Einstein meets Newton
Einstein meets Newton
by mishy_mo
Summary: A field trip to the air force academy brings about some old secrets and new concequences
Category: Humor
Season: Season 5
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: FAM
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2004-12-22
Einstein meets Newton
Disclaimer: I don't own SG-1 or any thing remotely related (besides 33 DVD's !!) as much as I'd like to, and I'm soo not making any money.
Season: 5 (ish)
Spoilers: very little but might change later in the story
Pairings: suggestive S/J
Author's note: this is a major stretch of the imagination but I tried to keep the characterisation as close as possible.
Field Trip?
`But why me?' pleaded the colonel, `What about Carter?'
`She already going but the people at they need another apparently.' replied his superior officer getting slightly annoyed at the behaviour of his 2IC.
`But someone else surely...'
`Colonel you are going, I am not going to postpone another SG teams mission just because you don't want to go. And it might as well be you as Daniel and Teal'c are on P4J 987 with SG-7,' Hammond spoke, the tone of anger creeping into his voice.
`Can't I go and meet up with them?'
`Colonel I've just about had it with your antics this morning, you leave at 14.00, dismissed.'
`Yes, sir'
An extremely annoyed Jack O'Neill to his leave of the base commander. Reaching the door he turned to face Hammond once more.
`But...'
`Colonel!!'
`Yes sir'
Quickly retreating from the gaze of the older man, he disappeared through the doorway.
Needing answers to the current predicament he headed towards Samantha Carter's lab, she always had the answers. At various stages in his rampage to the laball he said was.
`Damn!!'
A few passing airmen and young officers quailed in the wake of his obvious anger, many found themselves backed against a wall as the 2IC of the base forced past in the general direction of carters lab. A young sergeant was lucky enough to spend a four-floor elevator ride in his company; the colonel was so focused in getting to the answers that he didn't notices the young mans presence.
`Why me? Of all the people on this base all the scientists and linguist and anything else that ends in `ists' and he sends me! What the hell did I do to Hammond to deserve this?? Ok a couple of things maybe but this is just taking the revenge thing a little too far'
Relief was granted as the elevator doors opened and let lose the colonel before the sergeant could hear any more of the one sided conversation.
`Carter!' he shouted still a corridor away.
`Carter!!' louder now even though he was much closer than he was before.
`Sir?' answered Sam, her head now emerging from the room questioning the sanity and actions of her commanding officer. Some thing she did almost every day.
`Mind telling me why exactly we're going on this field trip this afternoon?' Still shouting.
`We, sir?'
`Yes `we'' his voice quieter but now adopting the dangerous tone which he had previously heard in Hammonds.
`Uh well Professor Mason is holding a sort of open day and he wanted someone from Cheyenne to go so ...'she said moving back into her lab.
`So we got stuck with going and talking to little kids who want to grow up to be just like us?'
`Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to it, sir' Then with a glance at the look of sheer anger on his face she added `Kind of.'
`Might I ask why?' deadly tone still present.
`Professor Mason was my university lecturer sir'
`Riight' he said calming down a little as if as long as there was some kind of reason it would be ok. ` So what's my reason?'
`Don't know sir'
`Imagine that' he said, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
`What sir?' Sam was curious to know what had caused the turn around in the colonel's mood.
`Something Carter doesn't know' he said now smiling.
`It happens sir' she said exchanging her smiled for his, resulting in a slight grin on his part, but the need for answers returned and his smiled faltered slightly.
`So all knowing one on occasion can you think of a reason or educated guess or something as to why I night I enjoy this field trip?'
`Because it's an excuse not to do paperwork?'
`Very good, I knew there was a reason why you're my second in command.' Although his smile was still there, his eyes had lost their usual lustre and a hint of worry in his voice caused Sam to worry also.
`Sir are you ok?'
`Yeah fine, get you topside at 14.00'he said leaving the room.
`Yes sir'
`Don't forget dress blues' he added an after thought already out of the door.
//Well this isn't soo bad. Kind of. Nope it's gonna be bad, I had plans for this afternoon as well. Level 16 of Mega Super Mario 4 plus is just begging to be thrashed, but trust the general to stick me with something like this. But that Mason guy sounds interesting, Carters mentor and teacher, kinda like Skywalker's Yoda or something. Note to self; go to less of Teal'c's Star Wars marathons. Anyway it's this mason's guy's fault that I'm going to this thing. What carter not got enough brains or something?? Need to add a few more points to the total IQ?? And why two officers I know two heads are better than one but Sam can hold her own anyway I'd just end up distracting her. You she was right, I now have a valid reason for not doing paperwork, not that the personal conquest and satisfaction of beating a computer game is a valid reason. It is. Just a bit ...you know... controversial. Wonder who else is going though? God I hope.. nah what would he be doing there anyway. I'm safe. Ish. Right just keep a low profile and it should be fine either way. It's just an afternoon off, no paper work, no Super Mario (sigh), just me and Sam talking to USAF want-a-be's' It WILL be fine. Hopefully//
Buffet?
