Fic: Journey - Gen, PG-13
Yes, I do write gen fic from time to time :) This is the fic I wrote for the samcarterfic. Now that the authors have been revealed, I can post it here. I do encourage you to go to the comm and check out the rest of the fic. Fabulous stuff there!
Title: Journey
Author: shutthef_up aka Courser
Rating/Warning:PG-13
Spoilers: Through Season 9
Your name: shutthef_up
Your recipient: zorb
Request details:
Who wants:
Vala, Sam actually using her astrophysics degree, mention/inclusion of Jacob in some way
And doesn't want:
Any character bashing, spoilers beyond what will have aired at the due date
A/N: Huge thanks to surrealphantast for the beta! My dad told me about this new science theory shortly after I got my ficathon assignment. It was just too good not to use it! However, to be clear, the new science stuff has to do with the speed of light in ancient times. Has nothing whatsoever to do with black holes, wormholes or... well, any kind of holes (I don't think, anyway)
Mitchell had looked at her like she’d lost her mind when Sam had chosen Vala to accompany her on this mission. Daniel had looked a little surprised himself, but nodded his agreement when Sam had pointed out that Vala was a very experienced Alkesh pilot and would be a real asset if they ran into trouble. Not that they were planning on trouble, it was supposed to be a quick recon job, but if Sam had learned anything in her almost ten years’ experience on SG-1, it was that they didn’t need to go looking for trouble. Trouble sometimes found them when they least expected it.
“But Sam, I gotta say I’d feel better if you took someone along for security. Maybe borrow that big guy from SG-3,” Mitchell said.
Most of the time, Cam Mitchell was an okay guy, but occasionally that Southern boy chauvinism peeked out. Sam narrowed her eyes at him, but it was Vala who spoke up.
“Oh please. We don’t need a big, strong man taking up space, eating our food and leering at us. After all, I kicked Daniel’s ass-” Vala began, her hands dancing around in emphasis.
“No, you didn’t. Who ended up in the brig?” Daniel interrupted her, leaning across the briefing room table.
“Who was tied to a chair?” Vala countered, clearly warming to the argument.
“You were tied to a chair? I don’t seem to remember that from the mission report,” Mitchell turned his attention to Daniel.
“People! Back on topic, please,” Sam interjected, before the entire meeting was hijacked by sniping.
“I agree, Colonel Carter,” Teal’c added. “Vala Mal Doran is a capable fighter and her knowledge of the less… savory elements of the galaxy could prove useful.”
“Thank you, Teal’c,” Sam replied, smiling and inclining her head slightly towards him. She stood to begin her briefing.
“Now, operatives we’ve recruited within the Lucian Alliance have reported a black hole… here.” She clicked the remote and a star map appeared. “It’s located deep in a debris field and off the beaten track so our contacts haven’t been able to gather intelligence about how long it’s been there. Hopefully, there won’t be another Supergate when we get there.”
“And if there is, the two of you are going to be sitting ducks in that debris field,” Mitchell stated, pointing at the dots on the star map.
“The Alkesh is far more maneuverable than those Ori ships, and I’ve enhanced both the shields and cloak. We should be able to make a safe, strategic withdrawal. Both you and Teal’c are very capable pilots, but you’re needed on P4X-679. Vala’s proven herself an excellent pilot and I’m pleased that she’s agreed to accompany me,” Sam explained.
Vala smiled and looked a tad smug, but said nothing. After fielding a few technical questions, Sam adjourned the briefing.
“Good luck. Come back safe and sound, soon as you can,” Cam said, still clearly uncomfortable that the two women would be on their own.
“We’ll be fine. Thanks. Good luck to you, too,” Sam replied.
“Yes, and you watch each other’s asses,” Vala ordered. The men nervously looked at each other. “Wait. That didn’t come out quite right…”
Teal’c bent his head. “I am confident you will return safely with the knowledge you seek.”
“Thanks, Teal’c, we will.”
“Take care of yourselves,” Daniel added.
“Of course, you too,” Sam answered, only mildly surprised when Daniel leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
He turned to Vala, hesitating before moving in to give her the same treatment. At the last moment, she turned her head and kissed him on the mouth. Pulling back, Daniel scowled at her, “Stop that.” He stepped back and started for the door, then turned back. “Hurry back, okay?”
“We will,” Vala and Sam replied together.
Sam watched Daniel leave the briefing room before turning to Vala. “Why do you do that to him? You know it annoys him.”
