Disclaimer in chapter 1
A/N—A question has been raised if "Chlole" is the same character from Stargate Universe. She isn't. This Chloe was Jay Felger's assistant/love interest in "The Other Guys" and "Avenger 2.0". Sorry for any confusion.
27
Sam skidded to a halt outside the 'gate room only to be locked out by the blast door. She'd been given permission to move about the SGC, but her key card didn't access the most secure areas of the base. Inside, she could hear weapons fire, and Daniel's muffled shouts of "Fall back!" but she couldn't get in to help them. The monitor on the wall showed the action in the 'gate room, and it didn't look good. Replicator bugs were everywhere, and for every one they blew apart with their guns, the blocks reassembled themselves into smaller creatures, each intent on attacking the Humans.
They were making it worse, Sam realized, causing the Replicators to multiply rather than destroying them. Daniel must have seen the effect and called for his team to hold their fire. Forced to watch in horror as the bugs corralled SG-1 into a corner, Sam stood, locked out, with the one weapon that could save them.
Banging impotently on the door, Sam knew it was unlikely anyone in the 'gate room would hear her, much less be able to move to let her in. There had to be an intercom somewhere where she could get someone with clearance to open the damn door! As she was searching for an interface, a troop of soldiers rushed up behind her, rifles poised to shoot anything that moved.
"Hold your fire!" she called out. "Does anyone have access to the 'gateroom?" A lieutenant broke ranks, brandishing a card then swiping it through the lock. "Continue to hold your fire!" Sam ordered. "Shooting them only makes them reproduce!" She nodded to the lieutenant to slide the door open, and rolled around the opening with the disrupter armed and ready to fire. "Close the door!"
The situation inside was even worse than it had looked on the monitor. Replicators were crawling the walls, continually pouring out of the 'gate. She had to get the wormhole shut down, but in order to do that, she had to get to the DHD. Firing the disrupter to clear a path, She concentrated on kicking inert blocks out of the way of the ever advancing bugs, knowing they would retrieve their fallen comrades, reincorporating them once more.
"Hang tight!" she called to the team being held hostage. "I've got to get the wormhole shut down!" A wave of Replicators swarmed over the ceiling, raining down on her as she made it to the DHD, slamming her palm on the central orange globe. Sam allowed herself a second of relief, even as she felt bugs starting to swarm her. Most of them were small, reminding her of ants. Their bites weren't deadly, but certainly distracting, and she had to fight the urge to wipe them away in favor of shooting the larger, more dangerous metal insects.
Aiming the disrupter at the team in the corner, Sam discharged the weapon, causing the Replicators to lose their cohesion, falling down around SG-1 like metallic snow. any bit of motion caused Sam to turn and fire, until at last the 'gate room was silent as the sound of tinkling of Replicator blocks faded away.
Daniel was breathing hard. "Thanks, Sam. I owe you one."
"We all owe you one," Kawalsky added, equally breathless.
Relaxing the arm wielding the disrupter, Sam noted, "I'm guessing things didn't go quite as planned."
"They were waiting for us," Janet said. "Maybe not us specifically, but certainly some incursion."
"There were bugs everywhere," Ferretti said, a shiver running through him. Picking up his discarded rifle he added, "The ground looked like it was alive there were so many of them."
Daniel turned to look at her, defeat clearly etched on his features. "They've got ships, Sam. We saw them flying overhead. So huge, I've never seen anything like it. I don't know how we're going to be able to fight them off. Even if you had time to construct a giant disrupter, it wouldn't be enough to protect the entire planet."
Sam felt the energy draining from her. They had to try something. She wasn't about to roll over and invite the Replicators to have Earth for a snack, but she had no idea what to try next.
XXXXXX
Daniel stepped into the conference room, surprised at the dignitaries assembled. Of course, this is where high-ranking individuals would be, he realized. With invasion imminent, they would be using the Stargate to evacuate essential people to the barely established Alpha Site.
"Colonel Jackson! Report!" Jacob ordered, looking surprisingly calm despite the circumstances. Sam entered the room behind him, brought up short by the crowd standing around the conference table.
"Where's my team?" Daniel asked.
"Ferretti should be right behind me. I left Kawalsky, Fraiser and SG-3 to hold the 'gate. The Replicators keep dialing in and there's no defense against more bugs swarming the base. Kawalsky has the disrupter," she added.
Daniel relayed events to the continually growing group in the conference room. Some were military, some civilian, but few looked anything but shocked. Even the hardened military leaders were hard pressed to keep up an impassive front. Noticing Kinsey had managed to secure himself a spot in the group, Daniel scanned the crowd for the President.
