Fanfiction: Let Go and Hold On - Part VIII

[rachel500]

For disclaimers and author's note see Part I.

 

Let Go ad Hold On

Chapter 22

Daniel yawned widely. He arched his back trying to ease the deep seated ache that had set into his shoulders and glanced over at the sleeping couple behind him. Not for the first time in the hours that had passed, he took in the way Jack’s hand covered Sam’s. His eyebrows drew up, peeking above his glasses. His eyes skittered away as though he had seen something he wasn’t supposed to see before he could stop to think. He shook himself a little. Too many years, Daniel thought wryly; there had been too many years of looking the other way when it came to Jack and Sam; ignoring how they felt about each other because if any of the team acknowledged it openly then SG1 would be over. But given SG1 was over officially and Jack wasn’t Sam’s CO anymore, maybe it no longer mattered if Jack held Sam’s hand while they slept.

He turned back to the monitor. Deciphering the text on screen was taking longer than he had hoped. The Ancient language used was older than any he had encountered before. He was struggling to translate and he knew his own tiredness had something to do with that. Teal’c had alternated between exploring the control room and helping Daniel with the translation.

‘I don’t get it.’ Daniel muttered out loud, taking his glasses off to rub at his sore eyes.

‘What do you not get, Daniel Jackson?’ Teal’c asked. He adjusted his stool to bring it closer to the console.

‘Why would anyone build a Doomsday machine?’ Daniel leaned back on his stool and stared at the screen, hoping the letters would start to make sense to him.

‘To protect themselves.’ Teal’c suggested.

‘From what?’ Daniel sighed heavily. ‘This is probably the oldest Ancient city we know about apart from Dakara, and both here and Dakara have weapons that literally could wipe out all life in our galaxy.’

‘Perhaps the Wraith.’ Teal’c mused.

‘No, I don’t think that’s it.’ Daniel said. ‘I think this city is older than Atlantis.’ He pointed at the screen. ‘This language is the oldest dialect that I have ever come across. I think the Ancients built this place long before they constructed Atlantis or maybe even Dakara.’

‘Perhaps there was another enemy the Ancients feared.’ Teal’c said.

‘Another enemy.’ Daniel turned the idea around in his head. ‘One they felt they would need to destroy the whole galaxy to take out? Isn’t that overkill?’

Teal’c’s eyebrow arched. ‘It would depend on the enemy.’

‘Not a good thought.’ Daniel muttered. ‘OK,’ he refocused on the text on the screen, ‘this is the planet.’ He tapped the revolving sphere in the graphic. ‘And this is showing real time what is happening.’

‘Which is what, Daniel Jackson?’ Teal’c asked patiently.

‘That’s what I’m not so sure about.’ Daniel admitted. He pointed at the streaming data. ‘This is definitely monitoring some kind of power build-up but I can’t tell how the machine works from the translation.’

‘Perhaps it is time to rouse Colonel Carter.’

Daniel nodded. He got up and stretched as Teal’c made his way over to their sleeping team-mates. Jack was immediately alert and Teal’c stooped to inform him of their progress. Jack nodded and reached out to gently wake Sam. It took longer than Daniel liked for them to rouse her.

Sam gestured at the monitor as she settled onto the stool. ‘So what am I looking at it?’

‘The Doomsday machine, I think.’ Daniel pointed at the sphere. ‘This is definitely the planet and this,’ he tapped the screen on the right, ‘is some kind of power reading; it’s escalating.’ He tapped a command on the keyboard. Text appeared under the sphere. ‘I’ve translated most of this but it’s not making a great deal of sense to me.’ He took her through it slowly.

She nodded occasionally and frowned thoughtfully. ‘Go back over this section for me.’ Her fingers traced a middle section.

Daniel complied.

‘You getting any of this, Carter?’ Jack asked, leaning into her personal space to look at the monitor.

‘A little, sir.’ Sam replied absently. A line appeared between her brows as she turned over the information in her mind. ‘The physics is way beyond anything we’ve dealt with before but…’

‘But?’ Jack and Daniel prompted in unison. They shot each other an annoyed look.