“I do it because it annoys him! Daniel needs to… What’s the Earth term? Oh, yes. Lighten up. He’s far too serious most of the time.”
Sam just shook her head. Vala wasn’t entirely wrong.
<><><><><><><><><>
Later, Sam had second thoughts about her choice when Vala insisted that they wear the leather outfits again. It wasn’t that Sam hated the leather, in fact she owned a few leather items herself; it was just that the top revealed more cleavage than she was accustomed to. A lot more. In the end, she capitulated, figuring that in the best-case scenario, Vala would be the only one who saw it and in the worst case, they probably didn’t want to be recognized.
Truth be known, flying through hyperspace was pretty boring. Not much to look at and the navigation programming took care of most of the driving. Sam had never been very good at ‘girl talk’ and as voluble as Vala could be, she seemed to settle in and carry on with her part of the systems checks and monitoring with a minimum of idle chatter. Vala did have a habit of addressing each of the systems as if they were sentient and her cajoling would make a difference in their response time.
After they were well underway, Sam felt like she could broach a topic that the rest of their teammates probably never would.
“Vala, how are you doing with the whole Adria… thing?” Sam asked. “It’s got to be hard, being a, well, a mother, to her,”
Vala continued to stare out the window, “I’m not sure what I am to her, but I’m pretty sure ‘mother’ isn’t it. The whole thing feels completely surreal to me.”
“I think I can understand that. She grew up so fast. But surely there’s some part of you in her,” Sam offered.
“That rather scares me, actually. I mean, sure, I have many wonderful qualities,” and here, Vala gave her a strained smile, “but there are a good many things that aren’t so wonderful as well.”
Vala met her eyes, smile gone, and Sam could see that the experience had aged her. Worn her, despite her buoyant nature. The bluish lighting accentuated the circles under her eyes and gave her a gaunt appearance.
“We all have a dark side we don’t like to admit to, Vala. It’s human nature. I doubt that’s all she took from you.”
“You haven’t seen her Sam. She’s so… I don’t know. She’s human, but she’s not. I can’t describe it. I never got to hold her or nurse her. They just whisked her away the moment she was born. And a few hours later, this child walks into the room. I was still weak and bleeding from the birth. She laid her hands on my belly and healed me,” Vala shrugged and bit her lip, looking out the window again.
“Wow. I can’t imagine.” Sam really didn’t know what to say to the other woman. What words of comfort she might offer.
“I think that’s why I’m here, now. With the SGC. Sometimes it feels as if I’ve spent my entire life being used by one faction or another. The Goa’uld used me as a host for Qetesh and now the Ori have used me to produce their ultimate weapon. Before that, well, I was used in a variety of ways, some more unsavory than others,” Vala replied, turning to look at Sam, a resolved look on her fine features. “I’m done being used, by anyone, for anything.”
Sam had little doubt that anyone who tried to manipulate Vala to their own end would have a fight on their hands.
“That couldn’t have been easy, I know. I don’t know if Daniel mentioned it, but I was once host to a Tok’ra, named Jolinar.”
“No, he didn’t. He’s quite close-mouthed about personal details,” Vala replied, turning her attention to Sam
“Yeah, the second year of the program. I was giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a man and Jolinar jumped from him to me. It wasn’t… pleasant. I just wish I’d known then, what I know now,” Sam said.
“I didn’t think Tok’ra took unwilling hosts.”
“Under normal circumstances, they don’t. But the man was dying and Jolinar was desperate. God, what I’d give to be able to go back…. It would have been so much easier with what I know now,”
“You’d willingly be a host, then?” Vala asked, incredulous.
“Well, no. But I would certainly have handled it differently. I fought her so hard - didn’t even give her a chance. But later, after she died saving my life, my father took a symbiote, Selmak, to save his,” Sam explained.
“Your father is a Tok’ra?” Vala asked, clearly surprised.
“He was. He died last year,” Sam said flatly.
“I’m sorry. How-” Vala broke off. “I don’t mean to pry, Sam.”
“No, it’s okay. From what he told me, Selmak had been ill for some time, but my dad felt we needed him to help with the weapon on Dakara. The one we used to destroy all the replicators in the galaxy at once. Daniel… wasn’t around. By the time it was done, it was too late. Selmak was too weak to leave my dad. When he died, my dad died with him. There was nothing we could do,” Sam explained.
“I’m very sorry,” Vala repeated, quietly.
