************** #1:Introductions
Colonel Jack O'Neill sat at the large mahogany table in the Star Gate Command debriefing room, impatiently drumming his fingers on the dark wooden surface.
He felt uncomfortable on the base without his normal attire of dark green military fatigues, his present outfit of black jeans and white T-shirt making him seem out of place and conspicuous. The last time he remembered wearing his civvies in the SGC was the night he had been summoned to the mountain, along with Kawalsky and Ferretti, and informed that the Goa'uld had just made a dramatic entrance and equally dramatic exit through the supposedly defunct Stargate. God, that seemed so long ago now. Jack looked at his watch again, and then glanced at the door, wishing his commanding officer, General George Hammond, would hurry up and get there.
"You know, he pulls us off downtime at a moments notice for no apparent reason, the least he could do is show up on time." Jack stood up, and began to pace the room in exasperation.
"He IS only five minute late sir," said his second in command, Major Samantha Carter. "And some of us had to work today anyway," she added in a slightly irritated tone.
"Well, Major as much as I'd love to be stuck 350 feet under ground with you testing soil samples from P57 9HX, I actually had plans for today. I had rink side tickets for a hockey game that I had to beg, borrow, and steal to get a hold of." He sighed, and sat back down at the table. "I sure hope my neighbour's kid enjoys them."
The two team mates glanced up as a figure came rushing through the door. "Hi guys. Real sorry I'm late. I haven't missed anything have I?"
"Yeah Daniel, you missed us sitting around staring at the pattern in the carpet waiting for the General to finish one of his little chats to the President or whatever it is he's doing."
The archaeologist tried to suppress a smile, as he took in his friends sullen expression. "Relax, Oscar, I'm sure the rest of the folks on Sesame Street won't miss you too much."
Whatever sarcastic reply O'Neill had ready was halted by the arrival of General Hammond. "Good Morning, SG-1. I apologise for having to summon you here at the last minute, but I have some news that concerns you." The team exchanged glances that expressed their curiosity.
"Uh, General," interrupted Daniel, " shouldn't Teal'c be here to hear this news?"
"Well, he's aiding SG-5 on a reconnaissance mission on P2X 765, and they're going to be out of radio contact for most of the day, but he'll be fully briefed when he returns." The General sat down at the table and opened the brown file he had been carrying, staring at it for a few seconds before continuing. "I've received instructions that a new team member is being assigned to SG-1. Her name is Lieutenant Anna Murphy, and she should be arriving shortly." Hammond stopped and looked up at the three people seated around the table, trying to gauge their reactions to the news. At first, there was silence but as he expected the Colonel was the first to speak up.
"With all due respect sir, I believe that SG-1 is complete as a team just now. We don't need another member and even if we did I'd prefer to pick any new additions myself."
"Colonel O'Neill, I seem to recall you expressing similar views when Major Carter was assigned to SG-1 and you've apparently changed your mind on that issue."
Carter gave a slight smirk as she watched her CO's reaction.
"Uh, well, yes sir that was the case but that's a different situation entirely. Carter's knowledge of astrophysics and her skills in combat are invaluable to the team."
He glanced over at her as he delivered the compliment, watching her smile openly in appreciation. The smile quickly turned to an expression of mock indignation as he added, "And she's also easy to beat at racquetball."
"Be that as it may, Colonel, I'm afraid you have no more choice in this than I do." The General paused before adding, "This dictate comes directly from the Pentagon."
"So, uh, General?" piped up Daniel from the end of the table, "What's so special about Lt. Murphy? I mean, what can she bring to the team that's lacking." He looked around at his colleagues for back up.
"Daniel's right, General," agreed Samantha Carter. " I happen to think that SG-1 is working fine as it is. I'm at a loss to find a reason for them wanting to introduce another member to the team. Not to sound too conceited, but we are doing an excellent job."
"Well evidently the powers that be disagree with you and Dr. Jackson, Major Carter," answered Hammond, "but I have been unable to get any satisfactory answers to any of my questions. No one seems to know who Lt. Murphy is, where she's been or why she's coming here. All I know is that it's a reality and we have to accept that."
As if in response to his statement the door opened and an airman stepped into the room, followed by a young woman in dress uniform. The group around the table stood and Jack O'Neill looked her up and down, trying to quickly appraise her. She was small, maybe five foot three, and slim with shoulder length dark brown hair. As she approached the table, he noticed that she had vibrant green eyes that were almost unnerving. He also noticed a small hole in the side of her nose that indicated a piercing removed while on duty because of the dress code. It was not her appearance that bothered him however; that was impeccable. The uneasiness he felt was mainly due to the way she walked into the room. Her gait was a sort of arrogant swagger, rather than the military, almost march-like, walk that seemed to come naturally to all airforce personnel.
"Lt. Anna Murphy reporting for duty, sir." She stood before him, saluting and he was reminded of a similar situation that had occurred almost two years before- with some unsettling differences. Jack was struck by the semi-smile that played around her lips, a smile that verged on a sneer. Although her words and actions were textbook, hiding below the surface there was a contempt in her attitude, challenging all she came into contact with.
"Good morning, Lieutenant," he answered suppressing all the negative feelings he harboured. "Welcome to SG-1. Good to have you with us."
"Good to be here, Sir." But O'Neill knew her words were meaningless.
************** #2:Revelations
Jack O'Neill sat on the roof of his house sipping a beer, and gazing up at the stars. He had intended on using the telescope, but his mind kept wandering, and eventually, he gave up, and now, he was just sitting in his deck chair, pondering the meeting that had taken place a few hours ago. He kept returning to the events of the day, and to the sense of unease that had marred his first meeting with the new Lieutenant under his command. Replaying in his mind what had transpired in the debriefing room, he tried to pinpoint exactly what was worrying him.
After the greeting between himself and Lt Murphy, she had gone around the table to introduce herself to Carter. Saluting her subordinate, Carter had smiled broadly saying, "Hello, Lt Murphy, I'm Major Sam Carter. I hope you enjoy your time with SG-1." That woman had about a hundred different smiles, and the one that had graced her face was her 'trying to make someone feel comfortable in a strange place' smile. It was one of his favourites. Yet still, the air of contempt had been detectable in the young woman's attitude. My God, if Carter's smile couldn't melt her heart, then what would? Daniel had then come around to introduce himself to Murphy, and under normal circumstances, Jack would've expected the common reaction that young women seemed to have to his handsome workmate, but somehow he suspected this particular lady was not one to subscribe to ordinary hormonal reactions. He was not disappointed.
They had then gone through the formalities of briefing the new team member of the procedures and remits of the Stargate program, during which Lt Murphy seemed detached and uninterested, more intent on gazing through the observation window into the Gateroom. He would've loved to have seen the notes she had been scribbling all during the conference.
General Hammond had then invited Murphy to shed some light on her career and she had gone through the predictable list of places she had served; Bosnia, Sudan, Kosova. However, to O'Neill, something did not ring true. Her resume sounded rehearsed, as if she had memorised it before hand. She said that she had been working at the Pentagon for the past year, pencil pushing as she described it, but somehow she did not strike the Colonel as the sort of girl who would be content to sit behind a desk all day.
Once the meeting had ended, he had voiced his opinions to Carter and Daniel and found that he was not the only one who had concerns. Daniel as usual had failed to note any of these details (that guy had the attention span of a peanut), however Carter had been uncomfortable in the company of the young lieutenant and said she was not looking forward to serving with her. This worried Jack more than his own observations, because Sam was a person who made friends easily and it was rare for her to take an instant dislike to someone. To Jack it seemed like a portent.
****************************************
Lieutenant Anna Murphy sat in her car, waiting. She thought back to the events of the day and her first meeting with the people she would be working with for the foreseeable future. Seemed nice people if you were into that sort of thing. She wasn't into that sort of thing. She had noticed how the Colonel had glanced at her every so often. He was suspicious of her. She didn't care. Making friends was not in her job description and fitting in with ones peers had never interested her much. Her job description, in fact, was the reason she was here, parked in a side road in the middle of the night high amidst the Cheyenne Mountain range. Murphy had been told two weeks ago what her new assignment was, yet still she had been given no reasons as to why she had been placed with the SGC. For the past year she had been stationed at the Groom Lake governmental installation - the place internet geeks and imbecilic conspiracy theorists liked to call Area 51. How corny was that name; it made her cringe whenever she heard it. They really had no idea.
Murphy knew that no one had bought the tale about the Pentagon desk job, especially not O'Neill (she really would have to watch him) but again this detail was beyond her interest. She was there to stay, or at least for as long as was necessary, and neither Hammond nor O'Neill, nor any of the other 'Save-the-World-from-the-terrible-Alien' assholes had the power to revoke her commission.
Approaching headlights roused her from her musings and she reached across the passenger seat extracting the Smith and Wesson .38 Chiefs Special from the glove compartment. She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans, right next to the small of her back, before concealing it with her long black leather jacket. The approaching car pulled into the side of the road and sat stationary with its headlights still blazing. Murphy sat tight, refusing to be the first one to exit their vehicle. She knew it wouldn't take long. He was always pulling stuff like this, trying to prove something, trying to 'show her who's boss'. She snickered. Well this wasn't the X files and she couldn't recall seeing him smoke any cigarettes. Only two minutes had passed before she saw the drivers door open and young airman step out. He walked round to the rear door on the opposite side of the car and opened it, allowing the passenger to step out. What the hell did he think this was?? A Presidential ball at the Goddamned White House?? He was so intent on all this Deep Throat shit and then he shows up with a chauffeur and in full uniform.
Murphy stepped out of her car and walked round to lean on the front fender. The occupant of the other car approached her slowly as if nervous about something. He stopped six feet away.
"So glad you decided to make an appearance. I really hate being stood up. Makes me want to go home and eat all the ice cream in my freezer. And then go out and shoot the guy who didn't show."
"I don't think this is the place for facetiousness, Lt Murphy."
"Neither do I," she answered, the grin vanishing abruptly from her face. "Do you have my mission profile?"
The man reached into his jacket and produced a manila envelope. "All the details are contained within. Memorise them and then destroy the contents of the envelope."
Murphy rolled her eyes, an expression of contempt on her face. "Yeah and I'll keep and eye out for men with blades hidden in the rim of their bowler hats, M." She took two steps towards her companion, revulsion passing through her when she saw the look of extreme panic on his face. "What the hell do you think this is? A game? Do you derive some sense of self importance from this cloak and dagger bullshit that you seem to enjoy so much? Well let me illuminate your tiny mind for just a second, sir." She spat the last word out, scornfully. "You have no idea what this is really about. If you knew half things I know......" She trailed off. "When I look at you, you know what I see? I see an incompetent pilot who was grounded by the time he was 30, who crash landed in the jungles of Saigon and lay cowering in a ditch while VC soldiers slaughtered the remaining three members of his squadron, who'll end his career unable to get a promotion past Colonel because of his sheer incompetence." Her nose was just inches from his and despite her diminutive size she seemed to tower over the taller man. As his look of panic turned to something verging on terror, she smiled humourlessly. "Oh yeah Maybourne, I know. I know a whole shitload of things." Murphy grabbed the envelope and spun on her heel, thinking it necessary to leave before the guy soiled himself.
As she approached her car, she heard Colonel Maybourne calling to her with a tremor in his voice, "I could have you court-martialled for that little outburst, Murphy. I'm your fucking superior officer!!!"
"I don't answer to you Maybourne," she called over her shoulder. "I think you'll find taking disciplinary action against me kinda tricky."
Murphy got back behind the steering wheel of her car and pulled away, leaving Colonel Harold Maybourne staring out into the darkness of the mountains. She wished she could achieve some sense of satisfaction in what had just transpired, but she felt as she would if she had trampled a cockroach under her foot.
************** #3:Suspicions
Monday morning arrived, and SG-1 prepared to leave on their latest mission, a rendezvous with the Tok'ra on P2X 963. An intelligence gathering mission General Hammond had called it. Samantha Carter stood at the base of the Stargate ramp with her three comrades, waiting for the latest addition to their number to show up. Murphy had arrived at the mountain complex bright and early, but had kept pretty much to herself for most of the morning.
Carter could tell that Colonel O'Neill was on edge. He was normally like this before a meeting with the Tok'ra, mainly due to the fact that he had trouble with the concept of being allies with a race so closely related to the Goa'uld, but he did try his best. He seemed to have a particular problem with Martouf, which was something she was at a loss to understand. Sam thought that Martouf was always kind and caring and she could not find anything that would foster any ill feelings, but the Colonel was always gruff with him to the point of ignorance. Despite all this, however, she had never seen him like this before. As she stood speaking with Daniel and Teal'c, she looked across at O'Neill pacing the floor restlessly. She knew it wasn't just the meeting with the Tok'ra that was making him uneasy. It was also the person who would be joining them for the first time today. The huge metal door to the room slid open and Lt Murphy stepped in. She walked over to them with a perfunctory glance at the gate.
"Hello, Lieutenant," greeted O'Neill. "All set for your first trip through the Stargate?"
"Yes, sir," answered the young woman. "A little nervous perhaps but I think I've done enough preparation for this mission."
Sam almost laughed aloud. Nervous? The woman had as many nerves as the rock that formed the surrounding mountain. Sam thought back to her own first journey through the gate. She had been sick with nerves. Exhilarated at the thought of finally accomplishing the ambition that most of her career had been dedicated to, and also eager to impress Colonel O'Neill, she had tried so hard to maintain the professional military façade. And she had failed miserably. First, she had lapsed into technobabble at the sight of the gate in action, making her look like a science geek in front of the Colonel, and then she had vomited as soon as they'd reached Abydos. Carter was embarrassed just thinking about it, but she knew it was a natural human reaction. Afterall, the Stargate was hardly something that you could take in your stride, was it?
Looking at Lt Murphy, however, it was as if she was about to take part in a training exercise back at the Academy. There was no apprehension or excitement in her voice as she spoke to the Colonel, no shake in her hands as she grasped her rifle. As Carter was observing Murphy, Teal'c approached the younger woman.
"Lt Anna Murphy, I am Teal'c. I hope that your time with SG-1 will prove fruitful for all of us." The Jaffa inclined his head in a slight bow, and then stepped away. Carter noted with interest that this was the only time that Murphy's stoic expression slipped from her face. There was a circumspection in her manner as he spoke to her, compared to the indifference with which the rest of the team had been greeted on Saturday. Of course many people had a similar reaction on their first meeting with the huge man. He was afterall a very imposing character, made even more so by the fact that he was from another planet. Yet there was something else in Murphy's attitude.....
"Ok troops are we good to go?" O'Neill's voice diverted her attention from her new colleague.
"Yes, sir," she answered. "M.A.L.P. footage shows that P2X is a wooded planet...."
"Well that's one we haven't done before."
".....readings indicate a hot climate, temperatures in the 90's, with 60 percent humidity."
"Oh great! Why the hell can't these guys pick a planet that's even semi comfortable for humans??" Carter smiled at her CO's familiar grumblings as the Gate spun into life.
"Chevron one encoded," announced Lt Graham Simmons over the intercom. While they were waiting for the gate to complete it rotation, she took the opportunity to glance across at her Colonel. As she suspected, he was carefully observing Lt Murphy, whose eyes were fixed on the huge concentric rings in front of her.
Sam thought
"Chevron seven is ... locked."