Sam looked towards the guard once again only to receive yet another un-amused look, Sam now counted six. The time was 14.10 and Sam had been waiting topside for 20 minutes, with no sign of Jack. Pulling her sell from her purse, she dialled his number (well speed-dial 2 , Janet was 1)
`Sir?...Where?...Well when?...Yes sir.'
Waiting another five minutes, Jack finally decided to emerge from the underground cavern of the SGC, much to the relief of Sam and the guard, who was becoming tired of being the target of the Major's glares.
`And here I thought women took ages to get ready.'
`Right, Carter, I get it. I'm late.' He snapped a little. Signs of a mood now evident in his posture as well as his voice. `So let's just get going. Who's car?'
`Well unless you want to go by bike, we'll take yours.'
`Maybe later,' he said not really listening, striding in the direction of his car.
Following the colonel Sam shook her head.
{This is going to be harder than I thought}
Arriving at the academy, they stepped out Jack's car. Jack felt like it was his first day at school, the intimidating building loomed over him, his stomach uneasy, though he hid it well. Once inside they took off their caps, but Jack (ever the cool guy) kept his sunglasses on.
`Right, so where is this thing then?' he said half-heartedly looking around on the quiet lobby, his unease slowly dissolving his mood.
There was a near-by buzz of chatter coming from behind two double doors.
`Let's check in here, sir.' She said brightly, even though she did feel sympathy for him, as she knew how boring this would be for him. In the end she decided to let him deal with it on his own, after all trying to cheer-up a grumpy colonel was about as easy as re-writing the laws of physics (very, very hard but not impossible).
{Hopefully there'll be some sort of buffet to keep him occupied}
Although she had much respect for her CO she didn't want to deal with him while she was trying to represent the mountain and make `Deep Space Radar Telemetry' sound interesting.
Entering the adjoining room they were faced with a small desk that served as a reception, behind which was yet another set of double doors leading to the actual event.
`Major Samantha Carter and Colonel Jack O'Neill from Cheyenne Mountain Complex.' Said Sam taking the lead.
Sam was in her element, this and saving the world by solving some near impossible problem was what she did, and what she enjoyed most.
The colonel however was moping around behind her, glaring slightly at the doors he'd soon be going through. Jack was willing to let Sam to take point. This was not his idea of fun.
Ticked off on some register, the lieutenant doubling as a clerk gave Sam some instructions then they made their way inside.
The place was surrounded in a myriad of ranks and people with all sorts of brass on their uniform, few could compare theirs to Sam's and only a handful with the colonel's, even though there were several generals present.
They found themselves in a large assembly hall divided almost in two; at the front were rows of chairs facing a stage with a single plinth on it. At the back of the hall there were around 40 tables each with two chairs behind them lining the walls of the room. One table stood out from the others. This one had a white tablecloth. Eyeing his target, he looked to Sam and said;
`I'm kinda hungry. Want anything?'
`Water sir.'
`What if there's cake? Or Jell-O?' he asked his eyes regaining some of their usual lustre.
`No sir, I'm fine.'
`Your sure?' he said finally removing his sunglasses.
`Yes sir.' She smiled, noticing his mood seemed to be lifting.
`I'll just be over here.' He said, target in his sights, prowling quietly towards it preparing to make his calculated attack on the spicy chicken wings and little fudge brownies.
`Samantha Carter!' a low voice from behind her made Sam jump slightly. Turning she was faced with a good looking, 6 foot, black haired, green eyed, 40 something year old man in a casual suit.
`Professor Mason!' she said smiling and taking his outstretched hand in her own.
`It's good to see you, it's been what... 15 years?'
`Yes it's been a while.' He said smiling himself. ` You look great Samantha! And I see you've made Major.' Releasing her hand.
`Yes, thank you, you've hardly changed at all.'
`So what are you working on now?' he said stepping a little closer so he could be heard over the din.
` I'm based at Cheyenne Mountain Complex, we're working on Deep Space Radar Telemetry...'
Jack was half way through filling his small paper plate, when he abruptly stopped, deciding he'd leave it so as not to look too greedy, closing in on another near-by table he picked up two bottles of water hooking them under his left arm. He then headed back into the crowd in the general direction of where he left Carter.