‘But I think I understand the basic principles.’ Sam sighed and her hand crept to her forehead. ‘Effectively, this explains that the machine is drawing energy from the planet’s inner core.’

Daniel sighed. ‘So that would explain the earthquakes.’

‘What?’ Jack asked.

Sam turned to him. ‘The core of a planet is a furnace, sir. Usually, the intense heat, keeps all the metals and ore at the centre in a molten state. They provide a stable magnetic force for the planet. If that’s disturbed, it will cause planetary disruptions…’

‘Like earthquakes.’ Jack inserted.

‘Or volcanic eruptions elsewhere on the planet.’ Sam arched her back and stopped abruptly when her ribs protested. ‘Weather disturbances. It explains why it was raining.’

‘I do not understand.’ Teal’c commented.

‘The power from the core is being siphoned into the city…somewhere.’ Sam tapped her fingers restlessly on the desktop. ‘Eventually, the planet won’t be able to sustain the power drain and will implode; the energy from that will be sucked into this…somewhere and then there will be a massive explosion.’

‘Wiping out the entire galaxy.’ Daniel completed.

‘That’s a hell of a lot of energy.’ Jack commented.

‘If this text is correct, the planet’s core is made up mostly of molten naquadah.’ She waved a hand at the room. ‘So’s the city.’

‘It’s one big bomb.’ Daniel realised.

‘Undoubtedly, the Ancient’s chose P2X654 for this reason.’ Teal’c suggested.

‘I think you’re right and…’ She stared at the monitor.

Daniel exchanged a concerned look with Jack.

‘Carter.’ Jack said firmly to regain her attention.

Sam looked at him as though he had startled her. ‘It’s subspace.’

‘What?’ Jack asked again.

‘The power is being siphoned into subspace.’ Sam repeated. ‘That’s why it will survive the planet’s implosion. The explosion will rip through subspace. It’ll tear everything in the galaxy apart at the sub-atomic level.’

‘Nice.’ Jack motioned at the screen. ‘How do we stop it?’

Sam bit her lip. ‘I’m not sure we can, sir.’

‘Sure we can.’ Jack said confidently.

‘We’re dealing with technology way beyond our understanding.’ Sam began. ‘I don’t even know where to begin, Colonel.’ She rubbed her forehead.

Daniel winced at the rank she used for Jack.

‘How about an off switch?’ Jack asked, leaning forward again and evidently ignoring the rank issue. ‘Can’t we just switch it off?’

‘It’s too late for that.’ Sam said.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Excuse me?’

‘There was only a small window of opportunity to stop the power build up.’ Sam said tiredly. ‘The first twenty-four hours after the Stargate initiated. We’re way beyond that.’ She moved suddenly, pointing at a schematic on the screen. ‘It looks like the original system wasn’t tied to the Stargate.’

‘Ra.’ Daniel blurted out. ‘He must have modified the weapon.’

Jack gave him a sceptical look.

‘I think he’s right, sir.’ Sam said.

‘Ra must have found this place, realised what it could do and altered the system for his own purposes.’ Daniel began excitedly. ‘He must have brought the Stargate we used to replace the one originally here to make it work and built the temple as a means of access to the city.’

‘Great.’ Jack bit out. ‘But how does that help us stop this thing?’

There was silence.

‘I’m sorry, sir.’ Sam said dejectedly. ‘I just can’t see how.’

Jack grimaced apologetically. ‘You’ll get it, Carter. Just,’ he waved at the monitor, ‘keep at it.’

Sam nodded. She turned back to the screen.

‘Maybe I should check out the rest of the consoles.’ Daniel suggested. ‘This may not be the only one which has information. We might learn something from another.’

‘Carter, you stay with this one.’ Jack nodded at Teal’c who took the seat beside her. Jack jerked his head at Daniel and he followed the older man to the next console.

‘You think this is really going to help?’ Jack asked cynically.

‘Do we have any other choices?’ Daniel countered.

‘Good point.’ Jack initialised the system and moved away to let Daniel take a look.

