CHAPTER 73
(A.U. I just had to do a chapter like this. I've never seen any other story do this sort of…..story line idea, so I did it. Hope you like it. I thought it was pretty cool myself.)
It was some time after breakfast, but a few hours till noon. SG-1 was to head out to another planet just before noon. They planet was looked at earlier by Carter and Walter, with the M.A.L.P. The M.A.L.P. showed everything to be peaceful, and to be lush with trees. Since Reynolds was on the base and not scheduled to leave with his team for another couple of days, Ford was going on this trip. Walter was just getting ready to start the dial up sequence when SG-1 came into the gate room, minus Teal'c. He was currently at Dakara. Ford and Sam were more than back on speaking terms. More like what happened never happened and it was only two days he stayed at the base. He made Lam promise/order to tell Carter anything about his condition in the future, no matter how bad it was, which satisfied her.
"Glad to see you're coming with General." Mitchell said.
"I try to schedule SG-1's missions on days where Reynolds will be around. Always have been."
"Now that sound like a plan."
"Actually the plan was put into effect before you showed up."
"Kinda figured that out already."
"We're ready up here when you are General." Walter said through the com.
Ford raised a hand in the air and made a twirl sign.
"Chevron one locked."
"Maybe you should make another K-9." Carter said looking her weapon over once more.
"Another one? Why?"
"Well, K-9 is really great at many other things. And could be helpful off world." she said as Walter told them the fourth chevron locked. "The other K-9 could be programmed to watch Sally. A part of me wants to stay here though."
"You could stay…" Ford suggested. "Or I.."
"No. I know she's fine and we both agreed on doing our job and raising her. Besides, we go off world, like once a week usually, so. And she's sleeping…." she said as he sat on the ramp rail holding it with both hands.
As the gate turned and locked the sixth chevron, something on the gate sparked, caused an electrical effect to surround it making them all get back as it also zapped the ramp.
"Walter!" Ford yelled jumping away quickly.
"Checking General!" he yelled as the gate kept turning and locked down on the last chevron. It stabilized as normal and stayed open. Other than some smoke, everything seemed okay.
"That was weird. But a rather cool effect." Mitchell said.
"Ford, what are you doing?" Carter asked as he walked past the ramp and looked behind the gate.
"Looks like we blew something, probably a circuit. Hey Walter, we trip a breaker or something?" he said lightly touching the rail.
"The computer read out shows one of the capacitors burned out. It couldn't take the surge of power apparently. The backup's kicked in though. I'm calling maintenance right now General."
"Still feels okay." Ford said putting his hand through the gate. "Well, if you all still want to go. I don't feel like anything's wrong with going, no gut feeling that something bad is about to happen anyway."
"In that case, I don't see any reason why not." Mitchell said.
"Walter, is the gate functioning within its parameters?" Carter asked.
"Everything checks out okay Colonel. A few parts will need to be replaced, otherwise the computer states it's okay to go through. The repairs will be done by the time you all return. And we are still getting the same M.A.L.P. telemetry. As far as I can see, there is nothing different on it's end."
"Let's all go then." Mitchell said walking up the ramp.
When they stepped through the gate, they didn't end up where they were supposed to be.
"Well, well, well. This isn't where we're supposed to be." Mitchell muttered looking around. The gate shut down and they looked behind them seeing the gate was still there.
In front of them, several dozen feet away, was a large crumbling brick building. Kinda like a old cathedral, but the design was…..basic. Two large wooden doors could be seen, both closed and looking like they had a steel appearance to them. At the bottom of the platform they were on, about ten steps total, was the DHD. All around them was miles of other old buildings, or what was once old buildings that had long since crumbled over time. Some were still standing, but none of them were really in the condition that the building near the gate was. Though there was no clouds and the sun was shining, the temperature was around 60 from the feel.
"Daniel, check to make sure….no, dial home. We need to see if we can."
"On it Sam." he said walking down quicker than the others.
"This reminds me of something." Ford muttered as he walked toward the doors.
"General, we should stay together. At least until we can find out if we can get home." Mitchell said.
"Good point." he said turning back and walking over to the DHD.
"Well, I'm guessing that that might be the symbols for home." Daniel said scratching his chin.
"Can't hurt to try." Mitchell stated.
"True." he said pushing the panels.
"I'll go up and see if I can contact them." he said walking up after the gate stabilized. "SGC, this is SG1-niner. Do you copy?"
"This is the SGC. Please identify yourself?" Walter asked with suspicion.
"This is Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Walter."
"Understood sir. What can we do for you?" he asked with the same suspicion in his voice.
"Well Houston, we have a problem. There's no M.A.L.P. here, and this is not the same planet we intended to gate to. I'm sending me I.D.C. for confirmation."
"I'm not sure why that is sir. Is everyone okay?" he asked with no suspicion now.
"Everyone is fine Walter. Check the computer."
"Already on it sir. According to the computer readout, the gate dialed the right planet. The surge must have, caused some sort of glitch…...this is more of something that Colonel Carter should look at, or the General. The Iris is open now so you can come home."
"Is Reynolds there?" Ford asked.
"I'm here General." Reynolds said.
"Good. All of SG-1 is okay. We just ended up on a different planet. It looks safe for the moment so we're going to check it out."
"Sure about that General?"
"What do you guys want to do?"
"Well, this is a old structure, and certainly nothing like we've ever seen off world. I'd like to look around." Daniel said.
"I don't mind looking around." she said pulling the scanner from her pocket. "I don't detect any radiation or any other harmful elements in the air or surrounding area."
"Seems safe to look General." Mitchell said.
"We're staying. Would you call back and send a M.A.L.P. please."
"No problem General. Give us a few moments to get one ready. You want us to send another team to go get the other M.A.L.P.?"
"After you sent a M.A.L.P. here, then get a team to go get it back. We'll send another team to check it out later. SG-1 out."
The two walked down the steps and waited with the others.
"So….."
"Yeah Daniel?" Mitchell said.
"I'm going to go check the building out."
"So am I." she said following.
"Ditto. You can stay and wait if you want Mitchell."
"Oh, ah sure. I'll just wait and see what happens." he said walking back up.
They walked up as they heard the gate dialing. The outside of the cathedral had old and crumbling walls. It only was about twenty yards in length. The roof was damaged badly and had fallen in, in places.
"I can't tell anything. There's no writings at all." Daniel said. "It doesn't look all that old though."
"Let's go in then. Mitchell's smiling so everything must be okay." Ford said.
"M.A.L.P.s here. Find anything?"
"No. It's…just….." he said trying to think of the right word.
"Weird?" Mitchell suggested.
"No, more like…unusually normal in design, though I can see no markings of any kind. Really, I can't see why it is here when everything else has crumbled away." Daniel said as he walked back toward the front.
"Well, the inside looks a little better." Ford said standing in the open doorway. "Actually, a lot better."
The others looked inside to see the walls to be in almost perfect condition. There was five torches on either side of the wall, though they had long since went out. There was nothing in the room, but they could see stairs leading down at the far end. The other's activated their lights on their PC-90's. Ford put his sunglasses on and started forward.
"How do you see with…" Mitchell stared asking. When Ford turned his head slightly, he saw the glasses were lit up. "What the.."
"They're computerized." Carter said as she kept walking.
"Then why aren't they made for everyone else?" he asked confused.
"Other than the fact the technology is…borrowed." Ford said with a small chuckle. "I've designed mine to be able to have other functions, other than the x-ray feature."
The other two stopped and it took a few steps for Ford and Carter to notice.
"What's wrong?"
"How deep an x-ray we talking General?" Mitchell asked suspiciously.
"I've only used it for scientific purposes. Not for what you might think." he said waving a hand and continued walking.
"I know for a fact that isn't completely true." she said eyeing the wall with the light as they walked.
"If it helps, I don't see anything at all. And you don't exactly count." he said tapping a part on the glasses earpiece. "Nothing on the x-ray or infra-red."
"Exactly count?"
A few weeks after the marriage…….
She walked in seeing him sitting at the table working on something small and what looked to be a pair of glasses. The ear pieces were a little bit big, and there was two slightly large squares on the ends that would not really be noticeable behind the ears, unless you happened to have really short hair, or were bald. She leaned against the doorway, waiting to see if he even noticed she was there. K-9 didn't seem to be there, which wasn't surprising, mostly because Daniel had some computer trouble and K-9 was helping. Ford set aside the soldering kit, closed up the sections he was working on, then put the glasses on.
"Let's see now." he said touching a small button near the rim. "That one…oh, hey Sam. One moment. Ouch, to bright for the night vision."
"What are you doing?" she asked as he blinked a few times before putting them back on.
"One moment. Don't move." he said pushing another button. "Ah, now this one does work. How well though hmm?"
She raised and eyebrow as he kept touching something near the rim. The glasses were slightly lit up, which made her wonder. When a certain smile that she had only seen him have at home came to his face.
"Give me those things." she demanded walking up.
He slowly took them off and handed them over. She looked them over, saw the small buttons, then put them on.
"See anything you like?" he asked leaning one arm on the table.
She saw right through his clothes and through a few other object behind him. It wasn't working to well on seeing through the walls though. There was a small smile, but it went away quickly as she took them off.
"You do know, that using technology, in a military instillation such as this place, for personal purposes, such as these, is pretty much illegal."
"The technology belongs to MI6. I just improved on it. Besides, I don't use a PC-90, with comes standard with a light. I carry a small flashlight, but those will work better. Has infra-red, night vision and the current one you saw."
"Hmm. Not a bad idea. Better not catch you using them on other people."
"Never. Well, not in the way you're thinking." he said taking them back as she handed them over.
"Hmm. You better not check me out again either. It isn't fair when it's one sided." she said sitting down.
"I've got work to go do, so I'll see you later." he said putting the tools away and then headed for the door. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm always checking you out. I don't need these to do it."
"I had noticed. By the way, I did like what I saw."
"Well, I would have never tested it on anyone else, not in that way. There's something in this door. I can't see past it." he said as they noticed it from the top of the stairs.
"I'll take left, you take right Colonel." Mitchell said as they slowly walked down and got near the doors.
"I'll open it. If something does attack, run back and regroup. I don't want you all accidentally shooting each other. Me, it doesn't really matter much."
"Just try not to shoot you in the head, is what you mean?"
"Yeah Mitchell. Exactly that." he said pushing it open slightly.
Light came through the door as it cracked open so he turned the glasses off and pushed it in against the wall. There was no one in the room, but there was light, as though it was coming from the walls itself. Not bright, but enough you could see everything and read a book. It was a large square like room. On the far wall, opposite from the door was two large doors like the ones they just walked through leading to stairs going up into darkness.
"Okay, this is getting weirder." Mitchell said looking around the room with his gun pointed.
"I can't see what this room would serve as either." Ford said looking around.
"Maybe it was a shelter." Daniel suggested.
"Whatever it was, my light isn't penetrating the darkness through those other doors." Carter said.
Ford activated his glasses and touched the button a few times.
"What in the hell?"
"What's wrong?" Mitchell asked pointing his weapon in that direction quickly. Sam and Daniel did the same.
"Well, unless we've somehow became vampires suddenly…."
"What?" they all asked.
"We're looking at a very large mirror." he said removing his glasses.
"A mirror?" Carter asked lowering her gun as he put the glasses in his pocket.
"That's impossible. We should be seeing ourselves, and what would be the point? How are you sure?" Mitchell asked.
"Well…" Ford said picking up a small rock. "Watch the door in the 'mirror'."
They watched. Suddenly the mirror image showed the door move slightly.
"That doesn't make any sense. Logically, we should be seeing our reflection." Carter said bewildered.
"This is really strange." Daniel said walking forward. "Whatever this culture was, they….
Suddenly Daniel wasn't there and whatever the mirror thing was, it rippled slightly.
"Doctor Jackson!" Mitchell yelled running forward. He also disappeared.
"Great. Mitchell, Daniel, come in please." he said through his com.
Nothing happened. Sam tried hers and she got nothing either.
"Here." he said grabbing her hand.
"You want to go in together?"
"No. I'm…you walk forward and if it's some sort of suction thing, I'll pull you out and maybe the other two we'll grab hold."