//Maybe this won't be to bad, so far no one's recognised me and I haven't seen anyone from my ...there... who's that talking to Sam? She must know the guy...hmm//
His eyebrows furrowed, his face nearing a scowl, instantly exchanging it for an impassive expression, his slightly panicked and jealous look vanished as quickly as it appeared. He soon zeroed in on the two, taking his place next to Sam (if not a little in front of her making himself a barrier between her and the mysterious guy), handing her a bottle he said;
`Who's you friend?' sizing up the younger man before him, his chest puffing out as if he were a bull issuing a challenge.
`This is Professor Mason who I was telling you about.' She said noticing the colonel's distinctly protective behaviour.
`Ah right, your mentor, the guy that taught you all you know,' though he was still wary, he took the younger man's hand and shook it vigorously. `The names Jack, Jack O'Neill.'
`Er... hi I'm Paul Mason' The man was extremely uneasy about how dominant this guy was, his very presence commanded respect and his eyes spoke for him the harsh years he had seen and the wisdom he learnt from them.
`Colonel O'Neill is my CO he works with me down at Cheyenne.'
`Right nice to meet you, I better get going, Derek will need my help getting things started.' Making his excuses, grinning wildly at Sam before he walked away.
//I don't like that guy, he doesn't fit the short, balding, wrinkly yoda-like mentor I imagined in fact he's got more hair and less wrinkles and years than me! Nah something just doesn't sit right with him. Sam likes him though so I guess I'll have to put up with him. He mentioned some guy called Derek though. It couldn't be Ford? Could it? Nah there's bound to be more than one Derek floating around here. I hope.//
The Dark-side?
`So what do you think, sir?' said Sam to her CO.
Jack was quite shocked by her question.
She wants my opinion? My approval, maybe? Like hell she's getting that I just don't like the guy. Ah well let's try honesty, and we'll see how far that gets us Jack
`He's defiantly not how I imagined.' Her face fell slightly and she looked floor.
Well if in doubt turn to what your best at
`I imagined some little Yoda like guy, keeping you away from `the dark-side'!' he added with a grin.
She laughed aloud, her smile dazzling and blinding anyone in a 10-mile radius.
`Yeah he kept me right, wonder what happened?' she quipped, her eyes shining with laughter.
Bowing his head as if in guilt he told the ground, `Must have been my influence.'
Glancing up at her his eyes contained a similar glint to her own. The pair burst out laughing, luckily this was over looked by most others in the room as they all where currently concentrating on now finding a seat among the rows of chairs near front.
`It's not been all that bad has it?' he asked half seriously as they moved with the crowd.
`No ,sir. It's not been bad at all.'
They sat companionably near the back, smiles ever present on their faces, standing out amongst the myriad of sullen faced officers.
The pair chatted amongst themselves until all those around them silenced, looking to the stage, they saw why they had gone quiet.
Paul was standing at the plinth, obviously about to introduce the greying man that was almost hidden beneath the shadows on the stage.
`Oh shit.' Whispered Jack, slouching into his seat and looking to the floor at the recognition of him.
`... may I introduce Derek Ford.' Said Paul cheerily.
`Sir what's wrong?' mumbled Sam amongst the polite clapping.
`Him. That's what's wrong.' Pointing his thumb angrily at the man now standing before the microphone.
He was quite short, in comparison with Mason at least, but he clearly had a presence about him (an air of arrogance perhaps) which most people would flock to.
Sam, was not most people, one of the joy's of joining the `dark-side' was that you gained a different perspective on the world, the perspective of the colonel (just one of the thinks she was thankful to him for). This outlook allowed her assess situations better, to read people better, to see through this man's faade, and what she seen she didn't recognise. But she didn't like it. She took an instant dislike to the man, knowing she would need to be wary around him; the dislike was only fuelled further by the reaction of Jack and his obvious hatred.
The greying man, now talking for all it was worth, still had the foundation of a good looking young man, however it was clouded by the lines of time and age that now etched his face. His exuberance was just another quality he manipulated to draw people in.
He was in his sixties at least, his eyes were where it showed this most, there was a great wisdom there and yet a private smile, as if sneering at all those around him, all those below him.
His voice was smooth and well spoken, spellbinding and enchanting to everyone else in the room, reeling them in. This was his primary weapon, some say the pen is mightier than the sword, the tongue is far worse. A double edged knife that could lure people into a false sense of security then strike them down when they least expect it. Any word from this man's mouth could empower or destroy someone in an instant.