“It was just so stupid! He was so damn stubborn, right to the end. He should have told me, we could have figured something out. I would have figured it out. One more gun wouldn’t have made much difference. He programmed the device, with Ba’al’s help, while I blew away replicators with the rest of the squad and the Jaffa. But no. I thought he believed in me, in what I was doing. We’d come so far in the years since he’d blended with Selmak. But in the end, it was the same as always. He thought I couldn’t do it without him,” Sam said, gesturing animatedly throughout.
Vala revised her assessment of Sam in the face of her explanation. Of all of SG-1, Sam always seemed to be the one with the fewest issues. She always seemed so together and composed. Vala rather thought Sam had the wrong end of it.
“Sam, has it occurred to you that perhaps your father wanted to be with you at the end of his life? Wanted to help you and stand side by side with his daughter in the fight for the galaxy? Wanted to see you in action, doing what you do best. One. Last. Time. Before he died?” Vala got up from the co-pilot’s seat in a show of checking on one of the instruments behind them. “There you are, my sweet,” she said under her breath. “Sam, I didn’t know your father, but it sounds to me like he was very proud of his daughter and wanted to share one last adventure with her before he died.”
Sam dropped her head. Vala stood behind her, fixing her eyes on the other woman’s shoulders and giving Sam the dignity of allowing her to grieve without a witness.
“He said… something like that,” Sam finally replied thickly.
Vala put her hands on Sam’s shoulders and squeezed gently, offering what comfort she could. “I’ll be right back. All this emoting makes me thirsty,” she said, lightening the moment. Sam’s shoulders twitched under her hands in what might have been amusement.
When Vala returned with two bottles of water, Sam was again the composed professional. If her blue eyes were a little watery, well, what was a little emotion between comrades?
“We’re coming up on that debris field,” Sam reported, taking the proffered water and twisting off the cap. “Thanks.”
“Yes, I noticed. Time for the fun part.”
“Why am I not surprised that you find this ‘the fun part’?” Sam smiled.
Vala shrugged and took a long drink of water while Sam opened a compartment and pulled out a Heads-Up Display unit.
“Here, put this on. It’s been programmed to be used with this Alkesh,” Sam said.
“What is it? How?” Vala answered, ogling the unit with suspicion.
“It’ll help you navigate the debris field by pinpointing the most dangerous pieces while they’re still some distance from us. Sort of like a magnifier,” Sam explained and set the device on Vala’s head and flipping down the eyepiece.
“Whoa! Like a pirate! Arrgh!” Vala exclaimed, waving her arms around.
“What do you know about pirates?” Sam asked.
“Daniel rented ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ last week. Fascinating movie. But you want me to fly us through the debris field?”
“You have more experience with Alkesh than I do. Besides, I need to calibrate the equipment in advance. I want to get in and out of there as quickly as possible. I’ve been on a ship torn apart by the gravitational forces of a black hole and it’s not an experience I want to repeat,” Sam explained.
The ship shuddered slightly as it dropped out of hyperspace, signaling their arrival at their destination. Vala adjusted the headgear and sat down in the pilot’s seat. “Okay, here we go.”
Sam activated the shields. “I’ve set the shields at maximum, but I’d rather not bounce around that field like a ball in a pinball machine. The ship will gain velocity with each bounce, so it’ll be hard to regain control afterwards.”
“So… don’t do that?” Vala asked.
“Yeah, don’t do that. Okay, I’ll be in the cargo hold. Good Luck.”
“Thanks, you too.” Vala replied, her attention already on the obstacle course looming before her.
Sam made her way to the cargo hold accompanied by Vala’s running monologue at the floating rocks, transmitted over the intercom.
“You. Stay there, don’t move. Oh, I see you… hiding behind your brother. Ha! Missed me!”
Calibrating the equipment took some precision, but other than the occasional minor bump, Vala kept the ship steady with the help of the inertial dampeners. Once everything was ready, Sam kept an eye on the instrument measuring the gravitational pull on the vessel. It wasn’t long before the gravitational forces began to rise.
“Vala, we’re getting close. Decrease velocity and be prepared to hold course on my mark,” Sam reported.
“Aye-aye, Colonel,” Vala answered, obviously still thinking about pirates.
“Mark. How’s it look?” Sam asked.
“Oh, you know. Seen one black hole…”
“-seen ‘em all. Are we still in the debris field?” Sam replied.
“Just at the edge of it. There are a few things I need to avoid, but I should be able to hold steady here.”