The archaeologist started reading through the directory and shook his head. ‘This looks like the DHD for the original gate.’ He gestured at the keyboard. ‘The symbols are the same as the gate in the temple.’

They moved on. Two consoles later and Daniel glanced at Jack. The military man was staring back at Sam worriedly. Daniel looked back at the screen. He shared the other man’s worry. Sam looked pale and in pain.

‘Anything?’ Jack asked, turning back to him.

Daniel shrugged. ‘I’m not sure.’ He sighed. ‘But my eyes feel like they’re going to explode.’ He took his glasses off and rubbed at them.

Jack left Daniel alone and the archaeologist looked over his shoulder to find Jack prepping the emergency camping stove and organising the rations. Fifteen minutes later a mug of soup was pressed into his hands.

‘Thanks.’ Daniel grimaced at the grainy tomato taste but swallowed the hot liquid down gratefully. Its warmth seemed to rejuvenate him immediately, giving him much needed energy.

‘Sorry it’s not coffee.’ Jack quipped as he retook his own seat and drank for a similar mug to the ones he had handed to his team-mates.

Daniel smiled tiredly. ‘I think I’ve gone beyond coffee.’

Jack pulled a shocked face and Daniel’s smile widened. They both turned their attention back to the soup.

‘Jack.’

‘Daniel.’

Daniel cleared his throat. ‘I, uh, I just…about Atlantis.’

Jack looked at him surprised.

‘You know I’d take you guys with me if I could, right?’ Daniel looked at the other man, his sore blue eyes shining earnestly.

His friend looked back at him before his gaze dropped to his soup. ‘I know.’ Jack looked up and they looked at each other silently for a long moment.

They shifted uncomfortably on the chairs.

‘So…’ began Jack, gesturing with his mug at the screen.

Daniel cleared his throat. ‘So. This looks like some kind of Ancient transportation device for the planet.’

‘Cool.’ Jack murmured. ‘Can we use it to get off the planet?’

‘No.’ Daniel shook his head. ‘Just to move around on the planet.’ He took another slurp of his soup. ‘I don’t think it has anything to do with the Doomsday machine.’

‘Let’s move on.’ Jack said decisively.

Four more consoles and they hadn’t found anything of use. There were only two remaining.

Daniel watched as Jack initialled the next one. He leaned forward. ‘Uh oh.’

‘Uh oh?’ Jack repeated.

‘I think this is related.’ Daniel said quickly. ‘Sam!’

Teal’c helped Sam move over to the new console.

‘I think this is monitoring the power build up in sub-space.’ Daniel explained. He read the text slowly to her and she nodded with understanding.

‘This explains the sub-space device.’ Sam said tiredly. ‘As the power is drawn into it, the device amplifies the energy, a hundred-fold.’

‘That’s how it can be so powerful.’ Daniel stated.

She nodded again and pointed at the monitor. ‘Daniel, what’s this?’

‘It’s a countdown.’ Daniel realised. ‘It says we have five hours.’

‘Five hours to what?’ Jack asked bluntly.

Daniel hesitated and turned to Jack. ‘To when it’ll explode.’ He looked at Teal’c, and Sam before his gaze returned to Jack. ‘We have five hours to the end of the galaxy.’

Chapter 23

‘Hank. It’s good to hear from you.’

The soft Texan drawl on the other end of the phone brightened Landry’s mood. ‘George. How are you?’

‘I’m doing fine.’

Landry could picture the newly retired Hammond smiling on the other end of the phone. Probably the other man was seated at a kitchen table, coffee mug in hand, civvies instead of the uniform...

‘Retirement treating you well?’ Landry asked a little enviously.

‘Very well.’ Hammond agreed. ‘But you’d probably better not tell Jack I said so.’

Landry laughed appreciatively at the dry humour. He ran a hand through his brush-like brown hair, as he considered what he was going to say.

‘So, what can I do for you?’ Hammond asked gently as though prompting him.

