Chapter 7: The Children of the Gods: Part 1 B
Jack stared in shock, his face betraying nothing, at the obvious alien that was lying dead strapped to the board in front of him.
"Anyone you know Colonel?" the General asked pointedly
Jack had no time to answer before the Doctor but in, "They're not human." He said as if it was a great discovery. Jack rolled his eyes, "Ya think?" The Doctor glared at him before continuing, "Best we could tell these slits here," he said pointing to two slits crossing each other over the stomach making an X, "are more like a pouch. Similar to the ones found on a marsupial."
"Like a kangaroo." Samuels said, effectively stating the obvious. Jack resisted the urge to smash his head into a wall. Hammond decided it was time to get to the point.
"These people, or aliens, whatever you want to call them, came through; they killed four of my men and kidnapped another using advanced weapons."
"Weapons, Sir?" Jack asked inquiringly. An airman was quick to bring one over.
Jack took the recognizable staff as Samuels commented on how they couldn't figure out how to operate it. Disregarding him, Jack activated it, before deactivating it, obviously not wanting to shoot anything. Samuels gaped while Hammond looked knowingly at him.
"Seen one before I take it?" he asked pointlessly.
"Yes, Sir." Jack paused before continuing, "But there were no creatures like this on Abydos, Sir. Those people were humans. Ra brought them there from Earth thousands of years ago."
"I know all about that. But your report said that this Ra was in fact some kind of alien that lived inside a human body."
"Yea," Jack said, "his eyes glowed. That was our first clue." Hammond looked down before stepping closer to Jack.
"Are you sure he's dead Colonel?" the General asked his eyes narrowing at him waiting to spot a lie. Jack was confused. "Unless he could survive a tactical nuclear warhead blowing up in his face... positive. Why?"
"These people, or whatever they are," Hammond said slowly. "were guarding another man who retreated back through the Stargate. I got a good look at his eyes Colonel. They glowed."
Jack's mind consisted of two words only. Oh Shit.
"How do you feel about the Stargate mission after all this time Colonel?" Hammond asked as he led the way back to his office, Jack was careful in his answer.
"How do you mean?"
"Well it's been a few years, has your perspective changed?" Hammond said as he opened the door to his office.
"Well sir I..." he stopped short as he saw across the corridor two men being led into interrogation rooms, two men he recognized immediately.
"Was that?"
"Kawalski and Ferretti, Yes." Hammond finished for him, and then continued unnecessarily, "They were under your command during the first Stargate mission. Tell me about Daniel Jackson Colonel."
"Why are they questioniong my men?" Jack asked a noticable edge coming into his voice.
"They're not your men anymore Colonel, your retired." Hammond said, his eyes gleaming at the irony of the line he threw back in Jack's face. "Daniel Jackson?" Hammond asked again.
Jack looked back through the window from the office to where he could see his men sitting getting questioned. He was losing control and was very close to panicking, he took a moment to regain his composure. It took only a second.
"You read the report?" he asked Hammond, wondering when he would get to the point.
"Yes."
"It's all there." Jack said firmly. Samuels took the chance to open his mouth.
"Is it?"
Jack looked at Samuels and then back at Hammond, "What's this all about General?" he asked getting tired of more pointless bantering. The General it seemed still wanted to play though.
"You didn't like Daniel Jackson did you?" he asked Jack with a sly look on his face. Jack realised he had to play along.
"Daniel was a scientist. He sneezed a lot." Jack said impatiently, at the blank look Hammonds face Jack sighed, "Basically he was a geek, Sir." Samuels once more showed his intelligence.
"So you didn't have a lot of time for him then?" the question was probing and Jack was ready to shoot him. Remarkably, he kept his temper.
"I didn't say that." Jack denied sharply, before elaborating. "He also saved my life, and found a way home for my men and I. A little thing like that kinda makes a person grow on you." Jack said, sarcasm lacing his voice, as he finished "you know what I mean?" Samuels face twitched, something which Jack took great pleasure in before Hammond but in again.
"According to the mission brief, your orders were to go through the Stargate, to detect any possible threat to Earth, and if found, to detonate a nuclear device to destroy the Gate on the other side."
"Yes, Sir."
"But that's not what you did is it?" Samuels it appeared was eager for revenge, Jack ignored him looking at Hammond.
"Not right away. Ra's forces overpowered my team and took the weapon before I coud arm it."