Sam activated the instruments. “Eventually the black hole will draw in the entire debris field and it’ll be in the clear. Any sign of a supergate?”
“Well, it’s a bit hard to tell with so much… crap floating around. I could scan for electronic signatures, but I’d have to switch off the enhanced shields to do it. What do you think?”
“We need to disengage the shield to make these measurements anyway. Choose your moment and do it,” Sam answered.
“Right. Okay, disengaging shields…. Now,” Vala reported.
For several long moments, the women were silent as they concentrated on their respective tasks.
Vala reported in first, “Electronic scan complete. No sign of a supergate or its components. You done yet?”
“Not yet, I need a couple more minutes. How’re we doing?” Sam said.
“It might be a bit tight - there’s a fairly large piece of debris heading in our direction,” Vala responded.
“Can you maneuver around it?” Sam asked.
“Not really, it’s bigger than we are.”
“How much bigger?”
“Much, much bigger,” Vala replied.
“Makes sense. The more mass an object has, the greater the effect of the gravitational-”
“Sam, I don’t mean to be rude, but time is of the essence,” Vala blurted out.
“Sorry. Engage shield… Now!” Sam ordered, holding her breath and waiting for impact.
The anticipated impact never came. Instead, she heard Vala’s voice. “Oh, wow! That was impressive!”
“What happened?” Sam asked, already on her way back.
“It collided with another rock and they both bounced out of our way. We’re getting peppered with some small pieces of debris, but I got the shield activated in time,” Vala answered.
“Good deal,” Sam said as she arrived on the bridge. “Get us out of here. I’m going to look at the data.”
“Can’t we just engage the hyperdrive and jump out of this maze?” Vala asked.
“No, we’re still within the gravity well of the black hole, sorry.”
“What would happen if we did?”
“I… don’t really know, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be good. We once activated a hyperdrive just as a sun exploded. We were shot so far across the galaxy, we were light-years from home. Only the replicators allowed us to return in our lifetime,” Sam explained.
“That sounds… complicated. Okay. No hyperdrive.”
Sam blocked out Vala’s conversation with the ship as she analyzed the data from the black hole.
“Oh my God! I mean, I’ve read about the theory, but this is hard evidence!” Sam exclaimed, quite excited by her discovery.
“What?” Vala asked.
“Einstein’s theory of relativity states that the speed of light is constant. Has always been constant. But there’s been some speculation that he was wrong. That the speed of light hasn’t always been constant, but was different a very, very long time ago. As far as I can tell, the light nearest the black hole is traveling at a different speed than light as we know it. I’ll need to do a lot more analysis, but I’m pretty sure… This is incredible!”
Vala smiled over at her teammate, then concentrated on getting them out of the debris field in one piece. Sam was engaged in her analysis.
“So, we’re safe from Ori incursion?” Vala asked.
“What? Oh yeah, at least from this black hole, anyway. This data is basically telling me that this black hole is very old, possibly predating settlement of this part of the galaxy. But, aside from that, this data could change astrophysics as we know it!” Sam babbled.
Some little while later, the Alkesh emerged from the debris field and into free space. Vala removed the HUD, placed it carefully on the console next to her and stretched luxuriously.
“Sam? Sam!” Vala tried to get the Colonel’s attention.
“Huh? Oh, we’re clear,” Sam replied, still in a daze at her discovery.
“Yes, and all in one piece,” Vala said, her eyes taking on a distinctly mischievous twinkle. “I think we deserve a little break, don’t you? I know the most delightful planet, just a few short light-years from here. I think you’d call it a spa? They have the most wonderful baths. Wash the space dust from our feet.”
Sam smiled. This was Vala at her most dangerous. “Vala there’s no ‘space dust’ on our feet, or elsewhere.”
“Oh, you know what I mean. We could have a hot bath, followed by a massage given by some of the most beautiful men you’ve ever seen. Or more, if you’re up for that kind of thing. Then, a meal that puts the SGC’s offerings to shame,” Vala continued.
“Vala, we really shouldn’t, we need to get back.”
Vala consulted the chronometer. “Well, according to this, we’re way ahead of schedule…”
Sam said nothing and bit her lip.
“All right, then. Setting course for Xanadu. You won’t be sorry, Sam.”
`End`
Also: Did anyone else think that that brain-suck thing they used on Sheriff Carter in Eureka (the one with the big missile and the old scientists) was stolen from Nem from Stargate SG-1's Fire and Water? 'Cos they were transferring memories and Jack Carter kinda acted like Daniel Jackson did. Apparently memory stuff hurts!!!
