He was home.
Jack O'Neill dropped his bags with a happy sigh and walked through to the kitchen to see if a cold beer was available. The fridge was empty. Typical, now he was off his medication and able to drink, he hadn't had the foresight to leave his fridge stocked. Now what was he going to do?
Call Daniel was the first thing that came to mind, before he remembered that his friend didn't keep beer in the house. If you wanted coffee, he was better than Starbuck's, but it was too late to think about caffeine. Jack was starting to wish he'd stayed up at the cabin.
As the years went by it was becoming more and more difficult to leave the place he regarded as his sanctuary.
Although he wasn't officially due back until the following morning, Jack seriously considered dropping by the SGC. Carter and Daniel would have left for the night, but Teal'c would be there. The truth was, after two weeks of solitude, Jack wanted company. At least, at the SGC, there would be someone to talk to, even if he ended up shooting the breeze with Walter. Decision made, he picked up his keys and left the empty house.
Jack hadn't had much contact with his team over the past few weeks. Although he'd broken his own rules and taken his cell phone with him, it had been a medical necessity. Daniel had called to let him know they were going on a mission without him. No real details, just enough to make sure Jack was worrying about them. And Carter had phoned a couple of times to check he was still alive, which was gratifying.
The SGC was quiet, the majority of personnel having left for the night. Jack found Teal'c in the gym, working on his biceps… although why he might want to make them any larger was anyone's guess. The other man broke into a rare grin when he realised who had interrupted his work out.
"You are well, O'Neill?" he asked.
"Sure," Jack replied, "as well as can be expected. You know with the knees, the back… did you miss me?"
"Indeed. I believe you would have found our last mission fascinating."
"I bet. Anyone else here? Daniel? Carter?"
"Daniel Jackson departed some hours ago; however I believe Major Carter is still on the premises."
"Carter's here?"
Jack couldn't help expressing his surprise. Did this mean Carter had dumped Pete?
"Pete Shanahan has returned to Denver."
Damn it!
"Maybe I'll drop by and say hi. Let her know I'm back."
"I believe you should do that O'Neill," Teal'c replied.
It might have been Jack's imagination, but Teal'c's eyebrow was raised in what was almost a smirk. Just because T had a hot thing going with Ishtar, he seemed to think everyone should be engaged in romantic pursuits. It would be match making next, SGC speed dating, Jaffa style. Five minutes to prove your ability with a staff weapon, overthrow a false god and measure your pain threshold.
"Should have called Daniel," Jack muttered to himself as he tried to dispel the distracting images.
"Catch you later," he added as he left Teal'c to his biceps.
XOXO
Sometimes it was hard to say goodbye, Major Jerry Mason mused as he pulled on his pants.
P9J-567 was a peaceful world, some might have said idyllic. It was certainly the quietest tour of duty Mason could remember since he'd been assigned to the SGC. True he'd spent the first six months with SG-3 but from all reports his current unit, SG-7, had had their share of misfortune. They'd been wiped out at least once, if he recalled correctly. No one ever said travelling the universe was a safe occupation and generally the benefits more than made up for the risks. Mason smirked to himself as he recalled the exact nature of the previous night's benefits.
The people here were friendly enough, even if their civilization hadn't progressed much further than the seventeenth contrary. It was like stepping back to ye olde Englande, Mason realised. He'd visited London, York ... and parts of those cities didn't look that much different from what he saw now. There were narrow streets, overhanging buildings and sloping rooms. Except out here, it was all dirtier not to mention smellier. Yes, the lavatory facilities definitely left a lot to be desired which was one of the reasons SG-7 had decided to set up camp a little way out of town to escape the smell. You got used to it though.
Mason opened the window and leaned out a little way. He'd miss this, he realised. The sun was rising, smoke curling from the chimneys, softening the outlines of the buildings. He could just about make out the river which wound it's way through the heart of the town. A ship was putting into port, recently returned from lands unknown. Mason found himself wondering what it was like to explore a new world, without the benefit of a Stargate
He wondered if these people still thought their planet was flat.
Squinting into the distance, he could just about see the radio telescope the SGC had sighted on this world. The twenty-five metre dish had taken the engineering team a month to build. An amazing achievement when you thought about it. Although SG-7 were leaving, another team would take their place.
A career soldier, Mason didn't understand much about the observations they were making, but they certainly had the other members of the team excited. The terms black hole and micro-quasar were bandied around, but they meant very little to him.
In the room behind him, someone stirred and Mason turned towards her. Elizabeth was young, pretty and willing. At first, those attributes were all he'd cared about, but over the two months since SG-7 had arrived, Mason had genuinely become fond of the girl. He knew he wasn't the first soldier to develop an attachment off world, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. Even the great Colonel O'Neill had been known to dabble with the natives although it was something one had to be careful not to mention in Sam Carter's presence.
There was no going back, that was the real problem. It would be doubtful that Mason would ever be able to return to this world. The USAF weren't keen on using their multi-million dollar piece of technology just to let a guy see his girl. Elizabeth knew that. Mason had made it clear from the start that once he was gone that was it. He wasn't coming back. Now he could see the quiet acceptance in her eyes and somehow that was worse than angry histrionics. Knowing there was nothing he could say, Mason crossed to the door and let himself out.
The house was empty. Elizabeth's mother had died in childbirth and she had no siblings. Her father, Isaac, was a cantankerous man. He certainly wouldn't be pleased if he knew what his daughter was doing. This morning, however, Mason was safe. Isaac was the local equivalent of an astronomer and had spent the previous night shut away in his observatory. His reflecting telescope was primitive by Earth standards. No automated drive, no computer imaging, his observations were recorded by hand. He had shown very little interest in SG-7's more sophisticated equipment although the common interest in the heavens had been instrumental in Mason meeting Elizabeth.
Under any other circumstances, Mason would have enjoyed the walk. The coolness of the early morning air lingered despite the rising of the sun. A soft breeze was blowing in his face, taking away the stench of the town. Before long, he knew he'd be back at the SGC, trapped below ground until the doctors decided to let them leave. That was another problem with an extended stay off world. The quarantine period seemed to go on forever.
