Jack put the bug zapper
to the side. He'd finished making the alterations to it; the only thing
he needed now was a pupil to instruct in its operation. He figured
Teal'c would be an excellent candidate, except that the less-than-macho
appearance of the weapon might make the Jaffa turn it down.
O'Neill closed his eyes
in an attempt to conjure up the image of Teal'c advancing on swarms of
bugs, wielding a weapon that looked like a mushroom, and blasting them
to bits. After a moment he gave it up as a lost cause and shook his
head.
Holding his head level
and careful to avoid any sudden jarring movements, he stood up. So far,
so good. Sam watched him from her position in the medical pod, as if
unsure what he was up to.
Jack's bare feet felt
cool against the floor as he searched the room for the rest of his
equipment; he spotted it stacked off in a corner. He headed for it,
determined to make the most of the time he had left.
"Sir?" Behind him, he heard the sound of feet hitting the floor.
"Not going anywhere,
Carter. Just want to check out our gear." Sudden shortness of breath had
him falling to his knees, forehead on the floor.
He heard a thud behind
him, and then felt gentle hands fumbling at his shoulders. "That's what
I was trying to tell you. The distance factor, remember? We can't get
any farther than five feet away from each other. I suspect as time goes
on, the distance will only get shorter." Sam gasped for air, kneeling on
the floor next to him.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry 'bout
that." Jack shook his head in an effort to clear it.
Ernie appeared in a flash
of white light. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing out of
bed? My monitors just went crazy!" The little gray alien stood with
hands on hips, looking for all the world like an avenging angel of the
weirdest kind.
"I just wanted to get my
boots on, Ernie. You can't expect me to attend a meeting without the
proper uniform, can you? Even if it is with a bug person. And then I
have to have the correct accessories. Right Carter?"
She smiled. "Yes, Sir. And would the accessories include a flak
vest, Bowie knife, C-4, and a 9 mil?"
Jack held up one finger in admonishment. "Ah! Don't forget the
shades. Got to have the shades too."
Ernie shook his head. "I
don't know how Dr. Fraiser ever put up with you two."
Sam supported Jack as he
got to his feet, then he pulled her up. Turning dramatically, Jack put
one hand to his chest. "Moi?"
"Yes, you. And don't try
the innocent act with me, Jack O'Neill. If you needed something, all you
had to do was ask for it instead of traipsing all over hell and back."
Jack smiled and turned to
Sam, mouthing the words. "All over hell and back?"
"I was just walking to
the other side of the fricking room, for pity's sake. You can't expect
me to meet Fifth without a gun stuck in my pants. Can you?"
Jack clapped his hand
over his mouth, as if he could stuff the words back inside his mouth.
Beside him, Sam giggled.
"Well, they say the accessories make the man."
Jack glowered. "No giggling, Carter." He shook his head. "I was
talking about my 9 mil and you know it."
Sam responded with a
guffaw. "Whatever you say, Sir." She sputtered as she watched Jack's
face grow beet red. Tears of mirth streamed down her face as she wiped
at her eyes with one hand.
Ernie shook his head. "Jeez, humans."
"If there's no objection
from the peanut gallery, I'm going to check out our gear." He turned and
plastered a look of wounded innocence on his face. "Coming Carter?"
She snickered. "Yes, Sir. Got to check out those weapons, that's for sure."
'At least I got Carter
laughing, even if I had to make a fool of myself to do it. She's been
through hell lately, if I can get her mind off this mess for a few
seconds by playing the clown, I'll do it. It's worth it just to see her
smile again.'
Jack snorted and walked
toward the gear piled in the corner, careful not to let his female
companion lag too far behind. His head was still pounding from their
recent close call, and his left arm ached.
He shook his arm and
flexed it, trying to work away the pain. It didn't work though. He
looked sideways. Carter didn't look too hot either; her forehead was
scrunched up the way it always did when she was in pain and trying to
hide it.
Jack stopped and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess." She
shrugged but wouldn't meet his eyes with hers.
"This Siamese twin gig is a real drag. Isn't it?"
"You can say that again." She smiled and shook her head. "Better get
busy and check out our gear."
They turned to see Ernie
standing behind them. "We don't need chaperones, Ernie. We'll behave
ourselves, I promise. Right Carter?"
"It's my job to keep an
eye on you two and make sure you don't do anything stupid that would get
you both killed. So just hush up, you aren't getting rid of me yet."
Jack stooped over the
piled up gear, then sat down quickly. A glance to the side made him
realize that Carter was sitting on the floor too, her head between her
knees, panting.
"Oh, my head." Jack
groaned and copied Sam's position. The lights went dim and he felt
himself sliding sideways into Carter.
In the background he
could hear a shrill beeping noise. He tried opening his eyes, but it was
hard because his chest felt weird, kind of fluttery, plus he was having
trouble breathing. Ernie's face swam into view, but it didn't look
right, wavering in and out of his sight. He caught himself straining to
hear his heart beat and held his breath. When no beat came, he
gasped.
"Jack O'Neill, look at
me!" It sounded like Ernie, sort of, that is if he were standing at the
long end of a tunnel and sniffing helium.
He conceded the fight with his too-heavy
eyelids. The last thing he remembered with the softness of Sam's thigh
against his cheek and her scent as he lost consciousness.
***
Ernie looked down at his
two human patients lying side by side in the closed medical pod. Their
faces looked pale and drawn for good reason. They'd almost died, again.
Only his quick action had saved them this time, but their time was
growing short.
He slammed his fist on the console and then shook it when it stung.
'We've got to do
something! It's not my nature to just stand idly by while my patients
slip away from me. I became a doctor so I could save lives . . . and now
when I need my skills the most, they mean nothing. Crap!'
The console beeped.
Thor's face looked at him from the miniature view screen. "We're ready
for a progress report on O'Neill and Carter, Eir."
"Sorry for the delay,
Thor. They had another setback and I just finished installing
miniaturized pace makers in their chests to help regulate their
heartbeats."
"Their condition is that dire?"
"Yes, it is. I entered
the data into the ship's computers along with the frequency used by the
power source for their pacemakers. That way when the Replicators take
them . . ."
"Good. Your suspicions
were correct. I was able to confirm that a signal was sent from their
vessel to ours at the time of their collapse. In addition, the
Replicator vessel has come to a halt and appears to be awaiting our
arrival. It seems that Teal'c was accurate in his assumption that our
current stealth technology is inadequate when dealing with the
Replicators."
Ernie sighed. "How much longer?"
Thor answered with a
question of his own. "How much time do you need to prepare them?"
Ernie heaved a sigh of
regret. "They're dying. I can help them regain consciousness by giving
them medication, but I'd hate doing it."
