Ernie heaved a
sigh of relief as the O'Neill II burst out of hyperspace and arrived at
their destination. He was standing on the bridge, along with Teal'c,
Daniel Jackson, Colonel Dixon and Colonel Reynolds. Thor was in his
command chair as befitted his rank as Supreme Commander of the Asgard
Fleet. All eyes were glued to the view screen.
"Reports continue
to confirm a lack of response from the Replicator vessel on the surface
and the two human life signs continue to remain stable." Thor continued
to monitor the incoming stream of data that appeared on his
console.
Ernie watched Thor's face, knowing that any change would induce a
response. 'Just hang in there a little bit longer, buddy.
We're almost there!'
Thor had already
briefed them on the meanings of the various indicators on the view
screen, so Ernie knew that the Replicator spaceship still remained on
the planet surface. When Thor's eyes widened, Ernie knew something was
up.
The blip
belonging to the Replicator vessel suddenly glowed a bright red. Four
pairs of human eyes and one pair of Asgard turned as one to look in
question at the Asgard with all the answers. Ernie could only hope the
change in the status didn't mean what he thought it meant.
"Thor? It's
changed color. Red . . . that's a bad thing, right?" Daniel raised both
eyebrows, causing his forehead to furrow.
"According to our
monitors, the Replicator vessel appears to be leaving the planet surface
and is preparing to enter hyperspace."
"Then my
suspicions were correct in that the Replicators have been aware of the
Asgard presence from the beginning. I surmise that it is the arrival of
the O'Neill II which has precipitated their hasty departure as this
vessel possesses the means to destroy them." Teal'c delivered his
observations with no hint of censure or anger. It was merely a statement
of fact.
"Do something,
Thor. Anything. Can't you push a button to blow them away?" Ernie was
bouncing with agitation. As they watched in horror, the red blip
disappeared from the screen.
"I cannot, for
they have already entered hyperspace. Their technology enables them to
enter it in much closer proximity to the planet's surface than do ours.
Once there, our instruments are unable to detect their whereabouts. I am
sorry." Thor bowed his head, blinking furiously.
Ernie stopped
bouncing and looked once more at the view screen. What he saw there gave
him some hope. "If the Replicator vessel is gone, why are the life signs
of Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter still registering as still being on
the planet? Wouldn't they disappear too if the bugs had taken them with
them?"
Thor nodded. "You
are correct, Eir. Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter remain on the
planet's surface and their life signs remain relatively stable."
"Well, what are
we waiting for? Let's beam their sorry asses onboard our ship!" Ernie
was bouncing again with a mixture of excitement and frustration.
"Shouldn't we beam down and check them out first?" Daniel's head
swiveled between the view screen and Thor.
"Surface
conditions continue to preclude that option, Daniel Jackson." Thor
turned to Ernie. "I have established a transporter lock on their
positions. Once you have indicated that your facility is readied for
their arrival, I will commence the transportation sequence."
"Beam me over,
Scotty." Ernie looked at Thor. Thor looked back at him. Ernie blinked.
"I mean, beam me over to the Infirmary and I'll get everything ready for
our guests." Thor nodded and moved a shell on his console.
Ernie disappeared
in a white flash of light. He rematerialized in the middle of his own
kingdom, the medical facility onboard the O'Neill II. He headed for the
far end where the human medical pods were stored. It wouldn't take him
long to ready them, as he had already done the preliminary
preparations.
Once he'd
positioned two of the pods near his medical console, he began entering
past medical data of the two expected patients in each one. He had
little data on Samantha Carter, as she had not been one of his patients
in the past, so he settled for entering the basic medical parameters for
humans in her pod.
The amount of
medical data on his other patient, Jack O'Neill was staggering.
Although, considering the number of times he'd helped this particular
human recover from one thing or another, Ernie supposed it really wasn't
surprising.
Thor's face appeared on the console. "Surface conditions are
deteriorating rapidly. Are you ready to transport?"
Ernie entered the
last bit of data. "Ready and waiting. I can transport them directly to
the medical pods from my position." Thor's image nodded and Ernie
manipulated the stones on his console.
