Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

The pounding on the front door roused Jack O’Neill from sleep. He raised his head as though momentarily confused and the dull sound came again.

‘OK, OK.’ He muttered grumpily pushing back the covers and staggering from the bed. ‘I’m coming.’ He yanked the door open with more force than normal and blinked through the harsh sunlight at the sight of his CO, dressed in civvies and looking as uncomfortable as Jack felt.

‘Sir.’ Jack rubbed a hand through his ruffled greying hair, messing it up even further. He tried to pull his thoughts together as he stared uncomprehendingly at General Hammond.

‘May I come in?’ Hammond asked politely.

‘Of course.’ Jack automatically stood back and let the other man inside. He closed the door, trying not to feel exposed in his sleepwear of boxers and t-shirt.

Hammond wandered down into the living area and stood awkwardly in the centre of the room. His pale blues eyes glanced off the various take-away boxes, beer bottles and dirty coffee mugs.

‘I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t expecting company.’ Jack said as he hurried forward to clear up the mess.

‘Don’t clean up on my account.’ Hammond said easily. He gestured at Jack. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you but I needed to talk to you away from the base.’

‘No problem, sir.’ Jack plucked at his t-shirt.

Hammond suppressed the urge to smile. ‘Why don’t you get showered and dressed while I see about rustling us up some breakfast?’

Jack’s eyebrows rose. ‘Well, if you’re sure, sir.’ he was already backing out of the room.

The General ushered him out the rest of the way and as Jack disappeared back along the corridor, Hammond reviewed the living area with a sinking feeling of dismay. He lugged the pizza boxes and Chinese cartons into the kitchen and threw them in the trash; a second trip had the beer bottles thrown in a box ready for recycling. He returned for the mugs and thrust them in the sink before he turned his attention to the matter of breakfast.

His first task was to set a coffee pot on the go before he searched for food. He opened the refrigerator and peered with concern at the meagre contents. He pursed his lips. Did the man live on anything other than beer and pizza? He reached for the eggs and checked the date. Eggs, it was. A further hunt unburied some bread which he set about toasting while he scrambled the eggs in a pan. By the time Jack arrived in the kitchen, showered, shaved and dressed in a clean sweater and jeans, Hammond was serving up.

‘I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of setting the table in the dining room.’ Hammond said, handing the younger man a mug of steaming coffee and a plate of food.

Jack took the drink grateful and bemused, as Hammond picked up his own plate and led the way through to the table. Jack’s stomach rumbled appreciatively as they took their seats. ‘This looks great, sir.’

‘I’ve told you before, Jack, you can call me George off the base.’ Hammond said.

‘I’ve tried, sir,’ Jack replied, ‘and I say George in my head but sir seems to come out of my mouth.’ He waved his fork at Hammond and shrugged expressively.

Hammond gave a short laugh and concentrated on his food. He waited until Jack had completed his breakfast before he picked up his own mug and wondered how he broached the subject he had come to discuss.

‘So,’ Jack began as he pushed his plate away, ‘not that this hasn’t been good, sir, but may I ask…’

‘Why I’ve turned up on your doorstep so early in the morning?’ Hammond completed. He sighed and lowered his mug. ‘I’ve been thinking about what happened with the Medronan Touchstone and the Antarctica gate ever since we got back from Area 51 yesterday.’

‘Ah. That.’ Jack leaned back in the dining chair and reviewed Hammond’s sober expression. ‘We have a rat at the SGC.’

Hammond nodded. ‘That’s my conclusion.’

Jack sighed and fingered his mug. ‘Any ideas, sir?’

‘A few theories, nothing substantial.’ Hammond admitted. ‘You?’

‘I figure it has to be someone who has intimate knowledge of the gate schedule and the mission reports of all the SG teams.’ Jack said firmly. ‘The first so they can tell the rogue team when to travel and the second where to go and what to steal.’ He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table.

‘Exactly.’ Hammond shifted position a little. ‘Now the way I figure it. There’s only a small group of people with that specific knowledge.’

‘The SG team leaders,’ Jack surmised, ‘and the rest of my team.’