Thor looked away before
replying. "All other elements of our strategy are in place. I estimate
we will be within transporter range of the Replicator vessel in one
hour. I believe O'Neill and Carter would prefer to meet their enemy with
their eyes open. Do you not agree?"
Ernie sighed again in
resignation and shook his head. "I hate it when you're right, Thor. I'll
wake them up. They deserve that much at least. It's not as if I can do
anything more for them, and their only chance is with those bugs . . .
have I mentioned that I hate it when you're right?"
Thor bobbed his head
slowly, blinked, and wiped a thin hand across his face. "Yes you have,
my friend, and I hate it when I have to make these kind of
decisions."
"I'll have them ready in
fifteen minutes. Then you can send in their friends. I have the feeling
that they'll want to see them before . . ."
"We'll be ready, Eir."
Thor paused. "I am proud to serve with an Asgard such as you. Your
strength of character serves us well."
Ernie stood there, dumbfounded. "Thor?"
"Yes?"
"You mean that?"
"Of course. I would not have said it otherwise."
"Wow, thanks, Thor."
"You are quite welcome,
Eir. Now I believe we both have our jobs to do, yours being a most
distasteful one. I will contact Daniel Jackson and advise him that your
patients will be receiving visitors in fifteen minutes." Thor's image
winked out.
Ernie shook his head in
amazement. Thor, the Supreme Commander of The Asgard Fleet, and Grand
Pooh-Bah of their Galaxy, had given him a compliment.
'Jeez, and I thought he
considered me to be nothing more than a pain in the ass most of the
time. He said I have strength of character. Wow. Will wonders never
cease? I've got to write this down someplace so that the next time I get
my butt chewed for blurting out something, I can remember this
atta-boy.'
Ernie turned his
attention to the humans lying quietly in the pod. Touching several
buttons, he carefully watched the life sign monitors on both patients.
According to their monitors, the respiration level and heartbeats were
within normal limits.
As the injected stimulant
took effect, their hearts beat more rapidly. He trotted over to the side
of the pod and peered down at its two occupants. Noting movement beneath
their eyelids, he nodded. They were in a dream-like state and would soon
be regaining consciousness.
Ernie touched several
pads on the console regulating their fluid and medication intake. The
internal pacemakers appeared to be doing their jobs. He just hoped there
would be no need for them in the near future. However, since the
Replicators were involved in the equation, he wouldn't hold his
breath.
Abandoning the console,
he made his way over to the gear stacked in the corner. This had been
Jack O'Neill's goal when he and Samantha Carter had almost died of
cardiac arrest. If it was that important to him, Ernie figured the least
he could do was to help him get what he needed. God knows they both were
going to need all the help they could get in the coming hours.
Squatting down, he
rummaged through it, picking out the items he thought his charges would
find most useful. It didn't take long for him to locate two pairs of
boots, socks and flak jackets. T-shirts were added to replace the ones
Ernie ruined when he'd cut them off their bodies in order to save their
lives. The pockets in the jackets already contained extra ammunition for
their projectile weapons, so he left it there. A Swiss Army knife also
found its way into one of the myriad pockets.
Ernie found a leather
holster containing Jack's 9 mil, so he included it in the rapidly
growing pile. The items he wasn't sure of, he left in the pile, figuring
that if anything had been left out, Jack O'Neill would let him know
about it.
However, Ernie had his
doubts about whether or not the two humans would be strong enough to
carry so much equipment due to their weakened conditions. Still, it was
better if they made that decision rather than him. After all, he was
remaining behind while they were almost literally stepping into the
lion's den.
A groan brought Ernie's
attention back to his patients. Rising to his feet, he scampered back to
the pod, just in time to see Jack O'Neill's eyes flutter open.
Another groan, this one of a different pitch
came from Samantha Carter. Ernie keyed several more pads on the control
console and the lid retracted, allowing him to view his two waking
patients.
***
Fifth withdrew his touch from Jay and Ess, the boundary between his
hands and theirs stabilizing as he stepped away.
"You sent them an offer they can't refuse?" Jay smirked.
Ess chuckled, the sound bouncing eerily off the Replicator walls
surrounding them. "Ya think?"
"The Destroyer still lives as does Samantha.
They will both rejoin us soon. We have only to wait."
***
"Ernie?" Jack O'Neill rasped, swallowing heavily.
"In the flesh." Ernie's
face came into view and Jack slammed his eyes shut again when he caught
sight of his own reflection in the obsidian-black eyeball.
He heard Sam's hoarse voice beside him. "Jack?"
"Carter?"
"You both are suffering
from arrhythmia of the heart and must take it easy for a bit. The
stimulants I've given you should help you feel more alert soon." Ernie
spoke softly, studying the faces of his patients. They both still looked
pale, but some color was beginning to return to their cheeks.
"S' okay, buddy." Jack licked dry lips and made a concentrated
effort to keep his eyes open. "What happened?"
"You both experienced
erratic heartbeats and then cardiac arrest brought on by the devices
inside your brains. I've installed pacemakers in you both to counteract
further occurrences of this problem."
Jack turned his head to
view the woman lying beside him and watched as Carter opened her mouth,
closed it and tried again.
Her voice sounded dry and raspy. "Why?"
Ernie paused for a moment
as if to collect his thoughts before replying. "I believe this last
attack was triggered by an outside source. According to my instruments,
the masses are increasing at a much higher rate than previously noted.
In addition, a radio signal that originated with the Replicator vessel
and was transmitted to these devices was detected just prior to your
collapse. This was . . . unexpected."
"They're upping the
ante?" Jack O'Neill grimaced. "Nothing like an engraved invitation."
"Sir?"
"The bugs are making sure
we have to come to them. This was their way of telling us that we'd
better get our butts over there . . . or else."
Ernie touched a pad on
the pod console. The head of the bed folded, inclining upwards, so that
its two occupants were given a clear view of their surroundings.
"Unfortunately, Thor
agrees with your conclusion. We will be within range of the Replicator
vessel soon. We believe they will transport you to their vessel at that
time."
Jack turned his head to
Ernie and looked him in the eye, his expression grim. "How long?"
Ernie shrugged and looked away. "Soon."
With some effort, Sam
pushed herself up on her elbows, grasping hold of the silver blanket
concealing her breasts with one hand. "I don't think he can tell us
much, Sir. We can't know what they plan because of Fifth. What's the
first thing he'll do after he beams us over to his ship?"
"Besides gloat?" He
patted his blanket, checking that it was securely around his waist and
then acted disappointed when hers stayed in place.
"After that, Sir."
Jack winced. "He'll stick his hand inside our heads and . . . Oh,
now I get it. Once he does that, he'll know everything we do."
"Bingo. You hit the nail
on the head, Jack O'Neill." Ernie nodded but refrained from his usual
exuberant bouncing. "I picked out some of your gear that I thought you
might want."