As the symbol for home locked into place, the blue vortex gushed forward into the room before whiplashing back to form the event horizon of the Stargate wormhole.
"How 'bout 'dem apples," she said to Lt Murphy, eliciting a smile from O'Neill as she echoed the phrase he had used when her father had encountered the Stargate for the first time. All four of them turned too see Murphy's reaction to the amazing phenomenon, but even Daniel was stunned by the way she stood staring impassively at the rippling, blue surface. Almost as if she had done it all before.
************** #4: Coalition
SG-1 stepped out on the other side of the wormhole, and Lt Anna Murphy glanced around, trying to get her bearings. She could feel their eyes on her. Why wasn't she puking?? Why wasn't she completely amazed at what she had just gone through?? Wow, it seems as if she's done this before!!! OK, so she had done it before. Cigars all round for guessing. The truth was, the first time she had witnessed the opening of the Stargate, her reaction hadn't been too different. Sure she'd been intrigued, but then again, she'd been intrigued one time watching an episode of Columbo. And when she had been propelled through the wormhole for the first time so long ago, like the shiny metal sphere in a pinball machine, she'd suppressed the nausea she'd experienced as if she was travelling on the ferry in San Francisco Bay.
Now she stood next to the DHD, surveying the forest in front of her, looking for signs of an ambush. She'd been told that the Tok'ra were allies of the people of Earth, but this wasn't an arrangement that she was happy with. They were Goa'uld. To crudely paraphrase Shakespeare, shit by any other name still smells as foul. The snakes in their heads meant that they were not to be trusted and this little 'intelligence gathering' expedition could just as easily be a trap to incapacitate the main threat to the Goa'uld. Murphy didn't necessarily feel obliged to safeguard the lives of her team mates, but she also knew what the burn of a staff weapon felt like and it wasn't an experience she wanted to repeat.
"Ok Carter, what now?" asked Colonel O'Neill.
"You know as much as I do, sir," replied the Major. "The Tok'ra only sent the co-ordinates for the planet. There weren't any other instructions. I guess we wait for them to come, like before."
"Oh, good. That is so reassuring!"
"Come on, Jack," said Daniel. "Do you have to be so negative every time we do this?"
"Colonel O'Neill, I see no reason to distrust the Tok'ra's instructions. They have done no wrong to the people of the Tau'ri in the past. I believe that they are valuable allies," Teal'c's attempts to reassure O'Neill were somewhat successful . "Yeah, I know Teal'c. I guess I'm still not used to dealing with people who can lose an argument with themselves."
Murphy watched this exchange with interest. This guy Teal'c was standing there with one of those goddamned worms in his belly, and yet he was accepted by the rest of the team as one of their own. It seemed twisted and unnatural. No good was going to come of it. But then again, that really wasn't her problem. God it was so hot here! She felt as if she were in a sauna. Even though she and the rest of the team were dressed in fatigues designed for high temperatures and had forsaken the camouflage jackets in favour of thin black T-shirts , they still stood sweating in the intense humidity. Murphy pulled off her cap and ran her hand through her dampened hair.
A noise from the forest startled her, and she swung round aiming her rifle in the sounds general direction. She noticed Colonel O'Neill do the same. Only Major Carter seemed assured and confident. She walked down the steps from the gate, towards the forest.
"Hey Carter!! Get back here! That's an order," O'Neill barked at his 2IC.
"Its OK, sir. Its Martouf."
"Oh well that's makes me feel so much better," O'Neill muttered, but he lowered his weapon and stepped down to stand next to Major Carter.
Murphy watched the forest and saw five people emerge from the trees dressed in khaki coloured tunics and pants. They looked like regular human beings if you could ignore the annoying glow from their eyeballs that you knew might appear at any second. The man walking in front was younger, with handsome, well defined features and dazzling blue eyes. He approached Major Carter with a warm smile on his face that was willingly reciprocated. This congenial reception was not enjoyed by Colonel O'Neill who stood just behind Carter with a scowl on his face. Murphy noted this reaction and wondered what it could mean.
"Samantha, its so good to see you once more," said the Tok'ra.
"I'm glad to see you too, Martouf. Its been so long."
"Yeah, yeah, and we've missed you so much" interrupted O'Neill a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Do you think it might be possible to get us out of this heat, Martouf, before we all melt into a pool of sweat??"
"Certainly Colonel O'Neill. Please come this way." Martouf turned and led them deep into the forest, before stopping in front of a huge mound of rock. One of the other Tok'ra pulled aside the vines and foliage to reveal an entrance to a cave. They stepped through the narrow opening, having to bow their heads as they did so. Once inside Murphy gazed around at the tunnel in which they stood. It certainly wasn't like anything she had seen before. The walls were formed from some kind of translucent purple crystal, that glistened and shone. There was no obvious light source yet the tunnel was brightly illuminated. As they followed Martouf down the broad corridor, Murphy noted the myriad other tunnels that intersected this main one. Who knows, maybe she would have to get out of here in a hurry and she'd like to have a vague idea of where she was going.
The group were led into a large chamber made of the same material as the tunnels where other members of the Tok'ra sat, dressed in similar garb as those who had greeted them. One of the women stepped forward and embraced Colonel O'Neill, kissing him on either side of his face.
"It is good to see you, friend," she exclaimed in a deep resonating voice, that Murphy knew only too well.
O'Neill cleared his throat self-consciously. "Its good to see you too, Garshaw."
The woman then approached Dr Jackson, Major Carter and Teal'c, greeting them in a similar manner. The three returned the embrace willingly.
"It is an honour to once again be in your presence, Garshaw," said Teal'c bowing his head.
"Yosuf is also pleased to have you all back with us," said Garshaw, standing back to look at them. Her gaze came to rest on Murphy. "We see that we have another addition to our group, Colonel O'Neill."
"Oh yeah. Garshaw this is Lt Anna Murphy. She's just joined SG-1 and this is her first mission with us."
Garshaw stepped towards Murphy and grasped her by the shoulders. She stared into the young lieutenants eyes and as she did so her eyes glowed briefly. This action made the hairs on the back of Murphy's neck bristle, like the hackles of a cat when a thunderstorm approached. If Garshaw noticed her unease she did not acknowledge it.
"We are glad to have you with us Anna. We hope that you find the relationship between the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri as beneficial as the other members of your race have found it."
"I'm sure I will, Garshaw. Thank you," she replied.
Garshaw then bowed her head for a second, and when she raised it the sonorous quality had gone from her voice. Murphy guessed that this must be the host putting in an appearance.
"Now if you will come with us through to the council chamber, we will discuss why the Tok'ra have summoned you here."
************** #5:Deliberation
SG-1were taken into an adjoining room, at the centre of which stood a large podium, again created from the hexagonal crystalline substance. Some members of the Tok'ra, Garshaw among them went forward to occupy positions around the podium and signalled for the five visitors to approach.
"So what's all this about, Garshaw?" asked O'Neill. He was beginning to think that this was going to be another of those great wastes of time where they ended up leaving without having achieved anything.
"Our operatives within a Goa'uld facility on the planet Tel'shac have passed on to us, information that indicates a highly concentrated Goa'uld presence in that part of the galaxy. Several legions of serpent guards have been arriving on the planet within the past three of its solar months.
O'Neill's brow furrowed at this news. "So what does this mean? That they're regrouping for an attack on some planet?"
"It would appear so O'Neill," said another council member, Krelnash. "In fact intelligence reports lead us to believe that the System Lords, led by Klorel son of Apophis, are amalgamating their forces for another major offensive on the planet of the Tau'ri. Earth is once again their target, Colonel O'Neill."
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They sat afterwards in relative silence, contemplating what the Tok'ra had just told them. Major Carter watched her commanding officer carefully, knowing not to speak to him while he was in this frame of mind. The news that another attack on Earth seemed imminent was unexpected to say the least. When she thought about it she realised that they had been fools to rely on the System Lords sticking to the Protected Planets Treaty that they had taken great pains to establish. The fact that it really hadn't been so long since they had last faced this threat and that it had nearly destroyed them made the news all the more unwelcome. She didn't know whether they would be able to withstand another assault and Colonel O'Neill was obviously plagued by the same thoughts. But maybe it wouldn't come to that. The Tok'ra had summoned them to this meeting to propose an assault on the Goa'uld forces that were congregating on Tel'shac, utilising the combined might of both the Tok'ra and the forces of Earth. Garshaw had suggested they take some time to consider the option and had left them to their own devices for the past few hours. Carter knew that the Colonel would agree to their proposal, but she also realised how difficult it was for him knowing that he may have to face Skaa'ra, in the persona of the Goa'uld symbiote Klorel, once more. And this time any confrontation would probably be to the death. Lt Murphy sat against the far wall, keeping her distance from the rest of the team, that same expression of detachment and indifference on her face. She looked like she didn't care about what she had just heard. Was this some sort of hard assed act that she was putting on to try and hold her own in the military? Carter didn't think so. She'd seen that kind of pseudo-machismo too often in women in the airforce, hell she'd been guilty of it herself on more than one occasion (arm wrestling anyone?). Whatever quality it was that Murphy had, it certainly wasn't fake. Carter suspected that she didn't even care what impression she left on her colleagues, male or female. O'Neill stood up abruptly and walked over to the guards at the door. "Go tell Garshaw I want to speak to her," he said to one. The guard left to summon the Tok'ra elder.
"So campers, I guess we're going on another little trip into the lions den," he said to the others in the room.
"I'm detecting a little negativity about this mission, Jack," said Daniel.
"On the contrary Daniel. I've developed a real soft spot for those guys. I find that whole 'trying to blow up my home planet' a rather endearing quality."
"I recognise the tone of what humans term sarcasm in your voice, Colonel O'Neill. Do you believe this mission will be unsuccessful?"
O'Neill sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Lets just say I'm not looking forward to have to face them again. Every lucky streak eventually runs dry, Teal'c and we've been pretty lucky so far," he replied quietly.
"So we don't do it." Murphy's voice startled them all and they turned as one to face her. It was the first she had spoken since she had replied to Garshaw's greeting and her words were a little unexpected.
"Excuse me, lieutenant? You have an opinion on this matter?" replied O'Neill.
"Well from what I've seen here and from what I've heard, there's no reason why we should trust these....Tok'ra, anymore than we should trust the Goa'uld. Their suggestion of an allied strike against this other planet could be no more than an elaborate hoax."
Carter could feel an unfamiliar anger building up inside of her. She had heard similar sentiments expressed by Colonel O'Neill, but had always understood why he thought like this. Murphy on the other hand had nothing to base her views on. She was judging them after one meeting and probably paying too much attention to the rumours and supposition that were spread by some of the staff members at the SGC.
"Lt Murphy," she said trying to remain patient with her subordinate officer, "the Tok'ra are our allies. They have proven this to us in the past and we have no reason to distrust them in this matter." She turned to O'Neill. "This will probably come as no surprise to you sir but I think we should go."
"With all due respect, Major Carter, is it possible that your judgement is clouded here because you happen to be related to one of them?" Murphy had risen from her seated position and began to approach Carter in an almost confrontational manner.
"Ok that's enough lieutenant!! Major Carter's right. There's no reason for us to be suspicious here. The Tok'ra have given us this information in an attempt to help us. We have no choice but to accept their offer."
Murphy glared at O'Neill but took a deep breath before saying, "You're right sir, I apologise. I realise I have no experience in this type of situation. I guess I'm just relying too much on gut instinct." O'Neill nodded briefly in acknowledgement. "Major Carter, I apologise if I said anything out of line. Of course I'll be happy to abide by whatever decision the Colonel makes."
Carter turned and walked away. The lieutenants apology sounded trite and forced. At this moment it wasn't the Tok'ra who fostered the feeling of distrust that sat heavy in her gut.
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And that was it! Discussion over, decision made, end of story. The Jaffa and the archaeologist hadn't even been asked their opinion. Not that that would've made any difference, Murphy knew. They would go along with whatever O'Neill decided, even to the point of trusting him with their lives. She thought it verged on sycophancy and would never be able to understand it. Good team work they would call it. Blind stupidity she called it. It wasn't the thought of going up against the Goa'uld that bothered her. She had been there before, admittedly for different reasons than those which now presented themselves. Violence, she could do if the situation warranted it. She had worked with people in the past who derived pleasure from inflicting pain and to whom destruction was a hobby rather than a necessity. To Anna Murphy these things held no particular attraction, but neither did she recoil from them. They were often a mandate of warfare and she viewed them as such. Murphy was not fearful at the prospect of dying. She had prepared for death on many occasions, yet it had not been forthcoming. Nevertheless heading into battle was an unwanted distraction from her own mission and made things a lot more complicated. For a moment she held onto the thought that General Hammond might still nay say the notion of heading into another confrontation with the Goa'uld, however she dismissed this idea, realising that the General subscribed to the same misguided, idealistic philosophy as the rest of this crew. So convinced were they that the world was worth saving. Therefore it looked as though she had no choice. In order to complete her assignment, she would have to head into battle with the goddamned A team here.
************** #6:Investigations
The team headed back through the gate after Garshaw had briefed them on the main details of the mission. General Hammond was waiting to greet them at the other side.
"How'd it go, SG-1?"
"Let's just say, I hope you weren't planning any vacation time in the near future, sir."
The General frowned at O'Neill's grim tone. "OK, debriefing in half an hour, you can fill me in on what happened then."
The meeting proceeded uneventfully considering what SG-1 had to divulge. Hammond listened carefully, and informed the team that they had a go for the proposed mission.
"Aren't you going to run it by the President, sir?" asked Major Carter.
"I think for the time being, we'll keep this within the SGC. We'll wait till we know the outcome of the Tel'shac mission before informing the President or the N.I.D." said Hammond, thinking back to previous occasions, where his decisions had been overruled by the powers that be, almost to the detriment of the entire world. As the debriefing continued, Hammond observed the demeanour of the original members of SG-1. Something was wrong here. They all seemed on edge. Not just because of the upcoming mission; he had witnessed that kind of tension in them before. It always made them a more cohesive unit as if the external pressure bonded them together. This was something entirely different and he didn't need to ask the audience to guess where the problem lay. Murphy was a mystery. Not a pleasant, Saturday afternoon, 'Murder She Wrote' mystery, but a big, black, gaping chasm of a mystery into which questions tumbled and disappeared, unanswered. Hammond suspected the Defence Intelligence Agency were involved somewhere along the way, and he had spent the past four days trying to find out exactly why she had been assigned to the SGC. Finally, he had lifted the red phone, and gone straight to the top.
But the President had appeared completely ignorant of her transfer, saying the matter wasn't really his concern and that N.I.D. would deal with it. However those at N.I.D. were even more evasive, giving unsatisfactory answers, and eventually refusing to take his calls altogether. Whatever the answers were, they were buried deep , and Hammond suspected that no amount of digging on his part would unearth them.
**********************************
Anna Murphy sat in her apartment waiting for the call. If she had been asked to describe her surroundings, the words 'sparsely furnished' would have been a gross understatement. The room contained a cream sofa and two armchairs, a light oak coffee table and matching bookshelf, and a television which was used rarely and even then it was only ever tuned to CNN. The bookshelves were bare, save for one table lamp which was currently switched off. The bedroom, like the living room was bare and nondescript, with a bed, side table and chest of drawers. Murphy's personal belongings, of which there were few, were stored in a sports hold-all under the bed. A few items of clothing hung in the small closet and some toiletries lay around the wash basin in the bathroom. Otherwise, the place looked uninhabited.
