You can't save them all - can you? pt 17
You can't save them all - can you? pt 17
by Whisper99
Summary: A slow day at the SGC has brought the team a mystery. Chapter: Endings
Category: Mystery
Episode Related: 704 Orpheus
Season: any Season
Pairing: none
Rating: 13+
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 08/20/05
Stargate & SG-1 belong to lots of other people and entities. Jess was my idea. Thank goodness for late night visits from the Muse.
***Later that same day - ISO RM 4***
Jess is sitting at the small table in her room, head lowered as she stares at her hands. Teal'c sits across from her, speaking to her in quiet tones. They both look up as the door opens, Teal'c straightening, as Jack and Sam enter the room.
Jack carries a tray filled with food and Sam carries her laptop and some files cradled in her arms.
Jess watches as they settle the items they carry on the table before her and asks simply, "Daniel?"
"I get the feeling Fraiser doesn't quite believe that he's all better, so she's running a few tests. She said she'd spring him in a little while. And here's the food she promised." Jack points to the tray as he moves to grab an extra chair to sit on. "Eat up."
Reaching for the food, she says, "Thanks. I'm starved." Looking over at Teal'c, she offers him her pickle. He tilts his head, declining.
Sam smiles as she sets up her laptop, watching as Jess takes a huge bite of a hamburger, "Dr. Fraiser thinks your hunger is your body's way of getting back all the energy you expended healing yourself and Daniel. How're you feeling?"
Jess quirks a brow, "Numb...like I've got nothing else left to give." She shrugs then and takes a bite of her burger.
Jack nods, saying, "I'm sorry about that kiddo. It'll get better." He glances over at Sam and nods, asking, "Jess...um, there is a question we do need to ask you."
Jess' shoulders slump a bit at the question even as she looks up at him, swallowing and then asks, "What?"
Clearing his throat, Jack takes a few greasy fries from her plate, and asks, "Ok...It's about the Stargate."
A mumbled "What about it?" escapes her lips as she chews.
Wiping his hands on a napkin, Jack asks, "When you threw that panda box thing into it, Carter tells me the computer wasn't finished dialing."
Jess pauses before starting to chew again and says, "Oh...Well...I don't know anything about that..."
Stealing a few more fries, he says, "Carter, tell her what you were able to find out."
Sam taps some of the keys on the laptop as she says, "We were able to determine that the Stargate established a successful outgoing wormhole without the aid of the dialing computer. As a matter of fact, based on diagnostics I ran right after it happened, the gate didn't even lock on the planet I had started the dialing sequence for."
Jess stares down at her plate, idly stuffing fries into her mouth and mumbles, "Yeah, so?"
Sam asks, "Well, remember that video I showed you from when you first came here? And we could see that alien being, Shifu?"
Jess nods slowly, concentrating on her food.
Sam turns the screen, showing the video capture of the event, "Well, as you can see on this analysis of the security tape, there is no sign of any ascended being in the gate room."
"Ok...?" Jess glances at the screen before turning her attention back to the remnants of her food.
Frowning slightly, Jack breaks in with, "Jess...is there anything you should be telling us?"
She looks up at Jack, not able to meet his gaze for long before turning away, answering, "No."
Teal'c speaks up, "Jessmin O'Neill, there is no need to hide the truth from us."
She frowns, looking at Teal'c, then back at Jack. Taking a deep breath, she says steadily, "Well...you know...I guess you can say it's another perk to not being completely human."
"So...what? You dialed the gate?" Jack asks, quirking a brow.
Jess nods slowly, stuffing some more fries in her mouth.
Sam asks, "Where did you dial to?"
Swallowing her food, she turns her gaze towards Teal'c, and answers, "Chulak."
Jack quickly gets up out of his seat, "What!?"
Sam's eyes go wide as she exclaims, "Oh my God, Jess! There are people there!"
Flinching, Jess answers quickly, "I shut the gate down before it got to the other side."
Jack asks, "You can just turn it off whenever you want?"
Pushing the tray away from her, she nods, "Yeah..."
Sam asks, "Why Chulak? Wasn't that a bit dangerous?"
Playing with a corner of her napkin, she answers, "I don't know that many gate addresses. Chulak was the first one that came to mind. I only know three...Chulak, Earth and the Alpha Site. My dad made sure of that."
Jack looks at her suspiciously for a moment, saying, "Wait a minute...when you first got here, you gave us the address of the Nox homeworld."