The rest of the team knew where he'd been. Although Mason was sure that none of them approved, his commanding officer hadn't ordered him to stay away. It wasn't as if he had any attachments back home. His last girlfriend had walked out on him, so as far as Mason was concerned he was a free agent. Of course, there was that story about Colonel O'Neill and the STI, but Mason took care of himself. He wasn't stupid. A few extra 'rations' made it into his kit bag every time.
His team members were ready and waiting. The team leader, Colonel Smith, glared although he couldn't really complain, as Mason was actually ten minutes early. He decided discretion was the better part of valour. The blow-by-blow account of his night's activities could wait until they got back to the SGC.
"You all set?" Smith asked.
"Yes, sir," Mason answered and stepped forward to punch the coordinates into the DHD. The Stargate whooshed into life but he lingered behind the others as they started to shift their equipment towards the event horizon.
He took one last look around... just as the hiss of energy disrupted the peace of the morning air. Acting purely on instinct, Mason threw himself on the ground. He rolled over as he fumbled with his P90, trying to bring it to bear. It was only as he raised his head that he realised there was nothing to shoot at. The form coming through the Stargate was pure energy. It was so bright the rest of the landscape dulled by comparison. He couldn't look at it without his eyes hurting.
"Sir?" he called out, trying to divulge the position of the rest of the team.
There was no reply. Someone, something was pulling at him, dragging him towards the Stargate. Mason dropped his P90 as he dug his fingers into the soil, trying to stop the inevitable. Whatever it was, it was strong... too strong. He couldn't prevent himself being hauled towards the open Stargate. He screamed, for all the good it would do. There was no sign of the rest of his team. No one was going to come riding to his rescue. It was as if they'd been wiped from the surface of the planet.
"Jerry! Jerry!"
Elizabeth's voice. Damn it she'd followed him.
"Get back!" he yelled.
Glancing behind, Mason saw her coming towards him, even though there was nothing she could possibly do to help. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. He had no choice. If he kept fighting, she'd reach him and get herself dragged into this too. Mason relaxed and let himself go.
XOXO
Graham Simmons had mixed feelings about being back at the SGC. On the one hand, the posting had a lot of benefits. There was a certain fulfilment in knowing you were defending your planet, being on the front line, not to mention the intellectual stimulation provided by the stream of alien artefacts. No other posting quite compared. There was however, a downside to being back. Major Carter. Simmons had gotten over his crush some time ago but that didn't stop him blushing every time their paths happened to cross. He'd really made an idiot of himself, which was one of the reasons he'd taken the opposite shift from the Major. He may have been short on sleep but it minimized their chances of actually meeting.
Things had certainly changed in the years he had been away. There were several familiar faces missing. Some had gone to other posts; some had given the ultimate service to their country and their planet.
There was a team due back any time now. SG-7 if he remembered the schedule correctly. The Stargate sprung to life right on schedule and Simmons hit the palm scanner to shut the iris. Then he sat back and waited for the code to come through.
And waited.
Graham started to panic. There was always the chance that someone would try to get through the Stargate without the proper code. He didn't want to be responsible for the dull thunk that signalled the end of a human life.
"SG-7 this is the SGC, come in please?" he called.
Nothing. He tried again.
"SG-7 the iris is closed, do not, I repeat do not enter the Stargate.
Then something exploded and Simmons jumped backwards with a yelp. Instinctively he hit the alarm.
He could see from the monitors that the Stargate had absorbed a great deal of energy. It was enough to overload the capacitors, and cause the fireworks. The fire suppression system hissed into action, dousing the fire almost as soon as it had begun. If Simmons had wanted to avoid Major Carter, blowing up the Stargate wasn't the way to do it. The wormhole was no longer active, at least not at this destination. Simmons suspected that, if SG-7 had entered the wormhole, they wouldn't find themselves on Earth.
As Simmons looked down into the Gateroom he saw the clean up crews were running in, the reliable Sergeant Siler amongst them.
"Page General Hammond," Simmons ordered.
XOXO
"How long?" Samantha Carter demanded trying not to raise her voice.
"It has to be custom made," Sergeant Siler replied.
It wasn't his fault, she reminded herself, and losing her temper wasn't going to help.
"Couldn't you just make a new one in the workshop?" she pushed.
"Not with the right degree of precision."
"And I don't suppose the manufacturer is in Colorado Springs."
"Germany."
"Terrific… Thanks Siler."
Sam closed her eyes for a second. The Sergeant had done his best but there was no getting around the problem. It was something they were just going to have to live with. She remembered how difficult it had been to get the component made in the first place. They'd had a back up, and a back up for the back up but stock control wasn't what it should have been. Something was always overlooked. The problem was this time the something wasn't just coffee, beans or post-it notes. This something was going to put them out of operation for the best part of a fortnight.
And Sam was going to have to break the news to the General. It wasn't fair to ask Siler to do it. She was the superior officer after all. Sam glanced up at the briefing room. They were all waiting for her report. She couldn't put it off any longer.
"Ten days," she said as she took her seat amongst the assembled team leaders.
Everyone knew better than to argue, which was a relief. Sam really didn't want to repeat the discussion she'd just had with Siler.
"What about SG-7?" Colonel O'Neill demanded.
"They may have been able to gate to the new Alpha Site," Colonel Reynolds suggested.
"We won't know until we get the Stargate working again," General Hammond said.
"Can we wait that long?" Colonel Edwards wanted to know.
Not one of the SG commanders liked the idea of abandoning a missing team. They were all profoundly aware that next time it could be their team out there and their people who were desperately waiting for help from Earth.
"Where's the nearest Stargate?" Colonel Dixon asked. "If we could get there we could contact the Alpha Site."
"Abydos has been destroyed, the Stargate on P3X-972 fell into the ocean…"Sam began.
"Whatever, we still don't have a way to get there," Edwards added.
Sam took a deep breath before continuing.
"There's a moon 200 light years away. It's not on the Abydos cartouche. Nothing of any scientific interest but we could use it as a transfer point."
"What about using the Prometheus?" O'Neill asked.
"I thought the hyperdrive was screwed?" Dixon said.
"It is but we can still use it in a limited fashion," Sam argued, "the Alkesh drive we fitted is only capable of jumps of forty nine light years. It won't take us across the galaxy, but it should get us to M9C-564."