The sound of
humming filled the room as two lights appeared in the waiting pods. When
the lights disappeared, he could see a body had appeared in each one.
Ernie keyed the communicator. "Transport was successful. Will provide
details later."
He didn't wait
for a response, knowing the others onboard would understand that his
current priorities were with his new patients. He checked the heart
rates of each. Both appeared to be low, but not significantly so.
After checking
the life sign monitors of each, he trotted over to view each one face to
face. The open pods were positioned side by side and each occupant
appeared to be covered in dust, making initial observations difficult.
Even though their facial features were obscured, Ernie could discern the
identity of the humans resting in his pods.
He bent down over
Jack O'Neill's face, studying it professionally. When no gaping wounds
were immediately apparent, he shifted his gaze to the torso. Puzzled, he
used one finger to rub away the dust from the strange apparel. It didn't
look like the usual uniform favored by his friend. Steel-gray was
revealed through the streak traced by his digit.
An ugly suspicion
formed in his mind, one that he had to answer immediately, one way or
another. He brushed away more dirt from the clothing. When a domino-like
block design was revealed, he knew his suspicion was right on the money.
He pivoted and brushed dust away from a portion of Samantha Carter's
clothing. A similar pattern was revealed.
"Crap!" Ernie
keyed the lids shut on each of the pods and then ran toward his medical
console. Once there, he moved several shells. The result was immediate
when twin shifts of white light engulfed the two pods. When the lights
had gone, so had the pods.
'So far so good,
Ernie. Looks like you caught it in time. The last thing this place needs
is for some bugs to come crawling all over the place. And if I'm not
mistaken, the clothing worn by our two friends were given to them
courtesy of the bugs. Placing them both in the isolation chamber should
curtail any bug problems for now.'
He checked his
monitors. Both pods had arrived safely and the lids remained closed.
However, the heart rate and respirations of the two inhabitants of the
pods had decreased. That shouldn't be happening. He keyed several more
pads on the console, searching for answers. The monitors continued to
show decreasing life signs. Their blood pressure was dropping as
heartbeats became more irregular.
'What the hell is
going on with you guys? You are safe now. Don't you know that? Don't you
dare go belly-up on me now, Jack O'Neill. I'm using contractions now. Do
you hear me? We have a whole shitload of things to discuss, so you have
got to make it.'
The readings on
the monitors seemed oblivious to his entreaties and continued to plummet
downwards. Alarms on both pods began shrieking as the readings on the
humans dipped dangerously low. Both bodies began to convulse, their
movements thumping against the sides of the pods. A discordant knocking
sound filled the room as the noise was faithfully transmitted through
microphones in the chamber.
In desperation,
he keyed the pad that opened the pods. Ernie knew that if the symptoms
worsened, he would require immediate access to both bodies in order to
revive them.
Once both lids had retracted he picked up a shell
in preparation for transporting himself into the isolation chamber
containing the two humans. He paused to check the monitors just one more
time, to his surprise heart rate and respirations were climbing and the
convulsions had stopped. The alarms had stopped their strident warnings
of approaching death. As he continued to watch in puzzlement, the
readings leveled out at a normal level.
***
Samantha Carter
floated in a white void, with no idea of how she'd gotten there. In an
attempt to orient herself, she tried looking down at her body, only to
discover that she had none. 'Okay, this is
weird. Don't panic, Sam. Get hold of yourself.'
Her mental
chuckle rippled through her consciousness. 'On
second thought, cancel that last thought. Kind of hard to get hold of
yourself when there's nothing to grab hold of.'
She instructed
herself to turn around, to survey the void for any possible signs or
landmarks she could distinguish. There was nothing but more featureless
white nothingness.
Strangely enough,
she didn't feel that she was alone here though. Wherever here was.
Peering more intently, she felt a familiar presence with her. Jack. She
reached out, and seemed to be on the verge of touching him, when his
presence disappeared.
She felt puzzled,
and the feeling grew into panic. Gasping for air, her chest felt heavy,
like an elephant perched on it. Her lungs labored to bring enough air
into their passages. She couldn't breathe.
