Part 12: Modes of vibration
Three weeks later…
"The voice would come over the communication device–"
"This thing here?" David Sutton asked as he held up a silver sphere object for the courtroom to see.
"Yes," Burns replied. "It looked like that."
"Was it this exact one?"
Burns squinted. "Well, I can't be sure of that. It's been many years now. But it certainly looked a little like what you are holding."
David clamped down on the churning emotions in his stomach. This man was slimy, slippery, and worse than half the lawyers David had met in his vast career experience.
This was also getting nowhere. Best to move on for the time being, even though he knew how that was going look to reporters, the defense, and most importantly, the jury.
"Your honor," David said. "I have no further questions at this time. But I'd like to retain the ability to recall this man."
The gavel signaled everyone in the courtroom to stand and begin talking. Some exited right away, rushing to call their editors, while others stayed and gossiped about how much longer the already two-week trial was likely to go.
"Sam," Jacob called when he spotted his daughter through the crowded corridors outside the courthouse chambers.
"Dad." Sam smiled and made her way over to give him a hug.
It had been several months since he'd last visited Kyrus. Since then, a lot had been happening for Jacob, including being heavily involved in the aftermath of the arrests and continuing investigation of Burns and his men. Jacob had just arrived on Earth that morning to begin preparing for his own turn taking the stand.
Jacob kept one arm around Sam, as he patted the other hand on Jack's shoulder. "Good to see you both. How are my brilliant grandkids? Heard from them lately?"
"Three days ago," Jack answered. "Doing well. Staying out of trouble. Well, at least that's what they tell us."
"They are your kids, Jack. Somehow I doubt they've been completely trouble-free."
"Jacob!" Cassandra called. "It's good to see you." She offered her own hug, which was gratefully accepted.
"Cassie. And Daniel, I didn't know you'd be here?"
Daniel stood to Cassie's left, hands shoved in pockets, and shrugged. "Didn't want to miss all the fun."
Cassie grinned at the group gathered. It had been far too long since they'd all been in one place together. I was a shame that the kids weren't here, she silently lamented.
"Dinner?" Daniel suggested.
The group made their way through the crowed hallways. Outside, they were greeted with more crowds, interested onlookers as well as the greedy press. Several microphones were shoved Jacob's way as he was the Tok'ra known to be on the witness list, but none were aware of who Sam or Jack were.
It made Jack shake his head in wonder, how easily they forget. In the days after Kim Jong-il and his Goa'uld buddy made the startling announcement to the world, Sam and Jack, along with other key members of the SGC were instant public figures. Either those times had been long forgotten, or Jack considered, he was getting old and appeared nothing like had all those years ago.
Jacob made no comments to the press and they fought their way through the throngs, finally finding open sidewalk.
Jack suggested they get a cab, but Sam wanted to walk. Even if it meant that it would take longer to find a restaurant.
Sam couldn't get over how much had changed on Earth and yet, how much seemed to be stuck, frozen in time. Of course, it depended on where you were on Earth, within each country, even within a small city, the variability was shocking. The north side of the city may be completely untouched, while the south side had sustained massive devastation and the destruction was still not cleared or rebuilt even though years had passed since the last of the battles on Earth.
Earth's people and its allies had done a large part in driving away the Goa'uld, but the building conflict between the Ancients and Ori had also played a significant role. It caused the System Lords to become distracted with it. Many on Earth also understood the wider implications of that conflict, more than Earth was at stake.
The Stargate, the existence of aliens, and other information was now public. But thankfully in Sam's opinion, the details of those individuals who were key in fighting the Ori remained undisclosed to the public. On Kyrus, as on other worlds, her children were celebrities. Here, they were only known as a random unnamed relative of someone on a witness list for a trial.
It made Sam wonder, not for the first time, where her children would decide to live after the war finally ended.
At dinner, the conversation flowed from one topic to the next in almost a haphazard fashion, everyone want to catch up on each other's news all at once. Sam explained the technologies her lab was working on to her father and Cassie. Daniel told Jack about the rebuilding efforts and Daniel's own part, excavating religious and historical sites damaged during the invasion in order to preserve whatever they could. Jack filled everyone in on the latest from 'the kids.'
"Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot," Cassie said while dessert and coffee were being served. She smiled brightly. "They're reinstating the SGC and guess who has been named base commander?"
Sam looked up, shock and pride both batting for the prominent emotion on her face.
"Elvis?" Jack deadpanned.
"No, silly," Cassie grinned at him.
"Congratulations, Cassie," Sam reached over and hugged her.
"That's wonderful." Jack winked at Cassie.
Vivid memories surfaced in Sam's mind as if she'd just visited the SGC the week before. The briefing room, where comfortable chairs and coffee accompanied endless meetings. The Gate room, suited up with her team and Hammond's voice, "God speed, SG-1" floated down from the speaker system. Her lab, which sometimes served as solace and other times, a place for an impromptu team get-together over JELL-O. But of course all of it had been years ago and everything had changed since then.
"Sam," Jack said quietly. Sam snapped to the present, realizing the conversation had gone on without her. Only Jack seemed to notice that she hadn't kept up. He didn't ask; either he knew the answer, or he knew his look was enough of a question.
"I'm fine," Sam smiled at her husband.
The trial went nearly four weeks. At times, Sam believed they were only a breath away from all the answers.
oOoOoOoOo
"We were told that if we used beaming technology, we might attract the attention of the Goa'uld or the Asgard."
