By the time she arrived in McMurdo three weeks later, the ZPM was in shipment from Egypt, and Cam, overseeing the placement of the boring site, had already had the necessary equipment in place. Jack, with the knowledge of the Ancients overwriting his own, had been able to pinpoint the exact spot to target, but they were shooting in the dark and their best guess could literally be dozens of very expensive miles off in any direction.
She needed them to be dead on center if she didn't want to be right back in D.C. trying to keep the cash flowing. Fortunately, Daniel had joined Cam after the wedding and between his archeologist's feel for what lay buried deep beneath the surface and Cam's innate sense of direction and distance they hit pay dirt before the folks back in Washington got antsy enough to start hinting about pulling the plug.
And that's when she got busy. She'd requested several specific men and women for her scientific team. Perhaps requested wasn't the right word. She'd sent Colonel Davis out with a list of possible scientists who might have the knowledge and qualifications to work on the project. Less than half of them had proven themselves qualified: Felger was starring in a sit-com, and Haley had been kicked out of the academy and never even gotten her degree. Which meant not only was she starting the research from basically scratch, but she was also breaking in a practically new team.
It was a new and not so welcome experience for her to be the head of the program as it had been years since her fieldwork had not taken precedence and unless SG1 had been grounded she'd only pinch-hit in the lab. Even in her brief tenure in Area 51 a year or so back, she'd been the new guy in the lab not the headman...and that had suited her fine. She would have been happier even now finding someone competent enough to oversee the work and let her delve into the areas where she thought she could accomplish the most in the shortest amount of time.
Dr. Lee had possibilities, but he along with the rest of the group was still struggling with even accepting that their wildest dreams had a basis in their present reality. For all their impressive credentials and prior accomplishments, this was one scenario they were having trouble grasping. McKay being the worst in the bunch. She'd been right not to put his name on her list. Too bad Davis rounded him up anyway.
Not that they weren't excited and qualified. The powers that be hadn't let her down...once they'd decided the job needed done, they'd gone overboard to provide her with the materials and people to do it. It was just going to take more time than she'd like to get them up to speed so she could dig into the work herself.
And every day she felt a growing urgency...Baal was coming, she could smell his rotting stench in her dreams. He'd already waited far longer than they could have hoped. One day soon, they'd wake up to his ships darkening the skies overhead. She doubled her hours in the lab and when she left it to her harassed and overworked team it was only to go to her quarters and document everything she knew about Gate technology. They didn't want her input, but she rewrote the book for them anyway...all eight hundred and twenty-three pages.
And when there wasn't the work, there were the phone calls home: 2:30 to 3:00 every afternoon while she grabbed a late lunch and the little guys back home got ready for bed the night before they bridged six time zones and the International Date Line to touch base with one another. It was the only time of the day her team could rest easy knowing she wasn't hovering over their shoulders with her hands itching to take over their keyboards.
~~~~
"I get to start on Saturday."
"That's great, Trav! I wish I could be there to see you."
"Ah, it's okay. Dad will take the camera I'm sure. You can watch it when you come home. When are you coming?"
"I don't know...as soon as I can get away."
~~~~~
"I'm getting really good on the sax. We have a concert next Friday. Can you come?"
"I'm sorry, David."
"It's okay. Dad will probably record it and you can watch it when you come home...when are you coming?"
"I don't know...as soon as I can get away."
~~~~
"We have to do a science project--can you help me?"
"Sure. Email me what you've got in mind, and we'll talk about it."
"It's not due for a month. Surely you'll be home by then and we can just-"
"I don't think we should count on it, Josh--email me."
~~~~
"I miss you."
"I miss you too, Ty."
"Daddy misses you too."
"I know. I miss him too...I miss all of you."
"We want you to come home."
"I promise I'll come as soon as I can..."
~~~~
"Do you still remember the way home?"
"I sure do. And I have the map you sent right here. I'll come as soon as I can and I won't get lost--you'll see."
"Is six months almost done yet?"
"I'm afraid not, Sport..."
~~~
"So, any idea when you'll make it home? The boys are piling up everything they want to show you when you come back in the living room--I'm thinking I'm going to have to build on."
"I'll try to get there before that happens."
"We'd like that. A lot. I'd like that a lot."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And then there were the emails filtering in and out of her inbox as time permitted:
~~~~~
Dear Maggie,
Dad says not to worry, but Ty fell off the roof.
