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 came up the stairs into the briefing room on silent feet. General Hammond was in a meeting with SG-4 going over the last details before he gave them their 'go' for P9Q-881. Jack leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs, pleased with his timing – he'd let General Hammond finish his briefing before interrupting.
" ... Dismissed."
All the men gathered around the table stood and prepared to depart. Usually there would be some light conversation as they broke apart – often involving the general as well as he liked to interact informally with those under his command throughout the day. Unfortunately, Jack had to speak as soon as the meeting was officially over.
"General Hammond, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've had a security breach on the mainframe."
General Hammond didn't jump, but it was plain he hadn't known Jack was in the room.
"Foreign or domestic?" General Hammond asked as he turned to lead the way into his office, expecting Jack to follow.
"Internal."
General Hammond stopped and speared Jack with a look – the look.
"Yes, sir, I'm sure," Jack answered the question the look had asked.
General Hammond gave a deliberate nod and quickly led Jack into his private office without another word.
Once the door was closed behind and the two senior officers could be assured of privacy, Jack took his usual seat and began to bring the general up to speed. Being very careful with what he said and what he didn't.
"An officer hacked into the confidential personnel files – including medical files – searching for information about the personal life of a colleague. I've logged the breech, and all associated data – as well as had a preliminary conversation. How do you want to handle this?"
"We'll have to involve the JAG – any officer with such poor judgement and impulse control is a liability we cannot afford to keep at the SGC. Maybe a psychological assessment as well," General Hammond paused and visibly gathered himself to ask for the information he needed – but didn't want. Hammond thought well of those under his command – trusted them – and didn't like learning one had betrayed his trust. "Who was it?"
"Major Carter."
"Sam?" shock.
"Yes, sir."
"Are you sure? She knows better!"
"Every officer should know better," Jack vehemently reminded him, "and, yes, positive. Teal'C and I walked into Danny's lab to hear her telling him about the access she'd hacked her way into and her frustration at still not finding the information she was looking for."
"Not finding it?"
"I pulled Susan's file off the mainframe a few days ago in anticipation of it needing updating after our meeting this afternoon, sir," not to mention he'd halfway suspected Carter might try something like this with how she'd been carrying on.
"So, she didn't actually see anything she shouldn't?"
"No, sir, unfortunately, that doesn't really mitigate the true issue."
"No, it doesn't – but it means that we can – maybe – limit the official consequences to a reprimand in her file rather than actually involving the JAG."
Jack nodded, pleased General Hammond seemed to be working himself to the same conclusions he'd already drawn.
"You said you spoke to her? What did she have to say for herself?"
Jack was careful to be faithful in his description of the encounter. It was more than General Hammond wanted to hear. When Jack finished with his recitation, he couldn't stop himself from slumping forward, elbows on his knees, head in his hands, frantically rubbing his tired face and sending his hair to stand on end at every conceivable angle.
They sat in companionable, if disturbed, silence for many minutes. Finally, after more than a quarter hour had passed, General Hammond gave a great sigh and broke the silence.
"I appreciate your willingness not to press official charges against Sam," Hammond's continued use of her first name showed how personally he was taking the whole thing. "And I absolutely agree that restricting her access is an appropriate measure. How long do you think?"
"I don't know, sir. I'm not sure giving her a release date is the best idea – I think maybe it should be indefinite with her having to earn back her privileges."
"True. It won't do any good if she doesn't learn and grow from the experience."
Jack just nodded.
"However, I doubt we will be able to keep her from at least some of the knowledge she sought indefinitely."
"I'd be more than happy to sit her down and tell her my life story if she wanted to know for the right reasons," or a very wrong reason, Jack admitted to himself, as long as that reason was of a more interpersonal nature. Sitting in front of his commanding officer was hardly the time to be indulging in those fantasies, though.
It was General Hammond's turn to nod in acknowledgement of things best left unsaid. Officially.
"She's going to learn the identity of Dr. Mallory's brother sooner rather than later – along with the rest of the SGC."
"Everybody, sir?"
"Well, I suppose most people don't have to know," a reprieve, "about you being related, but your qualifications will undoubtedly end up public knowledge around here when the president's restructuring plan goes into effect." Or not.
Wait. Restructuring. What restructuring?
"What restructuring?"
"Well, Jack, President Rhodes wants to discuss that with you himself, so I can't say anything more. You and I are to report to the White House at noon tomorrow. We're catching a private flight out of Peterson at oh-eight-hundred."
"That's what our meeting is about?" Jack thought he was just going to get dressed down by Hammond for not keeping his file updated or whatever.
"That's the second half. The first half is: holy crap, Jack! More than a dozen post-graduate degrees! What the hell are you playing at keeping that kind of potential untapped?"
Jack longed with every fiber of his being to play dumb. The phrase, 'what potential?' was on the tip of his tongue before he stopped himself. Doing that would only prolong this already uncomfortable conversation even further – and he'd likely be having a version of it in D.C. as well. Unacceptable.
"It was never about the degrees. I just study things that interest me – always have. The longer my career in the DXS has gone on," Jack carelessly referenced the actual 'secret' revealed in the new background check – keeping control of the conversation, "the more I've seen – and had to do in the field. The more the classes have become an escape. A coping mechanism. They help me breathe and just keep on being me. The degrees don't matter – they're just a byproduct."
"I doubt anybody else will see it that way."
"Some will," Daniel for instance, or Teal'C. Carter wouldn't – but that was her problem – literally.
General Hammond sat back in his chair and seemed to really consider what Jack was saying. Hammond was a leader that knew the value of a man was not found in their CV but in their actions under pressure and the very construction of their souls.
Finally, after many minutes, the general nodded and spoke, "very well. We'll be flying back tomorrow night – no need to pack a bag. Please see to amending Major Carter's system access and I'll need your official reprimand for her file before you sign out for the day."
"Yes, sir," Jack left the office quickly – but hopefully without it being obvious how much he viewed it as a lucky escape.
Author's Note: There's a change in the wind. Just a quick word in response to a couple reviews I've seen stating that I've written Carter wrong, or she is way out of character. I know. Relax. There's a reason, we'll get there next week. Thanks for hanging with the story! No update tomorrow but I'll be back Monday with chapter 22. Thanks for reading! ~ Vi