‘Well, you did say I could call at any time.’ Landry said, trying to buy some time. He had called the other man mostly because his gut was telling him to get a second opinion but he had to admit to himself, he hadn’t quite worked out what he was going to say.

There was a moment’s silence on the other end.

Hammond sighed. ‘So what did they do now?’

‘They?’ Landry asked, stalling.

‘SG1.’

Landry gave a sigh of his own. He shifted the phone and leaned back in the chair, enjoying the creak of the leather. ‘That obvious, huh?’

‘The President called me after Jack left Washington for the SGC.’ Hammond said.

Landry almost smiled. It looked like he wasn’t the only man seeking Hammond’s advice. ‘Hayes told you Carter went missing.’ He checked.

‘He did.’ There was a question in the simple statement.

‘We organised a SAR; her former team-mates volunteered.’ Landry explained succinctly. ‘They all missed the wormhole home.’

‘They’re missing?’ Hammond’s concern filled the sentence and Landry suddenly realised that SG1 were not the only people to have served for eight long years together. Perhaps Hammond had served his last year at a distance but it had evidently not diminished his fondness for his former flagship team.

‘The Prometheus has been deployed to get them since we haven’t been able to reconnect with the planet.’ Landry heard the defensive note in his words and winced suddenly regretting the call. He ploughed on. ‘That’s not the only issue though.’

‘Oh?’

‘Apparently there’s some Doomsday device on the planet they’re stuck on which could end all life in the galaxy.’ Landry swivelled the chair to face the wall. He started as Hammond chuckled on the other end of the phone. ‘You know most people wouldn’t laugh at that especially when they know it might really be true.’

‘Jack told me once that saving the world shouldn’t get old but you go through it enough times and…’ Hammond paused, ‘well, let’s just say the novelty wears off.’

‘I’m hoping I don’t ever get there, George.’ Landry sighed. ‘What do I do?’ His fingers tapped a restless rhythm on the chair's arm.

‘SG1 will find a way.’

‘You seem sure of that.’ Landry shifted in his chair and tapped his free hand on the arm of the chair. ‘In fact, everyone seems sure of that.’

‘They’re SG1, Hank.’ Hammond comforted him. ‘And there’s no one better at what they do than them.’

‘So, I just sit here and wait for them to save the day?’ Landry checked brusquely.

‘They’ll come through.’ Hammond assured him. ‘They always do.’

‘Hmpnh.’ Landry wasn’t convinced but as he moved the chair back round to his desk, he realised the other man’s certainty had eased his doubts. ‘I guess I didn’t realise how close they were.’

‘They’ve been through a hell of a lot together, Hank.’ Hammond said quietly. ‘More experiences in a single lifetime than most people would go through in several. What they do is unlike anything else we’ve ever experienced. I’m not sure they would have survived a single one if they hadn’t been so willing to fight for each other.’

Landry nodded slowly. ‘I guess I understand that.’ He was surprised to realise he meant it. He sighed and changed the subject; his mind turning to his other worry. ‘I was also calling you to sound you out about a different matter.’

‘Oh?’

‘Woolsey.’

‘As in Richard Woolsey?’

Landry fingered the report on his desk. ‘What’s your take on the guy?’

Hammond was silent as though considering his answer. ‘He means well but he has all the finesse of a rodeo bull.’

Landry laughed. Hammond had described Woolsey perfectly. ‘The IOA sent him to investigate SG1 being MIA. You think he has an agenda?’

‘He thinks they’re too maverick; that I let them get away with too much.’ Hammond admitted. ‘It’ll just add to his case although what he expects to achieve by it given their redeployments is anyone’s guess.’

Landry frowned. If it was something that Landry prided himself on, it was his political savvy and he thought he knew where Woolsey was going with his investigation. Jack’s new position was a powerful one; Woolsey could be using the findings to try and influence the new Head of Homeworld Security, but the only sticking point on that idea was that Jack was unlikely to take any notice. Or maybe that was the point; if Jack brushed off any findings Woolsey came up with, the new Major General might find himself discredited and undermined in the eyes of the IOA and maybe even with Hayes.