"Not a bad idea. I just hope it works."
She slowly walked forward with her hand out. She felt like she touched something, then suddenly she saw Mitchell and Daniel looking and yelling at her. Behind them was a hallway that went to some lit up room.
"I can hear you just fine." she said rubbing a ear.
"It seems to be one way only. You both just got pulled in." Daniel said.
"Ford's…."
"Right here. I…we were instantly pulled in, or something. I didn't even feel a pull."
"We both saw you talking and what you were…did do and tried to yell, use the com even pound on the surface or whatever it was that we came through."
"Didn't do any good." Mitchell said.
Ford turned around and felt the surface. It felt like glass. He took a hard swing, but only ended breaking his hand and wrist.
"Ouch. That sounded…" Mitchell began.
"Like it hurt." Daniel finished.
"I'll be fine in a moment." he grunted/whined out. Moving his hand slightly, they heard a few bones pop.
"That's disgusting." she said.
"At least I'm not bleeding." he said turning around and shaking his hand. "Okay, we've got about three hours to get out of here, so we might as well go exploring and hopefully find the way out or another exit."
They turned and took off down the slightly narrow passage. It opened into a large lit room, lit just like the mirror room. On either side of the room, there was just walls, but going forward, there was a few hallways that lead forward, some turned to the left or right, or both. There was also three passages that went up ten steps and three passages that went down ten steps.
"This is getting weirder and weirder. But, I have to say it's a lot better than more paperwork."
"Must have……no, I have no idea what this place could be." Daniel said with confusion.
"Mitchell, go up that passage and tell us what you see. I'm going down this one."
Moments later, they came back to where Carter and Daniel were. Though Daniel was looking at the far right wall.
"Find anything?" she asked.
"A few passages that go down to the bottom level, some that go to the middle. Others that continue on." Mitchell said.
"Same here, except they go up only."
"Well, Daniel's found something." she said walking with them.
"What is it doc?"
"I'm not sure, but it looks like it this was some sort of….puzzle. Whatever beings wrote this language, which might be Ancient, I'm not sure. It's pretty eroded. I tried to take rubbings, but the walls is decaying."
"Try the camera?"
"Tried. Something about the…glow I guess is the best term, the way the light comes from the walls…"
"Messes up the recording?" Mitchell asked.
"I can try to clean it up back at the base, if I'm lucky." he muttered. "Maybe come back later and sketch it out with another team or something. You guys find anything."
"Same as what we're looking at here. More passages and such." Ford said. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but….I don't think we are in any danger. Not really anyway."
"Other than the fact there doesn't seem to be any way out, it does feel safe." she said.
"Yeah, I have that feeling as well." Mitchell said.
"Could be something in the air." Daniel suggested.
Carter pulled a scanner out.
"Air's fine, no radiation. I think the walls have some sort of florescence in them which is why we can see."
"Saves the batteries." Mitchell stated.
"Me and Sam will go…try this one." he said pointing at one of the passages in the middle.
"We'll take one of the top ones then." Mitchell said.
"Check in every so often. Daniel, might want to leave a note on….well, stick it on the wall with your knife. That way if we are here any longer than we're suppose to be…"
"If the SGC sends another team and they come looking…"
He nodded.
"Anything I should say in particular?" he asked pulling out his notebook.
"Just have it say we're all okay and that we are exploring a way out. And not to follow us into this…whatever it is." Mitchell said after Ford didn't say anything for a moment.
"That works. I'd rather not get another team lost."
Several minutes later, and several passages later.
"What is the purpose of this place anyway?" she muttered.
"I want to say it's….a maze? Any idea on what those…engraved images on the walls are?"
"You mean those square's we saw…etched into the side of the wall? Not a clue."
"Daniel hasn't any idea what they mean either. Hey, I see another square, but there is a smaller square inside it." he said with hope.
"That's different. Let's hope it tells us something."
Carter touched it, but like the other's nothing happened.
"Nothing. I wonder if they are just…here." she said shaking her head.
"Got to have some purpose."
"I see some stairs going down up ahead. You want to try downstairs?"
He thought a moment as he looked behind them seeing a passage way going left then a few feet down from there going right and left. Looking forward again, he saw the passage kept going forward another hundred or so feet then turning right. Well before that there was the path that lead down and another path that lead to the right of it.
"I'd rather keep on this floor and see where it takes us. What do you want to do?"
"We can see what the bottom floor looks like, then come back up and keep going."
"Sounds like a plan. Lead on."
"Assuming that we get out of this really soon, any ideas…."
While she was talking, several steps later, the floor gave out in front of her. Ford reached out and dropped down, but caught nothing. There was a hole in the floor that had an incline in it. Where it went, he couldn't see, but it was rather small too.
"Sam!!" he yelled laying on the floor and looking down in it.
"I'm here! Just.."
"Where are you?! You okay?!"
"Yeah, just fine. Landed on my foot wrong."
"Can you walk?"
"I can run if that's what you're wondering."
"There room to come down?"
"No. I can see where I came out. I'm lucky I got through. You'll get stuck."
"Damn. You sure you're…"
"I'm fine."
That tone he understood meant yes and to quit asking.
"Okay. Ah, what do you see?"
"Well, I'm in a cubicle with only one direction to go. Straight and to the right." she said walking toward it.
He next heard her on the com, so he got up and headed for the stairs.
"Oh boy. This hallway is going to be one long walk."
"I'm coming down the stairs you saw."
"I don't see anything other than this…I'm guessing several hundred feet long hallway. It looks like it branches off to my left."
"Damn. These stairs take me to a passage that leads away from you. What the hell was that?"
She stopped and instinctively pulled her weapon up and looked around.
"What did you see?"
"I don't know, but someone walked by…wait a minute. Stay where you are Sam. Daniel, Mitchell?"
"Yes?"
"Yeah General?"
"Where…did either of you leave the level you're on?"
"I ah, me and Mitchell came across some stairs that lead all the way down to the bottom level. I went down to just see what there was and a large stone door came down and stuck me on the bottom." Daniel said. "I'm now back at the beginning."
"Something wrong General?"
"Yeah, Carter fell into a hole in the ground. It was some trap door."
"I'm just fine." she said with the same tone.
"I'll go down and see if I can't locate her." Daniel said.
"Daniel, how long ago did you get back to the beginning?"
"I've been here about two minutes, why?"
"I saw…someone walk by the passage I'm looking down."
"Did you see who or what it was General?" Mitchell asked pulling his weapon up.
"Too far away to tell. Be careful, we're not alone." he said pulling his guns.
"I'll see if I can find her…."
"I don't need a chaperone. I can take care of myself guys." she said stressing the word guys. "I was taking care of myself on and off world long before Ford showed up."
Though they didn't know it, and certainly didn't say it over the com units, the guys all did say ouch.
"All right then, Daniel proceed at your own discretion." Ford said.
"Sure. I'm going back down the way I came."
He walked along seeing more passages branching off, but no stairs leading down lately. It had been at least half an hour since Carter had fell to the bottom level. So far, no one else had seen anyone, but they had heard talking. But whatever was being said, was still not translatable. She called in minutes ago telling them all she was back at the beginning. Mitchell had just recently said he reached the end of whatever they were in, mostly because from one wall to the other, there was no passages that went any further. Daniel called in about ten minutes ago saying he found some writing on the wall, that was better written out, readably, and was trying to translate it. Up ahead, he saw the passageway he was in branch off going right, left, forward, and down. Holding both weapons out as he walked slowly, he suddenly felt a buzz. After sneezing.
"People, we have a very big problem. If you can, head back to the beginning."
"What's…"
"We are not alone. Sam get out of there. Daniel, Mitchell, find her and get out here." he said kneeling on the ground and setting the other gun on his lap.
"I can…"
"There's an Immortal here."
"Oh damn." she said looking around.
"I'm on my way General. Just found some stairs leading down."
"I've already took off." Daniel said.
"Sam, find an place where you can see more than one direction or a place where you are backed into a corner."
"Got it. Don't worry. I got enough ammo, some explosives if I have to use them. Found a place. I've still got my knife and with what you've taught me, how can I lose."
"Good girl." he said hearing the slightly scared tone anyway. "I see some stairs going down, so I'm coming."
"I'm setting up a claymore around the corner."
"That could…"
"Whoever is here will see if before they trip over it. I'll hear them by then."
"Great idea. I got to go. I hear movement."
He slowly stood up and pointed both guns again. He noticed another square on the wall with a shaded square inside it, but what it meant was still a mystery. He didn't see anything strange on the ground or on the ceiling and guessed it had to do with the stairs leading down. Several feet before the branching off junctions, the floor gave out under him. He stayed quiet, until he didn't go through. His under arms caught on the edge making him grunt and cry out in pain, which he suppressed quickly. Mostly because he was cursing the fact he lost his guns. One had slid several feet away, but the other slid out into the branching corridors for anyone to see.
"Ah damn it."
Twisting a few times didn't do any good. He was stuck and without help, he wasn't getting out. And whoever was out there, he could hear them getting close. And from the sound of the heavy footsteps, they were big.
Daniel had ran into several dead ends so far. Back tracking a few passages, he heard someone walking and kept his gun ready as he knelt next to the wall. He waited as he heard them getting closer and closer. Holding his breath, he watched them come out and look the other direction.
"Damn, another branching…"
"It's only you.."
"Jackson!" Mitchell exclaimed with a jump as spun around pointing his gun a moment before lowering it. "Damn, don't scare me like that!"
"You're scared?" he said standing up. "I thought you were someone else."
"Well, I'm not thankfully."
"Let's not tell anyone about this."
"Good idea. Which way haven't you gone?"
"Back that direction and to the right." Daniel said pointing behind Mitchell.
"We better start looking quickly then. I'd rather the General not kill us because she got her head cut off."
"Same here. I have to say though, I expected someone wielding a sword to show up instead of you."
"I'm starting to wish I brought Excalibur." he said as they took the passage Daniel pointed out. It stretched like most of the passages, really far with other areas branching out along the path.
"Oh, oh. You see that?"
"That I did. Colonel, me and Daniel have just met up and are looking for you. We just spotted someone walk by us down the way."
"I could swear I saw blonde hair." Daniel said.
"That wasn't me. I haven't moved in several minutes. Though I have heard some movement and voices."
"Anything discernable?"
"No."
"Can you hear us?"
"Not yet. Keep the line open for now. I'll let you know if I hear anything."
"Got it Colonel. Which way should we go?"
"I don't know. We could follow whoever that was." Daniel suggested.
"Nice idea, but I'd rather find Carter first. I'm going to try something. Colonel, listen closely. I'm going to roll a grenade down this one passage. If you hear it, let us know."
"That's a little dangerous Mitchell."
"I'm tying the pin so it don't fall out."
"Nice idea. I'm ready when you are."
He rolled it down the passage to the left and listened. Though it barely put out much sound, it could be heard over the silence. It stopped rolling after going past several passages and almost a hundred feet.
"Nice toss."
"Thanks. Anything?" Mitchell asked.
"No. Still quiet." she said.
Mitchell pulled his knife out and scratched the wall a few times.
"So we don't get lost."
They
retrieved the grenade and went back to the place where they tossed it
before.
"I'm trying another direction."
He tossed it, a little harder making roll far enough it bounced off the wall and went around the corner.
"Nice toss."
"I did bowling once, but was never really any good. Anything Colonel?"
"I heard something. Like something hitting one of the walls, maybe."
"We're close then. I'm going to tap the walls with my knife ever so often, so let me know when you hear it."
"Go ahead."
After retrieving the grenade and several turns later.
"Wait, stop moving. Hit the wall again." she said standing up.
He did so, and then he heard the same noise from the wall.
"You're on the other side." he stated.
"Yeah, but this passage doesn't go to you. It takes a left.." she said through her com as she walked over the claymore and looked down the passage. "Goes straight for several hundred feet and branches off to the right a few times. It only branches off to the left at the end. Hold on, I hear something."
She backed up and hid around the corner and looked out carefully. Three passage ways down from her, about a hundred feet, someone stepped out and was looking back and forth.
"That's strange."
"What is it Colonel?"