General Hammond leaned back in his chair, considering her suggestion. Sam knew launching the Prometheus was always going to be a calculated risk. With the possibility of an attack by Anubis increasing, the ship was Earth's only line of defence. On the other hand, without an operational Stargate the planet was isolated. They had no way of contacting their allies. Establishing communication with the Alpha site could well give them more than just information pertaining to SG-7.
"All right, "Hammond agreed.
"SG-1 sir?" Colonel O'Neill offered immediately.
"SG-3 is off rotation until the Stargate is operational," Reynolds reminded the General.
"All teams are off rotation!"
"SG-13…" Dixon began.
"Still have one member injured and Wells is out on paternity leave. Which leaves SG-11," Edwards said.
"I'm sorry, but if it comes to nursing Prometheus to M9C they're going to need Major Carter on board. SG-1 you have a go," Hammond decided.
The disappointment on the faces of the other men was almost comical. Colonel O'Neill on the other hand looked like the cat that had got the cream, the pot roast and half a dozen cold cuts.
"How come you get all the cool missions?" Dixon demanded.
"It's a matter of style Dave," O'Neill grinned.
"Yeah, Carter's," Reynold's sniggered.
"How much to let her transfer to SG-11?" Edwards offered.
"No way. She's mine. Right Carter?" the Colonel said.
"Yes sir," Sam smiled.
She didn't say any more. Under other circumstances, she would have joined in their banter. It was certainly flattering to have these highly professional men fighting over her services even if she could never voluntarily see herself leaving SG-1.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we have a mission to prepare for," O'Neill smirked.
He stood back to let Sam precede him from the room.
"You okay, Carter?" he asked when they were alone in the corridor.
"Fine," she lied.
The memorial service was a month in the past but Sam felt like she was still speaking the words. She still didn't know how she'd managed to talk for so long without breaking down. Sam had never thought of herself as much of an actress but she must have been a damn good one. Afterwards she had found a quiet secluded corner and cried for an hour. She was certain her teammates had noticed that she'd been late for the wake but none of them commented. Daniel had given her a hug, Teal'c had saved her some food and Colonel O'Neill had driven her home. There had been nothing inappropriate about his actions. Everyone knew she was seeing Pete.
Of course, that weekend, he had chosen to stay in Denver. Sam had considered asking him to come down, but the truth was she was used to coping by herself. She really didn't want anyone else around. For a few days, Sam had shut the world out. By the time she saw Pete again she was in a more coherent frame of mind.
Their relationship was too new to show him the uncontrolled side of Samantha Carter.
As he had done when Daniel had died, Jack O'Neill wanted SG-1 back in rotation ASAP. Sam knew it was pointless to argue with him. She could have made some excuse and stayed behind, but somehow the idea hadn't occurred to her. SG-1 were a team. Where they went, she went and she wouldn't have it any other way.
XOXO
It should have been raining.
Should have been…
Daniel Jackson walked slowly through the graveyard. He didn't really know why he was here. He'd seen her die; he'd been to the memorial service he didn't need to stand over her grave. Didn't need to…
But here he was, weaving his way amongst the stones under a sun that shouldn't have been shining. He didn't know what else to do. Daniel didn't think he'd ever felt so helpless. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her die, cut down in front of him and he hadn't even been able to shoot the bastard who'd done it. He'd been too busy trying to save her life. Dumb move. She'd been dead before she'd hit the ground.
Perversely, Daniel had found himself calling out for Oma Desala. She'd managed to ascend the people of Abydos so why not Janet? His cries had been in vain. Janet's body had stayed right where it was. Why her? Why hadn't she been found worthy of ascension? Because she'd already been dead? Daniel still couldn't recall much about his own ascension, but he felt sure that mere death couldn't be a barrier.
So here he was. Standing awkwardly before the grave, a bunch of roses held loosely in his hand.
He wasn't the only person visiting the graveyard, not by a long shot, but he couldn't help feeling that everyone else had a right to be here. Janet had been his friend, true but that didn't seem like enough. Crouching down, he placed his flowers on the grave. He knew they wouldn't last long. Within a week, they would have withered and died.
As he walked away, Daniel found himself wondering about the other people here. Would they ever know of the sacrifice she had made? Would they care? Even at the SGC, it seemed like business a usual. The war they were fighting was bigger than any one person was. They had to pick themselves up and carry on.
Daniel knew he wasn't the only one to visit her here. Sam had talked about it one weekend and Teal'c had gone with her. He didn't know about Jack. Daniel had his suspicions but he was sure his friend wouldn't let anyone find out.
The unnatural quiet of the afternoon was rudely interrupted by the buzz of Daniel's phone. He silenced it immediately, glancing around in apology at the people he had disturbed. There was only one person who would call him when he'd specifically asked not to be disturbed.
Jack.
The SGC.
It was time to move out again.
XOXO
Sometimes Cassandra felt as if her whole world was falling apart. She wanted to be mature, she wanted to live up to everyone's expectations but she was struggling. When she'd lost her first Mom, she'd been little more than a child. She'd felt a child's confusion, a child's pain. Now she was on the verge of adulthood she could honestly say it felt a whole lot worse. Maybe she hadn't lived with Janet Fraiser as long as she had with her biological parents, but that didn't mean she cared for her any less.
The house, her home had been sold. Although Cassie would be going to college next semester it would feel odd coming back to Sam's place for vacations. Not to mention the fact that Pete would probably be around. It wasn't that Cassie didn't begrudge the fact that Sam had a boyfriend it was just… Somehow, everything felt wrong.
Even this room didn't feel like hers.
Her belongings had been transferred from her Mom's house, but it still wasn't comfortable. Cassie felt like she was a guest here. The boundaries were unknown. She didn't know what time she had to be home, how loud she could play her music, when Sam expected her to do her homework, what chores she was supposed to do… They were feeling their way into a new relationship. Although Sam treated her like an adult, Cassandra was certain she wasn't yet finished with being a child.
Now was a prime example. It was late, it was a school night and Sam had just walked in. She didn't say a word about the fact that Cassie was still awake, and watching TV. The teenager could have been watching porn and Sam probably wouldn't have noticed. There was obviously something on her mind.
"Sam?" she questioned.
"Sorry," Sam apologised, as she sat down, "I guess I'm not used to coming home and having anyone to talk to."
"Not even Pete?"
