Season 9 Episode 7: Deus Ex Machina

Episode summary: A dead jaffa is found on Earth, and he is identified as being a follower of Gerak's, hunting Ba'al. Ba'al, who has been hiding out on Earth and is now posing as a businessman, gives an ultimatum. He gets left alone, or he sets off a naquada bomb somewhere in the United States. Gerak, however, has no intention of leaving Ba'al alone, or of ceasing his hunt for Ba'al on Earth, regardless of the potential fallout for the SGC or Earth. SG-1 enlist the help of Agent Malcolm Barrett to track Ba'al, in an attempt to capture him, but their attempt is compromised when Ba'al goes public with a corporate take-over plan and starts receiving a lot of media attention. During the op Barrett asks Sam if she's single, and she answers 'not exactly'. The jaffa get close to capturing Ba'al, who decides to take retribution, and informs the SGC that he will detonate the bomb. They find the building, and Sam realises that the brand new building itself is the bomb, and with seconds to spare the Prometheus beams the entire building into space to detonate at a safe distance. They use a 'gas explosion' cover story. A Ba'al is captured by Gerak's forces, cementing his hold on the jaffa council, but the SGC learn that Ba'al has cloning technology, and has been cloning himself. There are many of them now, free on Earth.

Sam drummed her fingers on her thigh anxiously. Come on, pick up …

"O'Neill." Jack barked.

"Hey, it's me." Sam said, brightening instantly now that she'd actually got through. She'd been trying his cell for the better part of the evening.

"Hey." He said with a big exhale. He sounded exhausted.

"Long day?" She asked.

"Meeting with the President. He wanted to know how the Department of Homeworld Security hadn't picked up on their being multiple Ba'al's running around the country for months."

Sam winced. "I suppose the answer that Ba'al is unusually smart for a Goa'uld didn't go over too well."

"We're supposed to be smarter." He snapped.

Sam flinched a little. She was supposed to be smarter. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I'm just pissed off."

"We'll get him – them. We know he's out there now, so we'll be watching for him."

"Yeah. That's what I told the President. I just hope Ba'al doesn't find another way to screw us over before we catch his multiple arrogant selves."

Sam frowned, drumming her fingers on her knee anxiously. "Are you ok?"

There was a telling silence. Jack had once been tortured for days by Ba'al. Having multiple copies of the Goa'uld running unchecked around his own country had to be causing him some stress.

"I'm fine." He said eventually. "Don't worry about me, Carter, just … find him."

"I'll do my best." She promised. "There's a special taskforce on it too, right?"

"Yeah, it's being headed up by the CIA agent, Kerry Johnson. She was the one dealing with the remnants of the Trust operation."

"We'll get him." She said reassuringly.

"Love you." Jack said, and Sam smiled at the incongruity of the statement.

"I love you too."

There was a beep in her ear, and she pulled the phone away for a moment.

"I'm sorry Jack, I have to go, I've got another call coming through on an SGC number."

"Go. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Ok. Bye."

She hung up, and picked up the other call.

"Colonel Carter."

"Hi Sam. It's Malcolm. Barrett – Malcolm Barrett."

Sam paused in surprise. "Hi, I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting it to be you, my caller ID said it was the SGC."

"Yeah, I'm calling from an empty office in the SGC, I've been here briefing General Landry."

"What can I do for you?" She asked.

He paused. "Nothing really, I just … what did you mean when you said you were 'not exactly' single?"

Sam groaned inwardly. Crap.

"That I'm not single but didn't want to discuss the details." She said cagily.

"Oh. Ok, I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No, I'm sorry Malcolm, it's just … I can't really talk about it."

"That's ok. So, I'm guessing there's no point in me asking if you want to grab some dinner?"

"It's 2300 hours." She said incredulously.

"Is it? Wow, that meeting ran long."

"But, even if it wasn't … it would be a no."

"No problem. Couldn't hurt to ask, right?"

"Right." There was a long moment of awkward silence, as Sam debated with herself.

"Listen, um, Malcolm …" She broke off, on the verge of chickening out.

"Sam …?"

"It's not that I'm not flattered, and I like you, I do, but, I should probably tell you …" Another pause. When did I become such a coward?

"Tell me what?"

"I'm married." She blurted out.

"Married?" Barrett sounded incredulous. "When did that happen?"

"Very recently. But, it's complicated, and I'm keeping it quiet, so I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself."

"Yeah, of course, I won't say a word."

"I just didn't want you hanging on thinking there was a chance one day I might …" She trailed off awkwardly.

"I wasn't going to sit around waiting and pining for you, Sam."

"I know. That's not what I meant." Except it sort of was. I suck at this.

"Well, I have to finish this report, so … see you around."

"Yeah. Thanks for your help today."

"You too. Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up, and let her head fall against the wall with a thump. God, that was awkward.