"It's some dark haired woman. Wait a minute.." she said pulling out her small binoculars. "It's someone from the SGC. But no one I've ever seen."
"What's she doing?" Mitchell asked as they back tracked.
"Just looking around…uh oh. She spotted me."
They didn't hear any gun fire or talking.
"Colonel?"
"I'm fine. She's walking this way slowly, her weapon up. Now she's stopped and hid around the passage nearest to me."
"How close?" Daniel asked.
"43 feet, maybe."
"Who are you?!" they all heard a unfamiliar voice asked.
"Who are you?" Carter called back.
"I asked first."
She hesitant a moment.
"Do you work for the Goa'uld?" the unfamiliar voice asked.
"No." Carter answered glancing around the corner to see the other lady was doing the same.
"Tok'ra?"
"No, well…."
"Allies with them?"
"Rough terms."
"Sounds familiar. Who are you?"
"The question is who are you?"
The lady spun around quickly to see two men with PC-90's pointed at her. Daniel and Mitchell both saw the lady with in the same type of outfit they had on. That she did work for the SGC, but what unit it was, they hadn't noticed yet. She was the same height as Mitchell, rather beautiful looking and despite the two guns on her, she had hers on them. She lowered it, unclipped it, and tossed it at them suddenly and ran away quickly going down the corridor before they could stop her. Carter came around the corner meeting up with them as they stopped.
"Whoever she was, she ran really fast." Mitchell said. "Really good looking too."
Carter rolled her eyes.
"Looks like one of our guns. But I'm not the expert here." Daniel said looking at the PC-90.
"I'm going to retrieve that claymore, then we're going to go find Ford. Did you see what unit she was with?"
"No. But I've seen all the other SG units, and she did not look familiar." Mitchell said.
Ford still couldn't get himself free and whoever was coming was getting closer. Unfortunately, his coat was bunched up around him making it difficult to impossible to get anything out of it. The blades in his arms would be his only protection from whatever sword the person had. He tried reaching for his gun that didn't go into the open, but it was more than just out of reach. With a flick of his wrist the other direction, he pointed the hidden gun and waited. Didn't take long.
"That looks like my guns." a female voice muttered as she walked up, knelt down and looked at it, without touching it. She tapped it lightly with one of hers.
What in the hell?
When she walked out, he saw boots that looked just like his. The coat was exactly like his as well, but of a more feminine design. The guns she carried were even more identical to the ones he dropped. The hair was a little longer, but the same color and style.
"Don't move lady. Drop the guns."
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and set the guns down away from his. Then looking at her right arm, she flicked her wrist making the same gun he was holding, a C7-75, come out.
"Yours looks like a CZ-75." she said.
"It is."
"So is mine. Your guns look like mine too."
"Noticed that. Same with the coat and hair style."
"Mine's a little longer, the hair part anyway."
There was a long moment of silence as they stared at each other.
"I see you have a patch on your arm like me. What unit?" she asked.
"What unit are you?"
"I asked first."
"I…how about we just turn our arms to each other." he suggested.
They did so slowly, though for Ford it was a little difficult seeing he didn't lower the gun. Once they saw the patches were the same.
"You can't be who I think you are." they both said.
"And if…." they both said again.
"This is….getting us nowhere now." they both said again with a sigh.
They both put their guns away and he held out a hand. She grabbed it and helped him out, which took over a minute. He had nothing to push on with his feet so it made her have to do most of the work, that she kept muttering about.
"Good thing it wasn't me in there. I'm quite sure I'd be in a lot of pain." she said as he stood up.
"Why? Other than a few scratches, I feel…oh." he said as she pointed at her chest. Thankfully, the coat was closed so he didn't see anything. "Well, thank you. So…"
"Yeah. Kinda theorized the idea…"
"Same here. Just never thought it…"
"Would ever happen on a mission…."
"Or at all." they said together. "What's your name?"
They just looked at each other a moment thinking while crossing their arms.
"How about we turn this into a game and try guessing it." he suggested with a small toss of his hand.
"A game? Nice. Well, if our background is the same, assuming your parents named me the way mine did, then the choices are limited." she said rubbing her chin in thought. "Though, you being a guy, there are a few more choices."
"Yeah. Quick question……"
"If it's the Red Dwarf question…" she said getting her guns.
"Yeah." he said taking his guns after she picked them up. "Do women have…"
"Yes. I am a mother now who somewhat recently gave birth to a little boy. The men don't and can't."
"Woman have children here too. I'm a father recently too." he said smiling.
"Everything is probably reversed just like…we thought…"
"Ah, well we'd have to ask certain questions to know for sure…"
"I know one that will make all the difference." they both said. "You first…how about we just ask it together."
"Did woman burn their bra's?" they both asked.
They both nodded.
"Okay. It seems that the Red Dwarf was almost right." they both said.
"Who wrote Hamlet?" he asked quickly.
"William Shakespeare. You were thinking it was a Wilma?"
"Yeah." he said confused. "Who was first in charge of the SGC in your universe?"
"George Hammond. And her second in command was Jackie O'Neill."
"Jackie instead of Jack and a female George. Interesting. Too bad I never got to meet them or probably ever will. What about that ass Kinsey?"
"Robert Kinsey? I kicked in him the balls once when he tried to pull that macho crap. Words about me being a woman and my place."
"Damn. I never got that chance to do that." he said upset.
"Hmm. Being lady has its advantages. I made it up saying he made more than a pass at me, which got me off."
"Lucky you. Hey what about your…former doctor?"
"Very nice lady. Helped deliver…."
"I guess it's the core group that are switched then."
"Yours is also a Janet?" she asked surprised.
"Yeah. Wait, what about, Quinn?"
"Janice. She joined after…"
"Yeah. I think I'm starting to get it. It's the core people…."
"Yeah. Sounds like it." she said nodding.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I have to say, wow." he said giving her a once over. "I don't say this, at all actually, but you're really attractive for my counterpart."
"Well, if not for who you are. I'd say your hitting on me." she said with a smile. "And I don't do that sort of thing either, except for with one man. But I have to say, you're the same."
"We shouldn't tell the other's about this conversation."
"I agree. They'd think we are weird or something worse. But then, if your spouse said the same thing, we are weird."
"Yeah, she did. Oh no." he said suddenly with extreme worry.
"What?"
"I told Carter to lay low. When I felt you…."
"I told my team to keep a look out when I felt you." she said worried as well.
"What's your Carter doing?" Ford asked grabbing his com.
"Probably still exploring. Hey everyone, ah….we are not exactly alone here, but we are safe. I ran into…the leader of…..some team."
"Very funny. I'm not the leader though." Ford muttered.
"There's only three others, other than the….leader I'm with."
"Are you okay General?" a female voice asked. "I just found the three. Two guys and girl. I tossed my PC at them and ran."
"I'm perfectly fine." she said as she then muttered under her breath. "That's a first, toss your weapon at the unknown, not fire it."
"Maybe she couldn't fire it." Ford said.
"Possible. Good thing considering."
"Is it another, you know?" a different female voice asked.
"Yeah, this person is Immortal. But we've come to a agreement not to fight. I'm on the second floor, so come to my location. We got some things to talk about. Don't mention my name until I say otherwise. I'll explain later."
"You guys all together still?" Ford asked into his com. "Don't mention my name until I say otherwise. I'll explain later."
"What? Don't mention…"
"I said I'll explain later Colonel, now are you all back together?"
"How'd you know?" Carter asked.
"You find that other…" Daniel asked.
"Yes. I'm fine. to agreement not to fight."
"Now who's being funny." she said crossing her arms.
"I'm not done yet." he said then pushed the button again. "The leader here…"
She rolled her eyes.
"Also has three people under their command. They are currently headed for….our position on the second floor. I want you guys to get up here too. We need all need to talk."
"On our way." Mitchell said.
"So….what now?" she asked sitting on the floor. One leg was stretched out while the other was bent. She placed both hands on it and leaned back. Ford sat down and did the same.
"I guess we wait. Could take awhile."
"Yeah. This place is a huge maze made up of three floors….my Carter never checked in." she said with a worried look that also appeared on his face.
"I just realized that now too."
"Colonel Carter, where are you?"
"I've found something on the bottom floor…"
She cut it off quickly, making Ford smile.
"Sam, I said don't mention my name." she said.
"Why? What's going…"
"I'll explain later Colonel. Now what did you find?"
"Well, it's some sort of doorway. But metal bars keep me from getting through to the other side. The floor on the other side is really smooth, like…marble. At the end of the room seems to be a pedestal with some sort of….short gold rod with glowing crystals on the outside. Four from the looks of it, in the middle all the way around."
"If you can get it, it'd make a nice anniversary present." she said.
Ford rose both eyebrows and tried not to laugh to loudly.
"Wait a minute. You said you weren't interested in jewelry."
"I was kidding." she said.
"About which one?" he said a few moments later.
She shook her head making Ford laugh.
"I'm going to guess your Carter likes jewelry?"
"Not really. She likes it, but it's not something she goes nuts over like some women."
"Never really held much interest with me either." she said then clicked the button. "I was kidding about grabbing it for me for a present. But I still want you to grab it anyway. Might be the key to getting out of here."
"I'll see what I can do. I'll call if I need help."
"Okay."
"My Carter is into scientific stuff. She'd be more inclined to…"
"Jump around excited?"
"Something like that if I brought her the latest new, whatever piece of equipment that science came up with. She's got that big emerald, so it's hard to top that."
"He has the same thing. If I was to bring him the same thing you said, he'd probably drool over it."
"Hmm. How about this, my grandfather's name was Dodge. No great grandfather….." he said ticking off fingers on one hand then tried on the other.
"I know who you're mean. The one that helped those…animal people on Gia'as. I can't remember if we ever did have a classification for what to call those people. As strange as it's going to sound, her name was Volvo."
"Volvo?"
"Does sound funny doesn't it?"
"Hmm. And yet, parents had normal names. James and Nancy. I can't remember if we did have a name for them either. I know they weren't called Gia'asians…or whatever."
"Jamie and Ned. I hear someone coming." she said looking down the path Ford had came.
Ford also looked seeing his team approaching.
"Pretty good looking guys. Your Carter is rather pretty too. I'm going to guess your…Jaffa is at Dakara?"
"Teal'c, yeah."
"Teal'c, tall black guy with a gold emblem…" she said.
"Yeah. I guess not everything is different."
"Hey General. What's going on?"
"Who is this…" Samantha asked.
"I said don't say my name. That's an order for all of you. Not till she figures it out." he said. "Give me the PC-90, it belongs to her teammate."
"And this is…who exactly?" Daniel asked.
"Should we tell them or wait till they figure it out?" he asked.
She looked at them and smiled as she took the PC-90 from him.
"Let them try and figure it out. Though I think….is it Sammie?"
"Samantha." Carter said.
"Sounds better. I think you figured out who I am." she said standing up at the same time Ford did.
Carter pointed at finger at both of them as they both dusted themselves off the same way.
"You're…she's…this isn't that theory that I thought…"
"Ridiculous? It is." Ford said nodding.
"Well, can't say I'm surprised." she said standing next to him and crossing her arms.
"Can you let us…normal folks in on this conversation?" Mitchell asked.
"Sorry Colonel. You'll have to figure it out like I did." Samantha said.
Mitchell sighed and walked past them to look down the stairs. Daniel looked between as the two stared at each other.
"What's the deal with this game and your names?"
"It's simple Daniel. Our parents named us…a special way." Ford said.
"I don't get it." Daniel said.
"Neither do I." Samantha said.
"Ah, I hear someone coming from below right now." she said looking at the stairs Mitchell was standing near.
He turned around seeing a lady in clothes very similar to everything that Daniel was wearing, down to the extra pack. Even had glasses on and the same color hair.
"Hello." she said walking up slowly with her hands up. "I mean no…"
"Lower your weapon Colonel." Ford said.
"Sorry General."
"General?" she said walking up. "Oh, there's more than one I see. What's this thing about…"
"We're trying to guess each other's name Danielle. So don't blow it."
"Danielle?" Daniel said walking up and looking at her.
She looked him over seeing the similarities. The other's watched to see if they'd figure it out.
"I'm still not getting it General." Mitchell said.
Ford and his counterpart both closed their eyes and shook their heads.