Ernie trotted over to his
command console and manipulated the controls. When he was finished the
pile of equipment had moved from the corner and had reappeared beside
the pod.
Jack smiled. "Hey,
thanks, Ernie. I was wanting some of our stuff. Don't know how much use
it'll be against those non-breathing, smarmy, overly dramatic, god
forsaken, cliché-spouting Bug People . . . But hey, every little bit
helps." He turned to the woman beside him. "Do ya think I covered
everything?"
"Yeah sure yabetcha!" she answered with a grin.
Jack ran his hand over his chest, feeling the incision where the
pacemaker resided, and winced. Then, he lifted the blanket and grinned
before letting it fall back around his waist.
"Hey Ernie. Thanks for
leaving Dick and the twins alone this time." Sam looked at him with a
puzzled look on her face. "No catheter." He smirked.
Sam nodded and returned his smile after peeking under her own
blanket. When Jack tried to sneak a peek, she slapped his arm.
Jack frowned and rubbed
his arm before changing the subject. "So, let's see our stuff."
When Sam gave him a dirty
look, Jack gestured impatiently toward the waiting pile. "I was talking
about our gear."
Ignoring them, Ernie
nodded, scurried over to it, and began sorting through the pile. When he
was finished, both humans were dressed in black t-shirts, combat fatigue
pants, and socks. The only things left were their boots.
However, when Jack tried
bending over to pick them up, he groaned and grabbed his head.
"Sir?"
"Sorry, just a dizzy
spell. It'll pass." He sank back and rubbed his eyes. "Oy!"
"Jack O'Neill?"
"Yes, Ernie?"
"Perhaps you could use
some help?" Jack opened his eyes and watched curiously as Ernie moved to
the side to allow his two patients to see around him. His eyes widened
when he saw Daniel Jackson and Teal'c had walked in the room.
"Hi kids." Jack smiled and waved his hand. "Whatcha' doing?"
Teal'c strode toward the
pod like a mobile mountain. "We have come to assist you in your
preparations for the coming confrontation."
Ernie moved off to stand
behind his control console and stood back to watch, his liquid black
eyes seemed to follow every movement and nuance.
Daniel smiled nervously,
stuck both hands in his pants pockets and followed Teal'c at a more
leisurely pace. Neither of them stopped until they'd reached their
friends' medical pod.
Jack held up a hand and
frowned. "Ah! Not a word about the double bed, Danny Boy, or I'll tell
the supply clerk not to order anymore coffee for a month."
Daniel responded by
nervously pushing his glasses up on his nose. "I hardly think that
you're in the position to order anyone around right now, Jack."
Jack stuck out his chest
and nailed him with his brown eyes. "Look at me Space Monkey. Doesn't it
say General on this uniform?"
"Uh, actually, no. It doesn't." Daniel rolled his eyes.
"It doesn't?" Jack plucked at his black t-shirt and eyed it with
mock disappointment. "Well, it should."
"Indeed." Teal'c smiled
and picked up two sets of boots. He handed the smaller pair to Daniel,
who smiled and carried them around the pod.
"I wish to assist you in
your preparations, O'Neill, if you would allow it." The Jaffa bowed and
held Jack's boots out in front of him like an offering.
Jack's mouth hung open. "What?"
"Sir, I think they want
to help us on with our boots." She shrugged, peeked at Daniel, and then
looked down in embarrassment.
"But, it's just my god
damned boots, T. I've been putting them on by myself since I was knee
high to a grasshopper." Jack growled.
"Indeed. However, at
present, you are unable to accomplish this task because of your
injuries. Is this not so?"
"Um . . . yeah." Jack studied his hands clasped tightly on his lap,
feeling awkward and uncertain.
"Then allow me to assist you, as one brother to another."
Jack looked up, but saw nothing but respect coming from his brother-in-arms.
Sam nudged Jack's arm. "I
think we should let them, Sir. I think they just want to help."
Jack scrutinized the faces of Daniel and Teal'c, but saw no hint of
laughter or ridicule in their eyes.
"Well, all right. But if
you breathe a word of this to anybody on base, I'll have you both
scrubbing the latrine with a very small toothbrush for a month. You got
me?" He stabbed one finger in the air in Daniel's direction.
Teal'c hoisted one
eyebrow. "I fail to understand why the bathroom facilities would require
cleaning with such an implement. Do not the custodial staff perform
their tasks in a more than adequate manner?"
Daniel smothered a laugh and dropped one of Sam's boots. It landed
with a loud thud on the floor.
Jack dropped his finger
like a flag of surrender. "Love that sense of humor, T-man."
"I am not joking,
O'Neill." Teal'c frowned, raising both eyebrows.
Then, kneeling down on
one knee, he grasped one of Jack's feet and gently inserted it into one
boot. After lacing it up and blousing the pants, he did the same with
the other.
On the other side of the
bed, Daniel was doing the same for Sam. By the time they'd finished,
Jack's eyes were suspiciously moist. He blinked rapidly, looking toward
the ceiling, then sideways at Sam. She sniffed noisily and wiped at her
eyes.
When Jack looked toward
Teal'c again, he saw that his Jaffa friend was holding his knife and
pistol out for to him. Jack placed the gun in the back of his pants and
the knife in his boot.
When he heard a feminine snicker beside him, he glared at her and
nudged her arm with his elbow. "No giggling, Carter."
Jack
turned back to Teal'c who was holding out a red Swiss Army knife in his
hand. "Thanks, Teal'c." They grasped forearms in the grip of warrior
brothers. Then Jack slipped the small knife into his side pocket.
"I don't know how I can ever thank you, Daniel." Sam ducked her head in
embarrassment, then grabbed his arm, and drew him into a hug.
"Thank me later at the party we're throwing when we
get back home. You'll love it. It's at Jack's place." He smiled as he
gently disengaged himself from Sam's arms.
Jack looked shocked. "My place? Will there be cake?"
"Ya think?" Teal'c responded with a smile.
Jack
carefully swung long legs over the side of the pod and stood. A noise at
his back had him swiveling in place, with one hand against the pod, only
to see that Carter was also out of bed and standing. He lifted his eyes
and smiled, measuring off the distance between them. It didn't look too
far, but didn't really want to take any chances at this point. The heart
attack gig was definitely not on his top ten list of fun things to
do.
Jack
cocked his head to one side and waved at the intervening distance with
one hand. "Carter, shall I come to you or will you do the honors?"
"Since you're closer to the door, why don't I come
to you, Sir?" Sam sat back down on the pod they'd so recently vacated,
then lifted her legs and scooted over to sit beside Jack. He grasped
each of her hands in his as he aided her in standing next to him.
Her
hands felt soft and warm and left a tingly sensation behind when she
slipped them out of his grasp. The feeling was . . . distracting, to say
the least, especially considering that they would soon be meeting up
with the antithesis of humanity that had the power to destroy not only
them, but everything that they stood for.
