War Famine Pestilence and Death

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01078642egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=428 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <B>War Famine Pestilence and Death</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="war_famine_pestilence_and_death"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> "You were wrong!" Daniel yelled, barely able to contain his anger.</div> <bR> <div> "If we had done what you suggested, we wouldn't have this information," Sam snapped back.  "There are people out there dying and all you can think about is yourself?"</div> <bR> <div> "That it so completely unfair it doesn't even merit a response," Daniel said.  "This rift between us has been festering for weeks and it's only getting worse.  If we don't settle it, come to some sort of understanding, then we run the very real risk of jeopardizing this entire mission."</div> <bR> <div> "The Ori don't care if we aren't getting along," Sam sneered.  "I have work to do."</div> <bR> <div> "Sam," Daniel said through clenched teeth.  "I care."</div> <bR> <div> "And so did I.  Which is why I wrote that report."</div> <bR> <div> "I'm not saying your motivations weren't right, but how you went about it wasn't.  You should have come to me."</div> <bR> <div> "I'm not going to run to you every time I see a twitch in your psyche, Daniel.  If I did that, I'd never leave your office."  Sam bent over the device she was working on, making fine adjustments with instruments so small, Daniel wondered how she could see them.</div> <bR> <div> "So you either can't, or you won't, put this to rest?"</div> <bR> <div> "Not here and not now," Sam said irritably.  "I'm on a deadline and you are not helping."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel pursed his lips and considered the woman whom he'd always looked on as a sister.  "You've changed Sam, and I have to say, I don't like the way it looks on you."</div> <bR> <div> "Pot and kettle, Daniel.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "You getting ready to ship out?" Jack asked.  He could practically hear Daniel fidgeting through the phone line.</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, in about five minutes."</div> <bR> <div> "You and Carter have that talk?"</div> <bR> <div> "I've been trying for weeks and every time I bring it up, she turns into this ravening harpy.  I don't know what the hell's going on with her."</div> <bR> <div> "You sure this doohickey of hers is going to work?"</div> <bR> <div> "No," Daniel said honestly.  "But we're pretty much out of time to try anything else."</div> <bR> <div> "She setting you up?" Jack asked bluntly.</div> <bR> <div> The silence on the other end of the line spoke volumes.</div> <bR> <div> "I better get going."</div> <bR> <div> "You and Mitchell be damned careful."</div> <bR> <div> "We will be.  And I, uh . . ."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, me too.  Check in when you get back."</div> <bR> <div> "Will do."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Daniel sat on the gurney, waiting for his post mission exam to begin.  He had a blinding headache and he was bone tired.  He wanted nothing more than to go home, crawl into bed and stay there for the next month.  Preferably with an extended visit from Jack.  He rubbed his neck and rolled his shoulders before opening his eyes to see Carolyn Lam standing in front of him.</div> <bR> <div> "Glad to hear the General's going to be okay."</div> <bR> <div> "All of them, actually," Carolyn said, looking up at him, her expression cool and neutral.  "What puzzles me is why you, with all the opportunities you've had for infection, have never come down with the virus."</div> <bR> <div> "Maybe because I was ascended once?" he suggested tiredly.</div> <bR> <div> "I want to run some more inclusive tests," she said, noting something in his chart.</div> <bR> <div> "That means more blood?"</div> <bR> <div> "Much more," she stated simply.  "Get changed and I'll have the tech come in to start the blood draw."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel felt like a pin cushion by the time he dragged himself home.  He hurt all the way down to the fine hairs on the top of his feet.  The jangling of the phone startled him and he shuffled toward the kitchen to answer.</div> <bR> <div> "Hello?"</div> <bR> <div> "Hey."</div> <div> Daniel smiled.  "Hey.  One call wasn't enough?"</div> <bR> <div> "That was the official call."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel smiled.  "I see."</div> <bR> <div> "How are you?"</div> <bR> <div> "Beat.  Sore.  Scared shitless."</div> <bR> <div> "Any idea for a solution?" Jack asked.</div> <bR> <div> "We're so far over our heads with this one," Daniel said, pulling a bottle of orange juice from his refrigerator.  "I can't begin to think how we're going to get ourselves out of this."</div> <bR> <div> "I'm guessing that we can't rely on the kindness of our allies and your former roomies."</div> <bR> <div> "Roomies?"</div> <bR> <div> "Glowy people."</div> <bR> <div> "Ah.  No.  I think that's pretty much a foregone conclusion."</div> <bR> <div> "You straighten things out?"</div> <bR> <div> "With Sam?  