down gingerly. The chair activated.

Jack's eyebrows shot up. 'Well, it definitely likes you.'

'OK, Sam.' Daniel said stepping up onto the platform. 'Maybe there's something that will tell us why it only responds to you.'

'Sorry, Carter, but we should probably focus on our other mission first.' Jack interrupted reluctantly.

'Other mission?' Daniel asked.

Jack filled him in on the visit from the Tok'ra.

Daniel frowned. 'I'm not sure we should check if the weapon is active or not without the permission of the Jaffa. They might think we were checking up on them.'

'We are checking up on them, Daniel.' Jack said with exaggerated patience.

Daniel sighed and waved at Jack to go ahead.

'OK, Carter,' Jack said, 'whenever you're ready.'

'Think about the Ancient energy weapon. Just focus your mind.' Daniel coached enthusiastically.

Sam sighed and tried to clear her thoughts. A schematic was suddenly projected into the air.

'What is that?' Jack asked.

'It's the weapon.' Daniel supplied. 'Sam's mind jumped to this,' he waved at the detailed diagram, 'obviously.'

Sam stared at the information spinning above her and her brow creased. 'Sir, the Tok'ra were right.' She looked over at Jack worriedly. 'The weapon is active.'