That
thought washed away all the warm and fuzzy feelings that resided within
his mind and body. Now only a cold fury existed within him, allowing no
retreat, firm in his resolve to protect those he loved, even at the cost
of his own life. He knew he would do whatever it took. Like the Roman
soldier of old, he would come back with his shield . . . or on it. The
leaden weight in his gut told him they were running out of time.
"Sir?" Sam looked startled and stepped back when
she noted the coldness of Jack's eyes.
Jack blinked, brought back to the here and now by her words and
actions. "What?"
"For a minute, you looked . . ." She shrugged and looked to Teal'c
as if for an answer.
"O'Neill prepares for battle, as should you."
Teal'c's face was blank, betraying no emotion.
"Sorry, I know about his Black Ops training. It's
easy to forget about it until you're reminded about it in times like
this."
Jack
chose to ignore her comment, allowing her to see the killing machine
that he could become when the necessity demanded even for a moment was
something he tried to avoid whenever possible. But like Teal'c said,
that part of him would be needed soon.
Jack turned calculating eyes to his warrior brother, knowing he
could trust him to tell him the truth. "How much time before . . .?"
Teal'c acknowledged that trust by inclining his head. "Thor has said
the Replicator vessel appears to be awaiting our arrival."
Jack's head turned to lock eyes with Sam. "So, anytime now."
"Indeed."
Jack's lips twisted in a half smile. "Ya got
everything, Carter? Pack your toothbrush, assorted doohickeys?"
"Yes, Sir." Her lips curved in a smile that reached her eyes.
"Um, guys," Daniel had joined them on the other side of the pod and
had his hands stuffed in his pants pockets again.
"Daniel?" Jack smirked.
"I just wanted to say . . ." Daniel paused and looked at the floor.
Jack
quirked his eyebrow and then frowned. "Ack, stop!"
"What?" Daniel looked surprised, unsure what to say.
"Two
things, Danny Boy." He held up one finger. "Number one: no good byes,
only 'see ya laters'." He held up a second finger. "Number two: get your
cotton picking hands out of your pockets. You look like you're playing
pocket pool."
For
a moment there was silence. Daniel's jaw dropped open as he jerked his
hands out of his pockets and hid them behind his back. He directed his
reddening face up toward Jack and closed his mouth with a snap.
"C'mere, Space Monkey." Jack stepped forward to
wrap both arms around Daniel in a warm embrace of friendship, one hand
reaching up to tousle the short brown hair in a familiar gesture. It
took only a second for Daniel to respond in kind.
"What about me?" Carter looked at her two friends
hugging each other.
"What about you?" Jack stepped back and slapped
Daniel on the back.
Sam took the opportunity to step toward Daniel, arms spread wide,
and a smile on her face that lit up her blue eyes.
Jack stood back, watching their embrace. "Hey Ernie. You getting all
this down?" He spoke as if to the air, then turned his head and caught
the look of avid enthusiasm on his Asgard friend's face and grinned.
"Gotcha!"
Ernie bounced in place. "Ya think? Of course I am,Jack O'Neill. This
will add greatly to my study of human methods of communication."
"Whatever." Jack shrugged and turned around when he
heard the door opening behind him.
Thor glided into the room. "We are within transporter range of the
Replicator vessel." He announced into the suddenly silent room.
Jack looked at Sam and opened his mouth to
speak. Then, a brilliant flash of white light filled the
room.
***
Sam
opened her eyes to discover she was lying curled up on the floor in a
room that was disturbing in its familiarity. Beneath her was nothing but
row after row of Replicator blocks. She blinked her eyes against the
bright light that allowed her to see her immediate surroundings, in an
effort to give them a chance to adjust to its harsh glare. A whisper of
air against her skin informed her that she was naked.
'This crap is getting old. Just what does Fifth have
against me wearing clothes. I mean, it's not as if he can get off on
seeing me nude.'
She shuddered at the memory that stray thought called to her mind.
'Or at least I hope he doesn't! Maybe it's a control
thing. That's what Jack would say. Yeah, that's got to be it. God, I
hope so anyway. Any other explanation would be just too weird, not to
mention scary.'
To distract herself, she uncurled from her fetal position on the floor and
rolled over into a sitting position. Although the view hadn't improved,
at least, she felt like she was doing something, taking control of an
uncontrollable situation. As far as she could tell, she was alone.
She
could hear nothing except the sound of her own breathing. Remembering
the devices inside their heads, she rubbed the back of her neck,
searching for a clue as to what had happened while she was unconscious,
but found no incriminating scar or other sign that anything about her
condition had changed, at least physically.
Needing something to keep her mind occupied, she
got to her feet, curling her toes in an effort to avoid the irregular
feel of the replicator blocks. She made her way over to the nearest wall
and ran her hands up along it. When she felt nothing more than the
blocks, she jerked her hands away and shook them, as if to rid herself
of their contaminating touch.
Wrapping her arms around her chest, she shivered
and walked over to the other side of the room in a futile hope that she
might discover something different in its makeup and sighed in
frustration when she didn't.
'I wonder where Jack is? If they took me, I know they had to have taken him
too. Since Fifth seems to have a special vendetta against him, there is
no way he would've left him behind. Plus there is the distance factor to
consider.'
'Ever since they put those things inside our heads,
we haven't been able to get too far apart from each other without paying
for it, and since I can't feel any sort of incision, it only follows
that they haven't been removed yet.'
'Wait a minute, Sam. They wouldn't necessarily
leave an incision if they removed it, not when they can stick their
hands inside your heads as easily as they do. Still, wouldn't I know if
it had been removed? I'd know, wouldn't I?'
Sam
caught herself pacing and stopped in place, rubbing her arms to dispel
the goose bumps that sprang into being as the air brushed against her
bare skin. She smiled when she realized that this was yet another habit
of Jack's that she'd acquired along the way. She couldn't help but think
that picking up some of his quirks and eccentricities wouldn't
necessarily be a bad thing, especially if it kept her alive.
With that thought in mind, she resumed her pacing.
"So, what's next?"
Jack started, looked around and then closed his mouth. "Dorothy, I
don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
He rapidly took note of the next two details that sprang to his
mind. He was naked and he wasn't alone. In this instance, those were
both very bad things.
Standing in front of him were Fifth, Jay and Ess.
All wore matching smirks on their faces; one particular trait that until
now, he'd considered to be his own personal trademark.
"Ya think?" Jay folded his arms indolently across his steel gray
tunic and waggled his eyebrows, then turned to Ess "See? I told ya he was
smart."
"You had your doubts?" Jack copied the eyebrow waggle, demonstrating
that the original was always better than the copy. "Jeez, I'm crushed."