Fighting for her life, she managed to gasp one word. "Jack!"
She was wrenched
out of the void, but it still didn't seem real. From appearances, she
floated in the air, near the ceiling of a room she recognized as
belonging to the O'Neill II. From past experience, it looked like she
was in one of the isolation rooms of the ship Infirmary. Ernie's
domain.
Looking down, she
could discern two enclosed medical pods with translucent lids. Without
knowing exactly how she knew, she recognized the occupants of the closed
pods as being herself and Jack. Taking more notice of her surroundings,
she could make out flashing lights on the consoles and alarms blaring
their warning of trouble.
She directed her
attention to the pod in which her Jack rested. As if her gaze were a
command, she floated directly above the lid. Peering more closely, she
could see his body convulse. His face had a gray pallor about it and his
lips were turning blue as he struggled to bring air into oxygen-starved
lungs.
Jack was dying
and she knew it. The fact of his impending death hit her in the solar
plexus like a blow to her heart. The same gut punch she'd experienced
when she'd seen him hit in the chest by that staff weapon, leaving her
feeling sick to her stomach, filled with dread. She'd thought she'd lost
him for good then, that he was dead, with no sarcophagus or symbiote
waiting handily in the wings to revive him. That exact same feeling of
overwhelming fear and helplessness gripped her now. She reached out to
touch his face, but a barrier of some sort kept her from him.
"Don't leave me,
Jack. You can't leave! How can I live with you gone, Jack?"
A part of her
knew that she was dying too. Her body convulsed much the same as his.
Somehow, it didn't seem to matter. She'd had a rich and full life, she
wouldn't mind leaving the tangled mess she's made of hers
behind.
'After all, I've
always been the type that was more comfortable around machines and
technology than people. Why else do I spend all my time in my lab? And
as for my relationships with men, I wasn't kidding when I called myself
the black widow of the SGC. Every guy who's ever shown an interest in me
ended up dead. Except for Jack. And Pete. But Pete isn't here now and
Jack is, as usual.'
'Maybe that's God's way of telling me that Jack's
the only one for me. If I wasn't so damned analytical, I might be able
to believe in someone or something that ran the universe. Yeah, like
that's gonna happen any time soon. Here you are, Sam, on the verge of
dying and you're still analyzing everything, still
doubting.'
She looked down
at her Jack, the man who was her safe bet, the one that promised he
would always be there for her. Even if his promise had been only a
figment of her imagination, she knew it was true.
His life was much
more important than hers. Only one thing mattered to her. Jack was
dying. That was so wrong. It just couldn't, mustn't happen. Metaphysical
tears ran down nonexistent cheeks.
She screamed.
"Take me instead!" Her lungs starving for air, she watched reproachfully
as blackness approached her, as if daring Death to take her Jack.
'You'll take him over my dead body!"
Inexplicably, Sam snapped back into the
featureless void and knew she was breathing freely again, without
constraint. More important, Jack was here with her. She couldn't see
him, but he was here somehow, nonetheless. She could go on living
now.
***
"What the hell is
going on here, campers? You want the lid open? Is that what you are
trying to tell me?" His long gray fingers danced over the pads of his
medical console, instructing the pod to perform several examinations in
the hopes that the mystery could be answered.
"First things
first, though. Let's take care of those bug clothes for you." A stone
was moved, and the open pods reappeared in the room with Ernie. The
change was readily apparent viewed from Ernie's position standing behind
his console.
Both humans were
naked, their skins showing a pale contrast with the dusty skin of their
face, hands, and feet. Stepping up to the pod containing Jack O'Neill,
Ernie bent over him, searching for any observable abnormalities, and
found none. To all appearances, his friend appeared to be relaxed and
sleeping, belying the fact that he'd been near death only a few seconds
before. Not mislead, he peered at the console of the pod and pushed
several buttons.
Resisting the
automatic impulse to close the lid, he turned to view Samantha Carter.
Initial visual observation also revealed no anomalies. Her face appeared
relaxed. He shook his head and pushed the same buttons on her pod
control panel. Tests would be run until he solved the mystery, Ernie was
certain there had to be a reason to explain the extreme reaction to the
pod lids being closed. Since Fifth and his band of bugs were involved,
it could be anything.