The apartment and décor had been chosen by the Agency and, in its blandness, was almost identical to the countless other apartments she had resided in during her time working with them. Murphy felt no particular desire to redecorate to suit her tastes. She knew she would not be here for very long and besides, home furnishings were not in her field of expertise.
The console in front of her bleeped, indicating an incoming call. This small unit accompanied her on all assignments to guarantee a secure line through to the Agency at all times.
"Murphy," she said, pressing the button that activated the headset that she wore.
"Farley here, Murphy," said the voice on the other end of the line. "Awaiting mission status report."
"Incomplete at this point obviously, sir. Another situation has arisen that may delay completion, but otherwise everything is under control."
"What's the situation, Murphy? Anything you need help with?"
"No, sir, not really. It looks as if the SG teams will be taking part in an all-out offensive on an offworld alien stronghold. Its inconvenient but nothing that's going to cause too much of a problem."
"We've had no reports of this through formal channels."
"Hammond is keeping this under his hat for the time being and has decided not to inform anyone outside the Mountain. Probably doesn't want interference from the jokers at N.I.D. Which is understandable, of course."
"If this is going to affect your mission, we could have their little field trip called off, Murphy," suggested Farley.
"No sir. That won't be necessary. If word gets out, Hammond's not going to have to look too far to find his mole. Calling the assault off is just going to create more problems than it solves."
"Ok, lieutenant. Your mission will proceed as normal. Instructions are as follows. A knock will sound at your door within the next ten seconds. A FedEx courier will be there with a package for you." As Farley spoke, Murphy heard someone approach the door to the apartment. She was there to open it as soon as the knock came. A man stood in the corridor, dressed in the familiar uniform of the delivery service, only she knew that this particular courier probably had a handgun tucked into a holster underneath his jacket. She signed for the parcel and returned to the living room, ripping the strip along the top to open it. Inside was a small, black metal case.
"Ok, got that, sir."
"Remove the container and open it very carefully. You'll find within a glass vial." Murphy did as she was told, opening the catch on the little case to reveal a glass tube, cushioned in black foam. The tube contained a clear viscous substance.
"What's in the vial, Farley?"
"It's a highly potent sedative, recently developed for use on beings such as your target. We have seen in the past how these... 'people', are able to withstand the effects of normal terrestrial drugs and tranquillisers. However this chemical has been designed specifically to counter their enhanced immune systems."
"Can we be sure it won't kill him?"
"Well, there is some doubt as to any possible side effects. We've only had cadavers to experiment with. As you can imagine live Goa'uld are very difficult to get hold of." Farley paused. "Which is why the successful completion of your mission is crucial."
"Understood, sir."
"The arrangements for collecting the specimen are outlined in your original mission profile. Please contact the Agency through the normal channels if any further developments arise." The connection was then terminated.
Murphy removed her ear-piece and walked over to turn on the lamp. She removed the vial from its case and held it up to the light. It would have to be used while they were offworld on Tel'shac. This would be the only time her target would be vulnerable, and her escape should be relatively unhindered. She would take the opportunity then to deliver the injection to her target. The Jaffa, Teal'c.
************** #7: Implementation
Jack O'Neill stood in the Stargate control room, listening to General Hammond's last minute instructions. The rest of his team were down below in the Gateroom, standing around waiting for the final chevron to encode.
"We'll expect your return in six hours, Jack. I should reiterate you are not to engage the enemy in combat. We simply want a report on infantry, weapons capabilities and location before we send the remaining SG teams through."
"Yes, sir. To tell the t I'd rather put any confrontation off for as long as possible. This isn't something I'm looking forward to."
"Nor are any of us, Colonel. Our prayers will be with you." O'Neill turned and made his way down to join his team mates.
"Chevron seven encoded!" SG-1 waited for the event horizon to stabilise before stepping through the surface into the wormhole.
*****************************
"Ok Carter, lets set up the radar equipment here," instructed O'Neill after they had walked about half a mile from the Gate and found a reasonably secluded area that would not leave them open to unwanted Goa'uld attention. "Teal'c, you get yourself to the top of that ridge over there and check for any activity in the vicinity. Daniel, Murphy, you two stay here and man the radar. Carter, you come with me to scout the surrounding area. Ok folks stay in constant radio contact and we'll report back every 15 minutes."
The group split up to carry out their assigned tasks.
"So what's the deal with those two??" Murphy asked Daniel as she stood watching the two soldiers set off down the overgrown track, deep in conversation about something.
"Uh, I'm sorry?" replied the archaeologist. "What two?"
"Hello!! McFly! Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. What is going on with them?"
"Well...they're team mates. They're friends." He stopped and looked at her. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, Lieutenant."
"Are you kidding me? I thought you were an anthropologist, Dr Jackson. Aren't you supposed to be an expert in the study of human beings? I mean you could run a power line between those two and have enough energy to light up the White House Christmas tree."
"I think you've misunderstood their relationship, Lt Murphy. There's nothing going on between Sam and Jack." Daniel busied himself with the equipment in front of him, trying his best to look nonchalant. He himself had had similar thoughts about his two friends since he had observed them on SG-1's first mission so long ago. He also knew that their relationship was often the subject of light hearted gossip back in the Mountain, but somehow he didn't feel comfortable discussing whatever sexual tension did or did not exist between them with his newest team mate. Murphy shrugged her shoulders and said thoughtfully.
"Yeah there's too much tension between them for them to be screwing each other. But I bet if they weren't in the military they'd soon be getting down to business." Daniel ignored her, not bothering to tell her about the parallel dimensions, where Jack and Sam had apparently wasted no time at all in 'getting down to business'. To Daniel's immense relief the radio crackled and Teal'c's voice interrupted Murphy's current line of questioning.
"Daniel Jackson, Lt Murphy. Will you please come up here? I believe there is something you should see."
They made their way to the top of the ridge at the Jaffa's instruction, to find him lying hidden in the long reed-like grass observing the valley below through his binoculars. Both Murphy and Daniel crouched down and crept up beside him.
"What's up, Teal'c?" whispered Daniel.
"Observe, Dr Jackson," said Teal'c handing him the binoculars. Daniel took them from him and looked to where he had gestured. What he witnessed dismayed him considerably. There in the distance were three Goa'uld pyramids, overwhelming the skyline. They were apparently still under construction but nearing completion and even though the doctor had seen their like before the sheer size of the structures made him shudder.
"Looks like the snakeheads are planning on making this planet more than just a temporary base camp. Who do you think's running this show Dr. Jackson?" asked Murphy peering trough her own binoculars.
"Well I see Serpent Guards, but I can't make out any crests or markings. Could be any one of the System Lords. Even one we haven't yet encountered. We should get the Colonel back here." He reached for the radio but Murphy stopped him.
"There's no point right now. I don't think these guys'll be going anywhere in a hurry. He and Sam won't have had time to explore the area yet anyway. We should wait." Daniel stared at her for a second, wondering why he was suddenly wary at the thought of this woman being in amongst them. She wasn't one of them. She hadn't experienced the same things that they had. He didn't mean the danger they had been in on their countless missions or the life threatening situations they had faced. Something told him that Murphy had endured more than her fair share of those. He knew, however that she had not been there as the team had developed their trust and their mutual respect for one another. She did not have the sense of reliance on her team mates that meant she would willingly put her life in their hands and that in turn, meant that she would feel no responsibility to safeguard their lives either. What worried him most was his belief that this woman simply did not care. There was a recklessness in her attitude, a lack of integrity that had no place in this team. His instinct cried at him to watch out. What the hell was wrong with this picture?!
"Ok, lieutenant. We'll wait."
****************************
They sat once again at the base of the hill, with Murphy scanning the perimeter of their makeshift camp, weapon at the ready for any attack. Now Daniel was watching her with that oh so familiar look of wariness in his eyes. It had taken him slightly longer than the others to form the opinion that she was not 'one of them'. As if she would want to be part of this operation. Murphy had watched them and wondered how they managed to function so well together for so long. One of them wasn't even military, one of them was obviously fighting some schoolgirl infatuation with her CO and one of them was from another fucking planet! O'Neill, she wondered about. He actually seemed like someone she could work with under different circumstances - if only he could shake off that heightened sense of morality he seemed to have developed. Whatever happened to that kamikaze attitude he'd had just a few years ago, after his son had died. Now that spirit would've been useful. Murphy wondered why the Agency hadn't recruited him during that time, before the Care Bear Bunch had got their claws into him. And then of course there was the pathetic expression that adorned his face whenever he looked at his second in command. Something verging on adoration, that had no place in the military. Nevertheless she wished she hadn't baited Daniel about it. That had been juvenile and pointless. But Daniel's reaction obviously meant that he'd had the same thoughts at some point. Murphy turned to watch Teal'c at his look out perch on top of the hill. If she didn't get an opportunity to implement the plan soon she was going to have to create one. She couldn't exactly go straight up and stab him with the needle in plain view of Jackson. Then she would have to kill the doctor too and she didn't want any deaths unless they were completely necessary. Movement from the trees behind her made her swing round quickly bringing her weapon up to bear.
"Stand down, Lieutenant. Its only us," shouted Colonel O'Neill, as he and the Major burst from the foliage. Murphy lowered her rifle after a few seconds.
"OK folks, get that gear packed up ASAP. We're moving out."
"Is there a problem sir?" asked Murphy, as O'Neill radioed through to Teal'c telling him to get back down to base.
"Yeah there's a problem. Carter and I almost ran straight into a detachment of about 50 Serpent guards headed this way. We have to get back through the Gate before they drop in for tea." The team hoisted their packs over their shoulders, as Teal'c and O'Neill lifted the cases containing the electronic equipment and they all set off at a steady run, back in the direction of the Stargate. Murphy noticed that with the extra weight they were carrying the Colonel and Teal'c soon fell some way behind the rest of them. She slowed her pace and fell to running behind them, with the pretence of covering the rear. Soon the team were sweating and panting after running without pause for 20 minutes. After what seemed like a lifetime the dark form of the Gate came into view. By this time Carter and Daniel were a considerable distance away from the rest of the group.
"Dial it up, Major!!!" called the Colonel, who along with Teal'c and Murphy was still at least a hundred feet from the portal. The vortex whooshed forward and snapped back, as Daniel and Carter turned to wait for the rest of the team.
"You go on through, Sam. We're right behind you."
Murphy grinned. Was this guy reading from her script or what? She moved up so she was less than two feet behind Teal'c, who was still jogging along at a steady pace, and reached down into the side pocket of her pants. Leaving her weapon to swing freely at her side, she extracted the syringe and pulled the rubber cap off the needle with an almost inaudible pop. She waited for the figures of Dr Jackson and Major Carter to be swallowed by the Stargate's mellifluous surface before making her move.
************** #8: Disaffection
When he thought about it later, Jack couldn't really pinpoint what made him turn round. There was no sound nor any movement that he had been consciously aware of, but so many years in black ops had taught him that relying on the standard five senses could be extremely hazardous to your health. So in response to some intangible notion he had turned to witness Murphy strolling almost casually up behind Teal'c and piercing the skin on his huge bull neck with a small syringe. Her eyes caught his as she pushed the plunger, expelling whatever substance it contained into his friends neck. What he saw within them froze him through to the marrow of his bones and sent a wave of nausea into the pit of his stomach. In those green eyes there was the same challenging expression that he had noticed on their first meeting. And that was all. Beyond that look of recklessness and despite their luminosity, there was nothing. A void where emotional expression should be. It haunted him and chilled him because not so long ago he had encountered that same look every day of his life - staring back at him from his own hollow reflection. What the hell had happened to this girl that she had no choice but to let this emptiness swallow her?
***************************
He saw it all. She knew that this was inevitable. The opportunity has been there and she'd had no choice but to take it. O'Neill was a consequence she'd have to deal with. He had turned just as she moved forward to empty the syringe into Teal'c's neck. Now he stared at her as she sunk the needle into the vein of his team mate, as if he found it hard to believe what was taking place before his eyes. This puzzled her. cried her psyche, But then she realised it wasn't disbelief that clouded his eyes. He knew perfectly well what her intentions were and somehow he'd been expecting this sort of betrayal all along. No, it wasn't disbelief that halted O'Neill in his tracks it was fear - and recognition.
*********************
O'Neill knew that he had no choice. Even as she reached for her handgun, he knew that it was up to him to end this.
**********************
The .45 semi-automatic felt heavy and unyielding in her hand as she pulled it from its holster. The Jaffa still stood in front of her and his resistance to the drug that now invaded his immune system impressed her. She turned her eyes away from Teal'c towards O'Neill, raising her handgun as she did so. Then she realised as she stared down the barrel of his AK 47 that her delay had lost her the advantage. Murphy raised her eyes to meet his, momentarily forsaking all pretensions.
*******************
He wanted to end it for her. Her eyes pleaded with him to do so. Did she even realise the true nature of the outcome that she sought? There was a moment of hesitation, a moment of true understanding between the lieutenant
and her commanding officer. And then it was lost. Teal'c began to stumble, his eyes glazing over. Uncomprehending of what had just transpired he fell to the ground, unconscious. Murphy turned to face her Colonel, the syringe still grasped in one hand, her MK 23 held in the other. Almost unconsciously he brought his weapon round to bear and let go a short burst of gunfire. Murphy's soulless eyes never left his and as the bullets ripped through her flesh there was no expression of pain or even frustration at her defeat. There was simply acceptance. This was how things were supposed to be. She was not going to fight it. His lieutenant sank to the ground.
************************
Carter and Daniel burst from the wormhole and into the Gateroom at the SGC. General Hammond was there waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.
"Major Carter, where are the rest of your team?"
"They're right behind us sir. They fell back because of all the equipment they were carrying."
Sam turned to watch the event horizon which remained all too still. As the seconds ticked by with no sign of any of the three of them she fought to quell the feeling of dread that was forcing its way up into her throat. Five minutes passed before General Hammond spoke up.
"Disengage the wormhole Siler and close the iris," he called to the tech in the control room. Carter whirled round to face him, a desperate look on her face.
"You can't leave them there sir. Something's obviously gone wrong."
"I agree, Major and that's why we have to close the Gate," he raised his hands to still her objections, "for the time being. If they've been overpowered by Goa'uld forces then we'd be giving them an open invitation to come right on through to the SGC."
"Well then sir, permission to take a team back through to rescue them," requested Carter.
"Permission granted, Carter. But wait till we send a M.A.L.P. through to find out what's gone wrong."
"We can't waste anymore time!!" she cried, for a moment forgetting, or else not caring, she was addressing a superior officer. Hammond put his hand on her shoulder to calm her.
"I've given my order, Sam," he said quietly.