Ess laughed and walked toward him, stopping at arms length. "Always
the smart ass, aren't you, Jack?"
Jack
took a step backwards and crossed his arms across his chest, trying to
ignore the fact that he didn't have a stitch of clothes on and Sam's
evil twin was giving him the once over. It made him feel like a canary .
. . right before a cat added it to its luncheon buffet.
"Yeah, well you know what they all say. He who
laughs last . . . laughs last." He smiled and clapped his hands
together. "Yep, that's what they say, all right."
Fifth stepped forward and Ess gave way. "I suppose you're
wondering why I called you here." He smiled, showing ALL his teeth.
Jack
squinted and shaded his eyes with his remaining hand. "You mind tuning
down the glare from those pearly whites of yours? Your teeth are so
bright, I'm gonna need shades."
Fifth frowned and the teeth disappeared. "You're changing the
subject. Aren't you curious as to why you were brought here?"
Jack crossed his arms over his chest again. "Actually, no. What I
was wondering is what you've done with Carter?
I have a pretty good idea about why I'm here."
Fifth smile grew wider and took a step closer. Jack responded by
risking a quick glance behind him before taking stepping back.
"You
do?" Fifth turned to Jay and Ess. "You hear that? He thinks he knows why
he's here." The bug twins responded with knowing smiles of their own.
Jack tapped a foot impatiently. "You guys finished over there?"
As one, the Bug People turned to look at him.
"Revenge."
"And?" Jay encouraged. The three walked closer and
spread out, Fifth staying in front and the twins moving to either side
of Jack. He responded by backing away until he could move no farther
because of the wall at his back.
"Isn't that enough? Revenge is the oldest cliché in
the book, by the way. I thought you'd figured that out by now." Jack
tried for nonchalance that he in no way felt. He leaned against the
wall, folded his arms and crossed one leg in front of the other.
One hand went to his chest when a rocking sensation distracted him for a
moment. He gasped as his heart thudded irregularly, and then stopped
beating altogether. His eyes closed as he sagged to the floor.
An electrical jolt caused him to gasp again as a familiar lub-dub rhythm
from within told him his heart was beating once more. And there was
something else . . . Carter, he could sense Sam, and he could tell she
was in trouble too.
'Carter? I can feel her . . . fear . . . and
pain? Where the hell are you, Carter? If these sons of bugs have hurt
you . . . Why can I sense her if I can't see her? Could the thingies in
our heads be giving us this weird ability to sense each other's
thoughts? This is just too weird for me to figure out. Besides, I'm
tired; I'll let Carter figure it out, she's good at that kind of stuff.
Yeah, Carter will figure it out.'
He opened his eyes and realized he was lying on the floor, looking up at
his inhuman captors. Considering that he felt like crap, Bug Boy looked
singularly unconcerned about his welfare. In fact, all of them were
smiling and looked like they were trying out for a toothpaste
commercial.
Those Bug people were getting on his last nerve. "For crying out
loud, Bug Boy, do I have to spell everything out to ya?"
"You? Explain things to us?" Fifth exchanged glances with his bug
cohorts and they laughed, its echoes bouncing in a tinny fashion about
the room.
Jack
rolled his eyes and levered himself to a sitting position. Using one arm
to prop himself up, he directed his gaze toward them, then sighed
dramatically, which accomplished his purpose. Just as he envisioned,
they stopped laughing and turned their attention in his direction.
"Revenge." Jack repeated as if he were lecturing a
squad of cadets that had failed their exams . . . again.
"What?" Jay waggled his eyebrows and gave him the
O'Neill 'dumb as a stump' look.
"I said the reason you snatched me back again was for revenge." Jack
repeated yet again, enunciating each word carefully.
"What's your point?" Jay retorted.
"Kind of hard to exact revenge on a corpse. Don't cha think?"
Jack
drew his knees up to this chest and rested his arms on them. He was
getting his breath back and felt like he was only half dead . . .
instead of death warmed over. Yep, things were looking better and better
all the time in the world of Jack O'Neill.
Fifth smirked. "You think that's the only reason
you're here? For revenge?" He shook his head.
Jack
shrugged and said nothing. If he knew Fifth, the explanation would be
coming soon enough. He didn't have long to wait.
"You are The Destroyer." Fifth's eyes glittered with hate.
Jack
was taken by surprise and his head rocked back against the wall with a
thud. Talk about feeling discom-bug-ulated!
"I'm . . . what?"
"You
are The Destroyer. Because of you and your knowledge from the Ancients,
you built a weapon that destroyed many of the Brethren. You have refused
to share this information with us in the merging."
"You
mean that Bug Zapper Thingy?" Jack schooled his features to show
incredulous surprise. 'Now you're getting
somewhere, Jack. You have something that they want and with that, you
just might have some bargaining power.'
Jack's mention of the weapon created from the
knowledge of the Ancients produced an eerie effect. The wall at his back
rippled, and the floor and ceiling seemed to shudder. For a moment, Jack
felt like he was riding an ocean swell as his surroundings rolled and
undulated. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and struggled
to regain his bearings in a room where solid matter seemed no longer to
exist.
As
unexpectedly as it began, the individual blocks solidified once again,
providing a welcome respite for Jack. He squinted his eyes to study the
three Bug People standing over him. Although he hated his seated
position and the psychological advantage it gave his captors over him,
he felt he had no other choice but to remain where he was. As long as
his heart continued to give him problems, he simply didn't trust his
body to keep him standing. At least this way, his body was less likely
to betray him by collapsing.
Fifth's face transformed its boyish features into a
mask of hatred, as the three Bug People bent toward him.
"You are The Destroyer." Fifth repeated.
Jack
held up one hand like a traffic cop. "Now wait a cotton picking minute.
You mean to tell me that you've hauled my ass, not to mention Carter's,
all over hell and back because you're pissed off that I stuck my head in
that head grabber thingy and won't share the download with you?" Jack
shook his head and laughed. "I told Daniel that checking out that head
sucker was a bad idea. That's what I told him. Didn't I? You guys should
know that, since you've got my memories."
Jack's tirade had stopped their movement toward
him. Fifth straightened and looked uncertain. "I don't understand."
Jack
rolled his eyes. "What I'm saying is that you're going at this all
wrong. If you're after the intel inside my head, why is Carter here?"
Jack kept his eyes on Fifth and crossed his arms negligently on his
raised knees. "You don't need Carter, so you might as well send her
back. You know as well as I do that she didn't get the download. I
did."
"We
brought her to insure your cooperation, Jack. You should know how this
sort of thing works." Jay shook his head and smiled at Ess.
Jack
shook his head as if he were critiquing three particularly inept
recruits. "If you two know me as well as all that, then you'd know that
your insurance policy is null and void. I won't tell you anything, no
matter what you do to Carter or me. And as I pointed out before, you
can't get revenge or info out of a corpse." He shrugged
indifferently.