With each word he spoke Jack sat lower in his chair his eyes glinting in pure anger and frustration.
As the man drew his epic speech to a close, the room erupted with applause now firmly under his control, a stark contrast to the polite appreciation he received before.
`Right people stations!' called Mason.
Jack watched closely as Ford glided off the stage and out a door to the right.
The clatter of chairs and roar of voices concealed the only tow officers still sitting.
`Who was that, sir?' she said concerned.
Very rarely did the colonel show such scorn for someone unless they where Russian, NID or Gou'ald!
`That,' he said venom in every syllable, `would be my professor.'
A Lesson?
`Jonathan.' Came the smooth familiar voice from behind him.
It was 10.15pm at the university library and even though it was a Friday there was still a few people dotted about, getting head starts on reports, investigations, essays, projects and like. But as usual in a library it was eerily quiet, the air between the huge vaulted ceiling and the floor trapping any noise within it's dark depths. Within the great historic building little of the original features remained visible, all walls covered to a height of nine foot by Dickens, Chaucer, Newton, Shakespeare, Aristotle, Einstein and other dead guys that left their legacies and life's work in the form of words equations and ideas, which where picked at and prodded by students who couldn't hope of achieve half as much as any of them had. Beyond this nine foot barrier was the gloom of the night, which seeped in through the windows high above, unsightly electrical chandeliers hung but ten foot from the ground, the harsh glare of the florescent lighting reflecting of the polished surfaces of desks, the white background of some reference book on geology and the specs of the ever watchful librarian. Her specs glinting in any direction where she could sense trouble and there in seconds through the maze of book stands appearing suddenly, as you slip the accidentally torn page back in to the book with a mumbled apology then walk quickly in the other direction . Never running, you never run in the library.
Jack had a unique respect for libraries, this one in particular, a second home, a sanctuary. Only a long-term student could feel this about that particular library.
This was his last year.
This was the time he had to prove his worth.
Like his mum had been telling him for years the `big bad world' is nothing compared with school life, and at this time, mere weeks before he would officially step out into it, it had already found him.
The big bad world had reeled his ugly head in the form of the man that stood behind him.
Carefully he closed the life's work of Newton and set it upon his textbooks. Then standing the bundle of papers tucked neatly under his arm he faced the real world, the big bad ugly part of it.
`Ford' he said evenly.
`Now now Jonathan, you do know my title don't you, I didn't go to the trouble of getting all those letters after my name just to have you forget about them, you should know your place boy.'
Although the man was shorter than him he leered forward, looking up into the eyes of his underling, his student.
`Now let's try it again.'
`Professor.' He grumbled, his eyes growing dark with each passing moment.
For some reason, the library had gone deathly quiet, there was no one near, no frantic scratching of pencils, no click click of the new automated borrowing system, no glint of the librarians glasses, just the sound of their breathing, he felt sick at the thought of sharing the same air as him; they where alone.
`Better,' said the shorter man as though he was happy with himself, though in reality he couldn't care less, the boy was meaningless at least he would be. `Now you know you can't stay here.'
`The library doesn't close until 11.'
`No boy, you're going home tomorrow.'
`What?' he screamed. The sound of his voice echoed in the rafters travelling back down after a few more seconds, however the most unsettling thing was that once again there was a distinct lacking in the presence of glinting spectacles.
`You,' he said with immeasurable distaste, `are not going graduate from any school in the country let alone this one.'
`How can you do this to me, I've worked to hard to come this far to have you ...'
`O'Neill! Here's one of life's little lessons for you, working means absolutely nothing, you hear me nothing, what matters is character boy, second only to power, those with power work without working. You don't have either, I have both, I don't work and you work, and now you've lost the most important thing boy... purpose. You are redundant, you are of no use to anyone now; you have out stayed your welcome, and you`re going home tomorrow.'
`Listen I got my scholarship fair and square and I'm going to finish this thing! I am not going to let 5 years of my life go to waste just because you got power hungry!'
`Your scholarship is no longer valid, you failed to meet the agreed terms when you failed the drugs test on Friday.'
`What drugs test? There was no drugs test?' he protested.
The small man smirked at the student's remarks, he still hadn't learned, like he said 5 years would be a waste if he didn't learn this one thing.
`Boy it doesn't matter what you say, you have no ... in your terms momentum... you are but a leaf flowing in the breeze, no leaf can change the course of a tornado, I am the tornado boy, I am the force that must be reckoned with, and no one has ever come close, and just like a tornado Jonathon your life will be broken in my wake, who knows maybe picking up the pieces will give you some character.'
He reached forward laying his hand on the lanky form before him, then reaching down removing the pile of books from his now limp arms.