***********************
O'Neill moved quickly. If Murphy was unconscious, she wouldn't stay that way for long. He reached into one of the pockets on his knapsack and pulled out two thin strips of white plastic, used to bind the hands and feet of prisoners. Moving over to the lieutenant who lay face down on the dirt road, he pulled her hands behind her back and quickly wound the restraints round her wrists. He secured them by pulling the serrated strip through the small loop at the end and then did the same with her feet. He then turned her over to check her wound. The bullets had done a fair deal of damage to her left shoulder and he winced when he saw the raw, bloody flesh. She would probably need surgery. Her eyes flickered open and scanned her surroundings as if she was unsure of exactly where she was. Then they settled on his face and an expression that almost resembled sorrow passed across her features. She gave a low moan and turned her face away. The Colonel left her and went to check on Teal'c. The Jaffa still had a pulse and was breathing steadily. He seemed ok but was out cold. O'Neill wondered how the hell he was going to get both casualties back through the Gate by himself. Standing he turned to check how Murphy was.
She was sitting up looking at him. After climbing back into the skin he had just jumped out of, he thought that he should maybe get some answers from her.
"What the hell did you do to him, Murphy?"
"It's a sedative, Colonel. Its not meant to harm him, just knock him out for a while."
"Why?"
Murphy turned away, ignoring his question. He realised that she was not planning on being helpful.
"How you feeling?"
"Oh I'm just peachy, Colonel. Gunshot wounds from an automatic weapon always give me a new lease of life." Her voice was hoarse and her words sounded slightly slurred. O'Neill wondered how much blood she had lost.
"Where's you're pack, lieutenant?"
"What?"
"You're back pack. Where is it?? The first aid kit is in it and I think we should do something about bandaging your wound." She jerked her head backwards to where her pack lay discarded at the side of the road.
"You know I find it quite touching when the person who just shot you offers to clean the wound. Its like providing a complete service."
O'Neill ignored her as he pulled the kit from her bag. He opened her jacket and pulled it down over her shoulders, before cutting open the neck of her T-shirt. An involuntary grimace appeared on his face as he saw the full extent what his shot had done, but he felt no remorse. He'd done what he had to do and he knew that Murphy was aware of that too. O'Neill set about cleaning the bullet holes with gauze and antiseptic.
"There's still shrapnel in there but it'll take surgery to get it out. I'll have to bandage it up for now and leave the rest to Doc Fraiser," he said as he tore open the packet containing sterile dressing and then taped it to her shoulder.
"I've put up with worse for longer. At least the bleedings stopped." Murphy looked down at the dressing. "You've got a good aim, O'Neill. Or did you mean to kill me?"
"No, I didn't aim to kill. You were involved in an aggressive act towards one of my team. I had to stop you." O'Neill carefully pulled her jacket back over her shoulder. "I think you got some 'splaining to do, Lucy!"
"I don't have to answer your questions, O'Neill," said Murphy staring back. "And I don't mean that in a cliched James Bond villain type of way. I'm just stating facts. There's not going to be any interrogation when we get back, not even a court martial."
"Who the hell are you, Murphy?" Her only response was an expressionless stare that gave away nothing.
O'Neill was the first to break eye contact, unable to look into that emotional vacuum. "Much as I'd love to play this guessing game with you all day, lieutenant, we'd better make a move before our unwanted companions stumble upon our little party. Can you walk if I free your feet?" Murphy nodded. "Good, coz there's no way I could carry you and Teal'c. How longs he gonna be out for?"
"Coupla days I would imagine."
"A couple of DAYS??!!"
"Well I don't know for sure, but he'd have to be out long enough for us to get him......" she stopped. "Yeah a couple of days at least."
"Ok, we'll have to get the Doc to check him out, anyway." O'Neill bent down, swung Teal'c's arm around his neck and tried to pull him over his shoulder in a fireman's hold. After a minute of grunting and straining it became apparent that another course of action was called for. He let the huge man go and turned round at the sound of a suppressed laugh.
"Glad you find this amusing, lieutenant. Maybe you'd care to give it a try."
"Cut me loose and I will. A busted shoulder and I'd still be able to do better than you, old man." The Colonel ignored her taunts trying to think of a way round this predicament. After a few minutes pondering he grasped the unconscious man underneath his arms and began dragging him to the side of the road. God, how much did this guy weigh! Finally he managed to get Teal'c's inert form into the bushes, concealing it amongst the undergrowth. He broke off some branches from the surrounding trees and used them to completely disguise the spot where Teal'c lay. He drew in the dirt next to him a two sided triangle, with a circle at the top. To any passers by, neither Teal'c nor the symbol would be noticeable, but when they returned the mark would make it easier for them to identify the spot where his friend was hidden. Then he pulled out his pocket knife to free Murphy's legs.
"Ok Murphy on your feet. We're taking you back first and then we'll come back with some help and a gurney to get Teal'c." As O'Neill reached down to cut her loose, a laser blast pounded into the dirt beside him. He flung himself on the ground, dragging Murphy with him. She cried out at the pain that exploded through her damaged shoulder. Jack scooped her up in his arms and sought cover in the brush. Once they were out of plain view, he peered out from their hiding place, trying to locate their assailants. He let go a short burst of gunfire when he saw movement about two hundred feet down the track. This was greeted by more laser blasts from the Serpent Guards who were advancing rapidly.
"Cut me loose, O'Neill. You can't take them alone!!"
"You really think I'm going to set you free and then give you a weapon??? Do I look as if I'm out of my mind?!?" cried O'Neill over the noise.
"Well then you're gonna die right here! You need my help, O'Neill!" He gazed at her for a second, thinking it over. Of course what she said was true. "I do not think that there's time for deliberation about this, Colonel!!"
Jack picked up the knife that he had dropped to hold his rifle and sawed quickly through the plastic bindings. Murphy's hand went to his holster and pulled out his handgun. Her own weapon lay in the road where she had fallen. Then he realised that she had something in mind, something that in all likelihood he wasn't going to appreciate. At first he thought she was just going to shoot him point blank, but what she did was even more horrifying. Murphy burst from their hiding place, straight into the path of the Jaffa. With a yell she began firing randomly at the oncoming troops. O'Neill struggled to try and think what to do next. No one would blame him, he knew, if he just let her get blasted to hell. She was going to bring them right on top of their hiding place, but then again maybe that was her intention. This idea was dispelled however, by what Murphy really did do next. Once the clip in her gun was empty, she turned and ran. Not back towards O'Neill but in the opposite direction away from him and the Stargate. It appeared as though she was trying to draw them away so that O'Neill could make his escape. Her actions left him no other choice. With a burst of fire from his weapon in the direction of the Serpent Guards, he followed her.
************** #9: Incarceration
Carter and Daniel and the members of SG-7 stepped out of the wormhole and surveyed the area for any sign of trouble. The M.A.L.P. had given no indication of what had happened to either Teal'c, O'Neill or Murphy. There were no signs of a battle or even a struggle. Nor was there any sign of their team mates. They began making their way up the track and only then did they see the blast marks in the road and on the surrounding bushes. They also found the equipment that O'Neill and Teal'c had been carrying and their weapons lying in the road. What the hell had happened here?? Sam walked over to the side of the road where something had caught her eye and looked down at the symbol for home scrawled in the earth. It was only then that she saw the body that lay hidden in the bushes.
"Teal'c!" Daniel and the others came running over at her cry. They cleared away the branches that O'Neill had placed there earlier and dragged their friend out from his hiding place.
"His pulse feels normal and his breathing is steady," said Dean Morris, the medic from SG-7. "I don't think there's anything physically wrong with him."
"I think he's been drugged," said Carter, lifted the Jaffa's eyelids. "C'mon
we've got to lift him and get him back through to the SGC. We'll have to come back to look for the others."
*************************
The first thing that Anna Murphy was aware of when she came to was the coldness of metal on her cheek Slowly she opened her eyes and tried to establish exactly where she was. It was obviously a cell. She'd been in enough of them in various countries to immediately recognise that unmistakable cell quality that they all had in common. Colonel O'Neill lay a few feet away, still unconscious. Murphy sat up carefully, using her good arm to support her weight. The light in the room was dim, but Murphy could see that they were in one of a series of cells, separated from each other by wire mesh. The back wall was sloped and made of metal, gold in colour. She knew that they were in one of the Goa'uld pyramids, she, Daniel and Teal'c had spotted earlier that day. At least she thought it was the same day, but then again she wasn't sure how long she'd been out. The last thing she remembered was running across the field, away from the Stargate O'Neill was running after her, calling her name. The field had ended abruptly in a steep slope and she'd had to stop. The blasts from the staff weapons of the Jaffa were flying past her, but so far she hadn't been hit. O'Neill ran up behind her and almost lost his footing at the edge of the ravine. She whirled round to face him.
"What are you doing, O'Neill?!? You're gonna get killed!" The soldiers weren't far behind now. A burst of fire flashed passed the Colonel's head. He grabbed her arm and started to run along the edge of the slope, doubling back in the direction that the Serpent Guards had originally come from. "They would've come after me. You had a chance to run. Why the hell didn't you take it??"
"I haven't left a member of my team behind on any of my missions and I don't intend to start now, Murphy."
"Has the past half an hour been erased from your memory, Colonel?? I'm not a member of your team." Murphy said the last sentence slowly and deliberately as if she was speaking to a small child.
"You're under my command, lieutenant. That over rules anything else that I might know about you," he answered, as they ducked to avoid more laser fire. Murphy looked at him incredulous, but before she had a chance to respond, O'Neill halted abruptly making her run into the back of him. She glanced over his shoulder and saw what had made him stop. Emerging from the trees up ahead of them was a squad of around twenty Jaffa.
"I think we'll have to debate this later, lieutenant," he said. The Jaffa behind them had stopped firing when they realised their quarry was now trapped. One of the guards that had come out of the forest raised his staff weapon, pressing the trigger that opened the oval head. Murphy and O'Neill closed their eyes, preparing for searing heat of the blast on their flesh.
"Jaffa! Kree!" The blast did not come. Murphy opened one eye to see what was going on. An older guard was walking towards them. She knew by his bearing and the assured way he walked that he was the leader of this particular battalion of Serpent Guard. The soldier walked up to stand in front of them.
"So...we are honoured by the presence of the celebrated Colonel Jack O'Neill. Our master will greatly appreciate delivery of this prize to him."
"I'm sorry, have we met?? I'm terrible with faces." O'Neill's smart assed reply was greeted with a back handed slap across his face. He grimaced and spat blood onto the ground.
"You know you really gotta work on your people skills." The guard reached to his belt and withdrew a weapon that Murphy had never seen in use before. It was shaped like the letter S and unfolded when the Jaffa pushed a button on the side.
"Ah, lovely. The zat gun. I can't tell you how much I've missed the feel of thousands of watts of electricity coursing through my body."
Murphy did not like the sound of that, but didn't have much time to prepare as the guard discharged the weapon into O'Neill and then her. She was aware of tiny blue lines of energy enveloping her body before darkness claimed her.
A groan from O'Neill roused her from her recollections.
"Good morning, Colonel. Sleep well?? I'm afraid breakfast hasn't arrived yet. I'm really going to have to speak to the management about room service."
"Yeah their hospitality really sucks." O'Neill sat up and rubbed his jaw where the Jaffa had hit him.
"So you been in one of these places before?"
"Just once. Looked exactly the same as this one. The Goa'uld aren't exactly imaginative when it comes to interior decorating."
"Well you are the celebrated Colonel Jack O'Neill. They've probably given you the Presidential suite." Murphy stood and walked to the door, struggling to ignore that agony in her shoulder. "So what now, O'Neill?"
"To be honest I don't know. The last time we were freed by a friendly Jaffa before we found out what they intended doing with us, but I don't think there's too many of those around. I'd say torturing us for information is high on their 'To do..' list." He looked at her. "And I'd guess you have more of that than I do."
Murphy chuckled. "Well I don't think I'll be telling them any more than I've told you."
"Not so sure about that. Unlike their taste in décor, the Goa'uld are highly imaginative when it comes to inflicting pain."
"Yeah," she muttered, half to herself, "I know."
"Ya see! That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about." O'Neill walked over to face her. "How do you know, lieutenant??"
Murphy stared at him. Realisation dawned in his eyes
"It's the second gate isn't it. They're still using it. That goddamned weasel Maybourne!!!" O'Neill obviously shared her opinion of that particular specimen of pond life.
"O'Neill, you've heard all I plan on telling you. Like I said I don't have to answer your questions."
"So who are you working for?? D.I.A.??"
She was saved the trouble of having to ignore him by the sound of footsteps coming up the corridor. She saw a boy dressed in golden robes approaching, flanked by four Serpent Guards. His hair was long and twisted in what looked like dreadlocks. The group stopped outside their cell and opened the door.
"O'Neill. We are honoured to have you with us once more," purred the boy in the growling voice of the Goa'uld. His eyes flared.
"Hello Klorel. Yeah I thought you might be missing me so decided to drop by. Maybe I shoulda called first."
So this was Klorel. That meant the boy was Skaa'ra, one of the Abydonians that O'Neill had saved on the first Stargate mission. Now this was interesting. He turned his attention towards Murphy.
"A new addition to your ranks I see, O'Neill. Very pretty. Can it be you have found a replacement for your beloved Major Carter??" Klorel reached up and traced the line of Murphy's jaw with his hand. "It will be interesting to see how easily she breaks."
"Torture! I knew I should've put money on that," said the Colonel. "So anyway, Klorel how come you're suddenly so tight with the System Lords. Last I heard they weren't too keen on your old man."
Klorel walked back over to O'Neill. "I have renounced my father and pledged allegiance to the Goa'uld System Lords. They have seen fit to entrust me with overseeing the invasion of Earth."
"Ya know with all this infighting and back-stabbing, you guys should really consider a career in Washington. So anyway much as I love catching up on what's been happening with you, I think we should move onto the torture part. I'd rather get this over with." Klorel had turned back to face Murphy as O'Neill spoke and was regarding her with interest.
"You will have to wait to endure your suffering, O'Neill. I wish to take time to enjoy your pain. I will content myself for now with the torture of your companion." He gestured to his guards, two of whom grabbed the lieutenant and dragged her from the cell. She did not protest. If this guy wanted to see her in agony he'd be in for a long wait. As she was pushed into a small room at the end of the corridor, Murphy tried to suppress the memories that were surfacing of the last time she had faced torture at the hands of the Goa'uld.
************** #10: Affirmation
Daniel had been watching Sam carefully all the way through the briefing. Hammond was outlining the mission that was to be a combined strike on the Goa'uld settlement and rescue of the two SG-1 prisoners. The latter was their secondary mandate. The instructions were if the rescue of O'Neill and Murphy impeded the destruction of the pyramids in any way, then the SG teams were to forgo all attempts to free them. Daniel knew that the words did not come easily to the General, but despite the fact that O'Neill was his friend, his military mind told him that saving one man could not be their priority. Sam had been silent throughout the entire meeting, her face pale. Daniel was concerned. He knew that when it came to O'Neill she was not always rational, often disobeying direct orders if the well being of her CO was in jeopardy. In actual fact O'Neill owed his life to this disobedience. Daniel wondered if he realised how lucky he was to have Carter beside him.
"Ok people, dismissed. All teams are to report back here at 0700 hours." The soldiers in the room stood as the General walked out the door, his head bowed and his expression solemn.
Daniel thought about what O'Neill had said about lucky streaks and wondered if he'd been right when he said that theirs was due to run out. Then he dismissed the idea. He didn't believe in luck, he believed in ability and he knew that they had got to where they were today because they had had the ability to do so. They had the strength to defeat the Goa'uld on more than one occasion and there was no reason to assume they couldn't do it again. A movement at his elbow caught his attention and he turned to find Sam standing next to him. She didn't say anything but her distress was evident in her face. Wordlessly Daniel pulled her towards him and enveloped her in a tight hug, wanting to tell her that everything was going to be ok but unable to trust his own voice.