Title: Journey
Author: shutthef_up aka Courser
Rating/Warning:PG-13
Spoilers: Through Season 9
Your name: shutthef_up
Your recipient: zorb
Request details:
Who wants:
Vala, Sam actually using her astrophysics degree, mention/inclusion of Jacob in some way
And doesn't want:
Any character bashing, spoilers beyond what will have aired at the due date
A/N: Huge thanks to surrealphantast for the beta! My dad told me about this new science theory shortly after I got my ficathon assignment. It was just too good not to use it! However, to be clear, the new science stuff has to do with the speed of light in ancient times. Has nothing whatsoever to do with black holes, wormholes or... well, any kind of holes (I don't think, anyway)
Mitchell had looked at her like she’d lost her mind when Sam had chosen Vala to accompany her on this mission. Daniel had looked a little surprised himself, but nodded his agreement when Sam had pointed out that Vala was a very experienced Alkesh pilot and would be a real asset if they ran into trouble. Not that they were planning on trouble, it was supposed to be a quick recon job, but if Sam had learned anything in her almost ten years’ experience on SG-1, it was that they didn’t need to go looking for trouble. Trouble sometimes found them when they least expected it.
“But Sam, I gotta say I’d feel better if you took someone along for security. Maybe borrow that big guy from SG-3,” Mitchell said.
Most of the time, Cam Mitchell was an okay guy, but occasionally that Southern boy chauvinism peeked out. Sam narrowed her eyes at him, but it was Vala who spoke up.
“Oh please. We don’t need a big, strong man taking up space, eating our food and leering at us. After all, I kicked Daniel’s ass-” Vala began, her hands dancing around in emphasis.
“No, you didn’t. Who ended up in the brig?” Daniel interrupted her, leaning across the briefing room table.
“Who was tied to a chair?” Vala countered, clearly warming to the argument.
“You were tied to a chair? I don’t seem to remember that from the mission report,” Mitchell turned his attention to Daniel.
“People! Back on topic, please,” Sam interjected, before the entire meeting was hijacked by sniping.
“I agree, Colonel Carter,” Teal’c added. “Vala Mal Doran is a capable fighter and her knowledge of the less… savory elements of the galaxy could prove useful.”
“Thank you, Teal’c,” Sam replied, smiling and inclining her head slightly towards him. She stood to begin her briefing.
“Now, operatives we’ve recruited within the Lucian Alliance have reported a black hole… here.” She clicked the remote and a star map appeared. “It’s located deep in a debris field and off the beaten track so our contacts haven’t been able to gather intelligence about how long it’s been there. Hopefully, there won’t be another Supergate when we get there.”
“And if there is, the two of you are going to be sitting ducks in that debris field,” Mitchell stated, pointing at the dots on the star map.
“The Alkesh is far more maneuverable than those Ori ships, and I’ve enhanced both the shields and cloak. We should be able to make a safe, strategic withdrawal. Both you and Teal’c are very capable pilots, but you’re needed on P4X-679. Vala’s proven herself an excellent pilot and I’m pleased that she’s agreed to accompany me,” Sam explained.
Vala smiled and looked a tad smug, but said nothing. After fielding a few technical questions, Sam adjourned the briefing.
“Good luck. Come back safe and sound, soon as you can,” Cam said, still clearly uncomfortable that the two women would be on their own.
“We’ll be fine. Thanks. Good luck to you, too,” Sam replied.
“Yes, and you watch each other’s asses,” Vala ordered. The men nervously looked at each other. “Wait. That didn’t come out quite right…”
Teal’c bent his head. “I am confident you will return safely with the knowledge you seek.”
“Thanks, Teal’c, we will.”
“Take care of yourselves,” Daniel added.
“Of course, you too,” Sam answered, only mildly surprised when Daniel leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
He turned to Vala, hesitating before moving in to give her the same treatment. At the last moment, she turned her head and kissed him on the mouth. Pulling back, Daniel scowled at her, “Stop that.” He stepped back and started for the door, then turned back. “Hurry back, okay?”
“We will,” Vala and Sam replied together.
Sam watched Daniel leave the briefing room before turning to Vala. “Why do you do that to him? You know it annoys him.”
“I do it because it annoys him! Daniel needs to… What’s the Earth term? Oh, yes. Lighten up. He’s far too serious most of the time.”