"Where's Hayes?" he asked, certain the President should go through the 'gate before any of his underlings.
"He won't budge," General Schwartz said. "He said he doesn't deserve to leave when the American public doesn't have the same option." Daniel looked pointedly at Kinsey, who obviously felt he did deserve special treatment.
Kinsey shifted uneasily on his feet at the sudden attention. "The President authorized me to co-ordinate things on the other side," he said, glaring back at Daniel.
"We'll send as many people through as we can," Jacob said, ending the budding argument between the two men. "I have the exodus plan here," he said, holding up a folder. "I'm not sure how long we can sustain a stable wormhole. . ."
"Excuse me, General," Sam interrupted. "We've found we can keep a wormhole active for thirty-eight minutes. But that also means an incoming wormhole has the same parameters." At his confused look, Sam elaborated. "If the Replicators are dialing in, we can't dial out."
"And how is it the Replicators are dialing our Stargate?" One of the military men in the back asked.
"I believe it's Reese," Daniel volunteered. "She's the one orchestrating this attack. It's her need for vengeance that has precipitated this invasion." Feeling Kinsey's eyes on him, Daniel readied himself for a fight. He knew this was the crux of the Vice-President's allegations against the SGC and he was sure Kinsey would use this opportunity to drive his point home.
Before Kinsey could get going, the same questioner asked Sam, "And you are. . . .?"
"Major Samantha Carter," she replied. "I'm on. . .special assignment here. The important thing is, we have to get an outgoing wormhole established before the Replicators can dial back in. Which means we have," she looked at her watch, "fifteen minutes before we can try again. The first wave of evacuees has to be ready to go by then."
Jacob nodded and started forming groups, handing out protective gear to the assembly. "SG teams four through six will go first to secure the area on the Alpha Site. Be warned, we haven't been able to get much more than a base of operations established. Conditions will be crude, but there are provisions for several weeks."
The general continued with his instructions to the group as Daniel turned to Sam. "Grab a vest and take a radio. I'm going to need your help holding the base. Also, you might want to let your guy and those scientists know what's going on and what to expect. I don't think I have to tell you, things aren't looking too good at the moment." Sam nodded.
Daniel watched her gear up, wishing she'd been a part of their program from the beginning. Maybe this whole situation could have been avoided if she'd been a part of their encounter with Reese. Maybe the outcome would have been the same. He'd never know for sure, but having Sam's help for just a day or two had already made a difference. Even that O'Neill guy seemed to have something to offer, he realized. He couldn't imagine him on a front-line team, but frankly, until he'd seen Sam in action, he would have doubted her abilities as well.
XXXXXX
Jack looked up from his pacing as the sirens ceased their incessant whine. That had to be a good sign, right? He exchanged glances with the two scientists who seemed as surprised as he did.
"Is that it?" he wondered aloud. Bill and Chloe looked at each other, then over at him.
"This is my first time working for the Army," Chloe confessed. "I don't know what happens next."
"In any of the scenarios they've run, they make a full sweep of the facility, and if things are okay, release the base from lockdown," Bill said, but he appeared even more agitated than Chloe. "I hate the thought that I'm trapped here. I'm kind of claustrophobic," he admitted, swiping an arm across his damp brow.
"It sounds like you don't want to be outside anyway," Jack said, wondering if there really were Replicators crawling the base. God, he wished he could talk to Charlie! He wouldn't say anything to the boy, mostly because he didn't want him to worry, but he wanted to hear his voice. If these Replicators were as insidious as Sam made them out to be, there wasn't a place anywhere on Earth that was safe. If this truly was the end, he wanted to be with his son. His son and Sam.
The door to the lab slid back, revealing a partially geared up Sam, and Jack had the incongruous thought of how incredibly hot she looked in combat attire. Something had to be wrong with him to be getting turned on at a time like this!
"Jack!" She called, rushing over to him, motioning Bill and Chloe closer as well. "The base was invaded by Replicators," she stated matter-of-factly, holding up her hand to forestal the questions. "They came through the wormhole as SG-1 retreated through the 'gate." She took a breath and continued. "The disrupter took care of the Replicators that had come through with them, but since then, they've been able to keep an established connection between Earth and their base."
"What does that mean?" Chloe asked.
"It means we can't dial out. Which means we can't send our evacuees to the Alpha Site."
"So, we're trapped here?" Bill's voice was unnaturally high, and sweat was popping out again on his face.