"Sometimes, I wonder if Jack talked to you. Okay Mitchell, this is my female counterpart. That's Daniel's female counterpart. That woman you all ran into below was your female counterpart." he said pointing.
"What?" Mitchell asked making the two Generals rub the bridges of their noses and sigh.
"My counterpart?" the two archeologist said. "Oh, that theory…wow."
"Sam, you explain it to him."
"I'll try."
As she started to, the female General's com clicked on. They also started feeling a rumbling noise.
The male Carter tapped the bars again, how many times so far, he wasn't sure. He couldn't blow the cage door, unless he wanted the room to possibly cave in. He had heard chatter on and off, through his com, and had told his wife what he had found several minutes ago. He had scanned around, but found nothing that showed how to get through the bars. Going out on a whim, he tried telling them to open, which didn't work. Pushing and pulling them revealed that it wasn't budging. He even tried using his knife, but other than scratching it, he got no further.
"Maybe the obvious approach." he muttered pulling up on the bars.
He was surprised when they lifted with ease and slid up into the wall. Entering the room slowly, he looked around with his PC-90 at ready. The unknown object was easy to take, but it looked too easy to grab. Experience told him it was a trap, but what it was, was not coming to mind. A little more than half way into the room, a large stone door came down out of the wall and sealed him in.
"I should have called for backup."
He looked around quickly as the room rumbled. The walls were closing in on him.
"Oh great."
"Chevy! I need some help here! The walls are closing in on me here and I can't get out!!!"
"Sam! Where are you?!!" Chevy yelled into her com.
Ford pulled his glasses on and pushed the button a few times, after walking forward.
"There!" he said pointing.
She pulled her glasses out seeing it as well.
"I see him. Sam, I'm coming!"
"Take to long to get through by…." the female Mitchell started saying.
"We can blow….good thinking." the two General's said to each other as they pulled their guns and changed clips. "You all stay back for the moment."
They ran forward, looking with the glasses and blew out the floor with several shots. The others followed moments later as the two dropped down. They watched as Chevy ran forward taking a large swing with her sword. The large stone door was cut in half instantly along with part of the wall on either side. She turned to call for help.
"I'm here." Ford said as they both put their swords into the lower part of the cut door.
A quick yank and the bottom part fell out. The upper part of the drop down door came crashing out quickly, falling apart as it hit the floor, making them both jump back before it fell on their feet. A short haired blonde man came crawling out quickly, coughing with them as the dust slowly settled. He rolled off the fallen pieces of the door and laid on the floor holding his chest.
"Oh man, I almost had a heart attack….you're not Chevy." he said seeing a blonde woman looking down at him.
"Nope. She's over there." Samantha said kneeling down as he sat up. "You two okay?"
"Yeah." the two Generals grunted out as they got off the floor.
"You okay Sam?" Chevy asked.
"Yeah. Just fine now." he said standing up with Carter's help. "Who are you?"
"Sam Carter, meet, Sam Carter." Chevy said walking up and removing her glasses.
Carter shrugged as he looked her over.
"Oh, that theory…"
"Yeah. Thanks." she said as Ford started handing over her sword. "What's wrong?"
"I'm
not sure which one it which." he said confused. "I just picked
them up."
"Mine was on the right…"
"I got that. But they were buried under the debris so I…kicked it off."
"And the swords too?"
"Yeah. So they got mixed up."
"That's easy then, mine's…..uh oh. Damn, they feel the same. I had a thought that mine might be lighter, but I guess not."
"I guess it doesn't really matter." Ford said as he just took one of the sword. They put them away not caring.
"We really should get going." both Carter's said.
"We still have plenty of time before….we've got to stop this." both Generals said.
"How about…" both Mitchell's started saying.
"Okay…" both Generals started saying when they looked at each other. "Good idea. My team this way."
The 'male' team went on the right and the 'female' team when left. And the discussion were pretty much completely the same. Though the Mitchell's had to be told what was going through the Carter's heads.
"I forget about that. Shouldn't we have felt the effects by now?" Ford asked.
"That would depend on who's universe we were in." Samantha said.
"You all feeling okay?" Ford asked.
"I'm fine." Daniel said.
"A little hungry, but otherwise…" Mitchell said.
"I'm with Mitchell." Carter said.
"I feel okay." Ford said then turned slightly. They saw each other and turned back to their teams. "They're okay."
"This is getting weird. Really weird. It's not totally possible for you two to be Mitchell pointed out.
"That's ironic since your counterpart just said the same thing. I can hear what they are saying and she can hear it as well. I…..we have a….slightly one track mind, in a sense."
"Maybe it just needs time to take effect. Whatever the case, we need to go before it does take effect." Samantha said.
"Agreed. But we haven't found out how to get out."
"I think that is what that object is for. I got a small energy reading from it." the male Carter said from behind them. "I'm guessing it's a electronic type of key."
They turned around seeing him pointing down the small crevice. The rod was still on the pedestal and the walls had stopped closing in when they touched it. There was five inches between the walls making it rather impossible for them to go get it. The two Generals walked up, rather unconsciously, and looked down the small niche.
"This is just prime." they said.
The others, they all shook theirs head.
"You know, I always wondered what a female…" he said with her.
"Female Prime would look like." she said finishing it. "Mine's a male robot too."
"One of you two has to figure out which…" both Carter's started saying, then stopped and looked at each other.
"I guess you have the same troubles." the Generals said. "What about you all?"
The other four looked at each other. Daniel and Danielle just smiled and kept quiet. The Mitchell's spoke though after what seemed to be deliberated thinking.
"You two have any idea on how to make it so only one of you speaks at a time?"
"How about….no never mind." the Jackson's said.
"What?" everyone but them asked.
"Rock, paper…"
"That might work." the General's said.
"No, it won…"
"Yes it will Sam." they both said reaching into their front pockets. "We can't throw….."
They both looked at the other team. Chevy gave a pair of red and blue dice to Daniel, who was confused while Ford gave a same pair to the female Mitchell.
"Nice idea." the Carter's said.
"You two figure out which direction…" the Generals started saying.
(A.U. I really did throw dice to figure out the rolls. In reality, I do the same thing for some decisions. Anyway, on with the story….)
Mitchell threw them left while Daniel threw them right. Ford's dice showed a 6 and 2. Chevy's showed 6 and 3.
"You lose Ford." Samantha said picking up the dice.
"I noticed. Oh well."
Her Mitchell retrieved Chevy's as she thought.
"Okay, anyone here ever use a rope like a lasso?" she asked.
They shook their heads.
"Guess we just toss and get lucky then. Anybody want to give me their rope."
Over half an hour later.
"Okay, this isn't going to work." she muttered tossing the rope aside. "Any idea's?"
They all thought, but ultimately came up with nothing.
"Come on people, we are the best of the best at the SGC. This…." Ford said waving a hand at them all then pointing at the object. "Can't be what stops us."
"We can't blow it." the male Mitchell said.
"Can't dig for it either." the other Mitchell said.
"Can't seem to rope it." Daniel said.
"We really could use MacGyver right now." both Generals said.
"If he was here, what would he do?" Samantha asked.
"Well, we don't have duct tape." Chevy stated. "Not that I can think of anything that we could do if we had it."
"How structurally sound does it look?" Ford asked pointing at the male Carter.
"What do….what's your idea?" he asked with a skeptical look.
"We can't blow it and can't seem to lasso it, but maybe, just maybe, we can blast it out."
"That's not…." Chevy started saying.
"Are you crazy?! If you…." both Carter's started saying. Ford waved them off quickly as he and Chevy walked a few steps away in quiet discussion. "They are ignoring us."
"I'd say lets compare notes, but….."
"Actually, we could look at the notes on those translations from…"
"That's a good idea. Together, we might get somewhere." Daniel said as he and Danielle walked back the other direction. "Hey, you've been here longer, you know the way out?"
"Yeah. It's this way and…."
"What should we do?" Mitchell asked.
"What do you always do?" the female Mitchell asked.
"Just watch and make comments occasionally."
"That works."
"Guess we wait." the Carter's said.
"Not a bad idea. We can have them…." Chevy said tapping her chin.
"Yeah. We just need something, to make a path."
"Like a trail of bread crumbs. I got an idea." she said taking something from her pocket.
"Red lipstick?"
"Hey, it serves as chap stick too." she grumbled, then shook it at him. "Besides, you're not a woman. Sam."
"Yes." they both said.
"She means me. Yes?" he said.
"What we are planning, is dangerous, if it fails, unless you all have a plan yet?"
What was left of the group shook their heads.
"Okay, take this and make marks on the walls so we can find the way out."
"You mean leave you a trail? Wait a minute, what if this place crumbles down…."
"There's two of us. Both of us are very strong. We'll get out easily if something happens." Ford said waving a hand.
"What's the plan anyway?" Samantha asked.
"We're going to remove some of the…explosive compound in the bullets one of us have. Several probably. And then try making a explosion behind the…rod, to make it come closer." Ford said.
"Who's shooting?" Mitchell asked.
"We're not sure yet." the Generals said.
"But we'll come up with something." Ford said.
"In the meantime, you all go back, make those marks on the wall, and wait for us. We'll call when we get ready to fire. That way if anything does happen, then you'll be able to come help us if we don't call back." Chevy said.
"And if you happen to shoot the rod?" Samuel asked.
They both gave him a look.
"Right, stupid question."
"Very." they muttered. "Oh, just in case we should…which one."
They pulled their dice out again and rolled them in their hands.
"There's a good chance…" he began.
"We'll get the same numbers. I know. I'll stop, then you stop. But you tell me what you have first."
"Four and one." Ford said showing.
"Five and one." she said showing hers. "You give it."
"Here Sam, just in case." he said handing over his tracking device.
Several minutes later, with Danielle showing them the way back. They came to the 'mirror room'. But they still couldn't get through and instantly relayed the message back to the two Generals.
"Okay, she's going to shoot in a few seconds. You should hear back from us in about a minute."
"Got it." Samantha said.
"Ready?" she asked not looking away from where she was aiming.
"Yeah, wait, you don't have your ear plugs in."
"Oh right." she said reaching in her pocket.
Moments later, he held up a thumb and she fired. The other's did hear it, but it wasn't as loud for them as it was for the two Generals. She was waving dust away from her face and coughing. She looked up seeing him jumping up and down holding his face.
"You okay?" she said with some concern. This was, 'them', they were talking about.
"Hell no!" he yelled with a whine. "Damn thing broke my nose!"
"I thought if felt like something whizzed by my head. I guess it worked. Any idea where it went?"
"I wasn't paying attention!" he yelled popping his nose back in place. "That's the second time my nose has been broken!"
"Sorry. Need any help or anything?"
"No. Thanks anyway. Ow." he said wiping his eyes and cleaning the blood away. "That thing came flying out so quick, I barely saw it."
"Be thankful it didn't catch you in the eye. There it is." she said picking it up out of the dust. "Oh no."
"What?" he said now looking. "Oh. More like oops."
"How about we just not say anything."
"And how will we get it past them?" Ford said with a jerk of his thumb.
"Maybe we can fix it."
"Maybe, if we find the other piece."
"Gen….erals?" the female Mitchell asked over the com.
"Yes." they both said.
"Status." the male Mitchell said.
"We're fine." she said as Ford made a gesture to keep going as he looked around.
"Are you headed this way?" Sam asked.
"Not yet. You got the tracking device still don't you?" Ford asked.
"Yeah." Samantha said.
"Then keep watch, just in case. We're heading out in a moment." he said. "I can't see the other part."
"It must around here….there it is." she said pointing up the passage near where they blasted a hole in the second floor.
"Let's grab it and go."
"What about fixing it first?"
"We'll have to hope we get lucky on the way." she said picking it up and trying to see if it would just fit back together. "I don't have any glue so I doubt…"
"No." he said as they both looked up hearing a rumbling noise.
The passageway up to the left of them suddenly closed as a door just like the one above the one behind them came down. They could hear several more area's having the same sounds going on.
"This isn't good." she said as they quickly ran back toward the area where the door they sliced up lay. They made it back as another door came down blocking off the area they were just in.
"Oh great." he muttered. "Anything happening up with you guys?"