`See you round Jonathon.'
Extra Terrestrials?
`So are you two going to take part at all?' asked Paul sneaking up on them.
`Yes, just give us two minutes, Professor.' Said Sam speaking up for both of them.
`Ok,' he replied, beginning to walk away.
`Mason?'
`Yes, colonel?' You could easily tell he was irritated at the use of his second name, but choose to ignore it, these military types where all the same he thought.
`Are we going to get a chance to met him?' he asked, pointing his thumb at the podium where Ford once stood.
Mason's eyes took on a glazed look; `Yes he will be walking around here later.'
He spoke as though a god where about to descend and walk among them, not unlike many of the brainwashed slaves they had encountered going through the stargate.
With a small feeling of pity for the supposedly educated man before him he replied, `Thanks.'
Jack watched as he walked from them, heading briskly to the doors trying in vain to subdue the excited flood of students into the room.
`Sir what did you mean by he was your professor?' she said looking curiously at her superior.
`It was years ago, before I joined the air force.' He said to his shoes, then facing her he continued. `It was my last year, three weeks from final exams and he faked a drugs test and got me kicked out.'
`Kicked out with only three weeks left?' she echoed, shocked.
`It's not the worst part, not getting a degree was nothing compared to losing my theory.' He spoke quietly looking to the throng of people behind them.
`Your theory?'
`Yeah, my theory but Ford took it for his own.' He looked at his 2IC smiling slightly at the look on her face. `Come on let's talk to these kids who want to grow up to be like you.'
Standing the finally made their way to the back of the hall, noticing it was slightly more organised than when they last looked upon it.
Reaching their table they where surprised tot find that their where a few people around waiting, though distinctly fewer than the others in the hall.
However, not so much of a surprise was the presence of Cadet Hailey, who was greeted with a proud smile from Sam and a quick nod from Jack.
`Major, Colonel.' She said snapping to attention, her hand quivering at her side just itching to salute.
`Cadet Hailey, how did your exams go?' asked Sam.
`All A's, Ma'am.'
`Well Done.'
While the rest of the cadets around the table were shocked at the exchange, staring dumbfounded at their classmate, Jack was non pulsed settling into his not so comfy chair as best he could.
`Carter?' he said interrupting any further conversation.
`Yes Sir?'
`How we going to do this?'
She looked confused for a moment, then after a nod in the student's direction on Jack's part, the light bulb switched on.
`Oh right.' She murmured, then turning to the small crowd of 10 people, `What we're going to do it tell you a little about ourselves and then take it from their, probably answering any questions that you might have.'
She slipped easily into presentation mode.
`I'm Major Samantha Carter and after flying around in F-15's for a while, I obtained a doctorate in Astrophysics, then working in the pentagon for a while on all sorts, before being transferred to Cheyenne mountain to work on Deep Space Radar Telemetry.' She smiled and turned to the colonel, he appeared to be in deep thought and hadn't listened to anything that she'd said.
`Sir?'
`Hmm.' He replied, the realisation. `Right, Colonel Jack O'Neill, two l's, Carters CO. Um .... Flight school, Special Ops, Cheyenne, retirement, and then Cheyenne again. Deep Space Radar Telemetry is just too darn exciting, I just couldn't stay retired.'
Sam smiled at his sarcastic comment knowing that Radar Telemetry was about as boring as things could get when compared with the SGC.
The cadets where rather shy of these high-ranking officers but their varied careers had them hooked. Wholly expecting specky geeks reciting fact after fact, only to find that cool officers who'd flown F-15's and been in special ops to be a pleasant surprise.
Many cadets who had formally been walking around in the middle, probably bored or not wanting to be there at all where drawn in by the revelation that even cool people could be smart. Really smart.
The crowd around the table grew to around thirty.
Hey this is kinda fun!
`Colonel, Sir?' said one cadet slightly braver than the rest raising their hand.
`Yes?'
`How did you do from Special Ops to Radar Telemetry, Sir?'
`Well,' then taking a deep breath, `my knee was injured and I wasn't fit enough for the field.' He said, spinning a tale expertly, so much so that Hailey almost believed him, `So I pulled off a physics degree with astrophysics and then Cheyenne Mountain signed me up.'
The cadet nodded obviously approving of his answer.
`Major?' said another.
Sam nodded her head indicating for the young girl to continue.
`How do you know Hailey, Ma'am?'
`Ah, well Cadet Hailey kind of came on a work placement to out facility, but please ask us any questions you have rather than interrupting the cadets studies.' She said smiling.
`Ma'am, do you just stare into space all day?'
