Fic: Ambition (the Mens Rea remix), by Pepper
Title: Ambition (the Mens Rea remix)
Author:
pepper_field
Remixed story: Ambition, by
katie_m
Rating: PG for nakidity.
Pairing(s): Sam/Makepeace (!!!)
Summary: "Give me a chance to be useful and you'll have my loyalty."
A/N: I hope you like it, Katie - I was really quite daunted to be assigned you. I mean, cripes, your last remix was written as epic poetry! :)
---
Doctor Timothy Harlow smiled proudly at his protégé, who was staring in fascination at the alien insect preserved in the reinforced glass container - much like any other entomology subject, were it not for the sheer size.
"Oh my god," said Captain Carter, and tapped the glass. The creature was dead, however, and didn't move. "Oh my god," she said again, and glanced up at him. "I've never seen anything like it. Thank you so much for bringing me in on this, Doctor Harlow!"
"Timothy," he corrected her, smiling indulgently. He'd always had a soft spot for Captain Doctor Samantha Carter. Her infectious enthusiasm for her work had always inspired those around her. He was only too pleased that he'd finally been allowed to bring her in on one of his projects. "Take a look at what we've been able to determine so far," he invited, gesturing to the computers. "It's fascinating - it has evolved defensive and reproductive abilities far beyond that of any Earth insect."
"Don't tell the Earth insects," said Captain Carter, scrolling through the reams of data they'd already collected. She pointed out a particular piece of information. "It completely rewrote the subject's DNA in, what, a matter of hours? And the bugs hatched within three days - that's an amazing gestation period for a creature of that size."
"And who knows how long it would have taken in a human," said Doctor Harlow. "Probably much less time, if the medical notes on the-" he checked his notes, "the Jaffa's healing capabilities are correct. A couple of days, perhaps less." He chuckled grimly. "And for each person infected, approximately ten of those creatures, depending on body mass."
Captain Carter shook her head. "And then ten more, and ten more, exponentially... the human race could be wiped out in a matter of weeks!" She shivered. "What a terrible way to go."
Doctor Harlow nodded, sympathetically. "The unfortunate subject did appear to suffer greatly, before he lost consciousness," he concurred. "Thank goodness we were able to contain the insects when they hatched, or the situation could easily have spiraled far beyond our control."
"Thank goodness," echoed Captain Carter, and turned back to the creature, beginning to lose herself again in the fascination of studying an alien life-form.
Doctor Harlow patted her on the shoulder. "Come on, Sam. Let me show you something even more interesting than one dead bug. We've got a whole roomful of live ones to study!"
Captain Carter, eyes shining with the eagerness to learn from this unique opportunity, followed him readily.
---
Colonel Sean Grieves didn't like to get to know the people under his command too well. He felt that, to maintain the necessary distance, he shouldn't be spending his time hanging out with them, blurring the line between friend and commander. How else would they be able to follow his orders without question? And how else would he be able to send them into situations where there was no hope of survival? His command style hadn't changed now that he was working offworld and outside of the US Air Force's aegis. Command was command, and discipline needed to be maintained if they were to do the jobs they'd voluntarily exiled themselves to do. Hopefully, one day, Earth would see that their work was for the good of the planet, and would welcome them back with open arms. Until that day, Sean was prepared to lead his unit in secret, unacknowledged.
His severe command style didn't mean that he closed his ears to anything that might affect his unit's performance, however. He liked to get an idea of which way someone would jump before he gave them an order - so the casual way in which he visited their new recruit was anything but impromptu.
He knocked sharply on the doorframe, and nodded to her when she glanced up. "Carter."
"Sir," she acknowledged, and then dipped her head back to the technology she was examining. The moment she'd arrived, she'd dived straight into the accumulated shelves and boxes of alien devices with a hungry expression that shouted of ambitions held back and frustrated - a feeling with which Sean was intimately familiar. "I've had a chance to look at the Madronan weather device, and it's an amazing piece of technology. Definitely not Goa'uld, or any race we've come across so far, so unfortunately I'm having to come at this from a point of complete ignorance, but if we can get it to work, the practical applications for the device are... well, almost limitless. I mean, imagine always being able to ensure that crops will have the correct weather, for a start - or never having a drought. No more Tornado Alley. Planes would never have to fly through thunderstorms, and there'd always be snow on your ski holiday." She flashed him a quick smile. "I wouldn't recommend testing it out on Earth until we have a better handle on how it works, though. A device of this power could wreak havoc as easily as it could make our lives better. Easier, in fact."
"Your concern is noted, Captain," said Sean. "I'll pass that on to Colonel Maybourne. We can find some nice neutral planet to give it a go."
Captain Carter turned to face him fully. "Sir, if I may, I'd like permission to participate in running the tests," she said, earnestly. "I've not had long with the device, but I'm beginning to understand it, and I feel that-"
"Already understood, Captain," interrupted Sean, surprised. "It was never in question that you were going to run the tests."
Carter broke off and blinked at him, before a small, pleased smile crossed her face, and her shoulders relaxed somewhat. "Really?" she said, and then shook her head. "I mean, thank you, sir."
Sean tipped his head back slightly, considering her reaction. "The fact that you're a woman doesn't matter to me," he said, frankly. "You won't get any special considerations, nor will you be excluded from combat. I trust that's clear?"