"He's not here all the time."
Sam laughed, before she sobered.
There was a far away look in her eyes, as if she was thinking of someone else entirely.
"Cassie," she went on, "I know this is soon but… there's this mission…"
Cassandra felt a moment of panic. It must have shown in her eyes because Sam was quick to continue,
"If you don't want me to go I won't."
"But SG-1 will go?" Cassie asked.
"Yes they will."
"Then you have to go with them."
"Are you sure?" Sam asked.
Cassie nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her heart was screaming NO, but her head didn't seem to be taking any notice. Already her imagination was conjuring up several nightmare scenarios. What would happen to her if Sam didn't make it back? She knew the Air Force would make provision for her, but Cassie was almost eighteen. Technically, she didn't need a parent any more. And it wasn't just Sam. The whole of SG-1 might be wiped out, leaving her with no one.
"I shouldn't be gone longer than a week," Sam went on.
"Okay."
"There's plenty of food in the freezer and I'll leave you some money. Call General Hammond if you need anything, anything at all."
"I will."
Sam seemed somewhat reassured as she stood.
"You have to go now?" Cassie asked.
"I wanted to tell you in person rather than over the phone…"
Cassie didn't need Sam to complete the sentence. She felt the same way and was glad of the chance to say goodbye face to face. Sam opened her arms and Cassie stepped into them, almost crushing the breath out of the other woman. But Sam didn't complain.
"I'll be back before you know it," Sam said.
Cassie really, really hoped her words would turn out to be true.
XOXO
The hardest part was over but Sam still had to say goodbye to Pete. At least Sam had been able to talk to Cassie face to face, but Pete was in Denver this week. Although he tried to spend as much time as possible in Colorado Springs, he had yet to mention putting in for a transfer. It was something Sam suspected was coming, but she tried not to think about it too much. Living together would be a huge step … assuming she came back from this mission.
"Pete Shanahan," she told the officer on the switchboard.
"One moment please," the woman replied.
Sam tapped her fingers impatiently whilst Greensleeves blared in her ear. She really hoped he wasn't too busy to talk… or maybe she didn't. It would be far easier to leave a message. He could be busy with an important case. They had a deal now. Sam wouldn't pry into his work, if he would keep away from hers. It was the only way to stop him getting hurt. She still felt guilty he'd been injured and relieved that he hadn't been killed.
"Shanahan?" Pete's voice cut through the rendition of Beethoven's ninth.
"It's me," she replied.
"Hey, is something wrong? Are you okay?"
She didn't call him at work very often. He must have noticed the worry in her voice. Sam kicked herself. The last thing she wanted was for Pete to panic himself into an early grave. He couldn't afford to be distracted.
"I'm fine," she reassured him, "but I have to go away for a while."
"How long?"
"I don't know. We've had an equipment malfunction."
"So how…?"
"The old fashioned way. Pete, could you do something for me?"
"Sure."
"Keep an eye on Cassie while I'm gone."
"I'll make sure I drop by."
"Thanks."
She paused, not knowing what else to say apart from,
"I've got to go."
"Okay… love you."
"Me too."
Sam put the phone down. Her duty done, she could now concentrate on the mission. She didn't dwell on the fact that she hadn't been able to say ' I love you' in return.
Glancing at her watch, Sam wondered how long she had before they had to leave. She knew she needed a few moments to pull herself together. Before Janet died, it hadn't been so hard to say goodbye. She remembered crying her eyes out when the Colonel had gone missing and wondered how she could have ever been so naïve.
"Ready to go, Major?"
O'Neill's voice surprised her. Speak of the devil… Keeping her back to him, Sam surreptitiously blew her nose.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"I just told Pete I was going away for a while," she explained.
"Oh. How's he doing?"
"Fine, he's fine. It's just that … since Janet …"
Crap. She hadn't meant to say that. The Colonel was the last person she should be talking to, for more than one reason. She turned to face him. There was no reassurance in his eyes, just a bleak acceptance of the situation. He wasn't about to offer random words of consolation. No one could guarantee that she'd come back alive and deep down Sam appreciated his honesty.
"C'mon," he told her, "hate to think what Teal'c might do if we're late."
"Trash the Gateroom?"
"Or raise an eyebrow, both events of cataclysmic importance."
"I'll be there in five, sir."
There was no one else to say goodbye to.
XOXO
Prometheus was the only way to travel, Jack O'Neill decided as he lay on his bunk revelling in the relative luxury of his surroundings. Sure, it was slower than the Stargate but it had all the comforts of home. Not like the cargo ships the Tok'ra were so fond of. Two seats, lousy air conditioning and Jack still had nightmares about the bathrooms. They were downright dangerous. If he hadn't had good reflexes... well it would have been very unpleasant and he doubted that Carter would have been happy to treat that part of his anatomy.
A year ago, that would have been heading towards Abydos. Jack wasn't sure what it was now. He hadn't bothered to find out. No… he hadn't wanted to find out. Might as well be honest. He'd lost too many friends when Anubis had destroyed that world, but more than that, he'd lost Skaara. Okay, so maybe they had all ascended… whatever that might mean. Jack wasn't convinced it was so much better than living out one's life in the material world. The only person he knew who had experienced that enlightened state still didn't remember that much about it. At least that was what Daniel would have them all think. Jack wasn't entirely sure that he believed his friend, but there were certain events he wanted kept quiet so he didn't push too hard.
Deciding it was time he had some company, Jack rolled out of his bunk and put on his boots. He wanted to head up towards the bridge, but he still recalled Colonel Ronson warning him away last time so he decided to try to find Carter. She'd know if they were nearly there yet. Of course, if she happened to be on the bridge then it would be a different matter. He had every right to talk to someone under his own command.
As he walked through the well-lit corridors, Jack couldn't quite get used to the fact that the ship was now staffed and operational. He nodded to the crewmembers of his acquaintance, smiled at the cute ones and saluted anyone who seemed to want it. There was no sign of Carter, though. Jack began to think she was avoiding him. She had been kind of quiet recently, but that was understandable. They all missed Fraiser. Jack suspected that Daniel had harboured a crush on the doctor but none of them had been as close to her as Carter. Hell, the two of them had been raising a child together.