"You
mean to tell us that you'd share this information with us if we send
Samantha back?" Ess squatted down to look him over more carefully. Jack
couldn't help but flinch away from her nearness. It leered seductively
and then rose to its feet again.
"I've got what you want, so send her back. Once you
have me, you'll be able to take all the time you need to get what you
want. You and I both know that the Asgard can't catch you if you don't
want them to. It'll just be you, me, and all your bug friends." Jack
couldn't stop himself from shuddering.
"Your idea has merit." Fifth nodded. "We need to
evaluate the new data. As you are remaining with us, clothing will be
provided for you in our absence."
With that cryptic statement, Fifth, Jay, and Ess turned and walked
toward the opposite wall. It melted around them, allowing them passage,
then sealed behind them.
A moment later, two Replicators made their entrance through a far wall.
They stopped in the middle of the room, and began clicking their
mandibles together like mechanical spiders spinning a web. Out of these
movements, they knitted a material that slowly grew into a tunic and
trousers. When they'd finished, they left through the wall, the same way
they'd arrived.
Jack
felt reluctant to touch the clothing manufactured by the bugs, but as
the alternative was staying naked, he decided to take them up on their
offer. He gingerly crawled over to the neatly piled clothes and put them
on, shuddering at the weird method of their construction.
He swiveled on his butt when he heard a rustling sound behind him. As he
looked, the individual replicator blocks joined with each other to form
larger Bugs that scuttled and whirred their way down the rapidly
shrinking wall. They swarmed away from him and climbed up the walls, and
then stopped on the ceiling, clinging there like oversized flies from
hell.
"Sir?"
Jack's head swiveled away from his bug watch toward the voice.
"Carter?"
Sam ran toward him and then stopped when she saw him sitting on the
floor. She crossed her arms over her bare breasts and crotch and blushed.
"Jack?"
Jack's eyes widened as he got to his knees and then
to his feet. "Sam? It's me." He sniffed in the aroma that he'd grown to
know so well. "It's really me."
Sam
looked at him with doubt and then her eyes widened too. "Sorry. With
those clothes of yours, I wasn't sure if it was really you at first."
Jack
glanced down at his attire and then back up at Sam. "Oh, you mean these
duds of mine? They were knitted for me, courtesy of Bug Boy and his
merry band of techno-spiders. I think it's their kinky way of marking
what they consider to be their property."
"Yes, Sir. As you can see, they haven't given me any so far."
Jack
smiled. "Yes, I can see that." His smile widened until he saw the
murderous look on her face. "Oh yeah. How's about I lend you my top?"
He turned away and began pulling it over his head without waiting
for her answer. Keeping his head turned, he thrust the tunic in what he
hoped was her general direction.
"Thanks. It was getting a bit chilly in here, if
you know what I mean." Her voice was muffled and he could hear her
pulling it over her head.
Jack looked down at his bare feet, anywhere else but at the amazingly
half-naked and beautiful female body in front of him. "I was worried
about you, Carter. Did your heart just about give out too? I thought I
could sense your pain there for a minute."
Sam nodded. "Thank god for those pacemakers. That connection we
have, kind of weird, isn't it?"
Jack smiled. "Yeah, it is."
"I haven't seen anyone since I woke up, Sir. What about you?" Her voice
sounded worried, and caused his head to jerk up automatically. Then he
realized that Carter's borrowed tunic didn't cover as much in the front
due to her breasts, causing it to ride up higher in the crotch area.
'Don't look, Jack. Oy! Too late, you looked. And a
lovely sight it was too!'
"Me?" His voiced squeaked, so he cleared his throat
before trying again. "Oh, I've had plenty of company. Fifth and Thing
One and Thing Two have been letting me know just how unhappy they are
with the way I don't share my download with them." Jack shrugged, and
then looked up into the air before laughing dispiritedly.
"Sir?"
"They call me The Destroyer. Did you know that?"
Jack shuffled his feet as his hands searched for the pants pockets. As
there were none, his fingers made a whispering sound as they slid along
his thighs.
Sam walked to Jack's side and touched his shoulder, grabbing his
attention. Her face looked puzzled and worried. "The Destroyer?"
"Yeah, The Destroyer. Seems they're pissed off
because I built that Bug Zapper thingy and they can't get to the
download from the Ancients even when they stick their hands inside my
head." Jack shook his head and laughed again. "Kind of ironic, don't cha
think?"
Sam shook her head. "Ironic? How so?"
"I never wanted the download in the first place. Hell, I tried to talk
Daniel out of going to see the damned thing. Remember?" He sighed and
turned away. "And now that I've got it, everyone wants it. Everyone,
that is except me. And I couldn't give it away even if I wanted to. Thor
made sure of that when he unthawed me the last time. I won't be able to
convince the bugs of that though." Jack shrugged.
He didn't hear anything from the woman standing behind him, but he
still knew she was there. "Still, there is one good thing though."
Jack
turned to look at Sam. "Jack, you mean to say that Fifth wants the
information from the Ancient download but you can't give it to him?"
"Yep."
"So what are we going to do?"
Jack took a deep breath. "They're sending you back to Thor's ship.
I've convinced them that they don't need you anymore."
"What about you, Jack?"
"I'm staying here, Carter." Jack's eyes bored into Sam's blue ones.
"What?" Sam narrowed her eyes.
"I think you heard me the first time." Jack's eyes slid away from
hers as he looked to the side. When he felt her fingers on his cheek, he
started.
"Just like that?" Now that she had his attention,
she let go of his cheek.
His skin continued to tingle where she'd touched it and he rubbed
his face self-consciously.
'Sam isn't going to make this easy. I knew she
wouldn't be happy with this, but then it has to be done. At least one of
us has to get out of here and warn Thor about what the bugs are capable
of. Since they want me . . . or what's inside this head of mine, then
that means that she has to go . . . and I have to stay . . . with them.
For however long it takes to destroy every single last one of them.'
'She's got to see that's the only way this can play
itself out. I'll hold out as long as I can until Thor can use the Bug
Zapper on their asses. In the meantime, Sam will be safe. That will make
whatever happens worth it. Just to know that she made it out okay and is
safe. She's got to see that.'
"Do I have to make it an order, Carter?"
His head rocked as she slapped him. "Ow!"
He rubbed his face that was still tingling from the blow. "Why'd you do
that for?" Then he stopped when he saw the fury on her face.
"Of all the pig-headed, selfish, arrogant, self-sacrificing . . ." She
paused in her tirade, her breasts heaving in a most distracting way.
Jack swallowed as his eyes tracked back up to her face. From the look on
her face, she'd noticed where his eyes had been. Crap.
"Keep your eyes on my face and off my tits,
mister." Her face was red with anger. "I'm not finished with you
yet."
