Change Happens – Part 3
Outside the General's Office at SGC complex
"Who's in there? Who's he yelling at?" Walter whispered to the Airman standing at watch outside General O'Neill's office as they listened intently to try and understand the commotion going on in the other room.
The Airman just shrugged and answered tersely, "No one's gone in…. " And then shrugged his shoulders philosophically as if to remind Walter that it WAS the General they were speaking of and strange things happened around him all the time.
Walter sighed and ignored the urge to put his ear against the door, which turned out to be a good thing as the door was suddenly jerked open and only a very quick move saved him from being mowed down as General O'Neill stormed out and down the hall.
"Sir!" Walter yelped and scrambled to follow him – looking like a small terrier trying to keep up with a greyhound.
"WHAT!" The resounding sound of that one word and the sudden stop by the General as he wheeled and faced his assistant was so sudden, that if the General hadn't had the quick reflexes he was known for – by holding one long arm out just in time for Walter's forehead to come to a dead stop against said Generals' palm -- then he would have probably tackled him. Hurriedly, Walter stepped back his face shining with perspiration as he said quickly,
"With all due respect Sir, but I'm supposed to know where you are at all times…remember?"
Jack O'Neill merely stared at him – a scowl that had turned seasoned veterans' knees weak and then slowly turned and stalked down the hall without answering him.
Walter sighed and turned back to go to his desk not noticing the admiring look the young Airman was giving him.
"You're a brave man, sir!"
"I know. There's a reason that my request for 'hazardous duty pay' gets approved every month."
Walter straightened up a bit and then sighed as he realized that he still didn't know where the heck the general was going. He dialed Colonel Carter's lab number to cancel the Generals' requested meeting with her.
Carter hung up from Walter with a small sigh and turned back to her laptop just as a familiar "Whatcha doing?" was heard from the doorway. A small rush of warmth went through her as she smiled and turned in her chair to see the tall, lean figure lounging against the doorway with both hands in his pockets. She hadn't seen him since the graveside service for her father and had been looking forward to the meeting that had just been cancelled by Walter.
"Do you really want to know, Sir?" She asked, as this was their own joke and enjoyed watching his expressive face as he answered quickly,
"Nahh. – That would be a waste of a perfectly good explanation – and you know it." He said as he left the doorway and shambled in, his eyes looking everywhere but at her as if he was looking for something to waylay his boredom. Carter was not fooled by this usual 'I'm too dumb to understand' act. She had learned in their very first year of service together that he had that 'act' down pat. A tactical strategy that he used in all aspects of his life – let the other underestimate you – and then you have an advantage.
She also knew that after two Ancient brain dumps – he had retained a major portion of the knowledge placed there. When Thor had last healed him, he had given O'Neill the ability to control and handle a large quantity of the Ancient's knowledge and had removed only what was necessary to his well being. O'Neill was completely unaware that she knew his secret.
Why he refused to let even the people closest to him know this was beyond her. She had finally surmised that it was for their safety. If the NID or some other form of evil knew that he had this knowledge – he and anyone that was close to him would be in great peril. Only a few knew: Janet Fraiser, General Hammond, and herself. She had learned of it entirely by a slip of the tongue by Janet and that had left General Hammond with no recourse but to confirm it and relegate her to secrecy. Daniel was already suspicious and Sam knew that it was just a short matter of time before he figured it out and boy, did she NOT want to be around when he did as she imagined his fury at being out of the loop: something that Daniel prized above all else. Teal'c too was going to be very upset if and when he ever learned this secret. Bridges to cross when they came to them, she thought wryly.
Her thoughts were interrupted when he finally came to a stop immediately in front of her counter and picked up her pager and stared at it as if it was an alien device that he had never seen before. Suddenly, he quit fiddling and she felt the charge of his dark brown eyes as they stared into hers… "How are you?" He asked quietly and was totally still as his intent expression awaited her answer.
"I'm … fine. Work helps, ya know?" Feeling a bit overwhelmed suddenly by his caring -- a rare display from the usually 'shuttered' man.
He nodded and just as suddenly veered away – once again roaming, moving, touching anything that was within his reach on the long lab table.
Carter waited him out – knowing his ways as well as she knew her own. Something was on his mind and he had his own timetable to getting things said – his own peculiar way of getting things across – no amount of prompting was going to make a departure from his routine. He then, did something that did surprise her – He looked up at the ceiling and said, "Buddy… Now!"
Suddenly brilliant white light surrounded them and just as suddenly, they were no longer at the SGC – instead a beautiful vista of earth and the galaxy stretched forever in front of them. Carter realized that she had just been transported to an Asgard ship above Earth – along with the General. Vertigo hit her and she stumbled and O'Neill quickly steadied her by grasping her arms and then just a quickly released her as she regained her balance.
"Sir?" Carter could only say as she took in her surrounding in total confusion.
O'Neill ignored her questioning look and wheeled away from her and yelled, "THOR! WHERE ARE YOU?"
He stalked the length of the large control room, pausing to look under the consoles as if he thought Thor, the High Commander could possibly be hiding from them.
Carter was even more baffled – "Why are we here sir?" She called out after the departing General and even as she asked, she started following him.
"Due time Carter! Due Time!" was yelled back at her as he continued to search the large ship. "THOR! FRONT AND CENTER!" He yelled in almost desperation as he disappeared down a ship hallway.
End of part 3