samandjack.net



Jack, wearing a new cap, entered the Motel 6 room with a couple of full and rather heavy bags.

“Hungry?” he asked with a smile, extracting several smaller bags from a larger one.

“Famished, actually!” she smiled, standing up to select a sandwich after rummaging a little in the small bags. “What did you get?”

“For one, I got us some clothes. I hope those will fit,” he said, tossing her a couple of pairs of jeans. “I wasn’t sure about the size, so I had to trust my gut,” he said. “I also got you tops, but for the underwear, well… er… you’ll have to do that on your own, Carter,” he smiled uneasily.

“Thanks, I will,” she beamed.

“I also got several maps of Canada and the Northern US… and last, but not least… I got you…” he fished inside the biggest bag and retrieved a computer case, “…a laptop…”

“Sir! That’s too extravagant! We need to be frugal with our money; remember that we have two plane tickets to buy before we run out of that money!” she exclaimed.

“Relax, Carter… It was a good bargain, and really, we need a computer and your skills to make this work. I’m not as savvy as you are computer-wise, but I guess this one has everything we need for the moment. We need to decide on a remote — but not too remote — location to settle down a while, plus at least one of us should secure a job beforehand; the other can find one when we get there.”

She looked thoughtful for an instant, then nodded. “You’re right, Sir… I’m sorry, it’s just that right now, we don’t have much, and I figure we need to live on that for at least two to three months. Let’s plan for the worst, and if we get the best, then that’ll only mean we’ll be able to reimburse the money that much faster. I am adamant, Sir. We must send the money back.”

“In times of war, Carter…” he started, but she cut him off.

“This is not a war, Sir.”

He sighed and finished unpacking the bags. “Let’s get started…”

:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:

They worked on their plans all day. At some point during the afternoon, Sam went out and bought several items for herself. The clothes Jack had gotten her fit almost perfectly, and she wondered briefly just how much Jack had been observing her. Deep inside, it pleased her that he had. On the outside, though, she would never admit to it.

When she came back from her brief shopping spree, she found him gently snoring on one of the beds. The TV was on in the background, and he was sprawled on top of the bedspread, his large, long frame almost covering the entire bed.

She smiled and coughed discreetly to announce her presence.

He sat up, startled, and looked confused for a moment before obviously remembering where he was.

“Oh, Carter… Found what you were looking for?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Yes… Did you contact the real estate agencies?”

“Yeah, one of them,” He stood and went to pick up a notepad off the table, “but there’s more…”

“Oh?” she said, putting down her bags on the other bed.

“I called Rutland Airport in Vermont. It’s a small regional airport, and they said their main carrier, CommutAir, might have a position for me,” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“Really?!” she beamed.

“They’re looking for experienced pilots. My credentials impressed them… thanks for keeping that in my history!” he winked.

She snorted. “So we’ll settle in Rutland?” she asked, flopping down onto the bed.

“I’m not sure we should decide on a place to settle yet,” he said thoughtfully, “at least not until you’ve found something to do. I made an interesting discovery, though.”

“Oh?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“IBM has its home base in Essex, Vermont… Could be what you’re looking for.”

She frowned. “Don’t you think it might be too… obvious?” she hesitated.

“Carter, we’re not in enemy territory; we’re not terrorists, we’re trying to mingle,” he said, gesturing wildly with his hands.

“With fake IDs?” she smirked.

“Give yourself credit, Carter. I’m sure we’ll be okay, at least for the time being,” he said with confidence.

“We have no choice anyway… So what do we do next?” she asked, getting back to the main subject.

“I suggest we first take a plane to Burlington. Once there, we rent a car and get a motel room. Then I’ll call Rutland Airport, and hopefully they’ll want to see me for an interview. They said they’d expect me. While I go there, you can start checking out job offers that might suit you. We can stay in Rutland if you don’t find anything right away, so as to spare some expenses. I figure we’re gonna have to buy a car pretty soon, though. When you find a job, we’ll look for another car and then a more permanent place to stay. The real estate agency that I called said they would look for apartments and houses for rent and give me a list when I call back. They have holiday rentals, something we could go for since it means everything will be already furnished. Even if we don’t know exactly how long we’re gonna stay, that’s a ‘temporary’ that’s more acceptable than a motel.”

“Good idea,” she nodded.

“You get everything you wanted?”

“Huh?” she asked, not understanding.