‘Well, I think in the circumstances we can rule out your team.’ Hammond said. ‘But, with the open positions, that leaves us with seven suspects excluding yourself.’

Jack shook his head and rubbed the table absently with a finger. ‘I just find it hard to believe any of these guys would sell us out.’

‘Yet one of them obviously has.’ Hammond said sadly.

‘What do you want to do, sir?’

‘We need to keep our eyes and ears open, Colonel.’ Hammond sighed. ‘Find out which one is responsible for what happened, and then watch them.’

Jack regarded Hammond soberly. ‘You don’t want them out of the SGC?’

‘If we find out who it is right now and remove them, we lose any advantage we have.’ Hammond pointed out. His blue eyes pinned the Colonel. ‘I want them, Jack, but I want who they’re working for more.’

Jack nodded. ‘I understand, sir. I’ll inform my team…’

‘No.’ Hammond shook his head. ‘I need this kept between us, and that is an order, Colonel.’

The younger man stared at him truly taken aback. ‘Sir?’

‘You know I have the highest respect for you and your team,’ he held up a hand when Jack would have interrupted him, ‘but the fact is that this is a risky situation. We can’t afford for the spy, whoever he is, to become aware that we suspect him.’ He took a breath. ‘Neither Doctor Jackson nor Captain Carter are particularly good at hiding their feelings or their thoughts at times.’

‘I think you’re underestimating them, General,’ Jack said forcefully, ‘and I think you’re forgetting one thing.’

‘And that would be?’ Hammond prompted.

‘That if we worked it out, they sure as hell are going to;’ Jack pointed out, ‘both of them are way smarter than we are.’

Hammond was silent for a long moment as he absorbed the truth of that. He took a gulp of his coffee as he collected his thoughts. Finally, he shook his head. ‘I can’t risk it.’ He caught Jack’s gaze. ‘Even if I accepted, Colonel, that they may be able to handle the deception required to pretend to be absolutely natural with a colleague they suspect of being a traitor, the fact is that to ask them to do so is tantamount to putting them in the firing line. Same with Teal’c.’

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. ‘My team risk their lives every time they step through the gate, sir.’

‘I don’t think I have to remind you that this civilian operation has already proven itself adept at assassination, Colonel.’ Hammond rejoined.

The memory of the blood of a reporter staining his hands had Jack considering his superior officer seriously. ‘You think the NID is that in on it, sir?’

‘Don’t you?’ Hammond gestured at him with the mug. ‘I saw you approaching Maybourne.’

Jack sighed, disgusted. He slumped back in his chair as he weighed up the value of keeping his team in the dark and keeping them safe. He knew the General was right in many ways: Teal’c wasn’t even from Earth and it was a big ask for them to expect him to risk his life on something that was primarily their internal politics; Daniel and Carter both had a tendency to wear their hearts on their sleeves so if they had to act normally around someone who they knew to be corrupt…he sighed, his decision made. ‘They won’t accept it being dropped just like that.’ He said eventually. ‘They’ll ask questions; that’s what they do.’

‘What do you suggest?’ Hammond asked, gesturing at him.

‘A distraction.’ Jack shook his head and closed his eyes briefly, unable to believe he was about to suggest what he was about to suggest. ‘If they get another mission they can get their teeth into…’ he shrugged.

‘I think I have the very planet.’ Hammond said with a smile.

Jack picked up his coffee and took a long gulp; he figured he was going to need the fortitude. ‘Somehow I had a feeling you were going to say that, sir.’

o-O-o

‘This is incredible!’ Daniel Jackson waved his hands around the shadowy temple chamber with relish.

Samantha Carter smiled at her eager team-mate as she shrugged off her back-pack and pulled off her drenched anorak. She held the wet garment with a wrinkled nose. It had been a long walk through the teeming rain to the temple and she felt damp everywhere. A noise by the entrance had her reaching for her gun and she had it aimed just as the rest of their team entered. She lowered it with a nod at the Colonel.

‘Well, there’s nothing out there.’ Jack said, taking his cap off and shaking it vigorously.

Droplets of water sprayed onto Teal’c who regarded him gravely before taking a step away from him, very precisely.

