Summery: A routine trip off-world has long-lasting effects for SG-1. Meanwhile, Jack has terrestrial trouble too, when his half-sister is recruited to the SGC and his worlds threaten to collide and all his secrets are in danger of being exposed.
Disclaimer: I do not own "Stargate SG-1" the series. I believe it is owned by MGM. No copyright infringement is intended. No disrespect is intended. I am merely intrigued by the possibilities.
A Matter of Degrees
by: Visions2share a.k.a. Vi
Jack had gone to the mountain after church on Sunday to spend a few hours battling the paperwork. He'd purposefully avoided his team, hoping to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Susan had spent Thursday and Friday at the Academy settling into her new office and coming home to ask him really weird questions – like if he thought she could take in an area rug? Or some command hooks? Jack thought that learning aliens were real should have made her focus on other aspects of her new job – rather than redecorating – but he supposed everybody coped differently. And it's not like he was one to judge – his private quarters and office were full of all sorts of odds and ends. Like his collection of bobble heads or yo-yos – to each their own. Jack just chose to be grateful Susan seemed to be handling the alien revelation as well as she was – so far, anyway.
Jack had spent Saturday morning arranging for the purchase of a half a pig and a half a cow for him to pick up Tuesday after work. Henry and Susan kept talking about paying for groceries while they stayed with him but he'd accidentally overheard Susan on the phone Friday night as they tried to work out their finances and he thought it sounded like things might be a little lean for them and liable to get even more complicated as they went about selling a house and buying another. So, Jack decided to stock up his new freezer and his pantry so it wouldn't need to be an issue and Henry could hit up the farmer's market for a few fresh things every week to feel like they were contributing without spending very much money. And if he did it without Susan noticing – then they wouldn't even need to talk about it – which was definitely what Jack would prefer.
So it was that Monday morning when Jack got to the mountain, he had a plan for helping his new housemates without them noticing and was all caught up on his paperwork. It would make for a great start to the week if Mondays didn't also start with a senior staff meeting.
…
"Alright, let's get started people," General Hammond called as he came into the conference room from his office at exactly oh-nine-hundred.
Since he was speaking and already waving them back to their seats as he came in, no one managed to come all the way to attention. Some didn't even try. Teal'C and Daniel weren't military but always tried to be respectful and stand when General Hammond entered a room. Sam and Janet, herself, started to come to attention but didn't even get all the way to their feet before they were already being waved back down. Colonel O'Neill, on the other hand, was at the coffee credenza and didn't even so much as look toward the opening door and his superior officer.
"Coffee, General?" Colonel O'Neill asked, his back still to the room.
"Yes, thank you, Jack," General Hammond replied as he took his seat at the head of the table.
Janet really appreciated the easy manner in which General Hammond ran his command – he had the respect of everyone who worked at the SGC but didn't feel the need to rub it, or his leadership, in anyone's face. It made for a reassuring atmosphere in which to work, even when their everyday work was extraordinary and out of this world.
Colonel O'Neill brought a mug of coffee to General Hammond and one for himself – depositing them on the table before slumping into his customary seat.
Janet followed the conversation as first Sam and then Daniel reported on the progress, or lack thereof, of their various scientific and research teams. Janet reported on the conditions of various personnel who had gated home injured in the last week and how they were healing. Teal'C reported on the advanced hand-to-hand combat training he was overseeing. Colonel O'Neill then reported on various facilities, personnel, and security issues that fell under his supervision as the program's second-in-command.
"Our biggest security concern at the moment is we had seven people invited to last week's orientation lecture that chose not to sign the NDA. The clearance squad at the Secret Service and the NID are keeping an eye on them."
"I thought that if they did not sign, they did not learn any secrets?" Teal'C interrupted.
Colonel O'Neill shrugged, but it was Sam that answered him. Sometimes, the cynical part of Janet's mind wondered if Sam had to prove she knew the answer to every question she possibly could.
"In theory, that's correct. They learn nothing about the SGC – but it isn't common knowledge that there is anything below NORAD at all – the mere existence of the lower floors is classified."
"I see," Teal'C responded in the tone that Janet automatically translated to 'that's silly'. He probably wasn't wrong.
"Alright, Colonel, add them to the list and let us know if they raise any red flags. Is there anything else before we discuss those that did choose to join the program?"
"No, sir," from the Colonel, and silence from everyone else.
They went through the new recruits in alphabetical order noting who would be assigned to what team, who needed to be trained to go off world first, who didn't need off world training at all, who needed medical clearance before joining a particular team and what felt like endless other details. Most of these details didn't really have anything to do with Janet – after all, they had only added one medical professional this round.
"Mallory, Susan, M.D.," General Hammond read the next name off his list and all eyes shifted to her – except for General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill, who exchanged a glance. Maybe something had flagged in her background check? Oh well, someone would inform her if she needed to know.
"I was impressed that her first thought expressed to us re. the secrecy of the program was the worry that it would mean the results of her study couldn't be used to help people. She also has already spent several hours on Thursday and Friday at her office at the Academy Hospital. She seems anxious to begin work."
"Will you have her work in the infirmary, Dr. Fraiser?"
"She'll pull surgical rotations eventually, General. First, she needs to be spending her time reading to get up to speed. Then the medical staff will work together to redesign her study. When we are ready for clinical trials, she'll pull double duty as a surgeon here at the SGC and as a researcher collating the study."