Jess blinks, surprised at the question, "Huh?" and it takes her a moment to understand Jack's statement, "Oh! Well, yeah, I know the manual addresses of several Stargates. I thought you meant which addresses I could, y'know." And she waggles the fingers of one hand around.
"Oh...there's a difference?" Jack sits back and watches her.
Jess nods several times, staring down at her tray and chokes back a laugh, saying, "Oh yeah."
"How do you do it?" Jack asks.
Tapping now on the edge of the tray with a fork, she answers, "It's complicated."
"Explain it to Carter. She'll understand." Sam's eyes open slightly wide at that.
***Hallway***
Stepping out of his office, Daniel finishes rolling down his sleeve, wincing slightly as he pulls the fabric over the bandage on his arm. Damned if Janet wasn't determined to stick him with more holes now than he had to start with before Jess healed him. Shaking his head, he turns at the next corridor, picking up the pace a bit as he tries to make it to the elevator. Just in time, he squeezes into the open door, swipes his security card and presses the floor number. He looks up and offers a smile to the other occupant in the elevator.
Daniel is startled at seeing the face of his murderer...his alternates' murderer standing so close to him.
Major Tate stares at Daniel for a moment, surprise clearly on his face, "Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel leans his back against the wall of the elevator, crossing his arms over his chest as he nods, "Yes. That's me."
Wearing a slight scowl, Tate offers, "I...I'm Major Tate. I don't believe we've been properly introduced" and he extends a hand.
Daniel stares a moment before he straightens, quickly taking the offered hand and shaking it, "Oh...well...yes. Ah..."
Tate pumps the hand, continuing, voice sounding strained, "I have to be completely honest with you...I'm rather surprised to see you up and about. Last I heard, someone had taken a stick to you."
Daniel releases the grip, returning his hand back to the safety of his body and resists the urge to wipe it on the side of his pants. He says, "Well...rumors fly no matter how hard you try. I'm fine, really."
Tate blinks, nodding as he says, "Well, I'm glad to hear that." He steps forward, placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder, saying, "It's really good to see you well."
Daniel smiles, trying to contain his nervousness as he convinces himself he feels this way only because of what he saw the alternate Tate do, "Uh...thanks." Remembering Sam had said about Tate threatening to take Jess away, he asks, "What brings you to the SGC?"
Tate offers a sickly smile, saying, "No need to worry Dr. Jackson. Considering Ms. O'Neill's terminal condition, it isn't reasonable for us to focus our efforts on her safety. I've been informed that she won't last the night."
Daniel blinks, not missing a beat as he says, "Yes...too bad about that. Very tragic...."
Tate nods, adding, "I'm actually on my way now to see the gentleman accused in your abduction and...apparent assault. I've been assigned to investigate the matter."
Daniel swallows hard, suddenly grateful that the elevator has stopped, doors opening. He says, "Oh, really? Well...send him my best." And he steps out.
Daniel makes his way to ISO RM 4, trying to shake the creepy feeling of Tate's hand on his shoulder. He walks in, seeing Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Jess seated at the small table. Jess glances up, looking tired but smiling as she sees him.
Daniel returns the smile, moving to walk up to the group, saying, "You'll never guess who I ran into just now."
"Who?" asks Sam.
Daniel answers, "Ah...uh..." he looks down at Jess before saying, "Our special friend...the one causing all that trouble lately." Looking at Jack, he continues slowly, "And for a guy I've never actually met before, he seemed very interested in my well being."
Jess stares down at the table, letting her hair fall into her eyes. Softly she says, "I'm not stupid...I know it's Tate you're talking about."
Jack frowns at Daniel, asking. "Did he say anything?"
Daniel places a reassuring hand on Jess' shoulder, saying, "Uh...he mentioned he was on his way to talk to Mr. Smith."
"Huh..." Jack stands, glancing at Sam and says, "Carter, don't forget to let the lab rat here up for air in a bit, ok? I got something to take care of. T?" Teal'c stands to follow Jack out of the room.
As they leave, Jess calls out, "Jack?"
He pauses at the door and turns to look at her, "Yeah?"
She stares at him for a moment before saying, "He died because a son of a bitch killed him."
Jack meets her gaze steadily for a few seconds, then turns and walks out.
Daniel raises a brow at the exchange, taking the seat vacated by Jack, and reaches out to hold Jess' hand. He tries to reassure her by saying, "It'll be ok."