‘Nothing but rain and mud.’ Jack muttered as he slapped his cap back over his messed-up hair. His eyes landed on Daniel who was already scribbling into his notebook and muttering at a wall. The archaeologist hadn’t taken off his anorak or removed his hat. Jack sighed and transferred his gaze to Sam. ‘What have you got, Captain?’

‘Daniel thinks the markings are incredible, sir.’ Sam said with a smile.

‘Incredible, huh?’ Jack sighed. ‘You want to expand on that, Daniel?’

Daniel muttered under his breath and continued scribbling.

‘Daniel!’ Jack snapped.

Daniel whirled around, his blue eyes wide with surprise behind his glasses. ‘Huh?’

Jack waved at the wall. ‘Is this something worth staying for, Daniel?’

‘Well, of course…’ Daniel began.

‘Let me rephrase that.’ Jack said hurriedly. ‘Is there anything of value that we can use in our fight against the Goa’uld?’

Daniel smirked at him. ‘Actually, I think there is.’

‘Really?’ Jack blurted out, genuinely surprised. The initial reconnaissance reports had been very vague on the relative value of the temple.

‘I think these markings here,’ Daniel turned back to the wall and gestured at a row of symbols, ‘are referring to some kind of weapon.’ He screwed his face up. ‘Either that or some kind of mammal…this symbol is very faded.’

‘I am picking up the energy reading that SG5 reported on the initial reconnaissance.’ Sam murmured, adjusting the gadget in her hand and moving to stand by Daniel. ‘It could be related.’

‘Great.’ Jack sighed heavily. ‘OK, you guys stay here; do your thing. Teal’c and I will take guard duty outside. Check in every fifteen minutes.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam replied absently, her mind was already focused on the problem of tracking the energy.

Daniel didn’t bother replying; his head was buried in his notebook again.

Jack glanced knowingly across at Teal’c and the two of them headed back out to the front of the temple. The two of them took up positions at the top of the steps but just inside the covered veranda that fronted the temple. It provided them with cover from the unending rain and gave them a good view of the processional walk that linked the Stargate to the temple; two kilometres of overgrown pathway edged with the crumbled monuments of some animal that was no longer recognisable. Jack had been on enough planets to determine that the temple and planet were long abandoned without needing the expert opinion of an archaeologist. He glanced around at the decaying edifice and shivered.

Teal’c noticed the Colonel’s discomfort and frowned a little. ‘Are you cold, O’Neill?’

‘No.’ Jack shot back. ‘No. Just…’ he sighed and tightened his hold on his gun, ‘this place creeps me out.’

‘For what reason?’ Teal’c asked, reviewing their surroundings to see if there was something he missed.

‘I don’t know.’ Jack admitted. ‘Doesn’t it creep you out?’

‘It does not.’ Teal’c said firmly.

‘Of course not.’ Jack muttered. He let his gaze drift to the forest and narrowed on the murky green canopy. He glanced at his watch; time to check on the geeks. His hand was just above his radio when it crackled.

‘Sir, we think there may be a hidden room somewhere in the temple.’ Sam’s voice said calmly. ‘We’re trying to pin down its location now.’

‘OK, Captain. Proceed with caution.’ Jack replied back.

‘Yes, sir. Carter out.’

Jack’s attention moved back to the landscape. Hammond had been right about the planet, he mused with chagrin. It was perfect for Daniel and Sam. Abandoned temple; unexplained energy readings; hidden chambers. So what if it creeped him out? At least they weren’t thinking about the business with the Medronan Touchstone anymore. He sighed deeply. He couldn’t believe that any of the other SG team leaders was responsible for giving the rogue team intelligence but someone must have done it.

Seven possible suspects.

Jack had already ruled three of those out in his head; Lou Ferretti was solid and loyal to Hammond and the SGC. There was no way Ferretti was responsible. He couldn’t see the SG9 leader handing over details to a rogue operation either. The Major was a big advocate of legal and diplomatic solutions; he didn’t fit the profile of someone who wanted to push for direct action. The same couldn’t be said for Captain Connor, the leader of SG11, but he had been away on leave for the past month after being injured. That left four suspects.