"Yes, ma'am." He stuttered doing his best to keep
his mind off the rest of her excited body, and how it must look and on
her face instead.
'Eyes front and center, Airman or Carter will do
extremely painful things to your anatomy. She could do it too. Yeah, you
should know, Jack. You're the one that taught her how to best disable a
male opponent.'
'So do not think about how her breasts must look
with their nipples sticking out through the cloth, and . . . Dammit,
Jack! Pay attention. It won't help your case at all if you get all
excited too. She's not exactly blind, and if you get a hard-on, she's
likely to break it off for you with the mood she's in. Down, boy.
Concentrate, Airman!'
With
that sobering thought in mind, he focused on Sam's face. Somehow, her
fury had abated and she looked like she wanted to cry. He fished back in
his memory to piece together the puzzle that was Carter.
"Carter?"
"Don't you think I can't see what you're doing?"
Sam sniffed and hugged her arms around herself.
"Afraid you've lost me." Jack shrugged and resisted
his impulse to wrap her in his arms.
"You convinced them to let me go by telling them you'd stay with
them. Didn't you?" She raised red-rimmed eyes to his and he flushed and
looked away.
"And if I did?"
"Why?"
"After all this time you have to ask?"
"I'm asking."
"I'd
do it for anyone." He firmed his lips, but wouldn't look at her. He
couldn't, not now. If he looked at her, he might see something there
that would weaken his resolve, and he had to go through with his plan.
"But, I'm not just anyone. Am I, Jack?" Sam's fingers touched his
chin and sent a deliciously warm feeling through his entire body.
His eyes found hers. "No, Sam. You're not just anyone."
His
hand captured her fingers and pulled them to his lips. When they brushed
her skin, she gasped, but didn't pull away. He gave up telling himself
not to take her into his arms as she stepped up to him, and buried her
face in his bare chest, sending shivers through his entire body. Her
breath felt warm against his skin as she snuggled against him, running
her fingers through his salt and pepper chest hair.
Jack bent his head and nuzzled the top of her head, breathing in the
scent that was so uniquely Carter, storing it away for the bad times that
would follow.
"I'm glad to hear you say that." Sam's words were muffled by the
fact that her face was still against his chest.
Jack
was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on her words as her
nearness had the expected effect on him. "Say what?"
He just hoped that his trousers would be baggy enough to conceal
just how much his body was reacting to her closeness. He really doubted
that she would fall for the 'it's my sidearm' line again. At least if
he still had his tunic, he might have stood a chance of concealing the
fact that his dick was so hard a cat couldn't scratch it.
Her words jerked his attention from his groin back to Sam. "That I'm
not just anyone else."
"Oh, that."
"I'm still mad at you though."
"Why?"
"For sacrificing yourself, Jack."
"For you, it's worth it, Sam."
"But, I don't want to leave you." She tilted her
head up, looking at him, tears still in her eyes. "I guess I care about
you . . . more than I'm supposed to, given the circumstances."
Jack bit his lip nervously. "Hell of a situation, isn't it? Us, the
Air Force regs . . . and that other guy. You know I've come to believe
that duty and honor sucks sometimes."
"But
I want you, Jack. I've always wanted you; I guess Pete was just a poor
substitute for something I couldn't have. And now, you're telling me to
leave you behind? How can I do that? I don't know if I can."
"That decision's already been made, so it's not up
to you, or even me for that matter." At Sam's questioning look, Jack
continued. "Fifth and the terrible twosome adjourned to think it over.
They should be back anytime now."
"Who'll watch your back if I leave?" Sam's tongue
moistened her lips.
Even through the material of the tunic she wore, Jack could feel the
hard nipples from her breasts poking against his bare chest, causing
his own to harden in response.
"Listen, Sam. What it comes down to is that I've
got something in this head of mine that they are itching to get their
hands on. That Bug Zapper of mine has got them so stirred up that
they're calling me The Destroyer over it. So one of us has to get this
intel back to Thor, and since it's my head on the platter, then that
someone has to be you. You know as well as I do that you'd make the same
decision if you were in my place. Don't you?"
Sam nodded, not taking her impossibly blue eyes off Jack's face,
which was so uncomfortably close to his. She licked her lips again.
Jack
responded, lowering his mouth to brush lightly against hers. Their touch
kindled a fire that raced from his mouth toward his belly and groin, his
arms tightened around her and they kissed.
He moaned, low in his throat. "Oh, god, Sam."
"Please, don't stop," she ordered as her mouth
opened and her tongue teased at his lips, requesting entry. He opened
his lips and their tongues tangled, their breaths coming in quick pants.
They broke apart for air.
"Wow!" Sam leaned against Jack's chest and he
smiled into her hair. "I still don't want to leave you." She lifted her
head to look at him. "I understand why you're doing it, but that doesn't
change the fact that I don't want to go."
"I can live with that." Jack smiled tenderly and looked at her with
longing.
"I hope so." Sam traced his lips with her forefinger and he nibbled
at it.
A sound at their backs had her turning. With one deft move, Jack used one
arm to sweep her behind him as the wall in front of them rippled and
then the three figures of Fifth, Jay, and Ess stepped through.
Fifth spoke first. "I hope you've said your good
byes, because this is where you get off, Samantha."
Sam stepped around Jack belligerently. "What if I say no?"
Jay shook his head. "The decision has been made. We send you back to Thor
and we keep Jack. Or didn't lover boy here explain that to you?"
Jack snarled. "She's going and I'm staying. So get on with it already."
"Wait! What about that thing inside my head? Don't
you need to remove it first or something?" Sam's eyes burned into
Fifth's.
"It will be removed when we transport her back to the Asgard vessel."
"And Jack's? When will his be removed?"
"Later," Fifth replied. "It is time."
With that she disappeared, leaving Jack alone with three very unfriendly
looking bug people. All that remained of her presence was the tunic
she'd worn, lying abandoned in a lonely puddle of gray on the floor.
As Fifth buried his hand inside Jack's head he
screamed and collapsed to the floor.
***
Sam reappeared in the Infirmary onboard the O'Neill II. She took one
look at her surroundings and screamed. "No!"
Ernie touched a pad on his console and spoke into
his communicator. "Her device is gone. However, according to my
monitors, Jack O'Neill's is still lodged inside his brain."
Thor's image on the miniature view screen nodded. "Understood. I
will await your signal before giving the order to open fire."
In the meantime, Teal'c had given Sam a blanket and she had wrapped it
around her. Daniel stood back, as if uncertain what to do next.
Sam leaned into Teal'c, sobbing. She dried her tears with the back
of her hand and took a deep breath to calm herself.
'Too much is at stake for me to fall apart now like
some weak-minded female who can't keep her wits about her. Jack's
depending on me, after all, and I'll be damned if I'll let him down. Not
now, and not anytime soon. Got to give them Jack's message.'