A beeping sound
alerted Ernie to the fact that an abnormality had been found with the
test results of Jack O'Neill. A noise corresponding to the sound
emanating from Jack O'Neill's console clamored for the Asgard Doctor's
attention. Samantha Carter's test results were ready too.
With a last
glance at his two patients, he trotted over to his master control panel.
After keying in several commands, he was able to view the results of
both exams. The findings were identical. According to his instruments,
both patients had unknown objects placed in their brains, attached to
the medulla, control center for autonomic functions such as heart rate
and respirations. Both objects appeared to be emitting a low-frequency
radio signal.
One of Ernie's
long fingers pushed a pad to increase the magnification of the affected
areas. It showed the object was composed of strands of an unknown fiber
intricately interwoven into the brain stem of each human. Peering more
closely, he realized the reason for the unexplained convulsions and near
cardiac arrest and respiratory failure of his two patients.
Entering
instructions with caution, he attempted to dampen the radio signal
originating from Jack O'Neill's brain. The effects on both patients were
almost immediate. Heart and respiratory rates began dropping. Glancing
over to the two pods, he saw both relaxed bodies tense simultaneously, a
certain predictor of another seizure.
His fingers
tapping out commands, he canceled the dampening field, taking note that
the heart and respiratory rates stopped their downward slide and
stabilized. Ernie's fingers tapped the surface of the console
impatiently. "What am I going to do with you two? I can't leave those
bug things inside your heads, but I have the feeling that if I try to
take them out, it'll kill both of your asses. So, tell me, Jack O'Neill.
What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
The human male
that Ernie addressed his questions to, remained unmoving and oblivious
to the Asgard Doctor's distress. Both Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter
were still unconscious and showed no indication that status might change
in the near future.
His communicator
chose that moment to come to life as Thor's face appeared on the tiny
view screen. "The transport was successful?"
"Yes." Ernie
bobbed his head slightly as he continued to divide his attention between
the life sign monitors and Thor's face on his console. When he realized
that Thor was waiting for more, he sighed.
"Jack O'Neill and
Samantha Carter were both beamed to my facility without incident.
However, there appears to be a slight problem."
"A problem?" Thor encouraged.
"Make that a huge
honkin' problem. They both almost kicked the bucket a few minutes ago
and I just figured out why." Ernie continued to eye the monitors. They
showed no change.
Thor's eyes blinked as if startled. "They almost died? Why?"
"My instruments
have detected a foreign mass inside their brains that is emitting a low
frequency radio signal. When interrupted, their bodies convulse and
their heart rate and respirations go downhill in a hurry. This occurred
when I closed the lids of both pods in order to begin their medical
treatment."
"I see." Thor blinked large obsidian-black eyes. "Have either of the
humans regained consciousness?'
"Nope."
"Can the masses be surgically removed?"
"Their placement
makes that doubtful and dangerous, although I would need to perform more
tests to know for sure." Ernie's eyes flickered to the unmoving human
forms lying in the open pods. "I will need more equipment, that is for
damned sure."
"Such as?"
"A new
specialized medical pod for starters. It would have to be large enough
to accommodate both Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter simultaneously.
Once I have that in place, I can begin their medical treatment, but
until then, my hands are tied." Ernie shrugged.
"That could prove
. . . interesting. If this specialized pod is needed, one shall be
constructed immediately."
"Now you're
cooking with gas, Thor. I'll be able to give you a more thorough report
once I get Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter tucked in."
"Excellent. I
will expect you to contact me when you have additional information. We
will meet in the Briefing Room at that time. Our other human passengers
are anxious to learn more about the welfare of their friends."
"They've been
bugging the crap out of you?" Ernie knew he should have kept his mouth
shut, but couldn't resist the little jab at his Asgard friend. Plus, it
gave him an excuse to use another contraction.
"Yes." Thor nodded and then ended the communication.