‘Thanks, George.’ Landry said warmly.

‘Good luck, Hank.’ Hammond replied.

Landry smiled. ‘I’ll let you know when they get home.’ He disconnected the call and hung up the phone. He reached for the report on his desk.

A rap on his door arrested his reading and he called for the person to enter.

Colonel Reynolds marched briskly into the room and at Landry’s silent gesture closed the door behind him. ‘You wanted to see me, sir?’

‘I did.’ Landry waved him into a chair and regarded the dark-haired man with his sharp, intelligent features for a long moment. ‘I’ve been looking over your record. General O’Neill and General Hammond speak highly of you but both note you need more command experience if you’re to move up the ranks.’

Reynolds nodded slowly.

‘So, I’m going to put you on rotation for the SGC command.’ Landry stated crisply.

‘Sir?’ Reynolds blinked in astonishment.

‘Although your primary position will be SG3 leader, you’ll also cover for me in absence, that type of thing.’ Landry confirmed.

‘Yes, sir.’ Reynolds smiled. ‘Thank you, sir.’

Landry nodded. ‘And now we have that out of the way, as you know Colonel Carter is transferring to Area 51.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘I’m sure you’re also aware from the rumour mill that I’ve been thinking about Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell to replace her as SG1 leader.’

‘That is the rumour, sir.’

‘Well, the rumour’s true.’ Landry confirmed. ‘I’d like your opinion on Mitchell. I understand you were the SG team leader who gave him the final evaluation?’

‘I was.’ Reynolds said. ‘He has good instincts, sir, but he does have a tendency to think he can do it all himself. He’s a good leader. He just needs some seasoning.’ He hesitated.

Landry raised his bushy eyebrows. ‘You can speak freely, Reynolds.’

‘Mitchell’s a good man, sir, but he’s new to the SGC and the SG1 designation carries a certain…’ he struggled for a word.

‘Kudos?’ Landry suggested.

‘Expectation. People hear SG1 and they expect the premier team, sir.’

‘And you don’t think Mitchell makes the grade?’ Landry said bluntly.

‘I think Mitchell is an excellent candidate, but I think leading the team is a lot of weight for anyone, sir, never mind someone new to the SGC.’ Reynolds explained.

Landry regarded the SG3 leader thoughtfully. ‘They do seem to have quite a reputation.’ He murmured.

‘SG1 have never failed us when it’s mattered, sir.’ Reynolds supplied. ‘That’s quite a standard to meet.’

‘Then Mitchell’ll just have to meet it.’ Landry returned.

Reynolds nodded.

‘That’s all, Colonel.’ Landry dismissed him.

‘Sir.’ Reynolds left.

Landry sat back in his chair. He reached the file on his desk – Mitchell’s. He stared at the blue cover for a long time. He could understand why Reynolds was hesitant. Mitchell might have excelled in the 302 squadron and proven he was an exceptional pilot but he was still an unproven SGC recruit. Landry frowned.

‘They’re SG1. SG1 have never failed to us when it’s mattered.’

He had definitely underestimated the sense of responsibility and respect the SG1 designation carried but maybe it was about time it became simply another SG team. He placed the file to the side, his decision made. Mitchell would be SG1 leader. He knew he was taking a risk but he had a feeling Mitchell would work out fine. And if SG1 didn’t stop the Doomsday machine, well; it was all immaterial anyway.

Chapter 24

Sam closed her eyes. They had been working for the past four hours going through the information in the Ancient database trying to find anything that would help them. She didn’t want to say it had been useless but it had perhaps been less than useful. There was so much information and her head was spinning.

Her eyes settled on Jack. He and Teal’c were currently helping Daniel on other side of the room. They were revisiting some of the earlier consoles that they had dismissed just in case they could help. Jack looked tired, she noted. His face was grave, the lines deeper than normal. The bruise on his cheek stood out against the stubble on his jaw. His brown eyes were worried. His grey hair was in complete disorder, tufts sticking up everywhere. His clothes were dusty and torn. He was leaned back in his stool, hands interlinked behind his head. He had ordered her to rest so she had resumed her place on the floor.