David asked, "And who told you this?"
"A voice, over the phone." The man shrugged. "I never saw him in person."
oOoOoOoOo
"Olive, you were told that you couldn't conceive a child. Is that correct?"
"Yes, by several experts in England and one in France."
"Then how do you explain that you had twins while living at the Weston Heights compound?"
"I… I can't. God gave us a precious gift."
oOoOoOoOo
"In the course of the investigation, the money trail became quite confusing. Is that a fair statement?" David asked the expert witness.
"It is."
"But you did learn something. What can you tell us?" David asked.
"Most of the funding for the supplies for the off-world compound came from two accounts, one in the Philippines, the other in Grand Cayman. Deposits came in from various dummy accounts but interestingly, once a deposit came from someone in the United States. The government of North Korea also indirectly made a large deposit."
"Indirectly?"
"Yes, the money was moved through several other accounts and phoney businesses first."
oOoOoOoOo
"Forensic evidence, without a doubt, shows the shell casings match the grooves on the inside of Parker Burns' gun."
"And for those of us who are not experts… what does that mean?" David asked.
"It means Parker Burns' weapon was used to execute this man at point blank."
"And do we have evidence that he was the one to use the weapon?"
"Yes. On the body, we have hair follicles that match Burns' DNA and are dyed with a very expensive, and rare dye found only in certain areas in the South Pacific."
oOoOoOoOo
"Detective, why would Burns shoot this man, Larry Gerber?"
"We believe Mr. Gerber refused to work for the conglomerate any more. Wised up, so to speak."
oOoOoOoOo
"And did you know that your daughter was part of the experiment at the time?"
"No," Jacob answered, his eyes glancing unconsciously to Sam in the crowd of court spectators. "At the time it was believed that she was MIA along with her commanding officer. Only after the war was over did I get word that she may not have been on Earth."
"And who gave you this information?"
"Another Tok'ra."
The defense attorney turned to the jury as he asked Jacob, "And how did he 'claim' he came across this information, at such an opportune time?"
Jacob clamped down on his rising emotion. "He didn't say."
oOoOoOoOo
The gavel hit the wood block and the court inhabitants came to their feet. The jury entered the room in a single file line and took their seats. As the verdict was read, Sam reached for Jack's hand. This was as close to justice as they would ever get. There was not enough evidence to prove everything, but Burns and his men were found guilty on many counts, including murder, money laundering, and kidnapping.
The following day, Jack and Daniel loaded suitcases into the back of Daniel's car for the drive to the rendezvous site where the Daedalus would beam Sam and Jack aboard to take them to Kyrus, along with other supplies and personnel scheduled for Atlantis.
"This isn't all gonna fit," Jack grouched.
"Don't complain to me," Daniel countered, "you're the one with too much stuff."
"Which wouldn't be a problem if your car wasn't the size of a dust mite."
Cassie came up along side Sam, watching the bickering from the bay window inside Daniel's house.
"Some things never change, huh?" Cassie said, smiling at the scene before them. Jack was waving his hands, and Daniel crossed his arms at his chest indignantly.
"Yeah." Sam smiled. Ever since the news of Cassie's promotion, as the civilian commander of the new SGC, Sam couldn't stop thinking about one mission in particular in her past. Past being negotiable.
"Cassie, I have something I need to tell you." Sam turned to look at the younger woman. "In the early years of SG-1, we were sent on a mission that went very wrong. A solar flare sent us back through time and…"
"You told me about this years ago," Cassie smiled. "Getting old and the memory going, Sam?"
"No," Sam shook her head as her lips curved into a slight smile. "Not that. Cassie, this is important."
"OK."
"We came through the Gate, thinking we'd gotten back home. Only we came through into the future. Long into the future, and you were there."
"And I was there," Cassie remembered the story well. At the time Sam first told her about this, Cassie was a teenager and just starting to date David.
Sam nodded her head. "I didn't tell you everything." For years, Sam had forgotten about that moment in her past. After Sam had her children while living in Weston Heights, Sam wondered about the future, when she'd have a chance to do what she was about to do.
"Sam?" Cassie asked curiously.
"You gave me this." Sam dug under her turtleneck and unclasped the necklace she was wearing. She handed it to Cassie.
Cassie opened the locket that hung on the chain. Inside were pictures of JJ and Lilly when they were children.
"It gave me strength, Cassie. I didn't know what it meant exactly, but I knew all along that this locket, these two beautiful children represented hope. That no matter what was happening, my life was going to be OK. But I wonder…"
"What?"
Sam looked up at Cassie, her eyes shinning bright. "Was it the right thing? You giving me that? It might have changed everything that was supposed to happen. Maybe the Goa'uld would've never come, maybe Earth would have been safe and maybe the Ori threat is defeated quicker and easier."
"But Lilly and JJ are the key to the defeat of the Ori. If you and Jack never had them, we'd be in prostration right now."
"I don't know, Cassandra. I just…"
Cassie shook her head. "But you and Jack… What if that never happens?"
"I have to believe it will." Sam glanced outside. The guys were now shoving the suitcases into the trunk lengthwise instead of on their sides. "I can't imagine… no matter what, Cassie, no matter what changes I can't believe that Jack and I aren't meant to be together. It's fate."
"If I don't give this to you, then you're taking a chance."
Sam hugged Cassie. "I'm putting it in your hands. I know you'll do the right thing."