She grinned.
`Yes, but it's certainly no as boring as it may sound, new improved methods of radar let us see further and in more detail than ever before.'
`Ma'am, did you say Cheyenne Mountain?'
`Yes, why?' replied Sam concerned, if not a little worried.
`I've heard stories about that place.' Spoke the cadet quietly; everyone around the young boy falling silent awaiting the answer to his question.
`Your name cadet?' said Jack standing and leaning forward hands spread wide on the table.
`Grisham, sir.'
`Well Cadet Grisham, why don't you tell us what you've heard.' Said Jack softly, `You might as well no one knows what goes on at Cheyenne better than us.'
`Extra Terrestrials, Sir.' Said the cadet gulping and quivering in front of the imposing officer.
`Carter.' Jack said with a smile, causing Sam (despite her worry) smile also.
`Yes Sir.' She replied confidently.
`You ever seen any little green aliens from outer space running around Cheyenne?' A familiar twinkle in his eyes.
`No, Sir.' She said truthfully.
`Well there you have it.' He grinned, noticing that the rest of the crowd we're smiling also he decided to push it a little further. `Like they'd let us, well me play with anything that cool. Nope, it gets sent to all the geeks in Area 51.'
The entire crowd listening to what he was saying burst out laughing, causing many of the other cadets to turn in their direction, while Grisham was blushing furiously of embarrassment in the middle of the group.
`So any other questions?' asked Jack to their audience.
Just as another was about to speak, the entire hall plunged into silence as the over confidant figure of Derek Ford entered the room.
`You know who that is?'
Jack over heard one of the original cadets whisper.
`Yeah.' Answered another. `Derek Ford, the guy that made superstring theory what it is today.'
`Superstring theory?' murmured Sam, glancing at her CO.
He looked straight into her eyes, holding her confused gaze for a few seconds, before nodding his head slightly.
Sam was taken aback, leaning into the chair she stared into the middle distance processing the new information.
A quiet buzz rumbled through the hall as cadets admired the new arrival.
`He was miles ahead of everyone!'
`Yeah, they where all concentrating on basic quantum physics, while he resurrected the string. Ingenious.'
Jack slumped into his seat listening to the chatter around him.
Why did I even come here? I knew something like this would happen!
`He's coming!' said a cadet close to him.
Standing he watched the crowd part as if he were Moses and they particles of the Red Sea. Coming to rest in front of the table, Jack stared into those black lifeless pools.
`Ford.' He said coldly.
An age-old anger was bubbling within him unlike ever before. But despite his new life, his rank, he was still powerless to do anything about it. Unlike Ford, he was bound by rules, morals and a conscience none of which Derek Ford had.
There was a glimmer of confusion, for a moment, which was quickly followed by stark recognition. Those eyes took on the haunting stare that they had some thirty years ago; Jack remembered it like yesterday.
`Jonathan.'
Dimensions?
`Jonathon.'
His voice was smooth, reeling those closest to him further under his spell, but his tone was undeniably patronising, not changing in the slightest during the last thirty years.
`What a,' he paused, `..surprise. Who would honour your with the ranks of colonel, after your expulsion?'
The man was calculating.
After just five seconds in an unexpected situation he was manipulating it to stir up as much trouble as possible, greatly to his amusement. He took an evil pleasure in making unimportant others squirm before him, but Jack was a better man than that.
`Well, Ford, character gets you through anything. You should know that. And once you've had a hand in saving the ... presidents life a couple of times, your pretty much sorted.'
At hearing this many of the cadets looked upon the officers in a new light, almost reverently, as though looking at their childhood heroes. Because of this Ford's spell over them was beginning to break.
Jack slid his hand into his pockets. Sam knew instantly that it was sign of frustration and a desire to beat the crap out of the man in front of him, deciding it was time to butt in.
`Sir,' spoke Sam softly, none but Jack could pick up on the underlying warning of her tone. Jack was only half a though away from saying `saved the world.' rather than anything to do with the president.
And she knew it.
`Oh yes,' said Jack, letting her know with a glance that the warning was received and understood. `Ford, I'd like you to meet my second in command, Major Samantha Carter. PhD in Astrophysics, and the smartest person I know.'
No doubt the last comment was completely true, even if a little biased. But Jack could not help but say it, revelling silently in the fact that Ford was receiving no praise in front his audience, which was quickly swaying in the direction of the air force officers.
`Hello.' She said rather indifferently, not bothering to offer her hand, the thought of actually having to this man making her feel sick.