Jack figured whoever it was would maintain contact with the rogue team, or maybe Maybourne, and that had to be the way they could trip them up. He hoped it was Maybourne. He would love the excuse to take out the slimy, two-faced bastard.

‘At what are you glowering at so fiercely, O’Neill?’ Teal’c asked.

‘Maybourne.’ Jack admitted.

Teal’c frowned; the Stargate had not activated. ‘I do not see him.’

‘I was glowering at the thought of him.’ Jack explained a little impatiently. ‘He’s not actually here.’

‘A pity.’ Teal’c murmured.

His tone caught Jack’s attention. ‘I guess you were serious about that dismemberment thing.’

‘I was.’ Teal’c agreed. ‘He wanted me to transform into a bug.’

‘Several bugs.’ Jack quipped. ‘You were actually going to transform into several bugs.’

Teal’c arched his eyebrow and Jack hastily dropped his amused gaze.

‘I have killed men for less.’ Teal’c growled.

‘Yeah, I’d like to shoot him too.’ Jack said with a sigh.

‘Perhaps I was not referring to Colonel Maybourne.’ Teal’c murmured.

Jack’s gaze snapped to him. ‘That was a joke, right?’

Teal’c turned back to the view and his face softened into smug satisfaction at Jack’s uncertain tone. ‘Indeed.’

‘Funny.’ Jack muttered. He glanced at his watch and sighed. He hit the radio button forcefully. ‘Carter…’

‘Sorry, sir. We got a little distracted.’ Sam replied quickly. ‘We’re still looking for the hidden room.’

‘Keep me apprised.’ Jack said testily. ‘O’Neill out.’ He shifted his weight and altered the angle of his gun as he settled back into position. His mind drifted back to his previous musings and Maybourne…

‘You are thinking about Colonel Maybourne once again.’ Teal’c surmised.

‘Yeah.’ Jack murmured without heat.

Teal’c gazed over at his Tau’ri friend for a long moment before his gaze slipped back to the distant Stargate. ‘As the First Prime of Apophis I was often tasked with assignments that were to remain secret from the other Jaffa.’

Jack’s eyes shot to the Jaffa, alarmed.

‘Especially in issues of internal security.’ Teal’c turned his head and met Jack’s gaze head on momentarily; his own dark eyes were guarded. ‘It was my burden to bear these assignments alone.’

‘Teal’c…’ Jack began hesitantly.

‘Should you ever need assistance, O’Neill,’ Teal’c continued, talking over him, ‘I am yours to call upon.’

Jack absorbed the Jaffa’s words and nodded slowly, before turning away from him. ‘You’re a good man, my friend.’

‘As are you, O’Neill.’ Teal’c inclined his head.

o-O-o

‘We’ve gone over this section twice now, Daniel.’ Sam looked up at the wall with her hands on her hips. She rubbed her forehead tiredly. ‘I don’t think the entrance is here.’

‘It has to be here.’ Daniel insisted. ‘The symbols said behind the altar.’ He waved a hand at the slab of stone behind them. ‘And your energy readings confirmed it. It has to be here.’

Sam was about to argue when her eyes caught on something; a thin line bisecting through the dust. She stepped up to it and ran her finger down it. ‘I think I have something.’

‘You’ve found the doorway!’ Daniel exclaimed excitedly. He threw down his notebook and hurried over to help her dust off the tiny cracks. ‘Now we just need to find the mechanism to open it.’ He muttered as he used a brush to wipe away the dirt.

Sam stepped back and sighed. She checked her watch and decided it might be prudent to check in with the Colonel before he contacted her again. She flicked the button. ‘Colonel, come in, please.’

‘Here, Carter.’ Jack’s voice crackled out, confident and reassuring, from the radio.

‘Sir, we’ve found the doorway to the hidden chamber but we’re having trouble finding the mechanism to open it.’ Sam reported.

‘How much more time do you need?’ Jack asked.

‘It’s hard to say.’ Daniel jumped in before Sam could answer. ‘They didn’t really leave instructions on how to open their hidden chamber.’

‘That’s very inconsiderate of them, Daniel.’ Jack responded mockingly. ‘You have an hour.’