Sam just shook her head. Vala wasn’t entirely wrong.
<><><><><><><><><>
Later, Sam had second thoughts about her choice when Vala insisted that they wear the leather outfits again. It wasn’t that Sam hated the leather, in fact she owned a few leather items herself; it was just that the top revealed more cleavage than she was accustomed to. A lot more. In the end, she capitulated, figuring that in the best-case scenario, Vala would be the only one who saw it and in the worst case, they probably didn’t want to be recognized.
Truth be known, flying through hyperspace was pretty boring. Not much to look at and the navigation programming took care of most of the driving. Sam had never been very good at ‘girl talk’ and as voluble as Vala could be, she seemed to settle in and carry on with her part of the systems checks and monitoring with a minimum of idle chatter. Vala did have a habit of addressing each of the systems as if they were sentient and her cajoling would make a difference in their response time.
After they were well underway, Sam felt like she could broach a topic that the rest of their teammates probably never would.
“Vala, how are you doing with the whole Adria… thing?” Sam asked. “It’s got to be hard, being a, well, a mother, to her,”
Vala continued to stare out the window, “I’m not sure what I am to her, but I’m pretty sure ‘mother’ isn’t it. The whole thing feels completely surreal to me.”
“I think I can understand that. She grew up so fast. But surely there’s some part of you in her,” Sam offered.
“That rather scares me, actually. I mean, sure, I have many wonderful qualities,” and here, Vala gave her a strained smile, “but there are a good many things that aren’t so wonderful as well.”
Vala met her eyes, smile gone, and Sam could see that the experience had aged her. Worn her, despite her buoyant nature. The bluish lighting accentuated the circles under her eyes and gave her a gaunt appearance.
“We all have a dark side we don’t like to admit to, Vala. It’s human nature. I doubt that’s all she took from you.”
“You haven’t seen her Sam. She’s so… I don’t know. She’s human, but she’s not. I can’t describe it. I never got to hold her or nurse her. They just whisked her away the moment she was born. And a few hours later, this child walks into the room. I was still weak and bleeding from the birth. She laid her hands on my belly and healed me,” Vala shrugged and bit her lip, looking out the window again.
“Wow. I can’t imagine.” Sam really didn’t know what to say to the other woman. What words of comfort she might offer.
“I think that’s why I’m here, now. With the SGC. Sometimes it feels as if I’ve spent my entire life being used by one faction or another. The Goa’uld used me as a host for Qetesh and now the Ori have used me to produce their ultimate weapon. Before that, well, I was used in a variety of ways, some more unsavory than others,” Vala replied, turning to look at Sam, a resolved look on her fine features. “I’m done being used, by anyone, for anything.”
Sam had little doubt that anyone who tried to manipulate Vala to their own end would have a fight on their hands.
“That couldn’t have been easy, I know. I don’t know if Daniel mentioned it, but I was once host to a Tok’ra, named Jolinar.”
“No, he didn’t. He’s quite close-mouthed about personal details,” Vala replied, turning her attention to Sam
“Yeah, the second year of the program. I was giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a man and Jolinar jumped from him to me. It wasn’t… pleasant. I just wish I’d known then, what I know now,” Sam said.
“I didn’t think Tok’ra took unwilling hosts.”
“Under normal circumstances, they don’t. But the man was dying and Jolinar was desperate. God, what I’d give to be able to go back…. It would have been so much easier with what I know now,”
“You’d willingly be a host, then?” Vala asked, incredulous.
“Well, no. But I would certainly have handled it differently. I fought her so hard - didn’t even give her a chance. But later, after she died saving my life, my father took a symbiote, Selmak, to save his,” Sam explained.
“Your father is a Tok’ra?” Vala asked, clearly surprised.
“He was. He died last year,” Sam said flatly.
“I’m sorry. How-” Vala broke off. “I don’t mean to pry, Sam.”
“No, it’s okay. From what he told me, Selmak had been ill for some time, but my dad felt we needed him to help with the weapon on Dakara. The one we used to destroy all the replicators in the galaxy at once. Daniel… wasn’t around. By the time it was done, it was too late. Selmak was too weak to leave my dad. When he died, my dad died with him. There was nothing we could do,” Sam explained.
“I’m very sorry,” Vala repeated, quietly.