***************************
Almost five hours later, Murphy was pushed roughly back into the cell. O'Neill was sitting with his back against one of the caged walls and had fallen into a light slumber. The commotion roused him and he realised that it was the first sound he'd heard since they had dragged the lieutenant down to the room at the end of the corridor. He had a rough idea of what they had been doing to her and yet he hadn't even heard her scream. Klorel stood with his henchmen at the threshold of the room, a dark scowl on his face.
"Didn't have as much fun with her as you thought, huh, Klorel?" he said a note of disdain in his voice. The Goa'uld's only answer was a brief flash of his eyes before turning and stalking up the corridor.
"Hey, what about my turn?!" O'Neill called after him. He stared at the retreating for a second before turning to where Murphy lay prone on the floor. Her arms, face and neck were covered in angry red bruises that were going to get really ugly in a few hours. One eye was swollen shut and the fresh blood around her mouth covered another layer that had started to congeal. How the hell had she managed to remain silent? O'Neill put his hand under her neck and tried to help her sit up.
"Get away from me, O'Neill," she muttered hoarsely. With her last word he heard blood bubbling in the back of her throat. She began coughing violently, the liquid spraying from her mouth. She tried to push O'Neill away with one hand, but in her weakened condition, swatting away a fly would have proved an arduous task. Murphy gave up and allowed him to pull her head round to rest on his knee.
"What did they do, Murphy?"
"Want to know what you're in for, huh? Well initially they used the more traditional methods of pounding my face into a pulp and trying to rupture all my major organs." She fell silent for a moment. "Then they decided to use the more avante garde approach with some distinctly Goa'uld-like methods of torture. He used one of those goddamned glove things and tried to melt my brain from the inside." She paused. "Is there grey stuff running out of my ears?"
"What did they ask you?"
"The usual bullshit. What are the plans for the assault on the Goa'uld base? What are our weapons capabilities? Who shot Kennedy?"
"Yeah and you'd probably know the last part as well."
"I have my theories…" O'Neill chuckled at this and his movement made Murphy's face crumple in agony, before another choking fit seized her. He tried to hold her still and ease the violent spasms that were coursing through her body, but she struggled free of his grasp and crawled over to lean against the opposite wall, curled into a foetal position. They remained that way for half an hour, neither of them moving, neither of them speaking.
Then O'Neill said quietly, "Tell me who you are, Anna."
And so she did.
**************************
SG team's four through ten gated back to Tel'shac to carry out the assault on the Goa'uld stronghold, with Carter and Daniel temporarily assigned to SG-7. As they stepped out of the wormhole, Sam wished she could bring her concentration round to the task at hand. She had gone through a range of emotions since finding out the Colonel was missing, from shock to anger and finally she was on guilt. Although there was no conclusive proof that Murphy was to blame for Teal'c's condition or O'Neill's disappearance Sam knew that the young lieutenant was directly involved. She'd had her suspicions about her from the start and yet she had failed to do anything about it. And now Jack was gone and Teal'c was in the infirmary. She could've at least stayed close to Murphy and kept an eye on her. What the hell was she thinking going through the Gate and leaving them here alone with her?! The teams broke off into their individual units to carry out their designated duties. SG four, eight and ten had been instructed to infiltrate the three pyramids, locate the main power source in each of them and disable them, thereby rendering the battle stations ineffective. SG five, six and nine had been issued with incendiary devices packed with TATB explosives. Enough to blow every person on this planet all the way back to Earth without having to use the Stargate. The main benefit of these bombs, however was not their destructive capabilities. These particular devices also comprised of several canisters of nerve gas which had been developed using the chemical that SG-1 had been given by Aeris-Boc. It contained an element that did not exist on Earth, but which Carter had dubbed Aerithium. The scientists at Nellis who had been working on it had given it another name, probably named in some egotistical fashion after one of them, but Carter could never remember what that official title was. Aerithium seemed good enough for her and she thought that the 'Greatest Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy' would appreciate the gesture. They had discovered that this element had the power to counter antibodies that the Goa'uld larvae introduced into the blood stream of its host. It was these antibodies that gave the Goa'uld their enhanced healing abilities and intensified the immune system of their hosts and Jaffa. Once these had been destroyed the toxin attacked the bodies central nervous system, causing extreme pain and death within a few minutes. It was unpleasant for Carter to think that she was working for the side that could create something as malignant as this toxin, but they were afterall the good guys and conduct such as this was necessary in warfare. Only SG-7, of which Major Carter had been given temporary command, had been assigned the task of following any trail that might've been left by O'Neill and Murphy's abductors. At this point General Hammond was still viewing, not only O'Neill and Teal'c, but also Murphy as one of the victims of whatever hostile act had taken place here. He claimed that they could not formulate plans on conjecture and opinions and there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Murphy had been involved. Did he seriously believe that? Carter didn't think so, but then again he was bound by the military agenda. The team walked down the road to where they had originally found Teal'c hidden in the bushes. Closer examination of the area had revealed spent bullet casings from O'Neill's SP2 .40 Smith and Wesson pistol and also from his assault rifle. What had he been shooting at? There was a great deal of blood on the road, now congealed, and wrappers from the sterile dressings contained in the general issue first aid kits, so someone had obviously been injured. But who was it and who had dressed the wound? Sam silently prayed that the Colonel had not been harmed. The evidence suggested a battle and that Colonel O'Neill had been actively involved in that battle. Murphy's handgun lay in the road, the clip still intact. Had she run away? Left Colonel O'Neill to face the Serpent Guards alone? If this was the case is dispelled all preconceived notions that Carter had about the lieutenant. Like her? No. Trust her? Not in a million! But she did not figure her for a coward. Was she somehow involved with the Goa'uld? Answers did not readily emerge to the questions Carter was posing herself.
"Major Carter!" Sam looked up and saw Captain Arnold Fincher summoning her down to where he stood at the edge of the track. As she approached she saw where more laser blasts had scorched the grass. She also noted that there were footprints and a visible track leading into the field. Obviously there had been a chase, but who was cat and who was mouse? As they set off to follow the trail Carter tried to formulate an equation from the information at hand, but every possible solution was not a favourable one. Especially when it came to the survival of Colonel O'Neill.
************** #11: Purgation
O'Neill's request startled her.
"Tell me who you are, Anna." It came from the silence that they had both retreated into, jarring despite its subdued tone. Murphy opened her mouth intending to tell him that his questioning was pointless, but was troubled to find herself complying with what he asked. The words came from her mouth unbidden, revealing secrets. Secrets that few were aware of. That another few had stumbled onto and who had met their end because of it.
"I'm no one O'Neill. I don't exist any more. I wanted it to be that way and they made it so."
"Who is 'they'? D.I.A.? Or is it our old friends at N.I.D?"
A quiet laugh. "Officially its N.I.D., but that's just a name they use to approve our budget. Most of those clowns would squeal like old ladies if they knew what really goes on. This goes further into the dark than N.I.D"
"How far?"
"If you're looking for a name, there isn't one. The operatives call it the Agency, but it doesn't conform well to titles."
"Who sent you here?"
"My administrator is named Farley. I don't know what he looks like and likelihood is that's not his real name. Normally we work through intermediaries. The only direct contact I do have with him is by phone line."
"So what's your purpose?"
"A purpose. That makes it sound so grand. My purpose is whatever needs to be done. Assassinations, liberations, foreign ops. A glamorous title could be international espionage, but I don't like the connotations it has of tuxedo's, casino's and stolen microfilms. I detest clichés."
"So why do you do it, Murphy? God and country?"
"Why do I do it?" she rolled his question slowly over her tongue as if pondering it, a slight smirk on her face. "God and country's a little outmoded don't ya think, O'Neill? My reason's are, I have no reasons. I do it because they say it needs to be done. I don't ask questions and I don't attempt to justify my actions by claiming they're for the greater good." A pause. "I had an assignment, just over a year ago, maybe round about the time you were blasting those snakeheads to hell in space. There was a religious leader in a some African state, I don't remember what the fuck it was called, I don't even remember the guys name, but he was inciting the people of his country to riot. These people were being crushed to death by the dictatorship they were living under, their children were dying from drinking water that their stinking, emaciated cattle had pissed and shit in and they were being shot in their beds for seeking the luxury of free speech. This man tried to lead them out of the pit they were living in, tried to make things right for them and challenged the government that was persecuting them. I took him out with a single sniper shot to the head."
O'Neill struggled to keep his face from betraying his shock, but he needn't have bothered. Murphy was barely aware that he was in the room.
"You see the country he lived in has a lot of gold mines and the US has got a nice little trade agreement set up with its government. Any political unrest would've brought an end to the cosy relationship they had going, especially if the UN were forced to intervene. Political atrocities can be such a bitch when it comes to international economics."
"My God!"
Murphy jumped at the sound of O'Neill's voice. She had been barely aware that it was him she was talking to.
"No, colonel, you couldn't be more wrong. Not for my God and not for my country. Not even for myself. I don't moralise. I don't make judgements. I don't seek validation. If that shocks you then I understand but I really couldn't give a shiny shit." After a pause she continued her narration. "So you see the reopening of the Stargate and the discovery of the gate system was the opportunity the Agency had been crying out for. The universe was our oyster. A multitude of planets, each with its own politics, its own wealth and its own unique technology. If the Agency needs something then it takes it, by force if necessary and that's where people like me come in. We don't exist so we leave no trail. That's why we don't have to worry about repercussions."
"So you're a Man in Black?" Murphy let out an amused chuckle.
"Well I'm not a man and black makes me look pasty. But if you find that label comforting then by all means use it."
"The Touchstone."
"What?"
"The weather device from Madrona. That was the work of this…Agency." It was a statement rather than a question.
"Oh yeah that gismo. Yeah we were involved. It was a minor operation in the scale of things. I didn't have a hand in it personally but I know the people who were responsible. Bravo, by the way, for getting it back. That was quite a coup and caused a big commotion in the Agency. I think that's part of the reason why I'm here, actually. You guys pissed them off big style and they wanted to save face by getting one over on you. It was nearly successful too."
"So what's the official reason for your little stay with us Murphy?"
"Teal'c. But you may have gathered that by now. Basically they need a new lab rat and your alien friend with his little worm is the ideal candidate. I was supposed to send a message through the Gate, once I'd knocked him out and summon help to collect him. Events have most definitely not gone to plan. Oh please spare me the distasteful expression O'Neill. Hypocrisy really doesn't suit you. Have you perhaps forgotten the…. what shall we call them…the unsavoury activities….. that you've taken part in. All those years in Black ops and you try and pretend that you're beyond reproach?? You used to be like me O'Neill and you know it. So what changed that?"
"You're right Murphy. I was like you and I'm sure you've done your homework and know why. Did you also know that I saw a shrink when my son died?"
Murphy had known this but she said nothing and allowed him to continue.
"It was the airforce that made me. Standard procedure for military personnel dealing with a trauma. So they sent me expecting some nice, neat diagnosis. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, give him some drugs and cure it and then everything goes back to normal. But it couldn't go back to normal. The doctor, who by the way was a very nice old man, called it a nihilistic attitude. I wasn't just suicidal, I had rejected everything that was commonplace to me. I didn't want to exist in this world anymore but I had no inclination to kill myself, in fact I didn't even consciously consider it. That would've required some semblance of rational thought. So I volunteered for Abydos. At the time I didn't know why. On a conscious level I considered it just another mission, but on some level, buried way down, I knew it was a way out, that it might finally bring about the closure that I wanted. And it did, but not the way I thought it would. We saved those people out there and that created a spark of life inside me again. We saved them and they saved me. That's how it works Murphy. We don't exist in a vacuum. Whatever repercussions there are to our actions we have to face them, good or bad."
*************************
Murphy lay curled in the corner, her face hidden in the shadows. He couldn't see her expression but he knew she was looking at him.
he thought. O'Neill waited to see if she would react to his words, but there was silence. He tried a different approach.
"How can you live with yourself, Murphy? Knowing what you've done. How can you look at yourself in the mirror?"
"I don't look in the mirror too often."
"Because you can't face yourself."
"Because my face is the only thing that reminds me of who I used to be." She sighed. Was that resignation? "I'm not afraid of what I've become."
"What about your family?"
"My family!" Murphy let out a long humourless laugh, that chilled him. "What family would that be, Colonel? Do you mean the mother that left when I was two years old?? Or perhaps you're referring to the abusive alcoholic father who was dead by the time he was 40." She paused as if trying to collect herself after her outburst. "Now your going to start dissecting my childhood and tell me that the trauma has affected my adult personality. Please don't. Psychoanalysis is so passé and I don't take refuge in excuses."
"How did you get involved in this, Murphy?"
"I was given a choice." He looked at her expectantly. "Between joining the airforce and prison. I chose the Airforce. Go figure. Anyway I'm guessing I have certain characteristics that marked me as an ideal candidate for working with the Agency, so they approached me, made an offer, I accepted and here we are. Aren't you glad that fate is so kind?"
"What were you going to prison for?" His curiosity was kindled.
"As much as I'm enjoying our sharing time O'Neill, I think that's one story that you're not gonna hear."
Watching her now, O'Neill thought she looked so lost. She used her sarcasm and indifference as a shield, but what it hid was a world weariness that was out of place in someone so young. He thought, suddenly, about Charlie and a feeling of bitterness overwhelmed him. Not simply for the loss of his son. He'd been there and dealt with that. Instead his anger was directed at how unfair it was that Charlie had had everything going for him, a stable home, a loving family and most important of all encouragement to be the best person that he could possibly be. Yet he had died before he could reach his full potential and all that remained was a good life unlived. And here was Anna Murphy. She had been given the chance to live her life, but she had done so without guidance and result was a jaded young woman, disaffected with the world and everyone in it. She lacked what Charlie had probably taken for granted, but both of them were examples of what could have been. The irony clawed at O'Neill's gut.
"You know what, Murphy? I think you're tired of this. You want to stop but you don't know how. Well I can help you. It doesn't have……."
"To be like this? Yes it does, O'Neill. I don't know how to do it any other way. Unlike your precious Sam Carter I'm not too good at doing perfection. I swear to God that woman is Doris Day with a submachine gun!" Murphy uncurled herself and rose to her feet. O'Neill grimaced, thinking of the agony that must be radiating through her damaged body. She began slowly pacing the room.
"What is it with you, O'Neill? Do you constantly need someone to play guardian angel to? You failed with your friend Skaa'ra there so I'm your next project?? Jack O'Neill, latter day John the Baptist!! Redeeming all sinners and exorcising demons!!!" Murphy limped over to stand in front of him and said quietly, "You wanna save my soul, Jack? Let me save you the trouble 'cause there ain't nothing left to save."
Jack O'Neill was suddenly overwhelmed with an intense loneliness. He found himself wishing Sam was with him. She was warm where Murphy was cold. He remembered their embrace in Hathor's palace and how the warmth of her arms had seemed to counter the chill of the cryogenic chamber. God, he missed her right now.
His thoughts were interrupted abruptly then as Klorel entered the room. Wordlessly he gestured to the guards who grabbed O'Neill, dragging him to his feet.