"You're in the safest part of the complex," Sam reassured him. "What about the collider? Do you have it put back together?"
Bill gave her a sheepish look. "Not exactly."
"Well get it exactly!" She ordered. "We need that power source if we have to destroy the base!" Now Bill looked seriously pale, Jack thought. Didn't he remember the part where Sam warned them the Ancient technology couldn't fall into enemy hands?
"We'll get it assembled," he assured her. "Where are you going be?"
"At the end of the corridor. I'm the last defense," she smiled wryly. "Although, guns aren't working on them any longer. They've already learned how to protect themselves against them."
Jack couldn't stop the worry churning in his gut. "So what are you going to do?"
Sam shrugged. "Throw rocks at them, I guess." Jack grabbed her, pulling her tight. He didn't care how inappropriate it was. He wasn't going to send the woman he loved off to fight a losing battle without letting her know how much she meant to him.
"Stay safe as you can, Sam," he whispered, pulling back to gaze into her eyes. "I don't know what I'll do if I. . . ." He couldn't finish the sentence. Sam was bobbing her head.
"I know," she tried to smile. "Me too." He kissed her then, or maybe she was kissing him, he couldn't be sure. All he knew was it was hurried and desperate and he had to let her go.
Sam handed him a plastic card and a radio. "Lock the door behind me and no matter what you hear, don't open it until you've been given the all clear, okay?"
Jack simply nodded, touching her cheek one last time before she ran out the door. Before he could follow her instructions, Bill slid the barrier shut, grabbing the card with shaking hands, sliding it through the electronic lock.
"I thought you were claustrophobic!"
"I am, but I'm more afraid of being killed by Replicators!" Bill sagged against the door, perspiring even more profusely than he had been earlier. Jack knew he had to get the man calmed down or he would be their biggest threat.
"Hey, Chloe," he smiled at the clearly distraught woman. "How about we give Bill a hand in getting that collider thingy put back together?" She swallowed, then tentatively nodded. All of them were scared, but focusing on something would help, Jack reasoned.
"So, how'd you get hooked up with the Army?" Jack asked Chloe conversationally, picking up one of the housing connectors.
"I. . .I have been doing research on particle acceleration, as a means of energy renewal."
"So this thing," Jack said, gesturing towards the circular object, "Is right up your alley. How come you didn't take it apart?"
"Major Carter told me to look at the crystals."
"Did you tell her about your research?"
"No, she seemed fairly taken with the disrupter weapon. Bill knows what he's doing, though," she looked up at the man across from her. Her eyes were shining with something more than friendship, Jack decided, but Bill seemed oblivious.
"What about you, Bill? How did you get mixed up in all this?" Because of his continual tremors, the scientist was struggling with a small piece of the assembly. Jack took the curved clip from his shaking fingers, sliding it into place.
"The Army put out a call for contract bids. I applied. Biggest mistake I ever made."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Jack said, looking through the rest of the parts on the table. "Think of all the wonders you seen here!"
"Not worth it," was all he said.
"What about you, Jack? You're not a research scientist," Chloe observed.
"I'm here for the girl," he joked, noting neither Bill nor Chloe seemed to find any humor in his statement. "Seriously. I teach high school chemistry in Denver."
"I always wanted to be a teacher," Chloe said. "I just can't talk in front of people."
"You get used to it," Jack said. "It's worth it when you see them making the connection. Speaking of which, this should be the last one," he said proudly, holding up the reassembled ring.
"But it isn't doing anything," Bill said, the dejection in his voice was unmistakeable.
"It probably needs to be turned on," Chloe observed.
"You're the guy with the gene," Bill accused. "How come you can't make it run?"
Jack looked at the object, but there was no discernible on/off switch that he could see. Then he remembered the chair and how thinking he wanted it to do something produced results. He thought at it. Turn on, you stupid whatever it is you are! Okay, probably not the way to get it to function, he thought. How about 'please?' Still nothing.
"It needs the particles," Chloe realized, but there was no obvious place to introduce them into the device.
"Try shining some light on it," Jack said, unsure where the thought had come from. It was the same feeling he'd had when he'd touched the other alien objects. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. "It'll absorb the rays and start the reaction."
Bill and Chloe looked at each other, shrugging. "What the hell." Bill muttered.
Suddenly, there was the sound of gunfire in the hallway along with muted shouting. Jack couldn't wait any longer; he had to do something! Grabbing the ring from under the ultra-violet lamp, he thought: Activate. And the ring began to glow the same eerie green the other Ancient technology had. Jack could feel the contained energy in the ring, but didn't know what to do with it. Without warning, the thought of the chair flashed into his mind, and he remembered joking to Sam that her "mini-dounut" would fit into the housing on the back.