I don't know.  Maybe.  Sort of."</div> <bR> <div> "That's definitive."</div> <bR> <div> "She won't talk about it and I'm sick of trying."</div> <bR> <div> "Watch yourself."</div> <bR> <div> "I will.  I don't understand what the hell happened."</div> <bR> <div> "I think I do."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel was very quiet for a minute.  "This can't be . . . she wouldn't . . . you think she knows?"</div> <bR> <div> "It's the only thing I can think of."</div> <bR> <div> "But she's not like that," Daniel said, wanting to defend his friend but finding it difficult.</div> <bR> <div> "There's a reason I shipped her off to Area 51," Jack said.  "I was hoping time and distance would take care of things."</div> <bR> <div> "So that whole thing with Pete was . . ."</div> <bR> <div> "Me."  Jack sighed heavily.  "The woman's in her forties.  You'd think she'd have more of a clue to life than this."</div> <bR> <div> "Puts a whole new spin on the Jonas Hansen episode, doesn't it?" Daniel said.  "Wonder what her fixation over him was."</div> <bR> <div> "Who the hell knows?  I sure as hell don't feel real comfortable with her watching your six."</div> <bR> <div> "Mitchell and Teal'c are there, too."</div> <bR> <div> "Thank God," Jack said.  "Listen, there's a meeting of the brass at the Pentagon along with the Joint Chiefs.  I want you to come out and tell them where you think we should go with this.  What avenues we can explore."</div> <bR> <div> "I don't have those answers," Daniel said flatly.</div> <bR> <div> "Daniel, I'd trust your best guest against Carter's hard facts any day.  You'll be flying out on Thursday.  You okay with that?"</div> <bR> <div> Daniel shrugged.  "Shouldn't be a problem."</div> <bR> <div> "If we can find anything - anything - that may be a possible lead on how to get one up on these guys ..."</div> <bR> <div> "I'll burn the midnight oil," Daniel assured Jack.  "I've got, what, four days?  I should have the whole problem licked by then."</div> <bR> <div> "There's only one thing I want you licking, Doctor Jackson."</div> <bR> <div> "Is that an order?"</div> <bR> <div> "You've never followed my orders before.  How about we just call it a suggestion?"</div> <bR> <div> "I'll take it under advisement," Daniel said, his voice warm with affection.  "Listen, I'm about to fall over.  I need sleep."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, I know.  Sleep well."</div> <bR> <div> "I will."</div> <bR> <div> The phone went quiet and Daniel lay the hand set back into the cradle.  He stumbled back to the bedroom, kicked off his shoes, stripped down to his briefs and collapsed into bed.  He'd worry about the galaxy in the morning.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Jack stepped into his living room, set his jacket on the back of the chair and looked at the light flashing on his answering machine.  With a casual flick of his hand, he hit the 'play' button and wandered toward the kitchen for a beer.  He needed one after today.</div> <bR> <div> "Hello, Jack," came the altered voice through the speaker.  "Don't bother trying to have this call traced.  It won't work.  You're headed down a very dangerous path, Jack, and you need to stop.  I'm warning you now so you can get out before it's too late.  There are things you shouldn't toy with, but I know you and you just can't help yourself.  You'll realize the truth before too long.  And when you do - I hope I'm there to tell you . . . I told you so."</div> <bR> <div> Jack flipped his cell phone open and called his office, instructing his people to trace all calls coming to his home today and informing them of the message he'd received.  He knew if there was any way to tell when and from where that call had been placed, they'd figure it out.</div> <bR> <div> "Dammit Carter," he hissed.  He knew in his gut she was at the bottom of this.  What he didn't know is why she was down there.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ~finis~</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com"><U>Give the author's ego a marshmallow . . . please feed the bear.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3_sg1_slash.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stargate SG1 Slash Fiction"><U>Back to Fic List</U></A>     <A HREF="id2_directory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directory Listing"><U>Back to Directory</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01178643.jpg"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=52 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="161" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="29"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plotexpo.com"><U><IMG SRC="0181d270.jpg" border=0 width="29" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="45" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="15" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id188.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Damned Distasteful Things"><U><IMG SRC="017271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id190.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sheep in Wolves Clothing"><U><IMG SRC="016271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>