FOR TOMORROW
CHAPTER 3
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Enjoy!
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"Samantha," a voice said from afar.
Sam stood from the floor where she had finally given up in exhaustion. "Hello?" She waited, but there was no reply. "M-Mili'ah?"
The beam of light appeared once again, revealing the beautiful woman standing in front of Sam, a wide smile visible on her lips. "You must come with me now."
Before Sam could ask where or why, the same light transported her, landing her in a much larger and brighter room. She widened her eyes, her heart beating at an overwhelmingly fast rate, while her breathing also increased dramatically. Sam felt the room turn in circles around her quickly, and she passed out in the middle of the floor, while multiple eyes watched her fall.
Minutes later, when the blonde colonel opened her eyes again to the world around her, a young handsome man held her head from the floor. "Samantha?" he said gently.
She blinked with great effort and tried to free herself from his hold, but was unsuccessful. He smiled at her useless effort and caressed her face tenderly. "Why are you scared? We will not harm you."
W-why," Sam began, swallowing and trying to control her breathing. "Why am I here? Who are you?"
The man smiled again and looked up for approval at the group of people in front of them. Then, he looked back down at her and held her eyes with amazing emotion. "You are important. You and your child."
When he pronounced those words, Sam felt tears in her eyes. They knew, and that was more than likely a very bad thing. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said as determined as she could. Then, she pushed the man's hands off of her and stood up with the little strength she had in her. "You obviously have the wrong person. I don't have a child." Her eyes were fixed on the many forms sitting on a high, long bench at the front of the room. She calculated a total of about 25 men and women were watching her.
The young man stood up from the floor as Mili'ah came around beside Sam. She looked at her with compassion and sympathy. "Oh, Samantha. We know. We've known before you even suspected this baby was conceived. We've known about you and O'Neill for a very long time. This child is special."
Sam swallowed hard again, looking fearfully at the faces of the people present. "Who are you? You… don't seem like the Ori." Sam tried to divert the topic, as she questioned her captors.
After a very long pause, Mili'ah and the man joined the others on the bench, sitting in the center, as they looked down at her with joy. "We are the Furlings."
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"Unscheduled off world activation!" Walter alerted.
Jack and General Landry exited his office immediately and met the rest of SG-1 in the control room. The lights in the entire base flickered for some time, shutting down and then stabilizing once again.
"Nice!" Jack exclaimed as he quickly made his way to the gate room. Landry and the others followed, Daniel and O'Neill standing closest to the ramp.
A gray small creature appeared from the event horizon and stopped a couple of feet from his spectators. "O'Neill, it is good to see you again."
"Thor! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Jack cried as he hugged the little alien tight.
The group looked at each other, shocked by the general's sudden display of emotion with the small creature.
Landry cleared his throat and glanced at Jack from the corner of his eye as he went back to his spot and rocked back and forth on his heels, hands in his pockets. "Thank you for coming, Thor."
Thor blinked once and tilted his head slightly, as he watched the faces before him. "General Landry."
The SGC commander nodded.
"I am aware of Colonel Carter's disappearance," the gray alien began. Then, he gazed at Jack with his big black eyes. "I am sorry, O'Neill."
"It's ok, buddy. I mean, now that you're here you can help us, and you can pay us back all those favors we have pending." The hope in Jack's voice almost made everyone in the room believe the small creature would get Sam back without a doubt. But given that the Asgard had been so distant, providing little help in the last couple of months, a dark cloud of pessimism hung over them all.
Thor looked down, avoiding Jack's eyes. "I am afraid I cannot help you, O'Neill. I am sorry."
Thor avoided Jack's eyes again, looking instead at Daniel. Then, the small alien approached Jack and handed him an Asgard communication stone. "The race that took her will not return her, O'Neill. I am unable to interfere with their actions."
Jack looked at the familiar white stone in his hand, tightening his grip around it as his alien friend ripped the hope away from him. "The race that took her?" Jack's voice began to rise. "They will not return her? What do you mean?"
The small alien watched as Jack's expression turned dark and menacing. He knew that expression very well, actually, and he expected nothing less from his human friend. "No, O'Neill. It was inevitable."
"WHAT WAS!" Jack yelled finally, his control completely disappearing.
"Her loss."
"We have NOT lost her, Thor!" Came another scream from the infuriated general.
Daniel tried to touch Jack's shoulder, but he shook it off, avoiding the archeologist's contact.
"O'Neill, the Asgard are very strict about our relationship with other races. We cannot interfere in their doings, especially this one."
"WHAT? How about the Goa'uld? Or the Replicators? You had no problem fighting and killing them!"
"This race is different. They are part of the four race Alliance," Thor revealed.
"Excuse me? Thor?" Daniel finally said.