"Ah, yeah. The entire bottom level of the ways in have been closed off as have the second level. There's only one way in and that's an area that opened on the top that was previously closed." Daniel said. "But we can't get to it without…"
"Do not enter." Chevy said. "Bad enough we're trapped in here."
"Same for the rest of you." Ford said.
"I meant for them too."
"Oh. Well, knowing them all, they won't listen."
"True."
"Are you two okay?" Sam asked.
"Just fine." Chevy said as they both heard more movement.
A part of the wall, which was obviously a hidden door, dropped down into the ground several feet away from them. It was on the same wall where the door that they bashed apart came down. They approached it cautiously, with guns drawn. They both flattened themselves against the opposite wall and saw a small room. Or from the looks of it, a former cage. There was unidentifiable and decaying to dust bones in the small chamber.
"You know what this means…" Ford said putting his guns away as she did as well.
"Oh yeah. There's more than likely a time limit and traps. We better start running."
"We're headed your way, assuming this place don't….ow!" he said not letting go of the com as she smacked him.
"Don't say it. You'll jinx us! We are going to get out. I, really need to get out." she stated as they rounded the corner.
They took the way off to the left, after leaving the pile of bones. Unfortunately, the way was blocked and they heard more movement.
"Other direction." he said turning around.
They got to the other end seeing it was still possible to go forward. They both ran forward finding a path going right and still forward. The way forward branched off to the right way up ahead and the way right branched off to the left after several dozen feet and continued forward, or did until they saw a hidden door drop blocking that path.
"Damn. We could spl…" she said looking both directions.
"No! Splitting up…."
"Will only make it harder to get out. Yeah."
More sounds of closing doors could be heard as they tried to decide.
"We can see you both have gotten closer. Are you trapped?" Samantha asked.
"No." he said. "Just deciding."
"Better hurry, we can hear a lot of movement in there." Samantha said.
"We know." Chevy said. "I think some stairs were this way."
"You know this place better than I do." he said making a gesture of ladies first.
She gave him a strange look and walked forward.
"What was that look?"
"I once heard, that the reason men allow woman to go first is so that they can look at their back…" she said stopping suddenly. "Here's the stairs. Let's hurry before a door closes."
They got up quickly finding just about the same thing. The only way to go was right and it branched off to go straight forward toward the other's, but it was blocked off. There was a way back toward the end of the maze where the hole they made was still at. They could jump it and keep going and take off to the left or right.
"Ah, to hell with this!" she said pulling her sword.
"Great idea, but why don't…" he said as she slashed the door several times.
"This is harder than it looks." she said after several swings. The door feel apart at her feet to reveal another one only feet away. "Oh, for crying out loud!"
"As I was saying, why don't we shoot it?"
"Better ask…Carter. Either."
"Carter's, do you think this place is structurally sound enough to handle us firing a few rounds?" he asked as she leaned against the wall and set the sword aside.
"Give us a moment." Sam said.
"Might want to hurry if you can." he said a minute later as a door came down blocking the area where they made the former hole.
"Can't go back down now." Chevy said pointing.
"Here. I'll try the next door there." he said pulling his sword.
She held up a thumb and walked a few steps away. Several swings later he had broke through.
"Nice job. Looks like a pretty long walk. Gets us a lot closer now." she said following along quickly.
"How close are we to you all?" he asked as they passed a few junctions.
"Less than a hundred meters." Samantha stated.
They stopped in another junction as a door came down quickly.
"Stairs." they said pointing and then rushing up. "We see the exit!"
"We hear you!" some of them yelled, or all. They couldn't tell as they ran forward.
"25 meters!" Samantha yelled as they all heard and felt more doors closing.
10 meters before the exit, a door closed.
"No way this is stopping me!" Chevy yelled pulling one gun.
"Agreed. You take right, I got left."
They both kept running and fired. The door exploded sending dust and debris everywhere. The rest of the ream outside even had to cover themselves as some flew out. There was a sudden terrible rumbling as the floor gave out under the two.
"General!" both Mitchell's exclaimed. The other's just yelled their names.
"That wasn't so bad. I guess." Chevy muttered popping her neck as she stood up. She glanced around seeing she was on the second floor that was being held up by the rubble underneath. Looking into the bottom floor, which had most of the other two floors piled up in it, she noticed a glint of metal. She slowly climbed down, after not seeing him anywhere. Moving rubble out of the way, she found a hand attached to the gun, and as soon as she pulled, it let go. She grabbed his hand feeling for a pulse. There was none.
"You bastard! I thought you pushed me. Male chauvinist…" she yelled as she unburied him.
More choice words accompanied the others as she heard the others yelling and possibly climbing.
"You stubborn….oh no."
She got most of him unburied, but a large section of the wall had fallen on his right leg, just under the knee, and it was more than obviously crushed.
"You're an idiot." she muttered smacking his chest lightly. He made no response and she tried shaking him lightly.
"Wake up already."
She heard movement from somewhere above and behind, but ignored it as she checked him for other injuries. From the looks of it, he had both legs broken, his left arm was broke, which explained why she could take his gun from him. His skull was damaged just by the feel and the blood was starting to stop flowing. When she opened his coat, she found the sword was sticking up through his lower back and just out of the front of the left side of his chest. From the feel of things, he had other internal injuries and more broken bones that seemed to be healing, possibly.
"Oh no." she whispered quietly as she heard a rope drop down somewhere behind her.
"General, is everything okay?" Mitchell asked as he slid down.
"No. We need a medical team in here, possibly. I need some excavating tools."
"Oh my god." he said walking up to see his General dead. "Won't he just heal and get up."
"He can't. Our bodies won't absorb naquada, or Adamantium. For the moment, we don't tell anyone else…."
"What's going on…..oh god, no."
"Colonel, stay there. That's an order, and you know he'd order it too. Mitchell, get her out of here, now! Have….someone go call the SGC for excavating tools." she ordered.
"We can't get out yet. We need that….crystal rod or what…"
"Here. Have both Carter's look at it and see if they can do something. It will help keep their minds of the problem in here." she said handing over the broken rod.
"Wait a minute, why can't you just lift him and….."
"His leg is under that large slab. We move it without more assistance, we could bury ourselves. Now get her out of here before she breaks down."
"What about your sword? Can't you cut him out…I mean his leg." he asked climbing.
"I haven't found my sword, which is probably buried along with my gun." she said sadly as she removed more rocks and stuff from around him.
Mitchell got Carter back through the small exit and on the ground.
"Look, he'll be back. We just got to get him out. I've heard the stories so…"
"I know." Samantha said trying not to think about it. "Give…give me that…thing."
He handed it over as the two Jackson's asked what was going on. The female Mitchell went into the room to help Chevy.
"We can't fix this." both Carter's stated.
Mitchell looked down the way out back to the 'mirror room.' It didn't look like anything had changed, but they never saw anything anyway. He grabbed one of the rocks off the ground and gave it a hard toss. It hit the far wall and bounced up the steps on the other side.
"Doctors. Please go call the SGC for help."
"Why both of us?" they both asked.
"This is really….we don't know which….universe we are in anymore so…."
They both nodded and left quickly.
Both of them dialed the address and pushed the large red button. The gate activated with no problem and instead of using their G.D.O.'s, Danielle tried using her radio.
"Who is this?" Reynolds asked through the M.A.L.P. speaker.
Daniel gave it a try then.
"This is Doctor Daniel Jackson Colonel."
"I can't confirm that unless you send your code."
Daniel did so quickly.
"Okay Doctor Jackson. What's going on and why didn't you send your code first?"
"Well, we've ran into a bit of trouble. Nothing that can compromise the base or anything. We need another team to come with some excavating equipment though. Some floors gave out and Ford got buried. He's injured and can't get himself out."
"That's….unusual to hear Doctor. What can't you all help him? Is he too far away or…"
"Ah, no. Um, he's…..dead actually. He fell on his sword and because his body can't absorb it, he can't heal and…."
"Fell on his sword?" Reynolds said with a small laugh that other's nearby in the room also laughed lightly at.
"It's not all that funny sir." Daniel said suppressing a laugh with his counterpart.
"Right sorry. Okay Doctor. We'll have SG-5 ready in a few minutes with some equipment. Just wait there. Who did you come in contact with that was using your radio?"
"Sam and Ford will explain, once we get back. It's….out of my league really."
"Is everything okay Doctor?"
"Oh yeah. Everything is just fine, other than Ford not being alive. And if you're wondering, Colonel Carter is just fine as well. She's not doing anything rash or stupid."
"Help is on the way Doctor. Stay there until they show up." he said cutting the connection. The gate shut down moments later.
"Now it's a waiting game."
"Yeah. But why did it connect with your SGC and not ours?"
"You're asking the wrong person."
"I'll try dialing and see if me doing it will have any effect after the other team arrives. After your people show up."
"I have to admit, it is rather funny, in a dark sort of way. I mean, falling on your own sword."
"Well, before Chevy started to go out with Sam, she used to put herself into danger all the time. Still does actually. One way of looking at it, it gives a whole new meaning to sacrificing yourself for others."
Both Carter's, despite the fact that Chevy told Samantha to go away, were now down trying to help remove some of the rocks. They were mostly seeing about trying to get them out from under Ford to see about maybe getting the sword out. They were making good progress. Ford had dropped down a few more inches and they could see the sword handle now. Another foot of digging and they could possibly move him enough, without taking his leg off, to remove the sword and not cut him in half in the process. During the shifting and moving of the debris, they found the other gun and sword. Several minutes later the other SG team came in as they got him unburied enough finally. Samantha removed the bloody sword, tossed it aside and held his head as she stayed under him. His injuries started healing quickly and they noticed the same trying to happen to leg. He suddenly woke up and opened his mouth, looking he was about to scream in pain, but instead his eyes rolled back and he was out.
"I've got a pulse, though it isn't great. He's still bleeding from that crushed leg." Chevy said as the other team attached hooks and ropes together and started building a metal contraption on either side of the large rock.
Minutes later, and Ford dying from blood loss three times, they got the metal bars in place, kinda like a swing set thing, except it was being used like pulling a engine out of a car. With Chevy's help and a few others, they pulled on the ropes and got the large rock up in the air a few inches. Both Jackson's moved his leg and then him out of the way. Once he was out, his leg healed up after a few seconds, but he still hadn't woke up.
One hour later…………
Ford still hadn't woke up and was currently in the infirmary, with a couple bags of fluids entering his body. He had been cleaned up, thankfully and after being placed in a bed, with the bags, she started test. His blood pressure was fatally low and his blood sugar was practically non existent. The only reason that his body was even accepting the bags of fluids, was because of the needles not being absorbed. When he first became Immortal, Janet had to be extremely quick in drawing his blood. In about ten seconds or less sometimes, his body would absorb her needle in him and then she'd have to try again if she failed the first time. After meeting with Thor and the Asguard now able to produce the Adamantium, he was able to get a small box of needles made of the precious metal. The other SG-1 team didn't have a clue why they couldn't get home, yet. They didn't even have a clue why they were in the alternate/parallel universe either. And they didn't have much idea why that 'Cascade Entropy Failure' thing wasn't happening. Chevy suspected it might be because they were not them, not completely anyway. Being the other gender is what she meant. The Carter's both didn't accept that and continued to try and figure things out, mostly how to get the other team home.
Reynolds was still in charge, though because of the SG-1's slight recommendation, he was thinking of turning command over to Chevy. She was General of the SGC, just in her own universe. If she started doing anything that wasn't right at all, she would be removed. He was still debating it with Walter, Siler and a few other people. He had even called Jack, who listened to Carter, Mitchell's and Daniel's opinion. And he said wanted pictures of the other SG-1. Chevy knew her Jackie would have asked the same thing if they were in her universe and so, pictures were exchanged. Teal'c, now back at the base, had no opinion, so though being in the General's office, didn't say anything. Jack said he'd call back and inform them what he thought in about an hour. At the moment, the other members of the other SG-1 team were somewhere in the base. Chevy was not. She was sitting at the briefing table, in one of the other chairs at the other end. Her coat was on the coat rack in the office. She had the same one in her office back in her universe, no difference. Reynolds was filling out some paperwork at the head of the table.