‘Jack, that isn’t enough time.’ Daniel objected.

‘Then you’d best get started. O’Neill out.’

Daniel glared at his radio in the absence of the military man.

Sam patted his arm comfortingly. ‘Come on, Daniel. How hard can this be anyway?’

He sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘You have an idea?’

‘Well, there are no obvious levers on the wall or the altar,’ Sam pointed out, ‘so I’m thinking this has to be a simple opening mechanism.’ She started to tap around the doorway.

‘I’ll…uh…see if I can find anything out from the writing on the wall.’ Daniel said.

‘Just in case they left instructions?’ Sam asked teasingly. She glanced over at him and he pulled a face at her.

‘I’m actually amazed we’ve found something here at all.’ Daniel said absently, as he reviewed the symbols on the far wall.

‘I thought the initial surveys showed there was writing.’ Sam said, not fully concentrating, her attention on the doorway.

‘No, I mean, well…’ he looked over at her, ‘I kind of got the impression coming here was meant to be a distraction.’

Sam stopped tapping the doorway and turned to him with a frown. ‘Distraction?’

‘You know from…’ Daniel waggled his eyebrows at her, ‘everything that just happened with the Touchstone.’

‘Oh.’ Sam returned to her task.

‘Didn’t you think that?’ Daniel probed gently, his blue eyes curious.

‘I guess.’ Sam sighed. She hit a spot on the doorway and frowned at the hollow sound.

‘Aren’t you curious?’ Daniel wandered over and leaned against the wall beside Sam.

‘About the hidden chamber? Sure.’ Sam responded.

‘No, about why they wanted us distracted.’ Daniel adjusted his glasses and folded his arms.

‘I’m sure they have their reasons, Daniel.’ Sam said patiently.

‘How can you just accept that?’ Daniel demanded.

Sam gave him a quick smile. ‘Years of living with my father.’ She gestured at him. ‘And because I’m a military officer and if my chain of command doesn’t want me involved then I’m not involved.’ She hit the doorway with possibly more force than necessary.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. ‘Right.’ He caught her chiding look and held it. ‘So what do you think they don’t want us to know?’

‘Daniel.’ Sam said warningly.

‘I was thinking about the travel through the second gate,’ Daniel said quickly, ‘and the way it was timed so exactly with the SGC gate travel to hide the power signature. Someone had to be feeding the rogue team that information.’ He rubbed his elbows a little. ‘There’s someone involved working at the SGC.’

Sam bit her lip and sighed; she’d come to the same conclusion herself. ‘I know.’

‘So if you know…’

‘I figure General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill worked it out too,’ Sam interrupted him, ‘and there’s only one reason why they would want to keep it quiet.’

‘They want to catch whoever did it.’ Daniel concluded.

Sam nodded. ‘Not just that person but whoever they’re working for.’

‘They want Mr Big.’ Daniel concluded.

‘But that might mean that they need to leave whoever is working at the SGC in place until they get enough evidence,’ Sam mused thoughtfully, ‘which is why they don’t want us involved.’

‘You’ve lost me.’ Daniel said.

‘Well, say you knew the spy was…I don’t know…Captain Connor,’ Sam began.

‘You think it’s Connor?’ Daniel’s surprise was evident. ‘Because I was thinking he’s been out on leave for a month so…’

‘No,’ Sam retorted, ‘I’m just using him as an example.’

‘OK.’

‘But say it was and you had to go on a mission with him. How would you act around him?’ Sam finished.

Daniel opened his mouth to argue and stopped. He sighed. ‘I see your point.’ He sighed in frustration. ‘But why doesn’t Jack just tell us that instead of all this cloak and dagger stuff?’

Sam shrugged. ‘I don’t know, Daniel, but I don’t think it was completely his choice.’ She struck another section of doorway and it suddenly moved inward.

The two of them stared at the opening.

‘Wow.’ Sam said. ‘I can’t believe that worked.’ She reached for her gun and flicked the light on. ‘There are steps leading downwards.’ She reached for her radio as Daniel packed up their things and placed the packs against the wall. ‘Colonel, come in, please.’

‘O’Neill here. What have you got, Captain?’