**
Travis,
What do you mean Ty fell off the roof? Is he okay? What was he doing on the roof?
**
The little boys were playing Superheroes. Guess Ty thought he could fly.
**
So, is he okay?
**
Dad says it's probably not broken.
**
What's probably not broken?
**
Just he's leg. Dad's taking him to the hospital now but he says it's probably not broken.
**
Let me know the minute you hear anything. Please.
**
Okay. Dad said they might keep him overnight.
**
For a probably not broken leg?
**
No. For the concussion, but he said maybe they wouldn't. They might just stitch him up and send him home.
**
I'm calling your dad to see what's happening. I'll let you know what I find out.
**
Thanks, Maggie.
~~~~
Dear Ty,
I'm so sorry you got hurt. I'm thinking of you and know everyone is taking good care of you. I hope you feel better really, really soon.
I love you,
Maggie
**
Der maGGiie,
It herts rilly baD. Nxxt time dDad saiys too cme down form tere im going too. I donnt no how SUPrMan dos it. Butt I get too stae home form scool so its weres the ComA thingie for words like its? ok. I love You, Ty
**
Dear Ty,
I'm glad you now know to listen to your dad, but I'm very sorry you are hurting.
I think you are looking for the apostrophe. It's right by the ENTER button.
**
'''''''''I funnd it''''''
**
I noticed : ) ''''back at ya''''
**
Dad saiyxs I have too go to bed now. i miss you.
Hey, it's me. Think I better set up a conference with his teacher to discuss his spelling?
**
It's cute, but how is he?
**
He's fine. How are you?
**
He's says he's really hurting? I'm fine. How about you?
**
He's the baby of the family; of course, he says he's hurting. Trust me, he's fine.
I'm good. At least I will be if I can keep the rest of them off the roof. Alex thinks it's not fair that Ty got to spend the night up at the hospital and he didn't. And Zech wants a cast, too.
**
: ) but are you sure he is really all right?
**
I'm sure. Quit worrying about him. It's me you should be worrying about. I have a feeling I'll be up in the cardio ward after Superman's bills start trickling in.
~~~~~~
So about my science project. I thought--well, what do you think I should do?"
**
Aren't you supposed to come up with the idea on your own?
**
Don't think so. The library has like a thousand books of ideas for projects.
**
Maybe you should look at a few of them and see what interests you. Then we can talk.
**
Come on, Maggie. We both know your ideas will be way cooler than anything me or those dumb books will come up with.
**
You are quite capable of coming up with some great ideas, Josh.
**
Like what?
**
Good try. Give it some thought and get back to me.
**
Fine, but if I flunk it will be all your fault!
~~~~~~
Dear Maggie,
Dad has been helping me look for maps of Antarctica on the iternet. we found some good wons. Do you want us to order you some?
**
Dear Alex,
I think I have enough maps for now, but thank you.
**
Dear Maggie,
Are you sure? Cause we could order them real easy. I don't think you can have two many maps. These wons show you were to look for peguins and stuff like that.
**
Dear Alex,
I'm afraid I don't have any time to go looking for penguins, but it certainly sounds fun.
How about if you just have your Dad email me the site with the maps, and then I can order them if I end up needing them?
~~~~~
Hey there, Beautiful. Danny and that girl he's been seeing came over tonight. Guess they plan on getting married here sometime.
**
Wow. Congratulations. Which girl is this?
**
Karen isn't it? Or Carrie? You met her that day at the park. Not the blond, the dark one.
**
Really? I don't remember any dark Karen or Carrie. Is she nice?
How did Ty's doctor appointment go?
**
Maybe it was Kara? I don't know.
The appointment is tomorrow.
**
Didn't you just say she was there tonight, Sir? Do I sense you're not too thrilled about Danny marrying her?
That's right. For you anyway. Don't forget it.
**
I won't.
I'd be a lot happier about it if there hadn't been a new one of them every couple of weeks.
**
Yeah. Well maybe this is the one, Sir.
**
Ok. Here's the scoop from Travis. Her name's Kayla or some such thing. She's got short, brown hair. He says you met her at Walmart.
And that nasty Sir is creeping back in.
**
Right. I remember her. Nice girl.
**
Danny seems to think so.
~~~~~
Hey. I'm no good at these things, but I wanted to say I love you.
**
I love you, too.
Are you all right? I thought you were going fishing?
**
No one really felt like it.
**
No one felt like fishing? Are you sure you're all right?