“It was just so stupid! He was so damn stubborn, right to the end. He should have told me, we could have figured something out. I would have figured it out. One more gun wouldn’t have made much difference. He programmed the device, with Ba’al’s help, while I blew away replicators with the rest of the squad and the Jaffa. But no. I thought he believed in me, in what I was doing. We’d come so far in the years since he’d blended with Selmak. But in the end, it was the same as always. He thought I couldn’t do it without him,” Sam said, gesturing animatedly throughout.
Vala revised her assessment of Sam in the face of her explanation. Of all of SG-1, Sam always seemed to be the one with the fewest issues. She always seemed so together and composed. Vala rather thought Sam had the wrong end of it.
“Sam, has it occurred to you that perhaps your father wanted to be with you at the end of his life? Wanted to help you and stand side by side with his daughter in the fight for the galaxy? Wanted to see you in action, doing what you do best. One. Last. Time. Before he died?” Vala got up from the co-pilot’s seat in a show of checking on one of the instruments behind them. “There you are, my sweet,” she said under her breath. “Sam, I didn’t know your father, but it sounds to me like he was very proud of his daughter and wanted to share one last adventure with her before he died.”
Sam dropped her head. Vala stood behind her, fixing her eyes on the other woman’s shoulders and giving Sam the dignity of allowing her to grieve without a witness.
“He said… something like that,” Sam finally replied thickly.
Vala put her hands on Sam’s shoulders and squeezed gently, offering what comfort she could. “I’ll be right back. All this emoting makes me thirsty,” she said, lightening the moment. Sam’s shoulders twitched under her hands in what might have been amusement.
When Vala returned with two bottles of water, Sam was again the composed professional. If her blue eyes were a little watery, well, what was a little emotion between comrades?
“We’re coming up on that debris field,” Sam reported, taking the proffered water and twisting off the cap. “Thanks.”
“Yes, I noticed. Time for the fun part.”
“Why am I not surprised that you find this ‘the fun part’?” Sam smiled.
Vala shrugged and took a long drink of water while Sam opened a compartment and pulled out a Heads-Up Display unit.
“Here, put this on. It’s been programmed to be used with this Alkesh,” Sam said.
“What is it? How?” Vala answered, ogling the unit with suspicion.
“It’ll help you navigate the debris field by pinpointing the most dangerous pieces while they’re still some distance from us. Sort of like a magnifier,” Sam explained and set the device on Vala’s head and flipping down the eyepiece.
“Whoa! Like a pirate! Arrgh!” Vala exclaimed, waving her arms around.
“What do you know about pirates?” Sam asked.
“Daniel rented ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ last week. Fascinating movie. But you want me to fly us through the debris field?”
“You have more experience with Alkesh than I do. Besides, I need to calibrate the equipment in advance. I want to get in and out of there as quickly as possible. I’ve been on a ship torn apart by the gravitational forces of a black hole and it’s not an experience I want to repeat,” Sam explained.
The ship shuddered slightly as it dropped out of hyperspace, signaling their arrival at their destination. Vala adjusted the headgear and sat down in the pilot’s seat. “Okay, here we go.”
Sam activated the shields. “I’ve set the shields at maximum, but I’d rather not bounce around that field like a ball in a pinball machine. The ship will gain velocity with each bounce, so it’ll be hard to regain control afterwards.”
“So… don’t do that?” Vala asked.
“Yeah, don’t do that. Okay, I’ll be in the cargo hold. Good Luck.”
“Thanks, you too.” Vala replied, her attention already on the obstacle course looming before her.
Sam made her way to the cargo hold accompanied by Vala’s running monologue at the floating rocks, transmitted over the intercom.
“You. Stay there, don’t move. Oh, I see you… hiding behind your brother. Ha! Missed me!”
Calibrating the equipment took some precision, but other than the occasional minor bump, Vala kept the ship steady with the help of the inertial dampeners. Once everything was ready, Sam kept an eye on the instrument measuring the gravitational pull on the vessel. It wasn’t long before the gravitational forces began to rise.
“Vala, we’re getting close. Decrease velocity and be prepared to hold course on my mark,” Sam reported.
“Aye-aye, Colonel,” Vala answered, obviously still thinking about pirates.
“Mark. How’s it look?” Sam asked.
“Oh, you know. Seen one black hole…”
“-seen ‘em all. Are we still in the debris field?” Sam replied.
“Just at the edge of it. There are a few things I need to avoid, but I should be able to hold steady here.”
Sam activated the instruments. “Eventually the black hole will draw in the entire debris field and it’ll be in the clear. Any sign of a supergate?”