Still disturbed from what Murphy had said to him, O'Neill masked it behind glib humour "Oh yeah I forgot about you guys. Well lieutenant its been fun, but I've got somewhere I have to be. It shouldn't take long for them to inflict unimaginable agony on me so don't go away without me, ya hear?"
As Murphy watched him go he was struck by the look of torment on her face.
************** #12: Liberation
As the hours passed without any sign of the colonel, Sam Carter grew more and more distressed. Daniel had told her to calm down, that she wouldn't be able do her job if she was upset. She knew she was in trouble then, if Dr. Sensitivity was telling her not to get emotional. Now she sat underneath the shade of a huge tree, slightly apart from the rest of her team, trying to collect her thoughts and get herself together. Daniel stood a few feet away watching her, looking worried. Carter knew that he was trying to look out for her, but she didn't think he understood what she was feeling at the moment. There was conflict, but then again there was always conflict when it came to her feelings for the Colonel. There had been a connection between them from that first day in the briefing room. They had collided then, each voicing their opposing views, each baiting the other. Sam remembered how they had stared at each other across the table and for a fraction of a moment they had been the only two people in the room. Then Major Samuels had spoken, perhaps trying to dispel the awkwardness that the others were feeling as they watched the two of them with their gazes locked. But that conflict had been all good. It created an energy that had never dissipated, that vitalised not only them, but the entire team. Sam knew that one of the basic laws of physics was that a sum cannot be greater than its comprising parts. But her relationship with O'Neill made her doubt that. He made her feel more than what she was, knowing that he respected her, as a soldier, as a scientist. Not only that though. There was something, that difference between what she felt towards Jack and what she felt towards, say, Daniel. She couldn't identify it but it was there. Now it was all threatened. Without Jack the team wouldn't survive. SG-1 needed all four of them to function properly and Jack was the driving force behind them. If O'Neill was dead then Murphy better be dead too. She was responsible for all of this and Carter would make sure she would face up to that responsibility, not necessarily through official channels. Carter looked at her watch and a wave of desperation passed through her. They had two hours to locate the Colonel before the other teams detonated the explosives in the Pyramids, assuming all had gone to plan. Chances were he was being held in one of the Pyramids and if they didn't get him out in time then he too would be destroyed in the blast. If he wasn't dead already.
"Sam are you ready to go?" Daniel asked gently, as if afraid she would shatter at the sound of his voice.
"Yeah Daniel, I'm ok. I'm just worried about him."
"I know."
"He's not safe with her. She won't protect him."
"Jacks been in dangerous situations like this before, Sam and he's always made it through. The guy is indestructible. He's like Teflon." Daniel laughed, trying to lighten Sam's mood and she gave a half hearted chuckle in response, but she knew that he shared the feeling of helplessness she carried within her. They set off down the trail, remaining concealed just within the tree line. As they drew near to the huge Goa'uld pyramids, a hush fell over the group, mainly because of their need for subterfuge, but also in part because the immense structures imbued them with a sense of awe and foreboding that that obstructed all words as they formed in their mouths. They would attempt to gain entry to each pyramid one by one, locate the holding cells and establish whether the Colonel and Murphy were being detained there. It was a laboured and time consuming operation and Carter knew that they were battling more than the Goa'uld. It was a race not only against time but also against the other SG units whose job it was to detonate the charges at 1500 hours. Carter and her team had to leave themselves at least ten minutes to get clear of the blast radius, which meant that if they hadn't located the Colonel by 1450 hours then they would have to abandon the mission. she thought.
********************************
Murphy sat alone in the cell trying not to think too much. Trying not to think about what O'Neill had said, trying not to think about what to do next. She tried especially hard not to think about the cries that she could hear every so often coming from that room. She had stopped screaming a long time ago, learning when she was about ten years old that screaming only made them hit harder. Now even if she'd wanted to cry she couldn't. O'Neill had been right of course. She was tired. How long could she go on like this? For the first time in so many years, Murphy examined exactly what she had become. It wasn't good. She knew that but then again she'd always known that. Now she thought about whether she could do it any other way. She considered the consequences of her past actions. How many lives had she ruined, both directly and indirectly? If she had to count them she could start with her own. O'Neill had said that it wasn't too late but atonement was a prospect that galled her. How could she possibly atone for the things she had done? It was too hard and she doubted whether she had the strength. Damn O'Neill!!! How dare he?! How fucking dare he??! Murphy knew what she had to do. She began untying her combat boots and unthreading the lace from the holes. When she was done she had a length of cord about five feet long. She pulled it between her hands testing the strength. Would it hold? She sighed. It would have to. Yeah, O'Neill had been right. She was tired. Slowly she began tying the end of the lace into a loop.
************** #13: Reparation
Murphy tested the knot in her makeshift noose. It was strong enough for her purposes and it wouldn't have to last long anyway. She thought about her chosen course of action and decided if she was going to do it, it would have to be now. She was getting herself out of here. If she left it any longer then Klorel would come back and either kill her or make her a host. Neither option was acceptable. Sure she was tired but not that tired. The way she figured it there were two obstacles impeding her escape. The guard at the end of the corridor and the big metal cell door. How the hell was she going to get past them? Murphy sat back down against the wall, closed her eyes and started to sing loudly.
"Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars..."
Movement at the end of the corridor. Footsteps approaching the cell.
"Let me see what spring is like....."
Through her half closed eyelids she could see the Serpent Guard standing at the cell door watching her. His armour slid back to reveal a puzzled expression on his face.
"...on Jupiter and Mars........."
He opened the door and entered the room gingerly, staff weapon raised. Murphy remained still, singing to herself, as if delirious and unaware of his presence.
"Cease!!!" he shouted, but his voice was uncertain. "Cease!!"
"In other words hold my hand........"
The guard approached her and crouched on one knee next to her, balancing himself with the hand holding his staff weapon. He reached out with his other hand to touch her.
"In other words..........."
Murphy's eyes flicked open and she glared at the Jaffa.
"Darling, kiss me........"
In a flurry of motion she had the noose wrapped around her captors neck and pulled it tightly. A look of shock appeared on his face and in his amazement at the attack his hand released the staff weapon. Murphy braced her feet on his chest and used the entire weight of her body to push him backwards, all the while keeping the lace wound tightly around her hand. The Jaffa stumbled, trying to regain his balance, but ended up falling back onto the floor. Murphy could see the blood appearing from the wound around his neck, mirroring the blood that was trickling from her own hand where the lace was digging into her flesh. She couldn't keep this up for long and the guards superior strength meant that she could not kill him this way. Surprise had been her ally but the advantage would only be hers for a few seconds. Releasing the noose, she rolled backwards, grabbing the discarded staff weapon as she did so. The guard was gagging and pulling at the cord, partially embedded in the skin of his neck. As he stood up Murphy brought the weapon round to bear, releasing a charge into his stomach. He was thrown backwards against the caged wall of the cell, a smoking, cauterised wound gaping in his belly. Murphy stood panting, only now noticing the intense agony that seemed to permeate every muscle and sinew in her body. A high pitched squealing noise was coming from the direction of the deceased Jaffa. Murphy walked over cautiously and saw the larval Goa'uld that he had been carrying, writhing in the open wound. The sight repulsed her and she discharged another blast into it. OK, now she had to leave. Walking over to the door she checked the corridor in both directions to see whether the commotion had alerted any other guards. The passage was clear. The room at the end of the corridor was either too far away for any of the occupants to hear or they were too preoccupied with torturing O'Neill to notice.
O'Neill.
Murphy shook the thought from her head and set off in the opposite direction. A shrill cry of pain stopped her in her tracks. Damn!! She slammed her fist into the wall. How dare he?! No, Murphy, don't do this. No delays and no baggage. You go back for him then neither of you are going to get out of here.
Another scream.
She turned and ran back up the corridor. Crouching against the wall she reached up and turned the coiled metal serpent that released the door mechanism. It slid open to reveal the Colonel, held by two Jaffa, kneeling on the floor. His arms were bound to a thick metal bar and golden light streamed from his mouth and eyes, turning his face into the grotesque skull-like image of a Halloween lantern. Klorel stood behind him, plunging what looked like a cattle prod into his back. There was an amused grin on the Goa'uld's face as he relished O'Neill's tortured screams of pain. The Jaffa looked up as the door slid open and reached for the Zat guns hanging at their waists, but Murphy was quicker and took them out with two precise blasts from the staff weapon. O'Neill collapsed to the floor when they released their hold. Klorel was slower to look up, momentarily absorbed in the suffering he was inflicting on his prisoner. This delay was enough for Murphy to turn the weapon on him. The blast propelled him backwards, where he lay unmoving. Murphy moved quickly over to the Colonel's inert body.
"O'Neill!!" she hissed sharply, as she freed him from his restraints. There was no response. How the hell was she going to do this? Slinging his arm around her neck, she pulled him to his feet and as she did so he groaned faintly. She was surprised to find herself laughing with relief at the sound.
"C'mon, O'Neill. You gotta help me with this one. I'll get you out of here but you've got to give me a hand." Although she didn't know what her own appearance was like, she guessed that he was in worse shape. Purplish bruises spread across his face and down his neck and his hair was matted with blood. Murphy gently patted his cheek, trying to rouse him but wary of causing him more pain. His eyes flickered open and he scanned her face, as if unsure whether she was real or not.
"Murphy...." The word was barely audible, but the woman latched onto it.
"Yeah Jack. Its me. You have to stay with me, ok? I'm getting us out of here but I can't carry you and hold a weapon. Here's what we're gonna do. You put your arms round my neck and lean on me but you have to try and walk on your own. You understand me?"
O'Neill nodded.
"Ok, good. Now wait here for a second while I go get one of those guns." She left him propped against the wall and retrieved a Zat gun from the hand of one of the dead guards. Just as she was about to go back to O'Neill, she turned and removed the gun from the other guards hand as well.
"Just in case," she muttered, tucking it into the waistband of the Colonels pants. "Anything happens to me at least you'll have a chance."
They set off down the corridor slowly, keeping to the sides. O'Neill leaned heavily on Murphy's shoulder and she supported him with her arm around his waist. They reached an intersection with another passageway and Murphy peered carefully round the corner. Two Serpent guards were approaching. She discharged the weapon into both of them before they were even aware of their presence and the men fell to the floor, tiny blue sparks surrounding their bodies.
"Shoot them again," croaked O'Neill.
"What?"
"You have to shoot them twice to kill them." Every word the Colonel uttered elicited a grimace of agony from him. Murphy didn't know how much longer he was going to hold up. She shot another blast into the two guards. Now they were in what appeared to be one of the main corridors. There was a series of pillars running down its edge and Murphy used these to conceal herself and the Colonel, travelling in stops and starts between each one. Twice during their journey she had to freeze behind one of the columns as Serpent guards had marched by. They had been walking for what seemed like an age and Murphy was beginning to wonder if there was any end to this corridor when they came upon a huge chamber.
"OK O'Neill this looks important," she said, even though she knew he had ceased to register her words about ten minutes ago. She walked into the room and lay O'Neill gently down on the floor while she looked around. There was no furniture in the room or decoration other than the elaborate gold carvings on the wall. In the centre of the floor was a mosaic echoing the Serpent emblem that adorned the heads of the Jaffa. She knew what this was. She had seen it before, but where? Think Murphy.
"Transporter rings." The whisper came from the other end of the room.
"What, O'Neill?"
"The floor painting. There are transporter rings in this room." Murphy looked up at the ceiling and saw a cylindrical opening just above the mosaic.
"Yes!! How do we activate it, Colonel?"
"Most of them have motion detectors." His voice was strained. "You stand in the middle of the circle and they activate automatically."
Murphy wasted no time in dragging the Colonel into the centre of the circle and then braced herself. The circles descended on them from above, enclosing them and surrounding them with a bright golden light. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again the rings were descending into the ground. They were outside. With four Serpent guards approaching rapidly. Throwing herself between them and the Colonel, she managed to hit three of them with a couple of Zat blasts before the fourth one knocked the gun from her hands with a well aimed shot from his staff weapon. He slowed his pace as he walked up to her realising she was trapped and defenceless. Goddamnit!!!! They had made it so far with every obstacle against them and now this insignificant fucking asshole was going to ruin it. A blue flash surged from over her shoulder. Then another. The soldier spasmed and fell to the ground dead. Murphy turned around to where O'Neill lay, his weapon still raised.
"I am really not in the mood to take any more shit from those guys," he wheezed, before collapsing back onto the ground.
**************
Carter and her team emerged from the first pyramid in a blast of gun fire. The three SG units who were given the task of disabling the field generator had obviously successful in their mission, so SG-7 had managed to gain entry to the fortress and locate the detention level with relative ease. Once inside they stayed hidden behind the pillars and came face to face with only a handful of Serpent Guards. The cells were empty and Carter almost wept in frustration. When they returned to the main entrance they found the way blocked by about ten soldiers and had been forced into a battle to get out. Captain Fincher and Lieutenant McShane had both received burns from staff weapons, however they were superficial and all members of the team made it out into the open. They ran backwards firing randomly into the remaining guards who pursued them.
"SG-7, get outta there!!!" Carter turned at the cry and saw Colonel Sewell, leader of SG-4, perched on a ridge just outside the forest with 40m grenade launcher. God, that guy was the greatest! She and the rest of the team ran for cover and dived to the ground just as the Major launched a charge at the entrance of the pyramid. The explosion sent a shower of dirt up into the air, covering the airmen shielding themselves on the ground. Carter felt something wet hit the back of her neck, but she wiped it off not wanting to look at what it was. Slowly they stood and turned to survey the area. The Jaffa lay dead and bleeding at the pyramid door no longer a threat to them, but Carter did not want to hang around to wait for their reinforcements.
"Major Carter!!" Sewell was calling to her again. "We gotta get out of here. We've got 12 minutes before the bombs are detonated."
She shook her head, not willing to accept that it was over. No, there was still a chance she could find him. Carter turned and began running towards the second pyramid before Daniel grabbed her.
"Sam, please. Its too late. We don't have enough time to get him out. If we don't leave now then we'll get caught in the blast."
"I'm not going back without him, Daniel." She choked back a sob, trying to keep hysteria out of her voice.
"Please understand me Sam. We have to go now!"
"I'm not going back." She stared at him, pleading with her eyes for him to understand. The young man looked at her for a second, reading her emotions.
"Ok," he said gently, "Then I stay too."
The two friends turned and headed uphill towards the second pyramid, ignoring the furious calls from the other team leader for them to return. They had only gone a few yards when flashes of blue light from up ahead drew their attention. The source was hidden from view due to the way the ground dipped just ahead, but the sight that they were confronted with when reached the top brought Carter to her knees. An urge to vomit overwhelmed her but she fought it. The Colonel lay motionless on the ground, his face bruised and bloody. Oh God, he was so still. Then Carter became aware of Lieutenant Murphy crouching over his lifeless form. The feeling of nausea she had experienced was superseded by an intense, irrational anger. She stood and made a grab for her handgun, not registering the bruises on Murphy's own face, only listening to the voice that told her O'Neill was in danger. Murphy looked up and saw Carter standing there, her gun raised. The lieutenant glanced down at the Colonel and then looked behind her, indecisively, as if unable to decide on her next course of action. Then she turned and ran for the trees. Carter felt her finger squeeze the trigger, vaguely aware of Daniel's voice over the report from her MK23. Then she heard someone else calling to her, telling her to stop. It sounded like O'Neill.