"I wouldn't mind doing it, mostly because it would help me keep my mind….anyway. Both Carter's haven't figured anything out and despite what help I've been, even I have no ideas. Not even K-9 can come up with anything." Chevy said rubbing her forehead as she sat back in the chair and placed her legs on the table.
"I'm guessing you're thinking of your little one too?"
"Thanks. I was trying to forget for the moment." she practically growled out.
"Sorry. I…."
"Sir, we've got a problem." Walter said rushing into the room.
"What is it Walter?" she asked without thinking.
"Ah…" he said confused..
She rolled a finger for him to continue.
"General Carter, the other one…"
"Got that much Walter." she said.
"He's missing from the infirmary. No one knows where he is and security can't find him on the monitors."
"Oh great. Now if I was him, where would I go?" she said standing up. "I got a better idea. Wait here, if it works, no worries, if not….."
Reynolds was lost, but followed with Walter as she went down into the control room and sat at the large computer. A few flicks of some buttons and switches later, she grabbed the mike.
"Ah….let's see, okay. This is going to sound stupid, possibly. Attention all personal, we have a missing man and would like anyone who has seen or knows exactly where General Ford Carter is to call the Colonel Reynolds right away. No, base security is not in jeopardy, the man just left the infirmary and wasn't suppose to. Again, the sooner you call the better."
She turned it off and spun the chair around.
"Now we wait and see…."
"That was not…." Reynolds began saying when the phone rang.
"That was quick." she said as he picked it up.
"Colonel Reynolds. He's where? Doing what? Oh, you are sure it's him? Okay, thanks airman."
"Sir?" Walter asked.
"He's currently stuffing his face in the kitchen."
"I'll go check it out." Chevy said getting up. "Unless I have to stay or something?"
"No. If he's awake and doing just fine, tell him to get up here and relieve me." Reynolds said.
"That's probably why he's in the commissary." she said as she walked out.
"I know!" he yelled.
Doctor Lam came in along with Chevy and a couple armed airmen. Though there was quite a few people eating, obvious by the amount of tables filled, Ford was not among them.
"Where's the General? Our General." Lam asked as Chevy sneezed into her hanky.
"That way doctor." an airman pointed at the kitchen.
The security stayed in the eating area as the two entered the large kitchen. Several things seemed to be cooking, though only Ford was the one doing it all. He had several plates of food in front of him, and they looked rather devoured. Several cans of empty root beer were also among them. He was in his SGC issue clothes, minus the coat and still had on slippers. They saw he was eating, since his mouth was full, and was currently mixing something in a bowl. Lam started forward when Chevy spoke.
"Oh god. Our famous brownies!" she exclaimed walking up quickly. "I have been practically dying for those lately."
Ford stopped mixing, swallowed and slowly looked at her.
"What?"
"Look, we may be the same, in some senses, but with gender being different, food becomes a whole new ballpark. Women love chocolate. And I know we both have a extreme weakness to the stuff. But being a woman, I have seniority."
"Seniority?" he asked trying not to laugh.
"Yes. Now, I don't make these things much because I'm trying to keep my figu….ow!"
"No touching." he said slapping her hand away. "I don't even let Sam have a lick until the mix is, mixed. I pay for it, sometimes, but…."
"Here, I'll finish this…" she said reaching.
"Oh no you don't." he said pulling the bowl away. "I can see that look in your eyes. You'll steal the bowl and eat it before it cooks. I know, I've done it before too."
"Can you blame me?"
"Yes. Now go, work on something else. Being….a man, I must have much more restraint to this stuff. Though I have to admit, I'd rather eat it as is."
"I don't doubt that." she said eyeing the mix.
"General Carter?"
"Yes doctor." Ford said knowing she was talking to him. Chevy reluctantly went to the stove behind him checking on the other foods.
"Oh yeah, lasagna." she said checking it. "And almost done too. Extra cheesy."
"You're supposed to be in bed General."
"I know. But I got hungry." he said taking a bite of some noodle pasta he had. He spun around quickly grabbing the mix bowl after seeing Lam's eyes shift behind him.
"Get some restraint woman."
"I can't help it. Doctor, get him out of here please."
"Hey. I run this place. She knows I can get her back later."
"And if we are stuck here?"
"As much as the help would be nice, you don't want that."
"No, I don't." she said with a hurt that even Lam noticed. "I'm trying to keep my mind off it and at least giving me the beater will help."
"They are usually all I ever get to touch. In this case, go ahead."
"Ford?" Carter asked coming into the kitchen quickly with her counterpart. "Are you al….is that the special brownie mix I smell?"
"Oh yeah." Samuel said eyeing the pan. "I barely get any if lucky. Unless Chevy makes them at home. I have to beg sometimes."
He backed away quickly holding the pan close as they walked forward.
"Stay back! Since coming to this universe I've barely had even a chance to eat a pan worth when made here. These are going to get cooked along with some more. Then you all can go at it. Any closer and I'll turn it over on the floor."
"You know what General. I think you're just fine. Call me later." Lam said pointing at the bowl then leaving.
"He's serious about dropping it." Chevy said making them back away. "I tried to get a lick and he practically, no literally, shoved me away. Even slapped my hand. We'll bring you both, and the other's some later. He'll keep them hostage if you stay."
They walked out slowly, but with a pout. Though Samantha gave him the evil eye. She turned around holding her forehead.
"Damn. I hate I see that look on her." he said with a small shiver.
"God, I forgot how bad it is. It's worse with me though. Us being a more girl team and all."
"Yeah." he said sitting the mix down. "Better start making some of your own. It's liable to only get worse."
She started grabbing all the essential stuff right away.
"Ah, you hide the secret ingredient in the same area. And still no one notices."
"Nope. But then few people actually get to come back here and cook." he said checking on something else.
"Ah. I wanted to lick these too. Well, I guess I have to restrain myself, like a man would."
"Very funny." he said as she laughed.
"You said it first."
"You agreed." he said as she added the different items needed. Baking from scratch made them so much better than instant.
"Hey, both Sam's mentioned you're making those….."
"Oh god. It got worse." both General's said seeing the Jackson's now in the room.
"Get out or you get nothing." Ford stated.
"You aren't my commander." Danielle stated.
"My base, my kitchen. If you want some, wait till your commanding officer here makes her own batch. Until then get out and for god sake, don't tell anyone."
"Yes, I'm making some. Now leave us in peace." Chevy said as they looked at her.
"You better watch her, or she might eat them all." Danielle said pointing at Chevy.
"Hey!"
"I already know. She came in here earlier with the doctor and tried to take the bowl."
"You better save us some." Daniel said.
"I will. Now leave."
They left, reluctantly.
"God. Reminds me of when I made that cake that was like this mix."
"You're meaning that time…with you it was Jack, when 'he' came out of that status field in the Antarctic site right? His first request from you was to make him a cake."
"Yeah. I made it, just like this stuff. He didn't eat it all, but damn near did. Sam and Daniel finished off the rest. I only got to lick the beaters, again!"
"Lucky you. Danielle and Sam got the beaters. Jackie ate the whole damn cake! Ordered everyone away from her or else. Including me. She got sick for it too. Served her right for not sharing." Chevy muttered. "I ended up having to make the brownies or else Danielle and Janet were going to kill me, not to mention Samuel threatening me with no sex for a week."
Ford dropped the fork he was using as he laughed. It bounced off his boot splattering cheese sauce and noodles.
"Way too much info there. Didn't happen that way for me. But then, I'm not surrounded by women."
"I still never got anything. I've had to make these things in secret more than once. Only Sam has ever figured out when I do. Something to do with a look in my eye."
"I barely make them at all. I swear, despite the protocol that is shown around here, it goes out the window when I make these. I never should have started. Should have left desserts at home." he said tossing the fork in the dishwasher.
"I make them once a week. I have no choice. I can see why having a male team is better."
"Being the other gender has its perks. Samantha has is bad for chocolate, but she limits herself for figure sake. As for me, I eat it a lot, despite how much she tells me not to. I just never get much of these things anymore."
"Again, lucky you. I once ate a whole pan full while watching….what anime was that again…..ah. Anyway, the next day I got sick. This was before becoming Immortal."
"I've never ate a whole pan. God, I knew woman who loved chocolate had it rather bad, but never like that. I usually, or before getting married, could make a pan last a few days."
"I have never seen a pan last one day. Now that I am married, it doesn't last a day, or night."
"You work out really hard then."
"Probably harder than you."
"Is that a challenge?" he asked hearing the tone she used.
"Yes. Yes it is. You're about the only person I know who could take me on." she said turning to him. "I could use a partner that matches my skills."
"Alright then. After this, we go spar a bit."
"A few conditions then." she said setting the mixer aside. "One, because I am a woman, I don't want you holding back. I can tell you do that already with female personal."
"Okay. Kinda figured you'd ask that."
"Good. Two, for personal reasons, no chest hits. Avon is still…"
"Got it. Got it. Way too much info there. Didn't plan on trying for hits like that. Go on."
"Okay. I can tell your Sam is still doing the same. I'll keep below the belt hits to a nil."
"Good. Bad enough Sam tries. Okay. No hair grabbing then either."
"For god sakes no! Had to re-grow it after having it burned off, yanked off and a few other things. I've had to work hard to get it back and keep it this good." she said running her hand through her hair.
Ford fell back into the counter and slid down laughing as she pulled out her mirror.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Our hair is the same style. Yours just is a little longer and more feminine. I don't have to work all that hard on it."
"You're a guy. Women's hair takes more delicate touches." she said not helping him up.
"Ouch. But point taken. What else?"
"No eyes shots."
"No nose shots either."
"Yeah. I hate that too. Um, I think that's about it. Once we're done cooking, and hopefully, you're not called back to your office, we go have fun."
Two hours later.
"These are some good brownies."
"Think we should call the other's or wait?"
"Too late to call them now. They'll be pissed we didn't already. Remember, I can't eat this entire pan."
"I better take it away then." he said taking it away and setting it on the counter. He sat back at the small table as she was finished the few left on her plate. "You should eat something else other than these sweets."
"I did. I had some lasagna." she said pointing.
"You ate half the pan!"
"I was hungry!"
"Where are you putting it all?"
"That better not be a jest at my chest size. I'm only a C."
"Again, more than I needed to know."
"Hell, we're the same person. Just a few differences. Besides, we both know you were in a woman's body for three days. I was just in his, so there's little in secrets on the differences of gender. Though I can tell you're a lot bigger than Samuel."
He rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Man, when they say woman talk, they aren't kidding."
"Yeah, well. In this case, everything I've said, don't repeat. Let's go before I want to eat more."
"You want to spar now? Give it some time to digest at least."
"Right. I'd rather not have a repeat of a certain incident."
"You're meaning an incident, that I'm going to guess has to do with when, in your case, Jackie got a lucky shot right in the stomach."
"Got sick rather quickly. They thought I was pregnant." she said laughing as she got up.
"Jack instantly knew what was wrong with me. Ate too much and got hit in the stomach, result…."
"Threw up on him. Not a pleasant memory."
"No…."
"General. Are you okay?" Reynolds asked entering suddenly.
"Ah, yeah. What's up?"
"I've got things to do, per my duties. There's some matter's that only you're really suppose to take care of on your desk. One of which is calling the General O'Neill with an update."
"Ah man." Ford groaned. "All right, I'm on my way."
"Is that those…"
They both got up quickly covering his mouth.
"Yes, here, take two, eat them quickly and tell no one." Chevy said.
"I'm not playing favorites, but the Jackson's and Carter's get them first. We made a few pans, but they get first dibs." Ford said removing his hand with hers.
"You already know why." she said.
"Yeah. Be as bad as when Doctor Jackson ran out of his special coffee blend and someone accidentally made decaf in all the coffee makers out there." Reynolds said.
"Yeah. Only this time, it would be worse." Ford said.
"It would?"
"Yes Colonel. Remember, my team is mostly made of women."
"Right." he said with a visible shudder. "I'm going to go now General. Better get up there before Walter comes looking for ya."
"Yes. Onto paperwork and such. Damn. On the bright side, I don't have to be the one to tell the other members of our teams about these goodies." he said smiling at her as he left.