“Well, it’s a bit hard to tell with so much… crap floating around. I could scan for electronic signatures, but I’d have to switch off the enhanced shields to do it. What do you think?”
“We need to disengage the shield to make these measurements anyway. Choose your moment and do it,” Sam answered.
“Right. Okay, disengaging shields…. Now,” Vala reported.
For several long moments, the women were silent as they concentrated on their respective tasks.
Vala reported in first, “Electronic scan complete. No sign of a supergate or its components. You done yet?”
“Not yet, I need a couple more minutes. How’re we doing?” Sam said.
“It might be a bit tight - there’s a fairly large piece of debris heading in our direction,” Vala responded.
“Can you maneuver around it?” Sam asked.
“Not really, it’s bigger than we are.”
“How much bigger?”
“Much, much bigger,” Vala replied.
“Makes sense. The more mass an object has, the greater the effect of the gravitational-”
“Sam, I don’t mean to be rude, but time is of the essence,” Vala blurted out.
“Sorry. Engage shield… Now!” Sam ordered, holding her breath and waiting for impact.
The anticipated impact never came. Instead, she heard Vala’s voice. “Oh, wow! That was impressive!”
“What happened?” Sam asked, already on her way back.
“It collided with another rock and they both bounced out of our way. We’re getting peppered with some small pieces of debris, but I got the shield activated in time,” Vala answered.
“Good deal,” Sam said as she arrived on the bridge. “Get us out of here. I’m going to look at the data.”
“Can’t we just engage the hyperdrive and jump out of this maze?” Vala asked.
“No, we’re still within the gravity well of the black hole, sorry.”
“What would happen if we did?”
“I… don’t really know, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be good. We once activated a hyperdrive just as a sun exploded. We were shot so far across the galaxy, we were light-years from home. Only the replicators allowed us to return in our lifetime,” Sam explained.
“That sounds… complicated. Okay. No hyperdrive.”
Sam blocked out Vala’s conversation with the ship as she analyzed the data from the black hole.
“Oh my God! I mean, I’ve read about the theory, but this is hard evidence!” Sam exclaimed, quite excited by her discovery.
“What?” Vala asked.
“Einstein’s theory of relativity states that the speed of light is constant. Has always been constant. But there’s been some speculation that he was wrong. That the speed of light hasn’t always been constant, but was different a very, very long time ago. As far as I can tell, the light nearest the black hole is traveling at a different speed than light as we know it. I’ll need to do a lot more analysis, but I’m pretty sure… This is incredible!”
Vala smiled over at her teammate, then concentrated on getting them out of the debris field in one piece. Sam was engaged in her analysis.
“So, we’re safe from Ori incursion?” Vala asked.
“What? Oh yeah, at least from this black hole, anyway. This data is basically telling me that this black hole is very old, possibly predating settlement of this part of the galaxy. But, aside from that, this data could change astrophysics as we know it!” Sam babbled.
Some little while later, the Alkesh emerged from the debris field and into free space. Vala removed the HUD, placed it carefully on the console next to her and stretched luxuriously.
“Sam? Sam!” Vala tried to get the Colonel’s attention.
“Huh? Oh, we’re clear,” Sam replied, still in a daze at her discovery.
“Yes, and all in one piece,” Vala said, her eyes taking on a distinctly mischievous twinkle. “I think we deserve a little break, don’t you? I know the most delightful planet, just a few short light-years from here. I think you’d call it a spa? They have the most wonderful baths. Wash the space dust from our feet.”
Sam smiled. This was Vala at her most dangerous. “Vala there’s no ‘space dust’ on our feet, or elsewhere.”
“Oh, you know what I mean. We could have a hot bath, followed by a massage given by some of the most beautiful men you’ve ever seen. Or more, if you’re up for that kind of thing. Then, a meal that puts the SGC’s offerings to shame,” Vala continued.
“Vala, we really shouldn’t, we need to get back.”
Vala consulted the chronometer. “Well, according to this, we’re way ahead of schedule…”
Sam said nothing and bit her lip.
“All right, then. Setting course for Xanadu. You won’t be sorry, Sam.”
`End`
Also: Did anyone else think that that brain-suck thing they used on Sheriff Carter in Eureka (the one with the big missile and the old scientists) was stolen from Nem from Stargate SG-1's Fire and Water? 'Cos they were transferring memories and Jack Carter kinda acted like Daniel Jackson did. Apparently memory stuff hurts!!!