**
I guess. It's just...do you have any idea how much I miss you? I've spent half the day looking at travel sites. I thought maybe the boys and I could come down just for a weekend or something over their Christmas break, but I'd have to sell the boat, the house, and half the boys to buy the tickets so that isn't happening.
But I did want you to know I'm thinking of you. And I hope you know I love you and I miss you. And I really, really regret not letting you talk me into coming down there with you.
**
I'm sorry. I don't even know what to say. I have a meeting in five minutes and now you have me crying. I wish things could be different. I miss you too, very much.
**
Don't go doing that. I didn't want to make you feel bad. You told me it would be like this, and even if I'd believed you I'd have married you anyway. I'm a big boy and I imagine I'll survive. And I won't sell the boat so you can quit crying.
Better go to your meeting. Knock 'em dead.
~~~~~~~~
Hey, Maggie,
You any good with math? If I don't pull my grade up I'm going to be benched, and I can't get these quadratic equations at all. Neither can Dad. I know you're busy so if you don't have time I can try Matt and Debbie, one of them might know. They are coming over tonight. Don't tell Dad. It's a surprise.
**
Trav,
I'm okay with math. Where are you having the problem? I might be able to help.
What's the surprise? They come over three or four times a week.
**
Well, they have something to tell him. I don't get any of it.
**
Any of the math or any of what they have to tell him?
**
The math. They just want to tell him they are having a kid. Like that's a big deal around here.
**
I'm sure it is to them.
**
I suppose. Here's the first problem: x squared + 4x - 16
~~~~
So, Josh, what's up with the science project?
**
I was thinking maybe I could do something with that experiment you guys are doing down there. You know with those blood samples you took down from all of us?
**
What did you have in mind?
**
I don't know. What were you guys going to do with them?
**
That isn't my project, Josh. I just got the samples for the group who needed them. I don't know much about it.
**
Well, did they find what they were looking for?
**
I'll have to ask, but I don't really see how getting their results will do much for you anyway. You need to find something you can do yourself.
+++
Dr. Beckett:
Any progress isolating the Ancient gene in the blood samples I provided?
+++
Colonel O'Neill:
Nothing new to report since we spoke this morning. May I respectfully remind you this is a long-term project?
Furthermore, is it possible you could speak to Dr. McKay? He is insisting on making me sit in that blasted chair even though it has been demonstrated repeatedly that I cannot make the thing work. I can hardly be expected to get results with him hounding me constantly.
**
Josh,
I contacted the team handling the experiment but it is complicated and not really something you can work up in three days, especially without government funding. Sorry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She had not anticipated the difficulty in isolating the Ancient gene though she should have. The SGC had had a significant leg up from both the Asgard and the Tok'ra which had doubtlessly made the task much easier for the Dr. Beckett of her world. In comparison, these folks were still practically in the dark ages.
Neither had she anticipated having so much difficulty finding someone to sit in the chair. The fact three of the twelve folks she'd known to have the gene in her timeline had never even been born didn't help. Of the others, one had died in childhood, one was an inmate in an insane ward, and another serving out a life sentence in a high-security prison. That left them four civilians (Three, including Jon O'Neill, who when approached had with varying degrees of reluctance agreed to donating blood samples for a vague government experiment they'd little understood and (hopefully) quickly forgotten; and one antigovernment to an extreme who wouldn't even do that). No one, particularly Carter herself, wanted to bring civilians into the project if at all possible.
Which left them only two candidates for the chair: Carson Beckett who in another life and time had hated and feared the chair only slightly less than he did now, and Captain John Shepherd who thought the project a colossal waste of time and cooperated only under orders. The natural ability to control the Ancient technology he'd shown in the original timeline was sadly lacking. Shepherd, on occasion, had managed to turn on the power but that was as far as either of them had gotten.
Without actually isolating the gene so they could identify others who might be more able to perform the job, the person in the chair was a major wrench in the works. It was, however, far from the only hitch. There was an extraordinary amount of work to do in analyzing, initializing, inventorying, and understanding what they were dealing with in an attempt to interface the alien technology with their own.
That at least hadn't surprised her, three years after Jack had used the weapon to defeat Anubis, the scientists from her timeline had still been studying the weapons platform when they'd vanished from time or been rewritten into elementary science teachers, college professors, and hair dressers.
Which meant they had their work cut out for them, but the research team had slowly begun to get a feel for what they were working with...it was time to go home.
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