Sam straightened and stepped back from Teal'c's sheltering body,
gaining some strength from the fact that he'd been willing to aid her.
"It's the general. He's still back there with Fifth
and god knows what they're doing to him now. General O'Neill convinced
them to send me back so I could tell you that they're afraid of the
Ancient's weapon and want the data from the download. That's why Fifth
kidnapped us in the first place, so they could convince him to tell them
what they wanted to know."
She took a deep cleansing breath and took a better look around her.
To her immense surprise, no one seemed upset about what she'd just told
them. In fact, both Daniel and Teal'c were smiling.
"Didn't you two hear what I said? Jack is still
back there with Fifth. Why aren't you doing anything?"
"We are awaiting the most opportune moment to initiate our strategy,
Colonel Carter." Teal'c waved a hand toward Ernie and his console.
Sam turned to Daniel. "Could you please explain just what the hell
is going on here? I seem to be a bit out of the loop."
Daniel grinned and guided Sam over to stand next to
Ernie and his console. Ernie continued to watch his monitors. When
alarms started shrieking, the little alien looked up.
"It is starting, but his life signs continue to hold stable."
Sam's face registered incredulous surprise. "You've
been monitoring us all the time we've been over there?"
At their nods, she continued. "Then why didn't you do anything?"
"We had to wait until they removed those devices from your brains.
Until they did that, beaming you back would have tipped our hand and
left you both dead." Daniel shrugged. "As soon as they've removed
Jack's, the plan is to beam him back too."
"Oh." Sam rubbed her head tiredly. It was almost too much to take
in. "So you knew when we both almost died back there?"
"If you are referring to when the pacemakers administered an electrical
shock to restart your hearts, then the answer is yes." Ernie spoke
without taking his eyes off the monitors in front of him.
Without warning, he pushed another pad. "Commander
Thor, it has been removed. Operation Bug Duster may commence."
"Understood," answered Thor.
He pushed another pad and a light flashed in the room. When it disappeared,
Jack was lying on the floor in front of them. He wasn't moving though.
Sam noticed the difference immediately, their 'connection' was gone and
she missed it already.
Ernie pushed more buttons, and Jack was transported
to a waiting medical pod. It's lid hissed shut as the pod began to run
its diagnostic tests.
Then Ernie turned to Sam. "You're next, Samantha Carter."
"What?"
"I need to check you out. Just because you're still upright doesn't
mean a thing to me. So, will you go to your own pod willingly, or will
I have to beam you over there? Plus, I'll have to remove that pacemaker
since you no longer need it." Ernie flexed his fingers as if in
warning.
"My own pod?" Sam looked almost sad.
'There is no longer any need for you both to occupy
the same one. Yours is waiting for you by Jack O'Neill's." Ernie
gestured toward the center of the room and Sam noticed the other pod,
funny how she hadn't noticed the other one before.
"Oh, I suppose not. I'll go willingly." She walked uncertainly over
to Jack's pod and stopped there for a moment. She bent over to gaze at
its occupant. He looked so still, almost like he was sleeping. She traced
the outline of his face on the transparent lid with her forefinger, the
same one he'd nibbled on earlier. Sam licked her lips and was glad that
she could still taste Jack on them.
"Will he be all right?"
Ernie studied his monitors. "Physically, yes. I
plan to remove his pacemaker before he regains consciousness, so I'm in
no hurry to wake him at present. As for his emotional state, that
remains to be seen. As you are well aware, Jack O'Neill was prepared to
die. Both of you have been traumatized by your abduction by Fifth."
Sam nodded soberly. "I didn't want to leave him there alone."
She
looked up as Teal'c joined her. "He looks like he's sleeping, so
different than the last time I saw him . . . back there. So much
happened while we were together . . . important things."
When
she saw how Teal'c seemed to be reading every nuance in her face and
words, she blushed, closed her eyes for a moment, and licked her lips
again. Sam trusted that her Jaffa friend would keep his observations to
himself. God knew this wasn't the first time she'd unburdened her heart
to him. Looking up at him, she saw the confirmation of that trust in his
returned gaze.
Sam
directed her attention back to the pod. As her eyes traveled down from
Jack's face, she noticed he was missing his clothing. "Ernie? What did
you do with his clothes?"
"I beamed them off the ship, of course, they were manufactured by the
Replicators. All precautions must be kept to prevent their infesting our
vessel."
"Oh." Sam's fingers lingered on the lid and then
she stepped back and headed over to her own pod. She carefully sat upon
it, taking care to keep her blanket from slipping. Once there, she moved
her feet onto its surface.
At that moment, a bright flash appeared. When it dissipated, Thor
was standing in the Infirmary.
"The operation was successful."
"You mean you destroyed Fifth?" Sam was so excited; she almost
forgot to keep hold of her blanket. However, as it began to slip, she
grabbed it again.
"I do not know for certain as the Replicator vessel entered
hyperspace soon after it was fired upon by our companion Asgard
spacecraft." Thor walked over to stand between the two pods. He looked
into the closed one at Jack, and then looked at her.
"I don't understand."
"Without your knowledge, two other Asgard vessels
were fitted with copies of Jack's Weapon and their cloaking mechanisms
modified so that they might accompany us to our rendezvous with the
Replicator vessel. Once you and O'Neill were rescued from harm, they
opened fire with their weapons. We do know that the Replicator vessel
sustained damage prior to its disappearance. However, we were not able
to ascertain if all Replicators were destroyed."
"They called him The Destroyer." Sam looked soberly
across at Thor.
Thor
nodded, then turned back to gaze down at the sleeping form of Jack. He
tapped the lid. "An apt title for O'Neill. However, I prefer ours. We
call him the savior of our race."
Sam
smiled when she thought about Jack's reaction to Thor's statement. "When
will we be going home?"
Ernie looked at Thor who nodded his permission.
"You journey home will be timed to coincide with the recovery of both of
you from your ordeals, Samantha Carter. We could offer you no less than
that, as you have once again placed your own lives in jeopardy to save
others."
Sam shrugged and ducked her chin before lying
down. She felt tired out, Ernie was right, as usual. They'd both been
through a hell of a lot and she knew she had some tough decisions to
make. Almost of their own volition, her eyes closed.
***
In
the depths of space, Fifth fumed. He'd escaped, but only sacrificing
many of his brethren. When he'd sensed their vessel disintegrating
around them, he'd ordered the infected parts jettisoned so that they
might make their escape. Ironically, Jay had been among those that were
lost. Only he and Ess remained along with the surviving little
brothers.
The
Destroyer had lived up to his title. Because of him and his treachery,
more of the brethren had been lost. They would retreat for now, but they
would return later. Once their numbers had been replenished, they would
return to obtain revenge on The Destroyer.
The End
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