"Gimme the door key!" he shouted at Bill who was in the process of barricading himself in a corner.
"No! They'll get in!"
"Give me the goddamn card or I'll kill you!"
Eyes wide, Bill shakily handed him the rectangle of plastic. "Shut the door when you go!"
The ring was pulsing with radiation and Jack ran to the door, sliding the card to access the exit. He hoped like hell the same card would let him into the room with the chair.
Shouting and gunfire were coming from somewhere. With the strange configuration of the corridors, he couldn't tell where the sound was coming from. He only hoped it wasn't from where Sam had stationed herself. His hands were shaking. One with the access card he was holding, the other with the ring emitting light and heat. It wasn't uncomfortably hot. Yet. But he had the sense if it wasn't attached to something soon, the reaction building within would lead to an overload.
Jack still felt drawn to the chair. Somehow it was the answer. Call it a gut feeling he couldn't name, but he was drawn to the chair as if it was a magnet. He slid the card into the reader, relieved when the light turned green. Pushing the door open just enough to slip in, he took the few steps necessary to reach his goal.
The housing was still extended at the back of the chair and he shoved the ring into place. Standing back, Jack watched as the casing and ring retracted into the chair. Suddenly everything began to glow, and he couldn't resist reaching out to touch the arm.
Power, energy, somehow echoed in his thoughts. Without a conscious decision, he climbed into the seat, settling his limbs along the arms of the chair.
Weapon.
"This is a weapon?" he asked the empty room, but nothing came to him. Jack could feel the intensity of the re-charged chair, almost as if it was asking him to do something with it, to liberate it's potential. "I don't know what you want from me!"
Enemy.
"I know! I know! How do I stop them?"
Release.
"Release what?" he shouted. Looking around the lab, he found nothing, the room was empty except for the chair. "Oh, what the hell," he mumbled to himself, then thought, release the weapons. Suddenly the chair reclined, and a projection showing the ships surrounding Earth floated above him. "Whoa!"
Bits of light, reminding him of fireflies, flew literally from the ends of the Earth, surrounding the ships. Nothing was happening beyond encircling the ships, as if they lacked direction. Destroy the ships, he thought and the streaks of light began to swarm the Replicator ships. Where the hell were these things coming from? he wondered, even as he tried to control their trajectory. Then, somehow he was. Some how he and this chair were stopping an invasion.
Jack turned his attention to the closest ship, still not quite grasping how he was manipulating the energy weapons. Another Replicator ship was closing in on the location of the one he was battling, forming a circle around their attackers. From the projection he could see they were trying to assimilate the technology in order to form a defense against it. It wasn't working. Before the replicators were able to consume any of the attacking forces, they were blown apart, separated from the main body. Already the Replicators had learned that strategy hadn't worked and they tried breaking into smaller ships, perhaps to out-number the weapons swarming them. No mater how many they broke into, there seemed to be a never ending supply of glowing projectiles bent on destroying them.
There was one ship that maintained it's cohesion, at the rear of the battle, and Jack knew this had to be where Reese was. She was their Queen, and the Replicators would protect her at all costs. He couldn't let her escape. If she survived, she would just fall back and rebuild her fleet, learning from her mistakes. Reese had to die if the Replicators were to be truly vanquished.
Picturing Reese in his mind, he directed the weapon to seek and destroy. Suddenly, the bits of light concentrated themselves in and around the remaining ship like a school of piranha looking for a bit of flesh. It didn't take long before the entire construct was glowing, then blowing itself apart, isolating each block from it's neighbor.
Vaguely aware Sam had entered the room, they both watched the overhead display as disembodied Replicator blocks rained harmlessly down on Earth, burning up in the atmosphere. In cities all over Earth, people were no doubt looking to the skies, wondering at the strange hail of light.
Jack closed his eyes, completely drained of energy. The chair returned to its upright position as Sam reached forward to keep him from falling out.
"Jack! Are you all right?" Her hands washed over his face and down his arms. "Jesus! You're burning up!"
He couldn't open his eyes, it was just too much effort. ". . .be okay," he whispered, and tried to smile to reassure her, but his lips barely moved. Sagging against the chair he heard others enter the room but couldn't muster up the enthusiasm to see who it was. All he wanted to do was sleep, and the same voice that had been guiding him affirmed it: Rest. Heal.
A/N—I may not have time to post later, so this might be it for today. Thanks again to everyone for reading!