'Yep, those humans have been bugging the hell out of
Thor. I can just imagine it now. Daniel Jackson talking him to death and
Teal'c looming over the Supreme Commander like an avalanche about to
bury his little gray ass, demanding that they be able to see their
friends. Immediately. If not sooner. From past experience, I am certain
that I wouldn't want to be in Thor's shoes for all the tea in
China.'
The sudden vision
of the 'Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet wearing Jack O'Neill's
black boots proved to be extremely distracting.
With a mental
shake, Ernie turned his thoughts back to the construction blueprint of
the new medical pod. He moved several shells around, reviewing various
options until he was satisfied that the plan would meet all his
patient's needs.
He moved the
necessary shells and watched with a critical eye as the new pod was
built. With a flash of light, it materialized in his Infirmary near the
individual pods that were already occupied.
Ernie hurried
over to give the new medial pod the final once over. Although he trusted
the expertise of Asgard technology, he had learned that it never hurt to
kick the tires before taking any new equipment out for a spin.
Ernie ran his
long gray fingers expertly along the smooth burnished surface of the
pod. It was different, but that was the whole point of its construction.
Easily triple the width of the usual medical pods; its interior was
equipped with a silver-colored pad with twin headrests. Both ends of the
interior contained leads that housed various medical instruments that
could be attached to the human anatomy to monitor life signs and perform
other necessary functions. A medical control console was on the side of
the bronze body of the pod.
Satisfied, Ernie
made the final preparations before it could house the two humans. Lights
on the console before him flickered to life as a humming sound
originated from the pod's interior. It was ready.
Ernie jogged back
to his master console and moved the appropriate stones. Twin lights
surrounded the individual medical pods. Then the lights bathed the
larger pod and disappeared; that done, Ernie left his medical console
and scampered over to the new pod to view the results.
Jack O'Neill and
Samantha Carter were situated side by side in the single pod. They were
both wearing nothing but the dust from that planet and their birthday
suits. Ernie knew from experience that this situation would not make his
patient's happy campers, but could see no other way to commence their
treatment. With care, he ensured that the necessary medical instruments
were attached to the humans, deft fingers attaching leads and tubes
where needed.
Other than the
slow rise and fall of their chests, the humans weren't moving, showing
no sign that they were aware of what was going on around them.
'Don't complain, Ernie. I have the feeling that it
might just be a good thing that they aren't awake. Jack O'Neill would be
so pissed, not to mention embarrassed as hell. As for Samantha Carter,
although I am not as familiar with her, I have a sneaking suspicion that
she would be less than pleased too.'
'Still, there could be worse places for these two to
be in. Besides, I know for a fact that Jack O'Neill has had the hots for
Samantha Carter for years. So maybe this could nudge that relationship
in the right direction. This might give me the chance to observe human
courting rituals. That would be just peachy and would be the crowning
touch to my research on human customs. Providing that Jack O'Neill
doesn't kill me first for putting him and Samantha Carter in bed
together, both naked as jaybirds.'
Ernie shrugged
and then activated the lid of the pod. It rose gracefully out of the
body of the pod and then enclosed the human couple residing inside.
Ernie held his breath as he watched the readings from his patients. When
the heart and respiratory rates remained stable, he proceeded with his
medical tests.
Starting at the
feet, a narrow white band of light traveled the length of the interior
of the pod, touching the two human bodies within. When it reached their
heads, it disappeared. Ernie studied the results. Both of his patients
were clean now, no dust remaining to remind them of their ordeal on the
planet. Besides, dirt contaminating his patients could hinder their
healing process. That was a big no-go in Ernie's opinion.
The male and
female humans were motionless inside the pod, and looked like they were
sleeping. Ernie couldn't help but wonder what had happened while the
Replicators held his two human friends captive. Whatever had occurred,
it couldn't have been good. Considering that Fifth was involved,
illusion and lies were probably used. He looked at his two patients in
speculation
'What fools these two would have to be damned good.
They certainly aren't pushovers when it comes to separating reality from
bullshit.'
He studied the results of the scan and sighed.
His guess had been correct. The objects residing in the brains of Jack
O'Neill and Samantha Carter could not be safely removed. They were
linked together like two Siamese twins. He'd been right about another
thing too. Jack O'Neill was going to be so pissed.