“When you went out…”

“Oh! Yes, thank you, Sir!” she smiled. “Have you made the airline reservations yet?”

“Nope… Was waiting for you to listen to my plans first…”

“Then I’ll make them then, Sir,” she said, standing up and reaching for the phone.

He inwardly cringed at her use of his title again. As he watched her book their flight for Burlington, Vermont, he continued to ponder their situation. Here they were, with no hope of getting back to their universe in the foreseeable future, and they were still acting like the perfect soldiers. Of course, he reasoned, for their sanity, it was probably better this way, and without their training in adapting to every type of situation, they wouldn’t have known what to do. For now, he was comfortable enough with her, but at the same time they still were both in ‘battle mode’, and the objective was what counted. But what if their estrangement from their world lasted far longer than just a few weeks? A few months? A few years? He sighed, mulling over his thoughts, and decided that for both their sakes, the sooner they were able to return to their own world, the better. Then again, this was his optimistic side talking, and Jack was not particularly an optimist.

His thoughts were interrupted by Sam hanging up the telephone. He looked at her, smiling. “So?”

“We’re booked for the day after tomorrow, departing at 1042. It’s not a direct flight, but we should be there about 2000 local time.”

“Okay, then I suggest we grab something to eat and go to bed early. I’ll ask the front desk to reserve a taxi at 0700 sharp for that day,” he said, opening the door for her to exit.

:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:

Vancouver International Airport was already bustling with travelers when they arrived, each carrying a small backpack to hold their meager possessions. Sam was a little anxious about going through customs, but they had no more problem than the average international traveler, which served to alleviate her fears a little.

Once they were finally airborne, she started breathing again.

“See? No problem, genius!” he whispered in her ear.

She rolled her eyes. “We’re not out of the woods yet, Sir,” she murmured in reply. “Once we’re truly on the other side of the border and have passed through customs there, then I’ll be relieved. Our story about losing our passports and having only an official statement from the Central Authority Administrator in lieu of the passports might get us through on this side, but I’m wary about the other side…”

…And, indeed, they were detained for several hours at South Burlington Airport, while the US government officials checked their story and identities.

Sam was a bundle of nerves, and the cool attitude of her commanding officer was even more aggravating than usual. Didn’t he realize what this could mean for them?! She had put locks and securities everywhere when she created their IDs, including traces of trips to and back from Canada, but she was not infallible, and she was not familiar with this universe’s systems. Granted, they looked similar to their own, but similar didn’t mean they were an absolute match.

“And what was it you were doing in Canada, if I may ask?” the umpteenth agent inquired, sitting down in front of them with a sigh.

Jack was finally getting really annoyed at answering that same question again and again. Sam sensed it and put her hand on his thigh, squeezing a bit, before he replied, as calmly as possible.

“We were simply visiting. We’re both starting over, and we just wanted to have an extra long vacation before working again. We were mugged, our passports, checkbooks, credit card, everything stolen, end of story… You know the procedure when that happens. Now I’m interested in a job position here in Vermont, so here we are,” he concluded.

“Still, I find it strange that you’re traveling with so much cash… $16,000, more or less…” he commented, leaving the question hanging.

Sam replied in a tired and aggravated tone. “What would you do if all your other means of payment had been stolen? Go to a bank and get cash!”

“Ah, but that’s it, you know… all your US bank accounts seem to be closed,” the agent replied with a predatory look.

“What part of ‘we’re starting over’ don’t you get?” Jack retorted. “We simply had a cash reserve in case an accident happened; it did; we took it. End of story!”

“Well, $16,000 is not much of a reserve, if you ask me… Anyway, like you yourselves said, your story is a bit strange, but my superiors cleared it. You’re free to go,” the man said before standing up. “Your belongings, or what remains of them, await you at the main office, but if you want my advice, next time you want to start over, try to be a little more on the cautious side. You’re a grown man,” he looked pointedly at Jack. “You shouldn’t be taking this young lady on such an adventure without a failsafe… Just my opinion, of course.”

“Well, that’s it, you know: you should mind your own business!” Jack was past caring about being polite. Sam’s grasp on his arm prevented him from saying much more of what was on his mind at this precise moment.

They finally exited the airport and took a cab to the University Inn & Suites, which they had booked online before taking the plane.