*************************
Daniel reached the crest of the hill just a few seconds behind Sam. Her gun was already raised. Daniel turned to see what she was aiming at and saw Jack and Lieutenant Murphy in front of the second pyramid. Both looked as if they had fallen from the top of a fifty story building and landed face first. Jack was out cold and Murphy was bent over him. Turning to take in the rest of the scene, Daniel saw four Jaffa soldiers lying a few yards away. Appearances suggested they were dead. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement. The lieutenant was running towards the trees. He looked back towards Sam and saw it all happening but was unable to move fast enough to stop it. He cried out Sam's name just as she pulled the trigger. Then he heard Jack calling to her also, but things were already lost, past the point where events could be forestalled. Murphy collapsed to the ground and there she remained, still as death.
*********************************
Murphy knew Carter was standing watching her. She wondered why she and Daniel didn't come down to help the Colonel. Looking up she saw her standing at the top of the hill, her weapon raised. What the hell was she doing? Understanding dawned. Carter knew she was to blame for the situation the Colonel was currently in. In fact she probably thought that Murphy had done this to O'Neill herself. Murphy stood, uncertain of whether to run or to stay. Even though she was a distance away from the Major, Murphy knew the cold, determined glint that was in her eyes.
She ran. The trees were just ahead. She could make it. It couldn't be for nothing. The effort she'd made, the struggle she'd had with herself.
A cry behind her. O'Neill's voice.
Then as the bullet pierced the small of her back, Murphy thought that maybe this was what it had all been leading to.
Atonement.
The blackness claimed her before she even hit the ground.
********************************
O'Neill had been floating in and out of consciousness since they had escaped from the torture room. He remembered clearly being led into the chamber and he remembered the pain, though he tried to shut it out. For most of the time he had been all too aware of the agony that Klorel was inflicting on him, but then his mind had closed down, isolating what was happening to him, almost as if he was watching it happen to someone else. The next thing he remembered was the female voice that called him back from the brink. At first he thought it was Sam and he struggled to regain consciousness. Then he realised that it was Murphy and his first thought was to wonder what she was doing here. Events then came to O'Neill in episodes. After the torture room, he was in the chamber with the transporter rings, then he felt a cool breeze on his face and he was outside. A Serpent Guard was closing in and instinctively he reached for his weapon, blasting him away. When he next opened his eyes, he saw Sam standing on the crest of the hill and a feeling of gladness and relief surged through him. Then he saw her aim her pistol at Murphy, who was running towards the forest. O'Neill looked on, at first uncomprehending and then at last realising what was about to take place.
"Carter, stop!!!!" But his voice was weak and he summoned the words too late. Murphy fell and a thin, dark snake of blood began creeping through the dirt towards him.
************** #14: Cessation
Daniel was the first to break the spell that had fallen over them. He glanced at his watch. Eight minutes before the bombs were detonated.
"Sam, we've got to move. Help me to get them to safety!"
Carter stood as if unable to move and then the gun fell from her hand as her muscles went limp.
"Oh God. Oh God, Daniel, what...what did I just do?" she said in a strangled voice.
"It doesn't matter Sam." He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him, speaking gently as if he was addressing a young child. "We'll think about it later, ok? Right now we have to get away."
She nodded, but he could tell she barely understood what he was saying.
"I'll go get Jack. You grab Murphy." They moved quickly down to where the fallen soldiers lay and slung them over their shoulders. Daniel staggered slightly under the weight of the Colonel.
And then they ran. Daniel did not look at his watch at all as they fled, but each minute and second brought with it the expectation of the huge explosion from behind. His lungs felt as though they were on fire and he could feel the sweat running down to the small of his back, but he summoned all the strength in his body to propel him onwards.
Then it came. He heard the thundering roar of the detonation before he felt it and he became peripherally aware of the inferno that was chasing them through the forest.
He tried to call out to her but the heat had dried the saliva in the back of his throat. She hit the turf without his instruction, mirroring his own actions as he threw himself down on top of O'Neill. He could feel the fire washing over him, scorching the clothing and flesh on his back, before it was sucked away in the backdraft. It left behind flaming trees and foliage that came crashing down around them. Daniel was dimly aware of the burning sensation that spread throughout the skin on his back and legs, before he passed out completely.
*******************************
"Daniel? Daniel, honey can you hear me?" Janet's voice was sweet and welcoming, bringing him out of the stillness. Daniel opened his eyes and then wished he hadn't as the pain in his back hit him like tidal wave. He was lying on his front in one of the infirmary beds in the SGC.
"How'd we get here?"
"SG-4. They followed you after Sam went to look for the Colonel. Colonel Sewell found you just after the explosion and got your gas masks on. You're going to be ok. You and Sam have second degree burns to your back and legs but they shouldn't take long to heal."
"What about Jack?"
"The Colonel's still unconscious. He's pretty beat up, but luckily most of the damage is superficial. There's no internal bleeding, no broken bones. He's being transferred to the Academy hospital but should be out in a few days. Oh and Teal'c's woken up as well. There doesn't seem to be any after effects from the toxin that we found in his bloodstream. I think it was just a very powerful sedative. Still don't know how it got there, though. Colonel O'Neill and Lt Murphy are probably the only ones who would know the answer to that."
Daniel frowned at the mention of that name.
"How is she, Janet? Did she make it?"
"She's still alive, Daniel, but barely. She has multiple gun shot wounds and she was beat up pretty badly. There's damage to her kidneys and some internal bleeding. But it was Sam's shot that nearly killed her. It tore a hole right through her duodenum and she lost a lot of blood. She underwent surgery at the hospital last night, but basically all we can do now is make her comfortable. Its unlikely that she'll make it through the next 48 hours."
******************************
Sam stood next to Colonel O'Neill's bed, waiting intently for the smallest sign that he was regaining consciousness. Janet had said that he was going to be fine, but the sight of him lying there, his face so bruised, hurt more than the blisters on her back. She moved over to sit on the chair next to the bed and took his hand in hers.
"Colonel, I'm so sorry," she said choking back the tears were dangerously near the surface. "I screwed up so badly. Everything's gone wrong and I don't know how to fix it." Sam fell into silence. There was so much she wanted to say, but words didn't come easily. O'Neill was lying here, unconscious and badly injured and, indirectly, that was her fault. Murphy lay in the hospital in critical condition and that was definitely her fault. Despite her opinion of the lieutenant she had been overwhelmed by remorse at her actions on Tel'shac. She had acted completely irrationally and out of character and her actions had put someone's life in danger. It was obvious from Murphy's other injuries that she was not in league with the Goa'uld and that she had also gone through torture at their hands. No matter what else Murphy was guilty of , she was not responsible for Colonel O'Neill's present condition. Sam closed her eyes and felt a tear slip from under her lids and roll down her cheeks. She let go of the Colonel's hand and covered her face, pressing the balls of her palms into her eyes.
"Not your fault, Major." The voice was hoarse, but to Sam it was the best sound she'd ever heard. Her head sprung up, sharply.
"Colonel, you're awake! I'll go get Doctor Fraiser."
"No, Sam. Not yet. Just...just stay for a minute will you?"
"Uh...." She hesitated, unsure of whether she was ready to face him just yet, to talk about what had happened on the planet. There was also the possibility that he didn't even remember what she had done to Murphy. If that was the case then she would have to be the one to tell him. Sam dreaded the prospect.
"Please?" Indecision over.
"Ok, sir, I'll stay."
"How'd we get back?"
"Colonel Sewell and his team found us just after the pyramids were blown up. Uh, sir, how much....." The words stuck in her throat. ".....how much do you remember? About the mission?"
"I remember Lt Murphy injecting Teal'c with some kind of sedative. We were both captured by Klorel. And tortured." His voice faltered and then he said. "She got me out of there, Carter. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her. Murphy pulled me out of that prison and killed Klorel."
This revelation sent fresh waves of remorse through Carter. Murphy had saved his life and all she'd got for her troubles was a bullet in the back. From Carter's own gun.
"Sir, I have to tell you something."
"I know, Carter. I remember that part too. And I understand. How is she?"
"I don't know sir. She's in the hospital and it doesn't look good. Janet says she doesn't know how she's managed to hold on for as long as she has."
"Well she's a tough one." The Colonel chuckled and then added, "And I think maybe she's found a reason to hold on."
O'Neill said the last part more or less to himself and Carter wondered what he meant.
"Colonel, you have to know that I am so sorry for what I did. I wasn't thinking professionally. I mean I...I just thought...." Tears threatened once again.
"Carter." It was O'Neill's turn to reach out and take her hand. "I said I understand."
Sam looked him in the eyes and suspected that maybe he did.
*************************
There were voices in the distance. Unfamiliar voices. She didn't like it. She didn't like where she was either. It was cold and dark and she didn't know which way she was supposed to go. No, she didn't want to stay here. She wasn't ready yet and there was still a lot she had to take care of. Concentrating on the voices, she tried to follow them. God, it was so dark. The voices were getting louder and there was another noise. A regular high pitched beep. Opening her eyes, she glanced around trying to clear her vision and identify where she was. She was lying down. Something soft beneath her. Wires in her arms, on her chest. Tubes up her nose and down her throat. A woman in a white coat and airforce uniform stood next to her bed. She knew her. What was her name?
"Doctor Fraiser, heart rate is increasing."
Who were they talking about? Who's heart rate? Suddenly the darkness fell once more. She tried to concentrate on what they were saying. Someone was sick. The woman's voice, the one in the white coat was calling out orders, shouting for drugs to be administered. She heard someone say that they were losing her. Losing who? Who was so sick? There was that beeping noise again, getting faster. She wished someone would turn it off. Why the hell couldn't they keep the noise down? She tried to speak, to tell them to go away, but something was stuck in her throat. Then the beeping began to slow down.
"Pulse is stabilising. BP is 110 over 80. She's conscious, doctor."
"Ok, Good work, people. Lieutenant Murphy? Can you hear me?"
The woman was calling to her. Doctor Fraiser. That was it. She remembered now. What did she want?
"Lieutenant, when I count to three I want you to breathe out as hard as you can. Do you understand me?"
Murphy nodded in acknowledgement.
Ok, good. One, two, three......"
Murphy exhaled all the air in her lungs and gagged as the respirator tube was pulled from her airways. Pain exploded through her body with the effort and she cried out. Things were becoming clearer. She'd been shot. A couple of times. The doctor was standing next to the bed again, only not as frantic as she had been two minutes ago. She was writing something on a clip chart.
"Well, lieutenant, I can't believe you made it back, but somehow you did. All signs are good. Its going to be a long recovery, Anna, but you are going to get better."
Murphy tried to speak to her to ask her about the Colonel, if he was ok and how they had made it back, but her throat hurt and she couldn't summon the energy to talk. Her eyelids drooped down once more, only this time the darkness she sank into was nothing more ominous than sleep.
************** #15: Equivocation
When Murphy next opened her eyes and looked out of the window the sky was hued with the chiaroscuro of twilight. The deep pinks and russets mingled together to cast a sombre light, that seemed almost artificial, into the hospital room. It filled her with a melancholy that she was at a loss to understand. A noise at the door made her turn.
"Can I come in?" asked O'Neill.
"What would you do if I said no?" Murphy's voice was still hoarse and barely audible.
"Well in your present condition I think I could take you in a fight so I'd just come in anyway."
"In that case I'd better not refuse." Murphy smiled but the movement hurt her face and the expression turned into a grimace. O'Neill walked over to sit next to her bed, wheeling his IV drip in front of him. She looked at the bruises and cuts that disfigured his face.
"You look terrible."
"Why thank you, lieutenant. May I say you are looking stunning also." They fell silent and O'Neill looked down at his hands. Murphy guessed that he had something he wanted to say, but was unable to find the words. When his question came, she was surprised at how generic it was.
"So, how you feeling?" Did he think she was in the mood for small talk?
"Surprisingly enough, O'Neill, I'm not feeling so good. Doc Fraiser says I may have irreparable kidney damage and its unlikely that I'll ever be able to return to active service, not that that would be possible now anyway. Now that's that topic out of the way, how 'bout those Cubs?"
"I didn't mean physically, Anna." Then she got it. But she wasn't sure if she was ready to talk about it. If she confirmed it out loud, then it would be real. No going back. No easy escape. Say it out loud and face the consequences. All the consequences.
"To tell the t, Colonel, I'm not sure how I'm feeling. I mean what is the answer to that? Do I feel relieved? Cleansed? Have I exorcised my demons? I'm not sure. Maybe I need those demons. Right now the only thing I can state for sure is that I'm scared shitless." She sighed and when she spoke again her voice was even quieter. "But I also know that you were right. I'm tired. I've lived too long in dark shadows, Jack. They turned me into something rotten and its not something that I can change overnight. I don't even know whether I'll ever be able to change completely. Maybe it'll always be with me, some small black seed waiting to push through to the surface again."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"I've been trying not to think about it. I don't even know if I have much choice. If I stay at the SGC then at best all I have to look forward to is a court martial. At best." She fell silent for a moment and then said, "They're going to send for me, you know."
"Who is?"
"The Agency. They're going to come to collect me. Remember when I said we don't face repercussions? Well its still true. They won't allow me to go through a court martial. I'm a valuable commodity to them and the information I have could blow the lid off this entire operation. They're going to send someone to collect me and then I'll disappear again. No evidence that I was here at all except for memories."
"You can't go back, Anna."
She smiled but her eyes betrayed a great sadness. Perversely O'Neill was glad to see this expression of emotion within them.
"If I don't go back then you're talking to a dead woman, O'Neill. They won't take no for an answer and there's no place on earth I can hide where they won't find me. I guess I just have to make a choice."
"I understand, lieutenant. Just make sure you choose well." With that Colonel O'Neill rose and left the room. Murphy turned and gazed out of the window once more, to where the sky had now turned a deep shade of indigo, embedded with the first stars of the night. She understood the nature of the choice that lay ahead of her. How could she go back to where she was before and be able to live with the things she would have to do? Yet how could she possibly escape and survive. As Murphy lay there an agonising convulsion ripped through her chest and choked her breathing. Then another. It took her a few moments to realise that they were sobs. She reached up and touched the alien moisture on her face and then turned her face to weep violently into her pillow.
