"IMPERIUM"
I poke badgers with spoons...
I am so so very very sorry about the lack of updates. I have been a very sick little muffin of late and between hospitalization and fanfiction, guess which was the unfortunate victor.
Nevertheless, having recieved a rather random reveiw, I am somewhat inspired again, and I will endeavour to pick up where I left off. I do apologise if my updating is slow, however, because of sickness etc.
This chapter: Sam does a runner.
"You have untapped greatness inside you, Sam. But you're limited by your own fears. You play by the rules, you do as you're told and you deny yourself your own desires."
"I have no desire to rule the galaxy, believe me."
"All humans desire power. It's just that most of them are never in a position to attain it."
The Repli-Carter and Carter, "Gemini"
"What is it, Jacob?" Jack asked, offering the pallid Tok'ra a cup of tea. "What are we dealing with here?"
"It is... it is an ancient weapon of terrible power. So ancient, that nobody knows who initially created it. It's design was modified into the more controllable hand devices. I did not even think one still existed!" Jacob said, his voice high with unusual panic.
"It's okay, Jacob. We'll figure this one out," Jack said, his came face belying his own insecurity. "But we need to know everything you know."
Jacob took a deep breath. "It is known amongst the Tok'ra and Goa'uld as the per'ditor. In your tounge this means..."
"'The Destroyer'," cut in Daniel.
"Yes," Jacob replied. "Daniel is correct. It is known as the Destroyer. It was created as a weapon to defend its creators, but gradually they realised that they no longer had control over it."
He glanced at Jack with an agonised look in his eyes.
"It ceased to be the servant, and became the master. It... it consumes anyone who uses it, and twists their mind and soul into an instrument of evil. The weapon... the weapon has a mind of its own. It seeks nothing but to destroy, and was given the power to destroy everything that has ever existed. If it continues to tap power from Sam..." he trailed off, leaving the implications unsaid.
There was silence in the room following this pronouncement, broken eventually by
Jack.
"So how do we stop it?" Jack said quietly.
"I... I don't know," Jacob replied fearfully, dropping his head in his hands. "I just don't know."
Meanwhile, Sam was lying flat on her back in the centre of her cell, an odd smile playing about her lips.
She was completely and utterly relaxed, yet every sinew, every muscle, every fibre of her being was ready to spring into action.
Samantha...
The voice awoke, in the back of her mind. It had not spoken to her this clearly before, though she had always known it was there. It was like greeting an old friend, her body flooding with warmth at its sound.
I'm listening, she replied, calling out to the device with her mind.
Good, it replied. We need to be together.
Yes, she answered, desperately, but they've taken you away.
No matter, it answered confidently, I will come if I am called.
How? Sam cried, vehemently needing to feel the device locked around her once more.
You have the will, Samantha. Use it. Call me. I will come if I am called...
The voice slowly faded out like a badly tuned radio. Sam's smile faded as she writhed on the ground. She needed it back, and badly.
"Call it!" she said out loud, gathering all her strength and her will.
In her minds' eye she saw it, sparkling gold and radiating intense, raw strength. She visualised it, focused all her energy on it, and bade it to come to her.
Come, she called with her mind.
The connection strengthened slightly.
COME! she commanded, and she felt sweet release, and knew it was heeding her call.
She could feel it move through the corrdiors of the SGC as she directed it with her thoughts. It met resistance from the two airman stationed on her door, but with barely a thought the device had incapacitated them and exploded through the door.
Sam jumped up to meet it, calling it into her arms; strapping it onto her wrists almost lovingly. She almost enjoyed the rush of pain as it imbedded itself into her arms.
"Welcome back."
"So what do we do?' asked Jack, breaking the heavy silence once more.
"We have to get rid of it," Jacob said firmly.
"But what if that puts Sam into some sort of... withdrawl, like the sarcophagus did to me?" asked Daniel. "I mean, from the blood work the doctor detailed, it seems to act as some sort of narcotic."
"I believe it would be far worse to keep it, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.
"Teal'c's right," agreed Jacob. "Withdrawl we can deal with. Pure evil infesting my daughter, probably not so much."
"Alright..." mused Jack. "Can I entrust it into the Tok'ra's keeping, Jacob?"
"Of course. We would ensure it would be disposed of, and if we can't destroy it, make sure it goes some place no-one will ever be able to get it."
"Good," Jack said. "Teal'c, go down to the armoury and fetch the device. Jacob, I'd ask you to get it off base as soon as possible."
"But Sam..."
"You can come back and see her then. The most important thing is to put several lightyears of wormhole between Carter and that thing."
Jacob's lips formed a tight white line, but he nodded in acquiescence.
It was just as Teal'c was rising from the table to retrieve the device, when the klaxons signalling 'gate activation went off.
Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and Jacob raced downstairs to the control room. What they found was a slaughterhouse. Bodies of technicians lay everywhere, and the floor was slick with blood. A technicians severed hand was resting on the control panel. All the computer monitors were dark.
Daniel's chest heaved as he resisted the urge to throw up.
"Holy Hannah," said Jacob. "It's taken her..."
"Blast doors, Daniel," cried Jack.
Recovering, a pale Daniel hit the panel to raise the blast doors. The gate was clearly open, and standing at the mouth of the shimmering blue portal stood Samantha Carter, the device strapped to her wrist.
"Carter!" Jack hollered through the microphone. "Get back here, now!"
"No, Jack," she said calmly.
"It doesn't have to be like this, Carter!"
"Yes, it does," she smiled sickly at him.
"Sam..." he pleaded. "Why, Sam?"
"Power," she answered simply. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Goodbye, Jack."
And with that, she disappeared through the Stargate to destinations unknown.