They reached the motel around 0200 local time. Jetlag was in their favor, but the stress of the previous hours had taken its toll on their bodies, and they collapsed on their respective beds, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:

The next day, they went in search of a cheap used car both online and then at the car dealer. Jack, being Jack, had settled on an F-150 type truck, arguing that they needed a practical car rather than a city one. Sam finally relented, acknowledging Jack’s reasons, silently promising herself that if their situation lasted long enough for her to have her own car, she’d buy one more suited to her own needs.

After grabbing a sandwich downtown, they went back to their motel, and Jack called Rutland Airport to set up his interview. He left just after noon while Sam started checking for jobs in the area.

:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:¤:

Jack came back early in the evening, and if the shit-eating grin he sported was not explicit enough, the hug he gave her served to convince her he had gotten the job.

“So?” She asked smiling, “what is it they want you to do?”

“Oh, fly businessmen. The company maintains a Beechcraft 1900D, flying to northeastern and Midwestern destinations: one round trip a day, 3 days in a row, 2 days’ rest, and get this… $10,000 a month, insurance included… They’re so in need of a good pilot, they made me do a test run, and about 15 minutes into it, they told me that I had the job!”

“Oh wow!... A nice ego trip on top of it, then,” she smirked.

“Carter?” he asked, slightly annoyed.

“Sorry, Sir,” she amended. “It’s just that… IBM doesn’t have a position for me at the moment, although they seemed interested in my application. I gave them my email, but, well, you know the drill. Otherwise, there’s nothing very interesting for me to do in the area. Nevertheless, I filed an application for a teaching position at the University of Vermont in Burlington. They have an engineering/mathematical/sciences department. If I can’t work for IBM, I could still teach and maybe have a research team…” she shrugged.

“I’m sorry,” he said, sincerely.

“For what? You’re not responsible for what’s happening to us, and besides, it could be stimulating to teach,” she smiled weakly.

“It’s just that… You shouldn’t be teaching, Carter, you’re one of the greatest minds of this world…”

“Not this world, Sir,” she interrupted, “and besides, a Brigadier General should not be ferrying businessmen, either, so we’re even,” she concluded.

He sighed, looking at her, before smiling encouragingly. “Come on, Carter, let’s consider this an extended vacation!”

She snorted. “If you say so, Sir,” she conceded.

“Good… Hungry?” he asked.

“What do you suggest?” she smiled.

“There’s an Italian place a coupla hundred yards down the street. Pizza?”

“They deliver?”

“I don’t have the number, and it’s only a few hundred yards away, Carter,” he smirked.

She forced a smile but it didn’t reach her eyes. A cold blanket descended upon his heart upon witnessing her discomfort. “Carter, once again I don’t like this anymore than you do,” he growled menacingly, “but we’re in this together, whether you like it or not. If you don’t trust me a little, I guarantee our lives are gonna be far more hellish than the predicament we’re currently in!” he concluded.

Sam looked at him sharply then lowered her gaze. “It’s not you I don’t trust, Sir,” she said almost imperceptibly.

He blinked. “Look, Carter,” he sighed.

“No… don’t ‘look Carter’ me, Sir. With all due respect, how long are we going to be able to maintain professional etiquette and call each other ‘Carter’ and ‘Sir’ without hating each other for it? How long are we going to last in this universe trying to respect a certain decorum and chain of command between us? No matter what you say, Sir, you’re my commanding officer, and I’m your subordinate! Generals don’t go to restaurants alone with their subordinates!” She suddenly stopped, mortified at her outburst.

Jack was silent a moment, before standing up and coming to sit next to her on the bed.

“For your information, Colonel, said General and subordinate are also sharing the same motel room…” he started in a soft voice.

She looked at him sharply but he smiled cockily, diffusing the tension. She chuckled.

“Sam,” he started, making her look at him again. “I don’t know where this is going to take us, but like you said back at the studios, we’re in this for the long haul.” He paused. “For now, there’s no General, no Lieutenant Colonel, only Sam and Jack, and before everything, we’re best friends, right?”

“I don’t know what we are, Jack,” she said, her throat constricted.

“We’re not facing a court martial yet, Sam; right now, we have to start living here. We’ll find a way to deal with other situations if or when we come to them,” he patted her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

“I wonder what they are doing…” she said to no one.

“Probably wracking their brains over our disappearance,” he said lightly, knowing very well what ‘they’ she was referring to. “Come on, Sam, I’m in the mood for a nice pizza…” he said, standing up and making an inviting gesture with his hand.

She stood up, too, and they headed outside.




You must login (register) to review.