"Very good. When do you think we should expect her to become a common face around here?" General Hammond exchanged another look with Colonel O'Neill as he asked the question.
"I'd estimate at least six to eight weeks to catch up on the reading and design the study to start clinical trials. So, realistically, probably three months minimum before she joins Dr. Warner on the surgical rotation."
"She seemed pleased by the prospect of an earlier start to clinical trials than she expected," Dr. Jackson offered, "maybe she'll read really fast."
"Maybe," Janet agreed, as the woman had seemed motivated.
"Frankly," Sam interrupted, "after our conversation with her, I'm less interested in her study – sorry Janet – than I am in the possibility of recruiting that brother she mentioned."
"The one she thinks is wasting his education in the Army?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah."
"I wondered about him too – depending he might be an asset worth recruiting."
"Yes – someone that educated, with a military background to boot, would almost have to be an asset to the program."
"Didn't she imply he has some form of PTSD?" Janet had come away with the impression Dr. Mallory didn't think her brother was exactly stable.
"Vaguely, but with that much education – there has to be somewhere in the program for him to be helpful."
Janet opened her mouth to caution Sam that PTSD was nothing to fool with, but General Hammond spoke first.
"Who are we discussing?"
"Dr. Mallory mentioned," Daniel replied, "having an older brother…"
"Half-brother," Sam corrected.
"… half-brother who got his first PhD as a teenager and has collected several since, along with serving in the Army since the Vietnam era."
"What is his specialty?" Teal'C questioned.
"She didn't say," Daniel admitted.
"But we should research him and get him transferred here. He's already local – at Fort Carson."
"Should we not first ascertain if his education would be helpful to the program, MajorCarter?"
"Multiple PhDs? The first one attained before most people have even graduated high school? Someone that smart? He'd definitely be useful somewhere!"
"Major," Colonel O'Neill interrupted Sam's enthusiastic assurances, "I don't think we can know that for sure. What if this mythical brother's degree is in something incredibly useful like English Literature?" the sarcasm and doubt were both more than evident as the Colonel spoke.
"Mythical brother?" General Hammond questioned, drawing attention to a word choice that Janet had barely noticed.
"Background information compiled on Dr. Susan Mallory shows no evidence of a brother, or half-brother, in the Army."
"Is this woman then lying?" Teal'C accused.
"Or delusional?" Janet found herself automatically offering a medical explanation.
"I think," Colonel O'Neill answered before everybody could get worked up, "it is more likely a miscommunication." The colonel took a deep breath as he referenced his files. "Our files indicate an older half-brother who was in the Army but is now listed as having a classified position with the DXS. Staying in the Army is likely a cover story."
…
The SGC had worked with the DXS extensively while dealing with the whole Russia has a Stargate situation. Every member of the SGC had been apprehensive given their history with the NID, but each had come away impressed at how dedicated and honorable the DXS seemed to be. Down to the last man.
"Then he knows how to keep a secret and his degrees – at least some of them – have to be useful if he's spent decades at the DXS! Even more reason to recruit him!" Sam enthused.
"But after decades at the DXS, wouldn't he be in a leadership position there?" Daniel asked.
"Likely, yes," Sam replied, even though Daniel had intended the question for Jack or General Hammond.
"Then why would he want to change careers? Especially as he likely already has clearance to know about the gate?"
"We could convince him! All that education, military experience, and secret agent experience he would be an invaluable resource for the SGC! Maybe the president could reassign him here!?" Sam offered excitedly.
"And to hell with what he wants?" Jack asked and Daniel heard the anger in his tone easily enough – but there was something else there, too. What was it?
"Anyone that smart – that educated would come around to see the benefits!" Sam had really made up her mind.
"You looking for a reason to take a step back in responsibilities, Major?" Jack prodded. Disgust – the secondary tone seemed like disgust.
"Sir?!"
"If this guy is all that and a bag of chips, he is undoubtedly well suited to run several departments. Especially if he's been in a leadership position at the DXS. I just figured you're so gung-ho to get him here 'cause you're feeling overworked." This was a very Jack warning – using humor rather than flat out telling Sam she sounded insane. Daniel had been on the receiving end of such a Jack-style warning many, many times. It was unusual for him to direct one at Sam though, and she had no clue how to respond – as she couldn't tell if he was serious. She just kept opening and closing her mouth while she processed. Jack had that effect on people – even the team sometimes.
"I think we can start small by having a background done on the man in question and see where that leads us," General Hammond put an effective end to the conversation. "Let's move on."
There were four more new people on the list that needed to be discussed. Thankfully, by the time Sam needed to comment, she seemed to have found her voice and dialed back her enthusiasm to a rational level.
"Anything else this week?" General Hammond asked when the last person had been discussed.
A 'no, sir' from Jack and silence from everybody else had General Hammond dismissing the meeting, but as he was walking away, he threw a 'Colonel, with me,' over his shoulder.
Jack gave a put-upon sigh that seemed totally out of proportion to another repeated request that Jack try military approved methods of rebuke for his team members. Granted, standard methods never were really Jack's thing – but he was usually very at ease with ignoring General Hammond asking him to tone down the sarcasm. Nevertheless, Jack seemed to be under a heavy weight while he gathered his files and followed the General.
What was going on?
Author's Note: Uh-oh. Things are about to get complicated. On another note, I just wanted to say thank you to the anonymous reviewer who left some detailed notes on the Susan character. I do truly appreciate the constructive feedback! Thanks for reading! ~ Vi