"That isn't fair! They'll tear me apart!" she whined.
"Hey, I've got previous engagements, in the form of General duties." he said leaving the commissary with her behind him. "As you said before, lucky me."
"You bastard." she muttered as she went the other direction.
He just finished talking to Jack about the current situation when she ran into the room, shoved him out of the way and hid under the desk. Which explained the sneeze he heard down the hall and the one he had.
"What the..?"
"Shh. I am not here. I ran down to the gate room and went from there. Go cover for me, quickly!" Chevy hissed as she motioned for him to get out of his chair.
He got up and walked out quickly as he heard someone running. A few people running actually.
"Where the hell did she go? Where is she….you?" Danielle asked.
"Excuse me?" he asked seeing the two Doctor's and the female Mitchell.
"She asked where she went." Daniel said. "I can understand why you're up here, chickening out."
"I have work to do, Doctors and Colonel." he said in a stern voice that really got their attention. "A little respect would be nice. Now as to where she went, I'm not really sure. You can look around, but don't interfere with everything going on around here. Remember protocol."
"Why so stern all the sudden?" Daniel asked.
"Because I know what we did wrong. And if I or we were off base, then yes, you could yell, rant and rave. Since we are at work, and I am the commanding officer here, you'll have to save such outburst for later. Now, if you'll excuse me, a team should be showing up in…." Ford said looking at his watch.
"Nice try. We know you both…" Daniel started saying.
"Off world activation! General Carter to the gate room!" Walter said over the com.
"See. Now, if you'll excuse me." he said walking away. He stopped just as he took the first couple steps down. "If you do find her, don't make a big commotion. I don't want to have to place you all in the brig for causing a ruckus. That includes her. And I will put my own team in the brig if I have to."
"It's SG-8 General. Right on schedule."
"Open the Iris." he said getting off the stairs and walking over quickly. He lowered his voice just enough from some of the people to hear, mostly Walter. "If the other SG-1 team ask, or our Doctor Jackson ask, my female counterpart came through here and left. You don't know why or if you really noticed, got it?"
"Understood General." Walter said.
"Welcome back people. Everything go well Colonel?" Ford asked through the mike.
"Just another average survey of the area General." the leader of SG-8 said. "Nothing big happened and thank god, we didn't run into any Prior's."
"Anything big to report."
"All pretty boring really General. We didn't even see ruins or anything of interest. Just trees, bushes, mountains…."
"That bad huh? Well, any planet you come home from that didn't involve fighting or something equally worse is good news. In that case, just write the report people. If anything seems questionable, then we'll do the debriefing. Report to the infirmary."
They nodded and walked out of the gate room.
"Anything else Walter?"
"Not at the moment General. A few teams are still off world and only one is still scheduled to come back later. Until then, it should stay quiet."
"All right then. I'm going back to my paperwork."
He came back, finding that the other's were missing and had apparently left. Looking under the desk, he found her still there.
"Is it safe to come out?" she asked quietly.
"Yes. You can come out. What's wrong with them anyway?" he asked as she crawled out.
"Well, other than the fact we didn't tell them about you know what, they are upset we didn't make them each a pan."
"We didn't have the ingredients for that. Not to mention the time!"
"Oh, Samantha is pissed."
"I saved her some for later." he whispered. "I knew she'd kill me or kick me out of the house if I didn't. Bad enough with what happened with that Prior incident."
"A man that has learned early on, to keep a woman always happy. You must be a the first." she said sitting in the chair across from his. "I'm betting you get lucky a lot."
He looked up slowly, then nodded lightly.
"Hmm. We do it a couple times a week, sometimes more. You?"
"What are you, Jack in disguise?"
"It's a simple question."
"I don't tell Daniel, Teal'c, Mitchell, hell anyone about me and Sam in that regard."
"Wow. You are different. No bragging at all?"
"I keep it quiet. Unlike Sam who has told Janet just about everything." he muttered.
She smiled as she cocked her head.
"You two go at it almost every night." she said seeing him shift in his chair. "I was right. Damn, I wonder if Samuel would be jealous."
"Can we change the subject please?"
"A man that doesn't want to talk about sex? This is new."
"I said please."
"All right, let's get this paperwork over with, and then we can spar."
"We?" he said opening a folder.
"Write your name on a blank piece of paper then give it to me."
He did so. She looked it over and then took a pen and wrote under it and handed it back. There was barely any difference between the two.
"Well, since you do this stuff anyway, you would already know what's important and not. Just tell me if anything seems like a strange request or…"
"I got it." she said waving a hand and grabbing a few folders, then muttered quietly. "Just make sure you kept a look out for anyone coming, and you might want to have K-9….mess with the security camera."
"Hmm. I got a better idea." he said getting up and pulling the plug on the camera. "Security will show up asking, and I'll tell them we need to talk in secrecy. Extreme secrecy."
"Sounds like the right idea. Since we are both, General's, we are privy to certain intel only someone of our ranking can understand and talk about."
They did show up seconds later.
"General. Why have you turned off the camera?"
"Me and this other General here have important issues to discuss. Things that can't be seen or heard on the camera's. I'll turn it back on later. If you wish, you can check the phone records. I talked to Major General Jack O'Neill recently."
"I'll take your word for it General. Just call us in an hour if you're still talking so we know everything is okay."
They both nodded and then laughed when they were gone. He decided to have Sam look at the gate address and see why they couldn't retrieve the M.A.L.P. from the planet they were suppose to go to in the first place. The M.A.L.P. was there, but anyone who went through was sent to the planet they found the other SG-1 team. Reynolds just left him a report about it, leaving it to him to fix. Less than an hour later, all the paper work was finished and no one bothered them. He turned the camera back on and then informed Walter he was going to go work out.
"I'll call you if anything comes us General."
They both left their coats, and guns in the office and left quickly, but with some dignity.
A couple hours later both Carter's even with K-9's help, still didn't have anything. And they were really tired of thinking. The brownie pan was long since empty, and Sally was awake again and wanting to eat. She started sucking on Sam's fingers when she was instantly picked up. Samuel felt uneasy and sad, which Samantha noticed. She tried comforting him, and though it helped him a little, he said he was going to go find Chevy. More than likely, she felt just about the same he said. Danielle and the female Mitchell went with to find her too. After looking in the commissary, game room and even the infirmary, they finally checked the General's office to find nothing there. When they asked Walter, they kicked themselves for not thinking that sooner.
Teal'c who had been working out and didn't leave when the two General's ordered everyone out, was still watching as the two continued sparring. When the group entered, they stood nearby watching. Samuel was in more shock that the other's. Teal'c looked on with awe and surprise. Samantha came down moments later, after being called by Daniel, to see what was going on. A few minutes later, all of both SG-1's was there watching. Though Teal'c was better at watching the movements of other's when it came to fighting, both Mitchell's were doing a rather good job of the same.
"What in the hell is going on?" Samantha asked trying to watch them from across the room.
"They are sparring Colonel Carter." Teal'c stated quietly.
"This isn't sparring." she said waving a hand at them. "They are killing each other!"
"Though they have and are currently using lethal force with each blow, they have yet to kill each other." Teal'c stated.
"They aren't?! Haven't?!" she exclaimed.
They still hadn't noticed they were being watched and were currently in an exchange of fist, hand swings and kicks. Though all were being blocked or deflected. Both Sam's and Jackson's were having trouble seeing anything other fast flying arms and sometimes legs. Sometimes they could make out some moves, though a lot of them made no sense until it was completely performed and even then, sometimes it was hard to figure out what they just did.
Ford took a swing, and did it deliberately slow. She dodged it, moving her head to the left and realized a little late he wanted that as the fist that passed her head slammed into the side of her head while she was watching his other hand. She jumped back grabbed at her ear, and even yelled slightly in pain. But that went away quickly as she jumped into the air, kicking downward as he tried a leg sweep. Her feet connected with his head knocking him back. She landed on hers and did a quick flip bringing herself back to her feet. Ford had rolled with the blow and got to his feet just as quick. Her left foot lashed out and almost caught him in the face, but he ducked. She followed thru with the right foot, which he caught. He then realized his mistake and she pivoted and caught him across the side of the face with the other foot as it was brought back around just as he caught it. He let go and rolled with the blow, again. She fell on her back, and did a quick spin on it to get herself up. Instead of getting up, he got onto his hands quickly and spun both legs at her. She barely blocked the first hit that caught the side of her leg. The second one and the following swing she managed to avoid by jumping back in a somersault. He got back on his feet and bent backwards as a fist came right at him, the fist changed and he got an elbow right in the chest. He dropped and kicked both feet between her legs, turned his feet hooking them behind her knees. A quick pull and she was on her back with a grunt. He tried a drop kick to her gut, but she brought her leg up and kicked it away then lashed out by spinning herself around with both feet. He managed to roll away in time and got up quickly. They both got to their feet at the same time and started exchanging blows again.
Some getting through a few times now, but not many. It was obvious they were both beginning to tire and the other's now could really see them both sweating. And in a few places that you wouldn't want the public to see. For him, his shirt was completely soaked and ripped in a few places along with his pants. His muscles really showed off, including his strong legs. For her, it was just about the same, except the outline of her bra was showing, and that wasn't all. Their hair was totally messed up and completely damp as well. There was blood on them in various places too. Mostly on the head or face.
She ducked a swing and did a round house punch at the same time catching him in the side. He fell back kicking out hitting her directly in the chest. She fell back grabbing her chest and grunted in a lot of pain, but got up quickly anyway, lashing out with a quick kick that got him right in the stomach. He dropped back as all the wind was knocked out of him. She got up and grabbed his hair driving his face into her knee. He blocked it with ease, jumped up and slammed his shoulder into her gut. She elbowed him in the back with both elbows, pushed away and then did a flash kick. Everyone heard his jaw clamp shut loudly as his teeth clicked together. He literally was thrown back a few feet and landed on his side. She stood up wobbly as he got up quickly. She saw it but didn't move out of the way as his fist connected with the side of her face spinning her. She spun with it and connected her elbow into the side of his head. He grabbed the arm and pulled it up into her back. She spun herself around, getting free with a grunt of pain as her arm didn't like the movement. As she got behind him, he dropped forward onto both hands and kicked out getting her in the chest. Taking the blow, just barely this time, she grabbed his feet and spun him. He landed badly from the sounds of it. Something broke, but he ignored it as he rolled onto his back and grabbed her foot as she tried to stomp on his neck. He brought both feet up, one hitting her rather hard in the crotch and then slammed the back of both of them into her abs making her back away. He jumped to his feet and swayed a moment, giving her the opportunity to give him a powerful upper cut. He staggered but didn't fall down as he backed away from another swing. They both were a few feet from each other and haven't moved closer yet.
"Okay, I think I've seen enough." Samantha said walking forward.
"Ah, and I was really enjoying it too." Samuel said with a pout.
"You're enjoying this?!"
"Oh come on. Tell me you're not turned on by this." Samuel whispered to her. Only Teal'c actually heard it and had a small smile that made the other's wonder what the two Carter's said. "I think it's rather sexy to watch a woman fight."
"I'm stopping this right now." she said walking over. "Hey! Enough now!"
As she was walking over, something had changed enough they both went into fight mode again, despite being extremely tired. There were a few blocks and a few contacts again. And then when she yelled at them, it provided just enough distraction to throw off their moves. Though she was able to block his right hand, his left caught her dead in the face. Her leg, which was coming up to trip him or catch him in the side, caught him directly in the nuts as he was starting to slide his leg back to probably kick her. They both cried out in pain. Her nose broken, she dropped to her knees and placed her head on the floor as blood seeped through her fingers. He was on his side holding himself and saying some choice words with her.
"What the hell were you two thinking?!"
"Carter! The next time you want to get our attention…." Ford said with a little high pitch in his voice.
"Assuming we ever do this again…" Chevy said with a loud but nasally voice.
"Throw something or use a zat!" they both yelled.
"Oh god. That really hurt." Chevy said with a whine as she popped it back into place and then standing up, she wobbled and dropped back to her hands and knees. "I think we over did it."
"Yeah, we might have." he said seeing her tilting as Samuel ran up with a wet towel. "When did we stop using restraint?"