"Perfectly clear, sir," Carter said, straightening. "And may I say that I welcome that? I don't ask for special consideration - just that I be challenged."
Sean shrugged. "I know the SGC apply front-line policies regarding women, but quite honestly, Captain, we need all the good men and women we can lay hands on. This isn't a glamorous assignment. You can never go back home, your parents will never watch the President awarding you a medal-"
"My parents are both dead," said Carter, shortly, the gleam of enthusiasm fading from her face. "My dad just recently. Cancer. It was... well, that was my final tie severed. I have no desire to go back to where I'm excluded from the work I'm good at, just because of my gender." She looked challengingly at him. "I assume that was what you wanted to know, sir?"
Sean regarded her coldly for a moment, but held back a reprimand for her tone. "Just ensuring we understand one another, Carter," he said.
She nodded shortly. "Understood, sir. Give me a chance to be useful and you'll have my loyalty."
"Very good. Carry on, Captain."
Cold, he concluded, as he walked away. Cold, and a bit damaged.
She should fit right in.
---
Colonel Robert Makepeace lay back on the sweet grass, breathing heavily, and glanced at his companion. Sam looked as flushed and satisfied as he felt, and he allowed himself a small smirk. "We've got to keep meeting like this," he remarked, and she turned her lazy blue eyes in his direction, smiling.
"Once a month?" she asked, wryly. "Clandestinely? For a couple of hours whilst your team are off doing... what is it they're doing, again?"
He rolled to his side, and ignored the question, not being particularly interested as to what his team was up to at this precise moment. He ran one hand along her flank, and up to one breast, making her still-sensitive skin twitch. "Nah. Like this," he said, and leaned down to kiss and bite.
"Ohhh..." her voice trailed off, and then she wriggled. "Robert. Robert. We haven't got time. Have you got the device?"
Robert sighed against her delicious skin, and lifted his head. "Care to search me for it?" he offered, suggestively. She glanced down at his naked body, and met his eyes. "Okay, okay, Ms. All Business. It's in my pack."
Sam sat swiftly upright, and grabbed for her clothes, beginning to dress. Robert watched her, arms folded lazily behind his head, playing a game of How Many Times Could He See Sam's Nipples, before she noticed his gaze, rolled her eyes, and buttoned her shirt. "Men," she remarked. She grabbed for his pack and began to riffle through it, and - the mood dispersed - Robert sat up and reached for his own clothes. "Where's it from?" she asked, as he zipped up his BDU pants. He glanced back. Apparently mystery technology was far more enticing to Sam Carter than his naked body.
"Tollana," he said. "Some sort of radar device." Sam grunted, clearly already itching to take a screwdriver to it. "Oh, I've got some interesting news on that front," he added. "You might be getting a new CO, soon, if things work out."
Sam glanced up at that. "What? Colonel Grieves isn't going anywhere, is he?" Her loyalty, once gained, was admirably fixed. If the SGC couldn't see her worth, reflected Robert, then they fully deserved all his own disloyalty.
"No, I just mean that there's a possibility you'll be getting a new recruit soon. He's got seniority, so he'll probably be given command of the unit."
"Who?" demanded Sam.
Robert grinned. He couldn't help it - having Sam's full attention was something he treasured. He got it only when they first met up, every month or so, and until she was laying, boneless and satisfied, at his side. After that, she was only interested in one thing: whatever new plaything he'd brought. "Colonel O'Neill."
"I thought he'd retired?" she queried, quickly. Of course, as much of the SGC paperwork as he and Maybourne could lay hands on went through to their offworld base, and Sam read it avidly.
"Yeah. After he had to kill Doctor Jackson's wife. Jackson forgave him, but he said he couldn't forgive himself." Robert shrugged; it had been his key to becoming leader of the premier team, so he couldn't feel too bad about the whole mess. After all, the woman had been Goa'ulded more than two years ago. She was already a lost cause, in Robert's opinion. Jackson seemed like he was doing okay about it - a bit withdrawn, but functioning - and Jack made occasional appearances at the SGC, looking thinner and older, but alive, so it hadn't exactly been the end of the world. "Anyhow, Maybourne's been doing some fancy talking, and it looks like he might have come around to our point of view." He stretched his back. Sex al fresco was hot in theory, but he always ached for days afterwards. "Anyhow, it's not definite yet. Gotta check him out thoroughly, make sure he's sincere. I'm just giving you a heads-up."
"Wow." Sam pursed her lips and stared into space. "That should be interesting. I've read so much about him; I've wanted to meet him for a long time."
Robert frowned. "Don't get too excited. He's just an ageing flyboy," he said, earning himself a couple of raised eyebrows. Sam stuck her hand out, and he pulled her to her feet.
"Well, speaking as a flygirl," she said, slightly acidly, "I think he's pretty damn heroic." She patted him on the arm. "But I appreciate the jealousy," she said, in a gentler tone.
Robert huffed. "I wasn't-"
"You were, and honestly, I sort of liked it." She put a hand around his neck and pulled him down into a sweet, thorough kiss. Robert put all thoughts of Jack out of his mind, for the time being. There was nothing to worry about: Earth was getting the technology it needed, whether it knew it or not; their operation was getting bigger; he was getting some from this gorgeous, intelligent woman... It was all working out perfectly.
---
END.