***
Jack O'Neill
floated in a featureless void. He didn't know how he'd gotten here but
he knew that he wasn't alone. Sam was here. Although he couldn't see her
he could sense her presence, like a lifeline tying him to her. It felt
strangely peaceful here. Blissful even. No troubles. No worries. Part of
him wanted to stay, craved it like a woman with PMS needed chocolate,
the kind of 'I gotta have it and nobody better stand in my way' feeling.
He knew it wouldn't last though, this peaceful feeling. It never had
before and it probably wouldn't now.
Just pondering
its possible absence made him anxious, afraid that he would lose his
lifeline, somehow he knew that it really was that vital, that without
the connection with her he would die. Seeking comfort, he strove to
touch her, to reassure himself that she was really there. His hand
encountered soft skin that was unmistakably hers and latched onto it,
curling his long fingers around hers in a mimic of the embrace he denied
himself.
A slideshow of
images flickered across his brain, awakening memories of his recent
past. He lived them again, as if he were stuck in some sort of demented
time loop. Saw Sam's double, the Techno-bitch from hell approach him,
felt her cold dead hands caress his body and tear at his
clothing.
Bitter shame
engulfed him as he remembered what he had done. What It had done to him.
Once again, he felt soiled, dirty, and wished for a wire scrub brush to
scour away the taint of her touch on his skin. His weakness had been
flaunted before Sam when Fifth and his duo of Thing One and Thing Two
bragged about their actions.
Contaminated and
weak as he was, he knew that Sam would never want him now. She couldn't.
She blamed him for their present situation and held him in contempt for
his failings.
With regret, he
withdrew his hand from her, accepting the truth. She was not his, had
never been. She wanted Pete, not him.
Desperate now, he
struggled to feel her, his lifeline. He knew he would drown if he
couldn't grab hold, because wherever the hell he was had become
dangerous. Lethal to his well-being.
That stubborn
will to live gave him the strength to struggle against the cloying pull
of self-pity and flagellation. It was the same doggedness that kept him
going for nine days as he crawled on hands and knees out of the desert
after that less-than successful HALO drop all those years ago. The one
that should have killed him . . . but didn't. Nor would he die now,
wallowing in a destructive pit of shame and depression.
Jack cast about,
like a hound testing the air for a familiar scent. When he found his
lifeline once again, he seized it with both fists, sure in the knowledge
that to lose his grip would ensure his death . . . and Sam's. That was
unacceptable. She was a national resource, too valuable to risk. Her
welfare must be protected at all costs. He would not allow harm to come
to her.
Inside his mind,
he donned his flak vest and clothed Sam in the same armor. Back to back,
they stood; ready to repel all threats to their safety. Together, they
would prevail.
Utilizing their
link, Jack discussed their options with her and felt a deep satisfaction
when she agreed with his findings. Sam agreed with him, trusted his
judgment. This knowledge warmed his cold heart, gave him additional
strength for the struggle.
Sam and Jack knew
they couldn't remain here forever. Wherever the hell here was. It solved
nothing, left them vulnerable, and was potentially dangerous. They
needed more intel, which could only be obtained if they were conscious.
Alert. Alive.
'Find the light. Go toward the light, Jack. That's
how this game has always been played. Surely, you've been knocked out
enough times to know that by now. Help me, Sam. We've got to find the
light. I can't find it alone.'
'I'm here, Jack. Grab hold of my hand. I'm here.
We'll make it, just like always. Together.'
Whisper soft, Jack fingers touched velvety warm
skin. Sam's hand. He felt her muscles ripple as she shivered in
reaction, but didn't pull away. He took that as permission for further
exploration. His touch lingered, lightly caressing her hand and fingers,
as he memorized each bone, tendon, callous, and scar. Then he wrapped
his hand around hers, gently, but firmly holding on.
***
Ernie bounced in
reaction as he watched Jack O'Neill's hand move toward the woman lying
beside him. When he grasped and wrapped his fingers around hers, Ernie
was beside himself with excitement. However, when Samantha Carter
allowed it and responded to his touch, his delight was doubled. This was
the first time his patients had shown any sign of movement. This meant
they were on the verge of regaining consciousness.