Jack remembered Carter coming to see him after it had happened. He remembered holding her close for what felt like forever… and he'd felt guilty. Not because of the regulations, not because she was seeing another man, but because he was glad she was still alive. He hoped to God that he never had to find out what his life would be like without Sam Carter in it. He'd resigned himself to the fact that they'd never be more than friends but she was still important to him, as were Daniel and Teal'c.
Carter wasn't on the bridge. She wasn't in the engine room. She wasn't in the mess hall, but Teal'c and Daniel were, so Jack decided he'd make do with their company.
And that was another thing. At least on Prometheus one could eat a decent meal and not have to rely on MREs… or even worse… Tok'ra food. Jack remembered now. It was after eating something Jacob had given him that he'd been forced to make that dangerous trip to the bathroom. With a certain amount of relief, Jack collected a dish of oatmeal.
"Have either of you seen Carter?" he asked as he joined his two friends.
"She said something about wanting to get some sleep," Daniel replied.
"Carter? Sleep?"
She was definitely avoiding him. Jack gave himself a mental slap. It wasn't his place to worry about the reasons why. As long as she was doing her job, he didn't really have a reason to be concerned… apart from the whole 'care about her a lot more than I'm supposed to' thing. Not for the first time, Jack cursed the Tok'ra and their dumb machine. Okay, so they had managed to save the President's life but they'd lost Martouf and it had screwed up a whole bunch of other things.
He toyed with his oatmeal for a few moments.
"Anyone know how long we'll be in transit?" he asked.
"I believe we will arrive soon, O'Neill," Teal'c replied.
"So Carter won't mind if we wake her up?"
"Jack, if you want to go see her, go see her," Daniel snapped.
"Why are you so grumpy?"
"I'm not grumpy."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
Jack realised this probably wasn't a good time to tease his best friend so he shut up. No doubt, Carter would appear at some point, giving the impression of being bright eyed and bushy tailed. Trying to dig deeper into his team's lives didn't seem to be working. They probably thought him a heartless bastard for volunteering for this mission for the first place. He'd be the first to admit his reason were selfish. Jack knew enough about himself to realise it didn't do him any good to dwell on grief. Dragging his team out on this mission was the only way he could remain sane. If they didn't like it, too damn bad. He'd been the same after Daniel had 'died' and it had been Carter who had taken issue with his actions.
Now her silence was worrying him. He wasn't naïve enough to believe she had come around to his point of view. If she had issues with his orders then it was better to sort it out before the mission began. On the other hand, she wasn't usually one to keep her opinions to herself. He was letting his personal feelings get the better of him again.
The oatmeal didn't help.
He decided he'd had enough and threw it in the trash.
"Let's get ready to move out," Jack ordered.
XOXO
"Good luck," Colonel Ronson smirked as the Prometheus eased into orbit.
SG-1 had finally been allowed onto the bridge to view their destination. Jack winced as he viewed the bright surface of the moon. Once, just once he'd like to end up on a tropical world with blue sea and a nice beach. Pack the shorts, break out the sun block and catch a few rays.
"Gant what's the surface temperature?" Ronson asked.
"-50 sir, not taking into account the wind chill factor," she replied.
"Sweet," Jack muttered.
"It's warmer than Antarctica, sir," Carter said.
"Mmmm… Antarctica."
There were certain warm memories associated with ice and snow. He tried to catch Carter's eye but she was too busy studying the scanner readouts.
"The ice is 2000m thick," Gant added.
"So do we know where the Stargate is?" Daniel asked. "Are there any structures on the surface?"
Jack rolled his eyes. They weren't going to be on the surface long enough to look at anything, not without risking a serious ass freezing.
"Just set us down somewhere close by," he told Ronson.
They changed into their cold weather gear before departing. Teal'c, Jack noted, looked not unlike a polar bear by the time he was swathed in the white garments. He was almost cuddly.
"Beam us down," Jack ordered once they were assembled in the ring room.
It was just as uncomfortable as he had imagined. Although Jack boasted about being raised in Minnesota, he had no particular love of the cold. It was fine for a days skiing with a comfortable lodge at the end of it. Or if he was at the cabin, with the fire lit, sitting watching the snowfall. He'd loved spending long snowy days playing with Charlie. School closed and the two of them would run riot in the back yard. Here, however, there was unlikely to be hot chocolate with marshmallows waiting for him.
Gant hadn't been kidding about the wind chill factor. Jack could feel his face freezing despite the balaclava.
"Where's the Stargate?" he shouted.
"We should be standing right on top of it!" Carter called back.
Jack looked around hoping to spot the dark ring. The visibility was poor. Not because it was actually snowing, but the wind was whipping ice crystals into the air.
"I thought we'd been here before," Daniel yelled.
"We have, three years ago," Carter replied. "Something must have happened to the 'gate in the mean time."
"Ya think?" Jack muttered, but to himself.
"Major Carter!" Teal'c's deep voice had become a roar.
He was standing on top of the nearest rise gesturing down the other side. Slipping and stumbling in their efforts to climb the slope, the rest of SG-1 hurried to join him. Something in his right knee twinged, and Jack was forced to stop for a second. It was all right for Teal'c. His bulk gave him an advantage in these conditions.
"It's here, sir!" Carter called down to him.
How the hell had she got up there so fast? It was no good, Jack realised, he was definitely getting old. Ignoring the pain in his knee, Jack staggered the last few steps to the crest of the ridge.
"Crap," he swore.
The Stargate was there all right. At a guess, he figured the 'gate had once stood on the ridge and some seismic disturbance had dislodged it. There was a frozen lake below them and the Stargate lay at the bottom. Clearly visible through the ice, the wind had swept the surface clean of snow.
"Tell me we don't have to start digging," Jack pleaded.
"If we can find the DHD we won't have to," Carter reassured him. "The Kawoosh should take care of the ice."
"Right."
Carter started down the slope. How she managed it without ending up on her ass he'd never know. The rest of them followed at a more sedate pace. Stepping out onto the frozen surface, Jack wished he'd thought to pack his skates. At least he was better off than Teal'c who was moving very tentatively. The bigger man had a frown on his face.
Jack had the childish urge to start showing off.
After an hour of searching, Jack was ready to give up and go back the ship. He was getting to the point where he thought he'd never be warm again.
"Any luck?" he called into his radio.