"But with Dr. Jackson's help you eventually regained control and did in fact detonate the weapon, yes?" Samuels probed insistently
"Yes."
"So to the best of your knowledge," Hammond said, "Daniel Jackson, and everyone else you knew on Abydos is dead. Correct?"
Jack froze, after a minute he gave the affirmative, but he knew he was caught. There was no reason why he should've paused and it was obvious that his answer was a lie. Jack wondered when Hammond would make his last move.
"Good." Hammond said as he got up, Jack had a bad feeling that he had just found out. "Then you won't mind if I authorize a go ahead on our plan."
Taking a last look at his men through the window, Jack hurried to catch up to Hammond. "This quarts material the Stargate is made of," Hammond said conversationly, "it must be tough stuff if it could withstand a Mark Three."
"Well we sent a robot probe to the other side once we got back, Sir." Jack said. "It was flattened on the other end. Obviously the Abydos Stargate had been buried in the rubble."
"Well somehow it got unburied." Hammond said as they reached their destination. The door opened and the three walked in to what Jack recognized was the gate room. The gate was standing against the wall, a ramp set up in front. On the ramp was a robotically controlled wagon. On the wagon was a bomb.
"Holy Shit!" Jack thought his control was completely out the window and the horror was clearly showing on his face, his voice however was extremely steady as he questioned the General. "Sending another bomb?" he asked, he marvelled at the faked casuallty in his voice and panicked at the Generals answer.
"Mark Five this time. If these creatures did re-open the Abydos gate we intend to reseal it for good." Hammond's face was extremely smug as he said this.
"General" Jack said fighting with himself. He knew he was manipulated but right now he didn't give a damn. "You can't do that."
"Count down has already started." The General was getting more smug by the second. It took all of Jack's self control to not blow the shits head off his shoulder, but it seemed the General wasn't done.
"Unless you have something to add?" Hammond sat there waiting, savoring the seconds as Jack visibly cracked before them. It took a few minutes, but Jack finally gave.
"General Hammond, Sir?" Jack knew what he was about to say could end in court martial, but right now he didn't care. The key was, to be as respectful as possible. Samuels stood there watching the two of them battle it out a curve of his lips being the only thing to betray his pleasure at the victory they won.
Jack continued, "I regret to inform you that my report was not entirely accurate, Sir." Hammond jumped to conclusions.
"You didn't detonate the bomb." He accused
"No, we did detonate the bomb, sir and it was aboard Ra's spacecraft killing him and eliminating the threat to earth." Jack paused unsure of how to continue, Samuels once again became pushy.
"However..."
"However," Jack allowed, "Ra's ship was in orbit above the planet at the time. Neither the Gate, nor anything on the planet was destroyed. Daniel Jackson is alive and living with the people on Abydos."
"You violated direct orders, why!?" Hammond asked angrily.
"The people of Abydos are not a threat to us and they deserve to be left alone." Jack said. Hammond was getting more and more pissed.
"That's not up to you!" he snarled.
"With all due respect Sir, the orders were to detect the threat and IF FOUND then to destroy the gate. The threat was eliminated before we left and the people on Abydos itself are no threat to us, therefore our sweeps came up with no threat. There was no violation of any orders given, Sir." Jack's response made them pause for a second but Samuels refused to be put down.
"What about the probe we sent through, it was smashed instantly!" he asked
"After we came home, Daniel buried the gate in rocks, making our return or anybody elses, impossible." Jack's answer did not reassure Hammond.
"Well those four bodies lying in the infirmary say otherwise Airman!" Jack sighed as he had no answer.
Hammond took a moment to think before coming to a decision. "We send the bomb through on schedule." He told the technician. Jack was getting pissed.
"General you can't do that!"
"Oh I can't?" the General asked his eyes bugging out as his temper flamed up once more. Jack was insistent.
"There are innocent people on that planet!" Jack said angrily, the General's comeback was lame but had a point. "There are innocent people here! I have my orders too Colonel! I obey mine!"
"Well that's good." Said a voice that Jack recognized at once. He was completely unexpected for Jack and he turned along with Hammond to look at the new comer.
Standing in the door, his hand raised in salute Harry Potter smiled at Jack while saying to Hammond. "General. Lieutenant Harry Potter from Washington, Sir!"
Jack took a deep breath, somehow he knew that whatever Harry brought had saved his ass. He owed the kid one.
A/N: Okay Chapter 7 is done, Chapter 8 will be at least a week before I get to it, enjoy and Happy Reading!!