"I'm telling you, Samantha, we need to take that device apart and see what makes it tick…"
Sam shook her head.
"Not a chance. That cloaking device is the only thing keeping the Goa'uld from locating this facility."
Despite the fact that they were rehashing an argument that they've already had several times now, the conversation was fairly civil. Mainly because Rodney McKay was being careful to be as tolerant of Sam as he could – and more. It didn't help that she wasn't listening to him, but her earlier explosion had unnerved him enough that he didn't want a repeat of it, and made him at least give rational conversation a try. Even though it wasn't working. He tried again.
"We don't know that they're even looking for us. Not really."
Sam rolled her eyes.
"What? You think they're flying their Ha'taks around the planet looking for a good beach to get some sun?"
He scowled, hating more than anything when someone mocked him.
"It could be something else, you know? Maybe they're looking for someone, not something."
"Like who?"
"I don't know."
"It stays on, McKay. That's the final answer."
"But-"
"No buts. We don't go near the device, and we don't-"
"Hey Sam?"
She turned and saw Daniel had peeked in the door of the lab, and wondered how long he'd been there.
"Yes?"
"We need you."
His expression was serious enough that she didn't argue or ask what he needed. Instead she nodded and reached over, picking up several sheets of paper from the table. They were the diagrams to the cloaking device, which she handed to McKay.
"Look these over again. If you can't think of any way to convert it, then it can't be done."
He looked startled as he took the papers from her – and more than a little pleased at the compliment.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"I'll be right back. Stay here."
McKay nodded, and settled into a chair, already looking at the papers – even though he pretty much had the damned thing memorized by then he'd looked through it so many times.
OOOOOOOO
The look Daniel gave Sam when she joined him in the corridor was enough to make her smile.
"What?"
"What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?"
"Don't play innocent with me, Sam," Daniel said. "You were stoking his ego…"
"It kind of looked that way, didn't it?"
"You mean you weren't?"
She shrugged.
"If he wants to think I was, that's fine. Whatever it takes to keep him out of the way and out of trouble. He's determined we need to pull that cloaking device apart to see what makes it work, and that could be catastrophic right now. This way he sticks to the designs themselves as he tries to prove to me that he really is the super genius he thinks he is."
"And if he finds a way to convert the device…?"
She shook her head.
"There's no way he will. Ian's right; the thing was only designed for cloaking. He's never going to figure out a way to convert it, but his ego is going to make him sit in that room until he does."
Daniel smiled.
"You're evil."
She nodded.
"When I need to be. Now, are you going to tell me what you need me for?"
Daniel's smile faded.
"We have a problem."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Jacob Carter looked up as Sam and Daniel entered the room.
"Sam! Will you tell these people that I'm really me?"
She frowned, and looked at Jack and Teal'c, who were standing close by – along with Jack (the dog), and Ian, who looked like he'd just been beat up – although he did give her a tense smile by way of greeting when she entered the room.
"What's going on?" she asked. It looked like her father was being held captive, under the careful watch of the others – as well as a pair of armed Secret Service agents who were standing outside the door. "Of course you're you."
"Well…" Jack said, moving to keep Sam from getting too close to Jacob. "That's the rub, Sam. We're not positive he is."
Jacob scowled, and gave a disgusted sigh, throwing his hands up in the air.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked, impatiently.
"Pia is dead," Teal'c replied.
"What?"
"And the snake did a host jump and ended up in Ben Crane – who just went after Ian," Jack added.
She looked over at Ian, who scowled, but nodded. That, at least, explained to Sam why he looked so battered.
"What does that have to do with-"
"If Pia's not a Tok'ra, it's possible that Jacob isn't, either," Jack said. "We don't know if Pia's snake was always a Goa'uld, or if it was removed like Steroid removed Cato's snake, so-"
"So you don't know for sure that the symbiote in my dad is actually Selmac…" Sam finished, feeling her heart sink and her stomach clench in fear.
Jack nodded.
"This is ridiculous!" Jacob snapped. "I'm me!"
"But with the President on the base – and half the world leaders coming, there's no way we can take the chance that you aren't," Jack said. "Jacob Carter would understand this – and he'd be able to explain it to his host."
"Damn it, Jack," Jacob said, this time giving vent to a resigned sigh as he realized that O'Neill was right. "I'm really me."
"How are we supposed to figure out if he is?" Sam asked.
"I don't know," Jack admitted. "And I don't really have the time to deal with the problem. As far as we know, he's the only Tok'ra or Goa'uld on the base now – aside from the one in the infirmary – so we'll just keep him out of the way and under guard for now."
"Jack, I need to help you guys," Jacob protested, coming to his feet. "I can't-"
"Yes, you can, Jacob," Jack told him. "Because you don't have a choice."
The look he gave the Tok'ra plainly said he was sorry for the need, but there was a glint in his eyes that said there was no way he was going to change his mind.
"Jack or Jaffer might know the difference…" Ian said, speaking up for the first time. "The symbiotes can't be exactly the same – and they probably give off different hormones or scents as a byproduct of their bond with their hosts…"
Jacob looked at Jack, clearly ready to accept this – especially since Jack (the dog) wasn't acting aggressive towards him – but Jack shook his head.
"It's a possibility…" he conceded. "But it'll have to wait until later. For now, you're here and you're staying here, Jacob. I'm sorry."