"No sir," Carter's voice was the first to reply.
"Nothing over here," Daniel answered.
"I have not located the DHD," Teal'c added.
"We're sure there's one here?" Jack demanded.
"Yes, sir," Carter responded.
Jack looked up, trying to figure out how much daylight they had left. The sky was still a clear, brilliant blue.
"Carter, Daniel, get back up to Prometheus," he ordered. "Teal'c and I will carry on looking. You can relieve us in an hour."
He added the last words just as they both started to protest. Carter had less body weight than the rest of them, if he was cold, then she had to be.
It was Daniel who finally found the DHD. Two hours later, just as Jack had been about to eat. He tried not to let his annoyance show as he was summoned to the bridge with his tuna on rye. There was no love lost between himself and Ronson. He could admire the man professionally, but there would never be anything resembling friendship between the two men.
"It was the other side of the ridge," Daniel reported, shouting against the howl of the wind.
"The DHD went one way and the 'gate went the other," Sam's voice broke in.
"We've managed to clear the snow."
"Sweet. We'll be down in ten."
Unable to keep the smirk off his face, Jack turned to Ronson,
"When we've gone send a team down to get that Stargate upright again," he ordered. "Then stay in orbit until you hear from me."
"Jack…" Ronson started to protest.
"That's an order."
There was nothing the other man could say. In the absence of General Hammond, Jack was the senior officer. He had command of this mission.
XOXO
It had been six weeks since the attack by the Super Soldier and consequently the new Alpha Site was barely operational. This time they'd gone for a more functional approach. Previous attempts had always been out in the open and vulnerable to attack. Like the SGC, this site was protected by the bulk of a mountain. It wasn't as comfortable as an over ground facility, but it was a hell of a lot safer.
The only advantage Daniel could find was the fact it was a whole lot warmer than the place they had just left.
There was an operational Stargate, a computer network, but that was about it. There seemed to be a large number of cardboard boxes piled around which, Daniel supposed, held equipment ready to be commissioned. He was kind of glad the Promethus was remaining in orbit close to an active Stargate. It would take them a day to reach Earth but it meant they weren't completely out of touch.
It was as if the year he'd spent on Abydos had never happened. Seven years and he'd forgotten how it felt to be cut off from his home world. Daniel was nervous and he didn't mind admitting it. He couldn't believe he had become so reliant on civilisation. Just as he'd been during those first weeks he'd spent with Sha're.
"We haven't heard anything from SG-7," Colonel Pierce was saying. "To be honest we were more concerned about losing contact with Earth."
The man looked hassled, which was understandable. He also looked far too young to have made colonel. Although Daniel realised he was probably biased. Not everyone of that rank had grey hair. The truth was Jack should have been a General by now… it was either that or Daniel himself was getting old.
Was that possible?
It only seemed like last week he had been receiving his PhD.
Yesterday that he had lost Sha're.
A few hours ago, that Janet had…
Crap.
He hadn't meant to think about her but somehow the memories just snuck in when he wasn't paying attention. Perhaps Jack had the right idea and they needed to keep themselves occupied. He glanced across at Sam who seemed to be intent on studying the new dialling system.
"It's smaller than back home," Daniel said to her.
"We've had a few more years to work on it," she replied. "Not to mention the advances in microchip technology."
Her explanation was short, succinct and so unlike the Samantha Carter he had come to know.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Still cold," she admitted.
If that was the only problem then he'd eat his entire library, but Daniel decided to humour her.
"Me too," he said.
Jack would have them through the Stargate within the next few minutes, but Daniel couldn't help wondering if it wouldn't be a big mistake.
XOXO
There were trees... and Sam Carter really hoped that her commanding officer wasn't going to make a comment. The truth was she was tired. Bitterly exhausted. She hid it as well as she could but she knew that eventually her temper would get the better of her and Sam pitied whoever ended up on the receiving end. As she glanced at her team mates she realised they all seemed a little subdued. The Colonel wasn't making bad jokes. Daniel didn't seem the least bit interested in the town before them. Even Teal'c was more stoic than usual.
Sam hadn't been sure what to expect. When she and Colonel O'Neill had been a victim of similar circumstances, they'd been caught in a firefight. Here, they found themselves walking from the Alpha Site into a peaceful summer's day. There was no sign that there was anything wrong, apart from the pile of equipment standing before the Stargate. SG-7 had been planning to leave on schedule.
"Carter check it out," the Colonel ordered, "let me know if there's anything missing."
The others moved off to search the perimeter, leaving Sam to dig through the abandoned equipment. Searching through the belongings of potentially dead men wasn't one of her favourite occupations but it had to be done. It didn't help that the first thing she pulled out of one of the packs was a string of condoms. She tried to stuff them back inside, but too late. The Colonel had been close enough to notice.
"Well someone was having fun," he muttered.
"Major Mason, at a guess," Sam replied.
"You know him?"
"Matt and I went out a couple of times."
"Matt? I thought his name was Jerry?"
"Just my nickname for him, sir. Matt Mason the astronaut doll?"
"I remember."
Sam felt herself blush at the memory of the first time she had met the Colonel. She still couldn't believe she'd said those things.
"So you guys were an item?" he went on.
"Not really," Sam reassured him. "It didn't get any further than drinks after work. He's the love 'em and leave 'em type."
"Oh."
"You did order me to get a life, sir."
He mumbled something that Sam didn't quite catch and she found herself smiling. Despite her relationship with Pete there was a still a certain amount of satisfaction in seeing the Colonel a little riled. She went back to her task while he stamped off to see what Teal'c and Daniel were doing. As far as Sam could tell, there wasn't anything missing. It didn't look as if SG-7 had ever entered the Stargate. So were they still here somewhere?
Sam started to take a closer look at the area around the Gate. The ground was bone dry so there were no telltale boot prints. It was only when she reached the DHD, that Sam noticed something out of the ordinary.
"Look at this!" she called out.
The other members of the team jogged over to join her.
"Here and here," she indicated the areas on the ground.
There were ten gouges in the soil. Teal'c studied them for a second,
"It appears as if someone was dragged towards the Stargate," he said.
He then pointed to more marks, so feint that Sam had missed them the first time. There was no way of knowing if it was just one or more of the team... or if they were dead or alive. Something was bothering Sam, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"We'll head into town and talk to the natives," the Colonel decided, "Someone might have seen something."