‘We’ve found the doorway to the chamber, sir. There are steps leading downwards.’ Sam reported crisply.

‘Stay put. Teal’c and I are on our way.’

Sam grabbed hold of Daniel as he went to make for the doorway. ‘He said to wait for them.’

Daniel sighed heavily and he was practically hopping with impatience by the time Jack and Teal’c entered the temple.

Jack peeked down the dark stairway. ‘Carter, you and I will go down first, clear the area.’ He caught Daniel’s unhappy expression. ‘As soon as we say it’s OK, you can come down.’

Daniel scowled but nodded.

Sam and Jack made their way cautiously down the stairway into the inner chamber of the temple. Their lights swept across the dank, dark space.

Jack’s nose wrinkled. ‘What the hell is that?’

Sam’s beam swept the floor. ‘Faeces, sir.’

‘Nice.’

The lights hit on tables, equipment and several open steel cages.

‘This looks like some kind of lab.’ Sam theorised out loud. She frowned and made her way to a panel on the wall. ‘This looks like the source of the energy reading I was picking up earlier.’

‘What is it?’ Jack asked.

Sam’s frown deepened. ‘I think it was a security system, sir, for the cages.’ She gestured with her gun at the open doors. ‘I think this was some kind of animal experimentation lab.’

‘What kind of animal?’ Jack demanded.

‘I don’t know, sir.’ Sam admitted. ‘But these cages are pretty big.’

Jack opened his mouth to reply when the sound of scrabbling on the dirt floor stilled him. ‘Do you hear that, Carter?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam aimed her light over to the Colonel’s left to a passageway just beyond his shoulder. ‘It’s coming from over there.’

They moved forward cautiously and Jack signalled for her to sweep the corridor low while he went high. They both froze. The light landed on a group of rats. Big rats. Rats the size of small dogs. For a moment, rats and humans stared at each other unblinkingly.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ Jack ordered brusquely.

Sam turned and ran for the stairs; Jack was right behind her. He fired his weapon at the ground as a wave of rats attempted to follow them. They shoved the door back into place hurriedly.

‘We’re leaving.’ Jack said breathlessly.

‘What’s going on?’ Daniel asked passionately as he followed Jack out of the temple and into the rain.

‘You know that word you thought was weapon?’ Jack asked. ‘It turns out it was mammal.’

‘How do you know?’ Daniel asked as he shrugged on his backpack and made his way down the steps beside his friend.

‘There are rats in the basement.’ Jack said grimly. ‘Big rats.’

They made their way back to the Stargate swiftly. No one wanted to stay on the wet and dismal planet another moment longer. Daniel dialled the DHD home and as Sam confirmed the IDC, Teal’c disappeared into the blue puddle.

Daniel paused by Jack as he drew level to him. ‘It’s a shame about the rats.’ The archaeologist said hesitantly.

‘Yeah.’ Jack agreed cautiously.

‘I guess we can’t remove them,’ Daniel said slowly, ‘and if we can’t remove them, there’s not much I can do; I get that.’

Jack stared at him.

‘I…uh…just wanted you to know.’ Daniel made to step into the wormhole and stopped as Jack’s hand landed on his shoulder.

‘Daniel.’

‘It’s OK, Jack.’ Daniel smiled at him reassuringly. ‘Really.’ He pulled away and disappeared into the wormhole.

Jack winced and looked heavenward. His gaze landed on Sam. ‘You got something to say too, Captain?’ He asked roughly.

‘No, sir, just…’ Sam’s chin went up, ‘I’m ready and awaiting your order, sir.’

He stared at her understanding the underlying message; she knew he had orders and she would wait for hers. For a long moment their eyes held. Finally, Sam gestured at the shimmering blue horizon. ‘Sir?’

He jerked his head in answer to her unspoken question and she stepped in, the wormhole swallowing her up.

Jack took a moment. He was torn between being amused at the disaster the planet had been as a distraction for Daniel and Sam yet curiously happy; they knew and understood the situation – as did Teal’c. More than that, they understood and would be there for him if he needed them. He felt a warm glow despite the cold rain that continued to fall upon him.

He followed his team home.

fin.