`Hello, Doctor, I can only imagine what it must be like to work under Jonathan, and you being such a bright young thing.' He said stepping closer. `With Jonathon her being so impolite I shall introduce myself; Professor Derek Ford, you've no doubt heard of me. I do have several published works.'
Sam did in fact have two of his books; they sat old and dusty on top of the bookshelf in her lab never having been referred to throughout the entire time she worked on the base, but with the recent information she wasn't even going to tell him that she'd spent her hard earned money on anything of his.
`No, actually.' She said clearly, as she mocked thought as though trying to search for his name among the numerous scientists she had catalogued in her mind, ` can't say I've heard of you.'
Jack smiled inwardly at Ford's reaction. For the first time ever there was a flash of uncertainty in his eyes, his mouth falling open. Jack had never felt more confidant or proud, knowing that with Sam at this side he could beat this guy, he could strip him of everything he had taken and what he received with that.
Today was the day that things would change.
But Ford recovered quickly, his eyes growing cold and calculated once more.
`Then I wonder what kind of physicist you call yourself. ' He said shortly.
Most of the crowd around them was shocked at this comment; Jack however lost several inches of control. It was one thing to put him down, another to do it to Sam.
`Why you..' he murmured, rounding the table in seconds, his fingers gripping tightly to the other mans lapels making him stand on his toes, and still Jack towered over the small man, glaring down at him with a ferocious anger.
Ford looked indifferent, holding the stare of the angered man before him.
All the while the crowd looked on holding steadfast on to their silence, not knowing whom to support.
Jack appealed to them in the social sense. He was funny and approachable, knowing this only minutes within meeting him.
Ford however, was the stuff of legends in the academic sense, his books inspiring many of them. However, his conduct towards the two officers had been far from friendly, allowing their minds to question the pedestal they let him stand upon.
`Why don't you ask your little friend Mason? He's the one who taught Sam. Jack murmured, only loud enough for those closest to the group to hear.
The pocket of silence spread throughout the hall until everyone was straining his or her necks to see what was going on.
Several organisers tried to push their way to the problem.
`He has always been a competent man, yes but gullible. But he has no character, no power, the same could be said for his students.' Replied Ford glancing in the direction of the Major in question.
`Well she's been learning from me for the past six years.'
Ford was still thinking of a reply while Sam had stepped round the table to stand feet from the stand off.
`Well,' she said confidently, `why don't you tell me about your books and theories.'
If truth be told she had practically memorised the information in the volumes that gathered dust on her bookcase, this being the very reason why they gathered dust.
Both men turned their heads towards the woman, each with a look of confusion, though they were slightly different.
Ford was distinctly unimpressed at the direction that things were headed.
Jack was wondering where exactly Sam was going with this.
Mason finally pushed his way through the crowd, the small cadet/clerk following closely behind, s they practically stumbled into the circle created round the table and the other three occupants.
`What's going on?'
Ford looked to the man and despite his underlying fear he looked confidant if not comfortable being held so his feet were almost dangling. But Jack and Sam kept eye contact, a silent conversation passing between them, going unnoticed by the rest of the room.
Which made it a shock when Jack suddenly released Ford, who very nearly crumbled to the floor, as he moved to stand next to Sam.
`Ford was just about to tell us all why he's famous.'
Everyone was silent watching him intently.
`Oh come on, everyone knows.' Worry evident in his voice.
`I don't, so tell me.' Said Sam.
The crowd remained quiet, picking up on the professors unease they awaited his answer.
In that instant Ford's ideals were crushed, despite the illusion of power he created for himself and held for years, when he was surrounded by these questioning eyes he was powerless. And no amount of character could get him out of this.
`Eh Superstring.' He croaked.
He looked on the crowd with new eyes; they where all in groups. Groups of friends, like-minded people. But he was alone.
`What about them, how do they work?'
Finally his eyes fell upon the two officers before him.
Sam stood confidant with determined boring into his soul, Jack beside her, standing as determined, though taking some amusement in his fallen enemy.
Unity resonating from them.
He felt jealousy.
They would always have each other, and together they were unbeatable.
Years before, when Jack was on his own, he was no challenge, but things quite obviously had changed. Ever since they had joined forces to combat the evils of the galaxy. And now they were just clearing out the closet.
`They make up everything.'
The entire hall noticed his shot answers, the way his voice became higher towards the end hinting that he didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
`And ' she continued.
`They spin.'
`In how many dimensions?' barked Jack in his most commanding voice.
`5' he guessed squirming, knowing that his end had come and he was the one who drove the final nail into his own coffin.
People around them gasped.
`And the correct answer is' said Sam turning to Jack.