XOXO
At O'Neill's signal, Teal'c dropped back a few paces. The civilization before them appeared to be primitive. If an attack were to come, it would be from the direction of the Stargate. Teal'c found himself glancing over his shoulder at regular intervals. He knew he was being irrational. The noise of the Gate activating would be his first warning and there would be plenty of time to prepare for battle… unless the unknown enemy was still here. That was a possibility he hadn't considered and the thought was making him uneasy.
The shadows were lengthening as they entered the town. In a place that relied on candle power the darkness signalled the end of business for the day. The shopkeepers were taking in their wares and making their way home. SG-1 were drawing some strange looks, but these people were used to the khaki clad teams walking through the streets. At first, no one sought to challenge them.
O'Neill called a halt in what appeared to be a central position. The open space was square and paved with cobbles. Buildings surrounded the area and, unlike the dwellings in the other parts of the town, these were built from stone. Teal'c deduced that the change in construction materials indicated a position of wealth and importance.
"So Daniel, what do you think?" O'Neill asked.
"About what?" the other man questioned.
"Should we start knocking on some doors?"
"I don't think we have to."
Now they had stopped the towns inhabitants were starting to gather round. Teal'c gripped his staff weapon a little more tightly. They did not appear to be a mob of the angry persuasion… at least not at the present time.
"Easy," Daniel Jackson breathed as O'Neill stepped forward.
"Howdy folks," O'Neill waved at the assembled crowd.
"You are from Earth?" a man asked.
"Uh… yeah. We're looking for some friends of ours. You may have seen them? Four people dressed like us?"
"We know of them," a man at the front of the crowd replied.
His voice was harsh, cold. Major Carter, Teal'c noticed, stepped closer to O'Neill. It was a protective gesture. Like Teal'c, she sensed the mood of the crowd was shifting.
"Great," O'Neill continued, "Maybe you can tell us what happened to them?"
"Jack," Daniel Jackson warned.
"Hush, Daniel. So? Anyone?"
"These friends of yours defiled my daughter!" the man shouted.
The roar from the crowd was enough to convince Teal'c that they should start to move away slowly and carefully. Although the mob wasn't armed, there were a lot of them. He knew that O'Neill would be loathed to employ their more sophisticated weapons.
"Mason?" O'Neill hissed in Major Carter's direction.
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Damn it. Why the hell couldn't he have kept it in his pants?"
"You'll have to ask him that."
"I will… if we ever find him."
Then in a louder voice, O'Neill continued.
"Okay… we're going to leave now… but if anyone knows anything we'll be camping out by the Stargate."
A series of blank looks met his announcement.
"The big ring?" he questioned.
There were a few nods.
"All right… that's where we'll be."
O'Neill moved forward. When the crowd refused to part before him, he raised his P90. His impassive expression fooled the people into thinking he would use it against them. Even if they doubted O'Neill, they certainly believed Teal'c. Once again, he took position at the rear, walking backwards through the crowd. It was the only way to guard against a knife in the back.
This had not gone well. Major Mason's liaison was proving to be an obstacle. It was doubtful that any of these people would be willing to tell them anything. Still O'Neill insisted they camp by the Stargate, just in case...
XOXO
"Sir, I think I should take a look at the telescope," Carter said as they sat around eating their midday meal
"Any particular reason?" Jack asked.
"Just to make sure no one decided to get a little revenge."
It was a fair point. People had a tendency to attack things they didn't understand. The equipment was very valuable and had been a bitch to construct. Every component had been transported through the Stargate. There were times Jack wished the Ancients had made their gates just that little bit bigger. No doubt Carter could tell him exactly why there were this size… but Jack wasn't about to ask.
"I'll come with you," he decided and got to his feet.
"Sir?" she replied, a little surprised.
"My knees are getting stiff."
That wasn't the real reason of course. Jack just thought astronomy was cool. He may not have understood all the physics behind it but that didn't mean he didn't like to look at the telescopes or the pictures they produced. Daniel raised an eyebrow as Jack walked past… okay so maybe he wasn't fooling everyone.
The control system for the telescope was house in nothing more than a prefabricated hut, dwarfed by the massive dish. It appeared to be undamaged, much to his and Carter's relief. There was no lock on the door, so if someone had wanted to vandalise the equipment nothing would have stood in his or her way. Jack was pretty sure Carter wouldn't be satisfied with just looking at the dish.
"I wouldn't mind taking a look at SG7's observations," she said.
"Knock yourself out," Jack replied, "It's not like we have anything better to do."
Which was true. Jack wasn't certain what else they could do in their attempts to divine SG-7's fate. He couldn't very well force the townspeople to talk. It could be that no one had seen anything, in which case they might as well pack up and go home. If Carter could get anything out of this then the trip wouldn't be entirely wasted. Returning to the SGC was going to be hard enough, especially without any concrete information.
The recording equipment had been left on, waiting for SG-7's replacements. It was eerie to walk into the darkened building and hear the hard drives whirring as if they had a life of their own. Carter walked around the various computers, switching the screens on.
"So what were they looking at?" Jack asked.
"A nearby black hole," she replied.
"How nearby?"
"About a light year. Don't worry, sir, we're well outside the gravitational radius."
"Uh… good."
Instinctively, Jack looked up into the sky. He wasn't worried, wasn't worried at all.
"Actually it's a microquasar," she went on. "The black hole is orbiting a normal star. Instead of swallowing everything some of the attracted matter is ejected as jets along the axis of rotation."
"Cool."
Carter looked at him, trying to assess if his enthusiasm was feigned. Jack grinned back.
"Can we have a look?" he asked.
"Sure."
With a few deft moves, Carter pulled up the information from the latest event, but all Jack could see was an indistinct blot. There was no sign of any jets.
"That's not right," Carter muttered to herself.
She typed away for a few moments, but the picture didn't change.
"Unless it's heading straight for us?" Jack suggested.
"It shouldn't be," Sam argued, "look, this is the previous event."
This time the picture showed lines of material stretching away from the central radio source.
"Go back," he told her.
Carter did as requested. There was something else bothering him but Jack couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Look at the time stamp," Carter said. "It corresponds with the Stargate malfunction at the SGC."