Sam felt the burn of failure in her gut as she pushed her hands through her blonde hair. She knew they were all looking to her to solve it but she couldn’t. Her thoughts were becoming fragmented; she would think she had something only to realise she had already considered the idea and dismissed it. Her concussion was worsening and that wasn’t a good sign. She was so tired. She wanted to curl up and go to sleep but she knew she needed to stay awake. They were running out of time if they were going to save the galaxy again.

Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be, Sam thought tiredly. Maybe their luck had finally run out and this time they wouldn’t find the last minute solution that saved them all. Maybe all the worry about the changes in their lives had been for nothing; maybe they had no future after all. If she did have to die, there were worse ways to go than on a mission to save the galaxy with the rest of her team – with the people she loved most in the world beside her.

‘You can’t give up.’ Her hallucination of Daniel sat beside her.

‘Indeed.’ A hallucinatory Teal’c dropped to sit in front of her cross-legged.

‘She hasn’t given up.’ Jack waved at her as he took a seat next to her on the opposite side of Daniel. ‘She’s just regrouping. Isn’t that right?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Sam murmured. ‘I don’t think I can do it this time.’

‘Sure you can.’ Jack said.

‘Not this time.’ Sam repeated.

‘You’ll figure this out.’ Jack reassured her. ‘You always do.’

‘No,’ Sam laughed, ‘no I don’t. I don’t always figure it out.’ Look at what happened with Pete, she thought sadly.

‘That was different.’ Daniel said quietly. ‘And you did figure that out.’

‘Just like you’ll figure this out.’ Jack added.

‘Your fate is in your own hands, Colonel Carter.’ Teal’c added.

‘Which fate?’ Sam looked at Jack. ‘Do you mean,’ she pointed at him and at herself, ‘or,’ she gestured at the room.

‘Perhaps we should focus on the immediate threat.’ Teal’c murmured.

‘But that’s the problem, isn’t it?’ Daniel said. ‘There’s always something else getting in the way.’

‘There’s always something else.’ Sam agreed. The war with the Goa’uld, the Replicators, Anubis…and when that was over, when it looked like they had a chance to be together…Jack’s reassignment, her reassignment…the end of the galaxy…she closed her eyes.

He had come to rescue her. He wanted her – the kiss had shown her that and he cared about her, she was certain of that - she’d always been certain of that but did he love her? Sam had thought she had gotten her answer when Jack had told her ‘Always’ but with the distance of his new assignment and all the other changes in their lives, doubts had crept back in and instead of simply talking to him, she had done what she always did – she had used the excuse of her own reassignment to run away from it. That was what her hallucinations had been trying to tell her earlier.

‘You can still have everything you want, Sam.’

Her father’s words echoed in her head. She opened her eyes and looked over at Jack. She guessed that was true. In fact, their reassignments made a relationship more possible because she was out of his direct chain of command. Sure, they would still need the Air Force to grant them some leeway, and their relationship would be long distance but it would be worth it. For the first time in years, they truly had a window of opportunity if they didn’t miss it or the galaxy didn’t blow up.

She frowned; a window of opportunity, why did that strike a chord with her?

‘What’re you thinking?’ Grace asked.

Sam turned her head, startled out of her thoughts. ‘I don’t know.’ She admitted.

Grace was playing in a sandbox, building a pyramid with a metal ring evidently in place of a real Stargate. She had built a moat around the pyramid and it was filled with water.

Sam leaned forward her attention caught. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m playing at building pyramids at Giza, silly.’ Grace rolled her eyes and grinned at Sam. ‘You want to play?’

‘You built a pyramid?’ Sam questioned. ‘Not sandcastles?’

‘Sandcastles are boring.’ Grace said. She leaned forward into the moat and pulled out a plug. The water started to drain away.

Sam stared as it ran out, over the floor.

And suddenly everything was crystal clear; she knew how to stop it.

‘See I knew you’d figure it out.’ Jack grinned proudly at her.