Ernie was a
realist when it came to practicing medicine, be it on those of his own
race, or humans. He could run tests on his patients until the cows came
home. But, those results could not tell him the entire story. Only his
patients could, but until they opened his eyes, he could only make
highly educated guesses as to what they had been through.
The brain waves
of both Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter were indicating a higher level
of consciousness. The amount of rapid eye movement in his patients
indicated they were both in a dream state. Based on those findings and
the physical movement from both patients, he believed they would open
their eyes soon. As for the exact time that would happen . . .
Ernie gathered
his information and added it to his computerized report. He hated what
he was entering though. At times like this, being a doctor sucked. His
fingers stabbed the panel with unusual force. Ernie stood back to catch
his breath and sighed.
The test results
were irrefutable. And deadly. Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter were
dying, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. He so
wanted them to open their eyes so he could talk to them. Maybe they
could give him a clue as to what had been done to them.
According to the
latest test results, the masses inside the brains of Jack O'Neill and
Samantha Carter were growing, gradually taking over their brains. At the
rate they were growing his patients would be dead in five to seven
days.
Ernie was
prepared for the briefing, but not looking forward to it, because he
knew his news would not be received well by the humans onboard. For that
matter, Thor had sounded less than pleased by his initial report. Due to
the precarious condition of his patients, he'd decided not to attend the
briefing in person. Instead, he would present the information via his
holographic image.
'I am so not
looking forward to this briefing. Thor will be pissed. As for Teal'c,
well it's fortunate that my skinny gray butt will only be there in
holographic form. That huge Jaffa is intimidating at best. However, the
thought of an extremely angry Teal'c, with hair no less, directing his
anger at little old me, well, the idea is downright scary.'
'Then there is
always Daniel Jackson. He'll throw a hissy fit and talk my ear off,
rambling on, listing the reasons why his friends should be awake by now
and quoting the pertinent cultural references. Doing his best to make me
feel guilty for something that's out of my control. As if that isn't
enough, once he's talked that subject to death, he'll start droning on
ad nauseam, arguing with me about why he should be allowed to visit his
friends.'
'Did I mention
that I'm not looking forward to this briefing? Jeez, Ernie, you're
sounding just like Jack O'Neill, which is not a bad thing. Right? See
Jack O'Neill? That's another reason you've got to open your eyes!'
The communication
link beeped, startling Ernie. He punched the button with a savage jab.
Thor's face appeared. The Supreme Commander looked as solemn as he
felt.
"We are awaiting your report, Eir."
Ernie blinked. 'Well, here goes nothing.'
"Your report?" Thor looked impatient.
The view expanded
to show the entire room and its occupants. Besides Thor, Teal'c, Daniel
Jackson, Colonel Dixon and Colonel Reynolds were also present. All
looked nervous and edgy. Teal'c was glowering. So not a good sign.
Ernie fidgeted,
tapping his fingers on the console. "Yes, my report. I am not attending
in person because of the condition of my two human patients." He raised
a finger for silence when he saw Daniel Jackson open his mouth. Ernie
was surprised when it worked. "Their condition is currently
stable."
This time Daniel Jackson couldn't resist. "You said currently
stable?"
"Yes." Ernie
keyed in the necessary information with practiced strokes, knowing that
it would be displayed on a view screen in the briefing room. "These
scans were taken of Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter shortly after they
were transported to the O'Neill II."
"As you can see,
they show that unknown objects were placed in their brains, attached to
the medulla, control center for autonomic functions such as heart rate
and respirations. Both objects appear to be emitting a low-frequency
radio signal."
Everyone in the
room went silent, as if they were holding their collective breaths.
Ernie continued.
"I discovered by accident that when these radio signals are interrupted
in any way, their heart rates and respirations decline, to the point
where death is imminent. Because of this, both patients were placed in a
single medical pod, created specifically for this situation."
"You discovered
this by accident? Explain." Teal'c was looking increasingly upset. Ernie
had the sudden image of the Jaffa tearing him limb from limb and gulped.