Jess sighs as she answers, "'course it will. It can't get any worse." She shrugs her shoulders as she rests her chin on her hands, placing her elbows on the table.
Daniel coughs, blinking a few times before turning to Sam and asks, "What's this about a lab rat?'
It takes Sam a moment to focus on his question, and then she all but beams, "She's like a portable DHD, Daniel."
Looking between Jess and Sam, Daniel asks, voice incredulous, "What?"
***Lockup***
The door opens and Tate steps into the small room, staring at the prisoner as he sits in a chair, arms drawn up to the table, pillowing his head. Turning to one of the airmen, he says, "I can handle it from here." And waits until the door is closed.
Roger Smith looks up, raises a brow but says nothing as Tate sits down in the chair opposite. Straightening, he waits for Tate to begin.
Tate leans into the table, fire in his eyes as he hisses, "What the hell are you playing at? I told you that a lesson had to be learned!"
Smith moves his gaze swiftly to the door, then back at Tate before he too leans forward, asking, "What're you talking about?"
Scowling at the man sitting before him, Tate says, "Don't play games with me. The people I work for...the people _we_ work for can just as easily make you dead prisoner."
Smith rubs at his jaw, saying, "I haven't forgotten. But I still don't know what you're talking about. We gave Jackson the full treatment, just like you wanted. There's no way in hell that guy is going to forget what we did." He chuckles, "If he's even still alive."
Clenching his fist, Tate hisses, "Bullshit! I just saw him not 20 minutes ago walking down the hallway, not a mark on him."
Smith stares at him, tilting his head then shaking it, "He was crawling around in his own filth the last time I saw him. There's no way that guy is doing anything more than keeping company with a bedpan right now."
Both men jump, startled as the door behind them bursts open. Tate stands quickly as he watches O'Neill come in, anger showing clearly on his face. Smith quickly stands, making his way to the back of the room and watches.
O'Neill shouts "Tate!" and grabs him by the neck, slamming him up against the table, "Who do you work for?"
Raising a hand to fend off O'Neill's hold on him, Tate says quickly, "I work for the same people you do, Colonel. The United States Air force! Let me go before I have you brought up on assault charges!"
O'Neill's grip is as steady as his voice as he says, "You really think we're that stupid? We got the entire conversation on tape."
Teal'c appears In the doorway behind O'Neill, a Zat'nikatel in one hand.
Eyeing Teal'c and watching as the airmen walk down the far end of the corridor, Tate says desperately, "General Hammond would find this highly irregular, Colonel. I am just doing my job."
Jack grins viciously, "Hammond's on his way to the Pentagon, taking care of some unfinished business. You're dealing with me now."
Tate smirks, "What do you think he's going to be able to do?" He stumbles back onto the table just as O'Neill lets him go with a slight shove.
Gesturing with his hands in a forward motion, O'Neill says, "Teal'c."
Nodding, Teal'c activates the Zat and points it at Tate
Still half sitting on the table, Tate's eyes go wide, and he asks quickly, "What're you doing?"
Teal'c says simply, "I am going to kill you."
"What!? You can't do that!"
O'Neill looks at Smith, who has been doing his best to melt into the wall behind him. "You want to talk now?"
Smith starts to babble, "I work for him. I'm just following his orders. I don't know who he works for, honest. He told us to find out what we could from Jackson and to, to, to make sure he wouldn't forget who called the shots. He wanted to make sure _you_ would get the message."
As Smith talks, Tate stands taller, straightening his tie as he rubs at his throat, "O'Neill, I know you're bluffing. You won't risk your career for this." His words end in a scream as Teal'c shoots and he slides to the floor.
O'Neill picks him up, forcing him to sit in one of the chairs and shakes him, trying to get him back to consciousness. Twitching as his body reacts to the after effects of the weapon, Tate opens his eyes and focuses on O'Neill even as he feels himself pulled to his feet.
O'Neill says quietly, "First shot stuns. Second shot kills. Talk."
Tate shakes his head, trying to clear it, gasping, even as he manages to say, "I should've had Jackson killed. A double funeral for him and the kid would've been perfect."
Disgusted, O'Neill draws a fist back and punches him in the face, letting him go crashing onto the table, "Airmen!" he calls out. As they arrive, he says, "Put him in lockup." And as the airmen bend down to grab Tate, O'Neill shakes his head, saying, "Get him out of my sight!"
*To be continued...Only one more chapter to go! - As ever, Feedback is adored!!*
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