"The Ancients have her?" Mitchell asked, afraid of the answer. If they did, more than likely it meant they had ascended her.
"No." Thor looked at everyone carefully, settling his glance on Jack's reddened face. "The Furlings do."
"The fuzzy, cute things?" Jack quizzed, irritated, surprised and in disbelief.
"I do not understand what you mean, O'Neill," Thor asked the silver-haired man.
Daniel shook his head and came closer to Thor. "The Furlings? Are you sure?"
"I am."
"Why is that a bad thing? If they are part of the four race Alliance, they should cooperate with the Asgard and let Colonel Carter go!" Mitchell countered in desperation.
"We cannot interfere, Colonel Mitchell." Thor looked at Jack one more time, then continued. "The Asgard, the Nox and the Ancients knew this day would come. It is your destiny."
"Our destiny?" Landry echoed.
The little creature bowered his head. "Yes."
General Hank Landry shut his eyes tight. With a fast glance at Jack, Hank tapped his shoulder and smiled faintly. "I think we should take this to the briefing room."
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As the group was sitting down, quiet and troubled, Thor sat at one end of the table, Jack on one side, Daniel on the other. General Landry took the chair at the other end with Mitchell and Teal'c on each side.
"The superior race Alliance knew of Samantha Carter's fate since we first encountered you, O'Neill. It dates back to when you came to our planet many years ago, after your first Ancient knowledge download. On this, the tenth year of Earth's introduction to other worlds and the universe, you are now to become the Fifth race," Thor explained.
"If we are to become the Fifth race, why did the Furlings take Sam?" Daniel asked, as diplomatic and calm as he could.
"Because she carries the first piece of the beginning of the alliance," Thor then glanced at Jack, who had figured out what the piece was and was looking down at his hands.
"The baby," Jack murmured softly.
"Baby? Jack?" Landry asked in shock.
O'Neill looked up and glanced at Hank for a moment, then returned his eyes to his hands on the table.
"The Furlings were the last ones to join the Alliance, therefore, they have the responsibility of introducing the Fifth race to all the others and making it a permanent one."
Mitchell, who's eyes traveled from Jack, to Thor, to Landry, ran his hands through his hair and covered his face with them.
"If SamanthaCarter carries the first piece of the alliance, then for what reason are the Furlings keeping her, Thor?" Teal'c finally asked.
"Because her child with O'Neill is the bridge that will unite your race with the universe. It is the symbol of your new beginning and the start of your certain evolution." Thor paused, blinked and looked at Jack. "They must ensure the baby is born. If that child is lost, the integration of the Tauri into the Alliance will fail."
"So, they're gonna keep her until the baby is born?" Daniel asked in horror.
"Yes. Then, they will release her."
"And, how about the baby?" Landry continued.
"That I would rather not say," Thor answered, regretfully.
"What would you rather not say, Thor? Are they keeping our baby as a prize?... A trophy?... A SYMBOL!" Jack yelled, disgusted and angry.
Thor didn't respond. He nodded instead.
Jack pulled away from his chair, throwing the heavy piece of furniture to the ground. He hit the table hard with his fists and then ran his hands through his hair. "No. That will NOT happen. You and everyone else who believe this crap will have to kill me and Sam first."
"Jack…" Daniel began but was abruptly interrupted by the fuming and extremely resolved look Jack gave him.
O'Neill turned to Thor and leaned forward to where he sat. "You knew from the beginning." Jack shook his head and smiled bitterly. "You always did. You said you knew this would happen, and you let it be, Thor." He paused and closed his eyes in disappointment. "I thought you and I had a friendship going… a weird one, but still. It was something…cool, important." His expression hardened and his eyes revealed the anger and determination in his mind. "I have to ask that you make a choice here: you take me to wherever these Furling things have Carter and help me bring her back, or you leave here now and NEVER return. NEVER." He watched the gray creature warily. "Either way, I am getting her back. Alliance or not, nobody will use Sam or our kid for a goddamned treaty. You understand me?"
"O'Neill…" Thor began.
"I am not consulting with my superiors about this." He looked at Landry and then at Thor again. "You can choose someone else for this race alliance crap, for all I care. I do not want to be part of it. Here on Earth, we do not sacrifice our people for a precious spot in this higher-than-life club. I don't give a rat's ass about it. Sam will return safe and we will have our baby here. Not with your, nor the Furlings, the Ancients or the Nox's approval." With another dangerous look, he leaned even closer to the alien and ground out, "This, Thor, is my final and only decision. You think about yours."
With a steady and decided stare, Jack hit the table one more time and left the room in silence. The others turned their eyes to Thor, who sat in visible shock, and Daniel could have sworn he saw a trace of sadness in the gray alien's face.
"Take me to your Stargate, General Landry. I must speak to the Asgard High Council immediately."
TBC……