Definitely not a pretty picture.
"Jack O'Neill and
Samantha Carter were placed in individual medical pods upon their
arrival onboard our vessel. When I discovered that they were clothed in
garments of Replicator construction, the lids were closed and the pods
transported into an enclosed isolation unit for safety. Once the pods
were closed, both patients experienced convulsions, decreased
respirations and erratic heartbeats. Upon further examination, I was
able to determine the cause for this. According to my tests, Jack
O'Neill and Samantha Carter are unable to be situated no farther than
five feet apart without suffering the symptoms I mentioned
before."
Daniel Jackson's
eyebrows were wiggling. "Let me get this straight. Jack and Sam have
some kind of object in their heads that won't let them get any farther
than five feet away from each other?"
"Yes, that is what I said." Ernie blinked.
Daniel Jackson wasn't finished yet. "You said they're in a special
pod now? Special in what way?"
"It was
especially created for this situation and is large enough to hold both
Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter simultaneously."
Ernie paused when
he heard several snorts from his audience. He'd expected this reaction.
He looked around, hunting for the culprits. Teal'c's eyebrows were
getting positively chummy with his new hairline. Daniel Jackson was
covering his mouth, while the other two were openly smirking.
"Are Jack and Sam
aware of the new . . ." Daniel cleared his throat. "Sleeping
arrangements?" He turned innocent blue eyes on Ernie.
Ernie wasn't
fooled a bit. "They have not regained consciousness since their arrival
onboard, but their life signs are stable for now."
"So, in other
words, they don't know yet. That should be interesting." Colonel Dixon
didn't bother hiding the smirk on his face. "Can I be there when they
wake up?"
Thor turned a censorious eye on the humans. "I believe Eir has more
to add to his report."
Teal'c smiled slightly and bobbed his head regally toward Ernie.
"Continue."
Ernie borrowed a
page from the book of Jack O'Neill. "Listen up campers, the rest of my
news isn't pretty." Daniel Jackson's eyebrows went up, completely
serious now.
"My most recent
tests indicate the masses are increasing in size. In addition, more
masses have been detected in various other parts of their brains since
the first scans."
"What are you saying, Eir?" Thor's black eyes didn't blink.
Ernie didn't pull his punches. They deserved the bald unvarnished
truth. "They're dying."
Silence.
As expected, Daniel Jackson was the first to recover. "What do you
mean? They're alive now, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are
alive now, Daniel Jackson. However, the masses cannot be removed by any
means at my disposal. At their current rate of growth, the masses will
kill both patients in five to seven days. I am sorry." Ernie bowed his
head. At times like this his profession sucked.
"I understand."
Teal'c nodded, eyes somberly black. "I am confident that you will do
your utmost to care for our friends."
"Thank you, Teal'c. I just wish I could do more."
"Can we see them?" Daniel Jackson looked like a puppy that'd been
kicked. Hard.
"Not yet, however, I will inform you when this is possible. Their
conditions are critical at present."
Daniel puffed out a sigh, and then nodded, saying nothing.
A beeping noise
caught Ernie's attention. He raised one finger. "One moment please."
He studied the
new readings. Heart rate and respirations were increasing in both
patients. A groan from inside the pod grabbed his attention. A groan he
recognized.
"They're waking
up. I'll get back to you later." Ernie stabbed the button terminating
his holographic image, then hurried over to the medical pod. Sure
enough, Jack O'Neill's eyelids were fluttering.
"Crap." It was no
more than a hoarse whisper, but the sound of Jack O'Neill's voice was
sweet music to Ernie's ears. He noted that Jack O'Neill's hand still
curled around Samantha Carter's. Cool.
Ernie opened the
lid of the pod to better view its occupants. "Jack O'Neill?"
"Ernie . . .?" Brown eyes fluttered open and then shut again.
Another moan came from the man lying in the pod.
"Yeah sure yabetcha," Ernie chirped.
Brown eyes squinted open, then fixed on Ernie's face. "Wha. . . ?
Why am I naked . . . AND holding Carter's hand?"
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