`Strings spin in both 10 and 26 dimensions, half in one half in the other, found by using Riemann's metric tensor.' Replied eagerly, smiling.
The crowd around them began to buzz, Masons mouth hanging wide open in shock as he looked on the true form of his hero, a fraud.
`Character,' called Jack, ` this might prove you have some!'
Those eyes were now lifeless for a different reason.
The tornado was finally beaten, a mighty oak standing defiantly, blocking it's path while the sun burned though it, making it dissipate into nothing.
`Thank you.' Said Jack quietly, amongst the buzz of people around them.
`No problem, sir.'
Life, the Universe and Everything?
`So'
`Yeah.'
`Superstring theory.'
`I know.'
`Of course you do.'
Sam and Jack were back in his truck, heading back to the Springs.
After the revelation everyone decided to pack it up and call it a day. Mason had taken it upon himself to alert the world about the latest development concerning his `hero', phoning his publisher, several scientist magazines and the local newspaper within the hour. He quickly filled his organiser for the following week arranging interview after interview on how the `resurrector of string theory' was discovered as a fake. Jack however was rather quiet, telling no one that it was from him that Ford took the very idea that made him famous.
Once all the cadets had filed out, each giving Ford a glare and beaming a smile to the Colonel and Major who provided such a show for a would-be boring afternoon, Jack headed straight for the exit with Sam following quickly behind.
She watched as he relaxed visibly with the familiarity of his truck surrounding him. Removing his tie, casting it into the back seat before starting the journey back home.
`Sir, this isn't the way back to the mountain.'
`I know, I need a drink especially if we're going to be discussing techno-babble.'
She smiled in reply.
`So'
`Yeah.'
`Superstring theory.'
`It was kind of an accident really.'
They sat in the corner of a small smoky pub. Sam had a diet soda despite Jack's efforts to persuade her to have something stronger. Jack went straight for the Guiness now nearing completion of his first bottle.
`How?' she asked curiously.
`I fell asleep,' he said before taking a swig of his beer.
`You fell asleep?!'
Now she was completely confused.
`Let me finish, I fell asleep and when I woke up, the book which I used as my pillow was opened on the initial string theory, and some how during the night the metric tensor managed to find it's way next to it.'
`So you put the two together?' she asked wondering if it was that simple, that the man before her falling asleep was what changed the course of physics and set it years ahead of the maths that was needed to understand it.
`No, I ran like a bat out of hell to my quantum theory lecture that I'd missed half of, then when I came back to my dorm, I put the two together.'
He downed the rest of the beer setting it down carefully on the table, before he began to play with the label.
`Months of work, absolute tons of it. I didn't have anyone to help me: my mom and dad were on the other side of the country. I had no friends because I was older than the other people in my class, not to mention being the top student. It's strange how akin to 5 year olds university students can be. Can you imagine it though? It would take me a week, working six hours a day, to get through one calculation. Checking every sign and symbol three times over well into the night to make sure what I had was right. On top of that I had lectures and studying. My final thesis was the best goddamn thing I'd ever done and I handed it over him to be marked. Thing is he never handed it back. Months of work that I put in, he took it all for his own, all the studying, preparation, late nights all laid to waste.'
All throughout his words, his voice was bitter and still the only thing he appeared to concentrate on was his beer bottle.
`I'm going for another drink.' He said moving to stand.
`Jack.' Said Sam, grabbing his attention instantly with the use of his first name.
He sat back down almost stunned, holding her gaze as she continued.
`It's yours; you can take it back now.'
He seemed to think about this for a moment before replying.
`I'm just glad it's out of his hands now,' he said truthfully before smiling, ` I quite like the idea of it being the product of some anonymous genius. I never really wanted that interview with Oprah anyway.
She grinned remembering back to one of their earliest missions.
`And it's grown to be so much more than I imagined, the people being inspired by it and adding their own thoughts and ideas.' Shrugging he continued ` too bad their all going in the wrong direction.'
He went to the bar for another bottle while leaving Sam confused, thinking over his words.
When he returned she was still thinking, her eyes focusing on the middle distance, barely aware of his return.
When her eyes focused they fell on him questioningly.
`The theory of life, the universe and everything.' He said grinning while he answered her silent question.
`Are you telling me that you've figured it out? The problem that is supposed to drive physicists and mathematicians crazy, the problem that we're not supposed to be able to solve for a hundred years?'
He smiled and replied.
`It's just a question of being able to understand the information that you have.' Taking another drink he continued cryptically, ` Or rather the information I had.'
Then pausing.
`Once, when legs were cozars and addresses had eight symbols.'
THE END
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