"Maybe a half hour into it." she muttered. "I think the only rule we didn't break…"
"Was the hair rule. Yeah." he muttered with a grunt of pain.
"You okay?" Samuel asked.
"I'm fine. Just really tired. Help me to the shower." she said waving a slightly bloody hand at him. "Had fun there, really."
"So did I." Ford managed to say. "Sorry about…"
"Yeah, we really got into it. A lot of fun though."
"What about you?" Samantha asked kneeling down.
He began to say something when he heard a bit of Samuel telling Chevy he thought watching them both spar was more than hot looking. Even Chevy chuckled but he didn't catch what she said back. Ford laughed a little lightly and slowly got to his knees.
"I might be aching awhile, but I think I'm going to be okay. A quick cold shower and I'll be fine. You and Sally okay?" he asked with a slight squeak in his voice.
"Either you're lying about your condition or you're just fine." Samantha said crossing her arms as the rest of SG-1 walked up. The other SG-1 team went with Chevy.
"That was rather impressive fighting General. Some of those moves I've never seen before." Mitchell said.
"Yeah. Could say self taught." Ford said slowly getting to his feet. "In some senses."
"Are you sure you're okay? Even I felt that." Daniel said.
"How could have you felt that Daniel Jackson? You were not a participant." Teal'c stated.
"It's more of a figure of speech Teal'c. I'll explain later." Daniel said.
"I'm fine. Been a long time since I had to move like that." he said shaking himself lightly and taking a deep breath.
"Still hurting?" Daniel asked after Ford tried to take a step.
"Oh yeah. Won't be walking right for a few moments. Being kicked by steel toed boots really hurts." he said through clenched teeth.
Daniel and Mitchell both cringed slightly.
"Ouch. Was it just me or was it half the moves we saw, I never saw?" Mitchell said.
"Indeed. Since the beginning of your match with her, you both moved with a speed I could not match." Teal'c said obviously impressed.
"I only caught the end, mostly, but I couldn't see much either. But I think I figure out something." she said. "I know how you fight now."
"You do? Well, in that case, don't say anything, yet. Let's see if Mitchell can figure it out." he said sitting on one of the work out benches and taking a deep breath. "Maybe even Teal'c can or Daniel too."
"I am unfamiliar with your style General Carter."
"As am I. I recognized some of the moves, but some of those were….like choreographed for a movie fight scene. Beyond that, I have no idea." Mitchell said.
"Daniel?"
"Don't look at me. I have no idea either. I only fight when I have to, remember."
"Okay Sam, go ahead. If you think you've got it right."
"I know I have it right bucko. I've seen you fight enough times, it all makes sense. Your moves are all…"
"Not all. Most, but not all."
"Whatever. Your fighting style is based on counter attacks. I realized it when you both were trying to throw each other when you were grappling and every time you or her would try tossing one or the other over your shoulder's, you or her would counter the move."
"Very well done Colonel. You've figured it out. If done right, when someone throws you over their shoulder, as you saw a couple of times, if done correctly, you can spin in mid air and slide yourself between their legs and trip them, or something else. Works better on attacking guys, for obvious reasons, and better on tall people. Jack realized my style rather early on and kept it quiet on purpose."
"Jack knew?" Daniel said.
"Back when I started working here, he had me go through a quick training course to see how much I knew in hand to hand combat. Took out three top trainers and a martial arts expert before he told them to stop. Kept it quiet because of what my other…test from you guys said. Jack figured if I knew that much in hand to hand combat, he wanted me on his team, and not working for the government. Forgive me Teal'c, but back then, I was actually going easy on you."
"I was aware. Even now, when we spar, you hold back."
"Well, that's news to me. Didn't think you noticed. No offense. But I can say, you are getting better and making me try other techniques I know when other's start failing."
He nodded in understanding.
"Okay, onto work related business, because I don't think I can do that again, not for at least a week. Tell me you all have something. Well, those who were working on the problem anyway."
"Can we do this after you shower sir? You really need it." she said.
"Is it that bad?" he asked trying to ignore it.
"Yeah." Daniel and Mitchell said.
"Yes." Teal'c stated.
"Besides, you got blood on your face and such. And your clothes are damaged too." she said.
"Alright, briefing room in half an hour then. Have the other SG-1 join us."
The two Generals both sat at the head of the table, she using his chair from his office. SG-1, mostly male team on right, female on left. Ford was leaning on the table with his right arm while she was sitting back in the chair, looking tired.
"From what we have gathered..." Samantha said.
"Based on information here and back at the planet..." Samuel said.
"There was no solar flare activity..." she said.
"Or anything else that we could tell that could..." he said.
"Have caused the current situation." she said. "The only thing we have found is that..."
"When both SG-1 teams went through the gate, there was that overload of the capacitor. Other than that..." he said.
"We went later where they were there much earlier." she said.
"Okay." Ford said having to blink a few times, and noticed that Chevy had to do the same after they both watched the two Carter's purposely talk like that. "So, any idea why they went earlier and we didn't?"
"Feeding time apparently." Chevy said.
"You're meaning, not yourself..." Ford asked.
"Yes. Avon stays in my office with me or is in the nursery. In this case, he was in my office and once he was full, I took him to the nursery and then we left. I had to wake him up early because of the mission and I felt full and...
"Okay! Okay! Too much info! Why do you do that?" Ford exclaimed. "I don't even do that."
"She's always been like that. Always giving more info than she needs to." Samuel said. "She tells Janet and these ladies here the..."
"No! I don't want to know since I have an idea of what you're saying." Ford said quickly. Daniel, Mitchell, and Teal'c all had confused looks, while all the woman had a almost blushing smile. "Damn. That old saying about never telling woman anything is right. Okay, no more personal life stuff during this discussion."
"You asked." Chevy said hiding a yawn. "Sorry."
"Okay, now." Ford said taking a deep breath. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to get them home?"
"Ready to get rid of us quickly huh?" Chevy asked.
"No. But if your as bad as you seem on giving out info...wait." he said looking between his Sam and Chevy before leaning over and talking in her ear quietly.
"Hell no! He doesn't even know that, much less Janet or the rest of the team. I can talk, but that stays buried." Chevy said quickly as she sat up.
"What are you two talking about?" both Sam's asked.
"Past issues." they both said.
"That figures." the two Sam's said. "The one detail we really want to know."
"Back to the problem at hand here. Any ideas?" Ford asked quickly.
"Well...there's one." Samantha said.
"But isn't not a great idea." Samuel said.
"You're both thinking the mirror?" Ford asked.
"Yeah."
"My idea." Chevy said.
"Figures." he said.
"Hey, I once tried to think of an idea to send messages through to other areas to see about technology trading." Chevy said.
"Same here, but the consequences were to great."
"Well, it was a good idea, if not for that problem. But it is worth trying."
"Would you even know your own universe?"
"I didn't say it was a perfect idea."
"True. Alright then. Is the mirror down in secure storage still Carter?" he asked.
"Unless its been moved, it should still be there." she said.
"Might as well go start looking then Chevy. Unless you all have a different idea."
They shook their heads.
"I guess you can keep at it then. Those who can help or have any ideas. Let's get back to work."
"I'm going to go take a nap, after going to the infirmary." Chevy said getting up.
"What for? I didn't hurt you did I?"
"No. I'm going for," she said stopping suddenly. "Do you really want to know, or need to know?"
"Never mind." he said quickly.
"Better."
That night, they still had no new ideas and no luck on the mirror, though it was a long shot. Seeing as SG-1 had rooms on the base just for them, the other team was able to use them for the night while the other's went to their homes outside the base. For once, Ford was not really in the mood, and neither was Chevy. They were both too tired and passed out before their spouses. Samantha and Samuel weren't too happy, but lived with it. Though they didn't know the same thing happened to each other until they talked the next day.
The other SG-1, Danielle and Mitchell were looking at the mirror. Samuel was helping Samantha in her lab.
"I can't think of anything. We've got nothing to go on, other than we both watched that Red Dwarf episode a couple days ago." Ford muttered rubbing his face at the mess hall table.
"Same here. I've got nothing. Barely have an appetite." Chevy said poking her Cheerios.
"Sore?"
"Yes." she grumbled out. "Haven't done that in a long time. Been years really."
"Same here. Um, sorry about some of those impacts."
"Same here. Broke my bra though. Other than that, I was just fine."
They were still picking at their cereal when both Carter's came in.
"I think we have something." Samantha said.
"It's more of an idea really. But it's better than nothing." Samuel said.
"Spit it out already." the two General's grumbled.
"Well, it has to do with…." she said.
"Your blood work." he said.
"What?" the General's asked.
"I talked to Janet last night after you passed out." Samantha said. "Just to talk and some other things. She reminded me of something and we both looked at the blood work on you both when we came back from that planet with the other SG-1."
"And?" Ford asked as Chevy pushed her cereal aside. Ford did the same a few minutes later.
"Well, remember that unusual gene that somehow generates a field that is suppose to allow travel to other universes. The one that still makes no sense." Samuel said.
"Yeah. The one I still….we still haven't figured out." Chevy said seeing him give her a look.
"Well, according to a few other blood test we did on other recent blood work, Ford's blood, we noticed a small change in the one that came back from that planet." Samuel said.
"Was it in mine?" Chevy asked.
"We had nothing to really compare it to, past wise, but yeah." Samantha said.
"Okay. So how do we activate this gene that I've tried many a times to think about activating?" Ford asked.
"Still hoping to end up in some robot infested universe?" Chevy said chuckling lightly. "Well, the Transformers specifically."
"You got the same dream." Ford stated.
"True. Has yet to happen, no matter how much I think about it." she muttered.
"Maybe that's it. We were thinking about the other universe, like we sometimes do…" he said.
"But instead of what we wished for, we somehow ended up meeting each other." she said. "But why are we here, in your universe…."
"Instead of yours? I'm not sure."
"You better not be thinking that Alpha male…."
"Never crossed my mind." he said putting up both hands quickly.
"Damn well better not say now that I mention it either." she said.
"Same answer. Let's concentrate on the how to get home and now how you got here. If this is the case, then….."
"Maybe going back to that planet or another one and dialing home, while thinking about home will get me and my team home. Better idea than the mirror thing." she said.
"Let's get the other's. You get the other's, I'll get the gate room ready to dial out." he said getting up with her.
"Why can't you get them?" she asked.
"Um, obviously it's my base, no offense and I'm not sure if they would follow your orders."
"Good point." she said walking out with him.
The two Carter's watched as they were left at the table.
"They…."
"Hey you two, you coming?" the General's both asked looking back in. "By the way, nice work."
"Better." the Carter's muttered.
"Sounds a little far fetched General, but I'll dial it up anyway." Walter said after Ford explained the plan.
"Very far fetched, but we have nothing else. And they miss their family and friends."
"I can understand that General. Chevron one locked." Walter said as the other SG team walked into the room below, back in their stuff.
"Well, if this works, we won't be calling in five minutes. If not, hear from us in five." Chevy said as Ford walked into the room, with the rest of SG-1.
"I have to admit, it was fun." he said.
The other's said their goodbyes as the gate activated.
"Good luck. Hope to, not, see you in five." he said with a small laugh.
"Cute, not." she said with a wave. "But thanks anyway."
The vanished and the gate shut off seconds later.
"Now we wait." Mitchell said.
"Yep. Walter, if we hear nothing in five, dial it up and send the M.A.L.P."
"Got it General."
Five minutes later, they got nothing and sent the M.A.L.P. through. Seeing nothing and no one around, Ford went through finding a note sticking out of the DHD that said the idea worked. They dialed and got hold of their home. He dialed back and came back to see his teammates at the bottom waiting as the M.A.L.P. rolled off.
"Guess it worked General."
"Yep Mitchell. Even left a note." he said handing it over as he began leaving the room. "Well, like I said, it was fun while it lasted. Time to get back to work."
"Maybe we should take a better look into that gene." Carter said following.
"Another day Sam. I've got back logged work and a few calls. But feel free to look at the blood work."
"Not the same without your help." she muttered as he walked up the stairs.
"Oh, SG-1 is down for a few days, just in case, so we don't end up in their universe."