"Do you think it might have caused the wormhole to jump?" he asked.
"I don't know."
In which case were SG-7 in transit when it happened? Were they stranded on some unknown world? Or had they found their deaths as the wormhole evaporated?
XOXO
Teal'c took the first watch. Even without his symbiote, he still required less rest than the human members of the team. Major Carter crawled into one tent whilst O'Neill and Dr. Jackson took the second. Within minutes, the sound of snores drifted through the night.
Major Carter, Teal'c decided, judging by the pitch and tone.
He had spent most of his adult life exploring new worlds; first for Apophis, then for the Tau'ri, yet the diversity was still amazing. Take this planet, very much like Earth if appearances were anything to go by. As he sat, staring into the night, Teal'c started to notice subtle differences. The fire burned with strange colours, greens, reds… and the noises of the night. Somewhere a bird was singing.
And footsteps were approaching. Teal'c stood, raising his staff weapon.
"Show yourself!" he ordered.
For several long moments nothing moved. Then a slim, pale figure stepped into the light. By her dress, Teal'c could tell she was one of the local inhabitants. However, he could not recall seeing her amongst the crowd who had gathered in the square.
"Your name!" he barked.
"Elizabeth," she replied.
"Put the gun down, T," O'Neill said as he crawled out of his tent.
His friends had been awakened by the sound of voices and Teal'c allowed himself to relax. He was certain one unarmed female would not prove a problem for SG-1… especially since the female was not Major Carter.
"Okay… Elizabeth," O'Neill smiled at the woman, "what do you have to tell us."
"I overheard you," she blurted out.
"Overheard us?" Major Carter asked.
Elizabeth moved closer to the other woman, seeming to take instinctive comfort in the presence of another female.
"You were talking about Jerry," she said.
"We were," Major Carter agreed. "Did you see what happened?"
"Yes."
"Then tell us, it might help us find him."
The woman paused, before pointing towards the Stargate. She looked terrified and Teal'c had a clear idea of how much courage it had taken for her to come and speak to them.
"Something… something came out and took him," she whispered.
"Came out?" Major Carter questioned.
"Yes. I saw them."
"People?" Daniel Jackson asked.
She looked at him blankly. Seeing that she didn't understand, Daniel Jackson attempted to ask a different question.
"Did they look like us?"
"No," she whispered.
"Did they have three heads? Scales?" O'Neill suggested. He was growing inpatient and earned himself a glare from both Major Carter and Daniel Jackson. Elizabeth took a step backwards, shaking her head.
"I should go," she said, "my father will be waiting for me."
"Wait!"
Teal'c hadn't been First Prime for so many years without learning a few things about command. The tone of his voice was enough to stop the fleeing girl. O'Neill opened his mouth to speak again, but Teal'c raised his hand, indicating that his friend be silent.
"Tell us!" he demanded of Elizabeth.
She looked terrified, but she answered him. They always did whether Jaffa warrior or frightened peasant.
"I saw lights," she whispered. "They reached out from the metal ring and took hold of him. He fought against them but they were too strong."
"What happened to the rest of SG-7, the men who were with Major Mason?"
"I don't know."
XOXO
Elizabeth's mind was in turmoil. She sat huddled by the fire, trying to warm her shaking body. The reality of her situation was starting to sink in. Perhaps her father had been right after all and these strangers were dangerous. The tall dark one certainly was. She wasn't quite so sure about the others, not yet. They had given her food, let her warm herself by their fire, yet she remained unsure. She was used to the easy familiarity of Jerry, and his friends. These people were tense, worried. They spoke together in low voices and Elizabeth wondered if they were talking about her.
She had come here for Jerry. If these people could find him, then it would be worth braving her father's displeasure. Elizabeth hugged herself as she struggled with the memory. Jerry had explained he had to leave, that he wouldn't be able to come back, but she had still followed him. To ask him to stay? To see him just one more time? She wasn't sure. The last thing she had expected was to see him dragged away from her. The sight had scared her so much she had fled back to her father and told him everything. It was then he became so hostile towards these visitors from another world.
"Hi."
Elizabeth looked up to see Major Carter standing over her, offering another one of their meals.
"No, thank you, Major Carter," Elizabeth shook her head. Their food wasn't very nice.
"Call me Sam."
The other woman sat down beside her.
"How did you meet Jerry?" she asked.
"My father also studies the stars. Your friends were interested in the work he was doing. Jerry spoke to me whilst my father showed them his observatory."
"Has your father been studying for a long time?"
"Ever since I was a small child."
Sam fell silent for a moment.
"Would he be willing to show us?" she asked.
"No. He would rather you all left."
"It could be important."
Elizabeth shook her head. They didn't know Isaac. Once he had decided he didn't like someone, there was no changing his opinion.
"What's on your mind, Carter?"
The tall grey-haired man had been eavesdropping on their conversation.
"I'm still thinking about that black hole, sir," Sam replied. "Something isn't right."
"And you want a second opinion?"
"It wouldn't hurt."
"Could you show us?" O'Neill asked Elizabeth.
The night sky was cloudy so Isaac would be at home. Assuming he hadn't discovered Elizabeth was missing. There was just one problem.
"I can not read his writings," she said.
"You can't read!" Sam exclaimed.
O'Neill rested his hand on Sam's shoulder, as if quieting an angry horse. The other woman reacted to his touch, restraining herself from making another comment.
"We can read," she said.
"If you could just take us there?" O'Neill asked.
Something about the man reminded her of Jerry. His attitude, the sparkle of humour in his eyes, Elizabeth found herself offering a shy nod.
"Thank you," he smiled.
"You will need other clothes. If you are seen…"
She let her voice trail away. Isaac had made certain that these people were no longer welcome. Elizabeth was certain money had changed hands. Due to his preoccupation with the stars, the townspeople held her father in awe. It was thought he could predict the future, had power over life and death, and could guide their ships safely across the wide expanse of the sea. Certainly, many important and influential people sought his opinion.
"Okay, if you can get some for us, Daniel and I will meet you on the edge of town," O'Neill said.
"Sir?" Sam questioned.
"Carter, women here aren't educated and I can read a star map as well as you can."
"Yes sir."
"You'll stand out, that's why I'm leaving Teal'c behind as well."