Daniel looked at her anxiously though and Sam felt an answering flutter of nerves. ‘Just remember, Sam,’ the archaeologist advised, his eyes locking on hers suddenly with a very real ferocity, ‘don’t give up.’

The hallucinations disappeared and her vision blurred. Sam blinked. The sight in her right eye was patchy. Her heart pounded in panic. Her head injury was worsening; loss of vision even if it was in one eye wasn’t good. She must be bleeding, she realised.

‘Carter?’ Jack crouched beside her and offered the water canteen. ‘You OK?’

‘I think I know how to stop it.’ Sam blurted out, trying to cover for her weakness. Focus on the mission, Sam, she thought resolutely. She brushed the water canteen aside and Jack helped her to her feet. She leaned on him as she staggered across to the console and sat down on the silver stool.

‘Sam?’ Daniel questioned her softly as he and Teal’c came to stand beside her.

‘There was always a window of opportunity when the machine started to stop it.’ Sam said urgently.

‘But we missed it.’ Jack said plaintively. ‘You said it was too late.’

‘I was wrong.’ Sam responded.

For an instant, both of them stared at each other as though there was another meaning to their words.

Daniel cleared his throat, regaining their attention. ‘You were wrong? Does this mean we can stop it?’

Sam pulled her gaze away from Jack’s to meet Daniel’s. ‘Not completely.’ She qualified. ‘If the machine was stopped in the first twenty-four hours, it had to have some way of draining the energy from the sub-space device…’ she began excitedly.

‘…and if we can find out how to do that we can stop the galaxy exploding.’ Daniel said.

‘Excuse me?’ Jack interrupted. He waved at them. ‘What?’

‘Sir,’ Sam turned to him, gesturing at the screen, ‘the Doomsday device is made up of two parts,’ she raised one hand, ‘the planet and,’ she raised her other hand, ‘and the subspace device. The planet exploding would be bad…’

‘Very bad.’ Jack interjected.

‘Very bad,’ Sam agreed, ‘but it wouldn’t take out the whole galaxy.’ She took a breath, her blue eyes determined and certain of her theory. ‘If we take out the subspace device, the galaxy and Earth are safe.’

‘But the planet explodes.’ Jack pointed out.

‘Yes,’ Sam said tightly, ‘but we can’t prevent that. There’s been too much of the core destabilised, even if we switch off the machine completely and drain the subspace device.’

‘Carter, we’re kind of stuck on this planet.’ Jack pointed out caustically. He gestured around them as though to prove his point.

‘Maybe not.’ Daniel said suddenly.

They all looked at him; Teal’c with a characteristically raised eyebrow.

‘We’re not?’ Jack asked disbelievingly.

‘The Stargate in the temple was the original gate, right?’ Daniel said out loud, waving his arms wildly. ‘So the one we used was one Ra replaced it with. Now we know from the gate that we found in Antarctica that our point of origin was different on the original gate but it still meant Earth. So you see what I’m saying.’

‘No.’ Jack said bluntly.

‘The symbols are different, yes,’ Daniel waved his arms passionately, ‘but they probably relate back to the symbols on the gate we used to get here. We can work out the address home.’

‘There’s no DHD.’ Jack pointed out.

Daniel gestured at the DHD they had found. ‘It must dial the Stargate in the temple.’

‘There’s an idea.’ Jack pointed at him. He looked around the team. ‘OK. Carter, Daniel; you guys work on stopping this subspace…thing and working out our home address. Teal’c and I will go scout out the way back to the bridge; make sure there are no Unas lying in wait.’

They all nodded in agreement. They had a plan.

Jack looked at Sam proudly. ‘Good work, Carter.’

‘I still have to make it work, sir.’ Sam said quietly. Her worry about her head injury poked at her and she pushed it away ruthlessly; she had to focus - just for a little while longer.

Jack smiled. ‘You will.’

‘Sir.’ She stopped him as he turned away. ‘Be careful out there.’

Jack nodded and Sam turned back to the console. They had a lot of work to do if they were going to save the galaxy and get home.

Continued in Part IX.