************************************
One week later Jack O'Neill sat with the other members of SG-1 and General Hammond in the SGC briefing room. He was not looking forward to this meeting, but knew that he had to be there and not just in his role as Lieutenant Murphy's commanding officer. Ever since the events on Tel'shac he had felt responsible for the welfare of his junior officer and would not allow himself to shirk from this duty. The true nature of Murphy's assignment to the SGC had been kept relatively secret within the base and only the members of SG-1 and General Hammond were aware of what had happened on the planet. Hammond had not been surprised when O'Neill had fully briefed him, however his anger was still apparent and he had immediately set in motion the proceedings for her court martial. O'Neill had tried in vain to persuade him that a court martial was unnecessary and that Murphy had already taken steps towards her rehabilitation. He had pointed out that the lieutenant was only following orders, albeit highly suspect and unofficial orders and had then reminded the General that she had subsequently put her own life in danger to save his. But nothing would dissuade Hammond from his chosen course of action. As far as he was concerned she had been involved in a hostile action against a member of his command and was therefore guilty of crimes against the United States of America. Then the call had come from the Pentagon. All disciplinary action would be handled outwith the SGC. The Pentagon would take responsibility for the court martial proceedings and Lieutenant Murphy would be taken off their hands. No specifics were given despite relentless questioning on the Generals part. All they were told was that a representative would be arriving today to discuss the formalities and make arrangements to have Murphy taken into custody. Jack looked across the table at the rest of his team, intensely grateful for their presence. He knew that Carter was still distrustful of the young lieutenant and viewed her apparent change of heart with scepticism. But she was here because he had asked her to come. Her presence was important to him and she understood that. Jack also suspected that Carter believed she owed Murphy this much. Not only because of what she had done but also because she was grateful to her for saving his life. That gratitude was also important to him. O'Neill had also asked Daniel to attend the meeting but the archaeologist had told him that he had intended to do so anyway. He had been more willing than Sam to believe that Murphy's metamorphoses was genuine, perhaps because he was more willing to see the good in people. Daniel hoped that the matter could be resolved in a way that would not be detrimental to her. Then there was Teal'c. The Jaffa had said little about the whole affair, but there was nothing unusual about that in itself. However O'Neill was curious about his reasons for attending the meeting. He had not dared asked him to attend, because of what Murphy had done to him, but he had showed up anyway. Maybe he wanted to make sure that Murphy was appropriately punished for her actions. Just then the door opened and O'Neill's mouth opened in surprise at the person who entered.
"Maybourne?? What the hell are you doing here?"
"Hello to you too, Colonel O'Neill. I believe you have been informed of my reasons for being here. If that's not the case then I'll enlighten you. I'm here to arrange for the transportation of the prisoner you currently have under guard at the Academy hospital."
"Why you? What's N.I.D. got to do with these proceedings?"
"Nothing directly. The Pentagon just recognise the sensitive nature of this investigation and in their wisdom have requested that I handle it."
"Oh cut the crap Maybourne. I know all about Murphy and The Agency and I know that you must be involved somewhere along the line."
Colonel Maybourne remained silent, but his eyes betrayed his shock at how much O'Neill knew.
"Colonel O'Neill," said General Hammond in a warning tone of voice, "those claims are unsubstantiated and I don't believe that we should be throwing about unsupported accusations."
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're referring to, O'Neill," said Maybourne, regaining his composure. "I'm merely an arbitrary representative appointed by the government."
"Yeah, like hell!"
"Colonel!"
"Sorry, General."
"Ok, maybe we can get down to business," continued Hammond.
"I have here the papers for both you and Colonel O'Neill to sign, General, transferring the prisoner into our custody," said Maybourne, producing a file from his briefcase. "Its really a formality," he continued looking up. "There was no need for you all to be here."
"Well, Colonel," said Daniel addressing Maybourne, "We feel that we should be here to say something in defence of Lieutenant Murphy."
Jack nodded in agreement at Daniel's words and noticed that Carter seemed reluctant to make eye contact with him.
Maybourne gave a short, slightly smug laugh. "Well what can be said in her defence? According to your mission report she assaulted Teal'c. Injected him with a...what was it....?" O'Neill had to laugh at the way Maybourne made a show of consulting the report he had in front of him. "A sedative. Yes, it seems a classic open and shut matter."
"Lieutenant Murphy did subsequently save my life, Maybourne. I think that should count for something."
"As far as I can see, Colonel, her main priority was to save herself. Might I suggest that she had nothing to lose by taking you with her? And everything to gain. She must have realised that she was in over her head as it was and was merely trying to redeem herself."
"So what's going to happen to her?"
"I'm sure you're familiar with standard court martial procedure, Colonel O'Neill. She'll be transferred from here to face disciplinary procedures and most likely end up in Leavenworth for the next few years."
"Oh spare me, Maybourne! We all know that's bullshit! Where are you going to take her now?" O'Neill persisted in his questioning, thinking back to what Murphy had told him. She said that she would never face court martial. That she would be put back into active service for the Agency. Or she would die. Did Maybourne know this too? His vague answers led O'Neill to believe that he did.
"I'm afraid that I'm not at liberty to divulge that information, O'Neill. Its out of your hands now. So If you'll just sign these papers we can make arrangements to have her moved."
"You're moving her no where!"
Jack swore he saw Maybourne visibly flinch at the sound of that voice. The occupants of the room turned to where the source of the voice was standing at the door.
was his first thought when he saw Murphy standing there, her skin a pale grey and deep shadows under her eyes. The lieutenant walked into the room, her eyes on Colonel Maybourne.
"Good afternoon, Colonel Maybourne, sir," she said walking over to him and executing a lazy almost arrogant salute. Her attitude was even more contemptuous than it had been on her first meeting with SG-1. O'Neill watched as Maybourne recoiled from the lieutenants greeting. When he spoke his voice contained an almost imperceptible quaver.
"Lieutenant Murphy! What are you doing here? I mean, how did you get here? You were under guard." He turned towards Hammond. "Wasn't she?" The General answered in the affirmative, but O'Neill suspected he was mentally cursing himself for failing to revoke her clearance for the Cheyenne Mountain.
"Was I? I do apologise. I wasn't aware of that. I must be delirious. I was in a coma you know, sir. Captain Mason, the soldier who was in my room keeping an eye on me? You'll have to thank him on my behalf. He was kind enough to loan me some clothes. Something a bit more modest than a hospital gown. I couldn't very well turn up at the SGC with my ass hangin' out now could I?"
O'Neill suppressed a laugh and noticed for the first time that Murphy was dressed in fatigues that hung loose around her small frame and were folded at the cuffs and legs. Poor Mason.
"Lieutenant, your behaviour is out of line!" barked General Hammond. "Especially considering your current situation."
"I apologise, sir." This time Murphy's tone contained a note of sincerity. "But I feel that I should be present at any proceedings which could determine my future."
"Your presence here is inconsequential, Murphy. Once these papers are signed you'll be in my custody. There's nothing you can do." Maybourne almost seemed to relish the prospect of being in charge of a captive Murphy. Jack wondered what she had done to him to nurture such feelings of hatred. And then wished he had been there to see it.
"You know what, Maybourne, you're right. There is nothing I can do. But there is something you can do, sir," she said turning towards General Hammond. "Or more accurately there's something you can't do." The General looked puzzled and Murphy took a deep breath before explaining.
"I'm here to ask you not to sign those papers."
"Lieutenant Murphy, if you're asking me to stop court martial proceedings against you then I'm sorry but its too late."
"I understand that, sir and that's not the nature of my request. I am aware that my actions have brought about repercussions and I am fully prepared to face those repercussions," said Murphy, glancing towards O'Neill. "But I believe I should face them here. At the SGC. I was under your command when the crime was committed, therefore I should be confined to the detention cells on this base."
"Murphy, I hardly think you're in a position........." began Maybourne.
"Shut up, Harry!" O'Neill's harsh words startled the other Colonel into silence. "General, Murphy's right. If she's to be disciplined then do it here."
The silence in the room was almost tangible as General Hammond pondered his decision.
************** #16: Resolution
General Hammond hesitated, obviously swayed by O'Neill's defence of the woman who had been sent to infiltrate his team. The others in the room remained silent, but were watching the General intently, waiting for his response. Hammond knew that not all of them were convinced that Murphy's change of heart was genuine, but that all of them would be willing to back O'Neill up if he asked them to. He turned his attention to the young lieutenant staring at him, her expression apprehensive. Then he looked at Colonel Maybourne and found himself swayed by the sudden compulsion to wipe the self satisfied grin off his face. Hammond had always thought Harry had one of those expressions that settled naturally into an expression of smugness, even when he wasn't trying, and the few occasions when he and SG-1 had managed to hinder whatever agenda it was that Maybourne was part of, had given the general a great deal of pleasure. This was his base, dammit! He wasn't going to be dictated to by some snot of a Colonel who was barely worthy of the uniform he wore.
"Colonel Maybourne, I believe that Colonel O'Neill is right. At present Lieutenant Murphy is under my command and therefore she should be detained at this base pending further proceedings. Which I intend to be present at, as I'm sure does SG-1."
"With all due respect, General, I don't think you understand.........."
"With all due respect, Colonel, I think I understand completely!!! It appears that you're the one with difficulty comprehending. I am not signing anything and you can go back and tell that to whoever it was that sent you here!!"
Maybourne was silent for a moment, obviously shocked at the Generals harsh tone. His eyes flicked between the other occupants of the room, like a rodent trapped in a cage. When he next spoke his voice was low, as if he was attempting to sound menacing.
"This achieves nothing. All you're doing is delaying matters, General. This is way above your head and you're inviting trouble from the wrong people." He turned toward Murphy, who returned his glare, unwavering.
"And you!!" he cried, pointing. "Please don't think this is the end, Murphy! You haven't won, so I wouldn't get too cosy in amongst your new found friends."
General Hammond walked round the table and stood face to face with the Colonel.
"I think you've said enough, Maybourne. You have my response, now get off my base before I have you escorted off!"
With that Maybourne threw the documents into his briefcase and turned on his heel, storming off down the corridor towards the elevator.
"Way to go, General," said O'Neill, an expression of profound respect on his face.
Hammond nodded and then turned towards Murphy, only to see her crumple to the floor.
*******************************
They stood later in the infirmary, discussing Murphy's condition with Dr Fraiser. The Doc said that Murphy was a fool to have left the hospital in her condition and she could have set her recovery back weeks or even months. Jack suspected that she'd summoned whatever strength she had left to face up to Maybourne and once that was over she had been left without the energy to even remain upright. Murphy had regained consciousness not long after the medical team had arrived with the gurney and at first she had even refused to get on it, insisting on walking to the infirmary. However, she had conceded after some stern words from General Hammond and now lay in one of the beds at the far end of the room. Jack was worried. He knew that what Maybourne had said was true. They were just delaying matters. He was uncertain what Murphy thought she could gain from asking the General to retain her in his custody. She understood better than anyone the reality of her situation and had herself told him that there was no where on earth she could hide. No where on Earth. O'Neill looked up to see one of the nurses speaking in hushed tones with Janet Fraiser. The doctor looked towards where SG-1 were standing in a group near the door.
"She'd like to speak to you," she said.
O'Neill started towards the lieutenants bed.
"Uh, no, Colonel. Not you." She turned towards Teal'c. "You."
*****************************
Murphy watched the nurse walk over to speak with Dr Fraiser. She saw SG-1 standing near the door, but averted her gaze quickly. She didn't want to watch his response to her request. Afterall what right had she to ask to speak with him. Not so long ago she had viewed him as her target, as another artefact to be collected for the benefit of The Agency. Now she wanted to......... What did she want to do? To apologise? To seek forgiveness for what she had done? An apology was so absurd.
Sorry.
It was just a word. It didn't revoke her actions. But it was all she had.
She looked over again. The doctor was speaking to Teal'c whose face remained expressionless. There was a bitter, metallic taste in her mouth that seemed to accompany knots that had twisted in her gut. Murphy knew that this was nerves. She wasn't used to experiencing nerves and the sensations reminded her of something, so long ago but the memory eluded her and now wasn't the time to think about it.
"Lieutenant Murphy, you wish to speak with me."
He was here. And she didn't have a clue what to say.
She just lay there trying to summon not only words but also some saliva into her open mouth. Then he filled the silence.
"I have been informed since your return from Tel'shac that you were instrumental in the death of Klorel and that you were responsible for saving the life of Colonel O'Neill."
Murphy nodded, still unable to respond verbally.
"For that I thank you." He then paused and looked into her eyes with an unwavering stare.
"Lieutenant Murphy, our past is often something in which dark, ugly things lie hidden. Some of us endeavour to alter the paths on which we have found ourselves, but still those dark things lurk, waiting for us to stray so that they may consume us once more. They exist in memories and assail us like a scream in an empty room. But what is important is that our past remains past. Live well, Lieutenant Murphy. That is atonement enough."
He turned to go, but Murphy reached out and grasped his hand.
"Thank you, Teal'c" she said, her voice almost breaking. His only response was to squeeze her hand firmly and bow his head.
Live well.
She would try.
************** #17: Decisions
Murphy and Teal'c had just concluded their conversation when the klaxon sounded.
"Incoming traveller. All senior personnel to the control room. "
O'Neill rolled his eyes. He had forgotten about Tok'ra reps that were due to arrive this afternoon and he really was not in any mood to face them. The Tok'ra had been responsible for the recon operation on Tel'shac. The nature of the toxin they had used on the planet meant that it had been unsafe for the Tok'ra to be present during the assault. It was predicted that the nerve gas's effects would still be felt up to a week after it had been released into the atmosphere. They were now arriving to brief the SGC personnel on how the clean up had gone. Before he left the infirmary, O'Neill glanced over and saw that Murphy was sleeping again.
************************
Anna lay with her eyes closed listening to their footsteps and voices echo down the corridor. She didn't know who the incoming traveller was but she was grateful to them for the distraction. She didn't think she could stand any more questioning from O'Neill. Knowing the apparent hopelessness of her situation was not made any easier by confirming it out loud. He along with everyone else involved wanted to know what her intentions were and what outcome she desired from this situation. The outcome was easy. She wanted to get as far away from the grasp of the Agency as possible. How she intended to achieve this was another story. She didn't have a clue. Maybourne, despite his ignorance of the whole picture had been right when he said this wasn't over. Time was limited. She felt as though she was lying beneath a razor sharp pendulum, every arc bringing the blade closer to her flesh, each swing threatening to slice her in two. If she was going to think of a way out she had to do it fast.
***********************
Sam walked into the Gateroom, her step lighter than it had been for a long while. It was all she could do to stop herself from running to her father and hugging him tightly. She wanted to cry into his chest and tell him about everything that had happened over the past few weeks. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and tell her he would make everything better and get rid of the bad Murphy. But she didn't. Not only because she was a grown woman and her father was also her superior officer, but also because there was always the chance that the person she was hugging was not Jacob Carter, but his Tok'ra symbiote Selmac. No matter how understanding she was of the Tok'ra race and no matter how many times she saw and heard it she didn't think she would ever feel comfortable with the alien voice that sometimes resonated from her fathers mouth. She watched as Jacob, Martouf and another two Tok'ra representatives descended the Gate ramp and managed to conceal her relief when her father spoke to her.
"Samantha," he said, smiling broadly and extending his arms. They embraced briefly and Jacob turned towards Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond. "Jack, George. Its good to see you again. And may I say congratulations on a job well done."
"Yes, well it didn't exactly go without a hitch, Jacob," said the General. "Shall we go to the briefing room and swap mission reports."
As the group headed toward the blast doors, Carter turned as she often did to watch the Colonel. He was paying little attention to the conversation Hammond and her father were having, appearing instead lost in his own thoughts.
***********************
The meeting had gone pretty much as O'Neill had expected with one nasty and not wholly unexpected revelation. Sel'mac had informed the General and SG-1 that the Tok'ra were satisfied with the overall outcome of the Tel'shac mission and that the strike had delivered an incapacitating blow to the System Lords military might. However, extensive searching of the area had not yet uncovered the remains of Skaa'ra's body. Indications were that both the host and symbiote Klorel had been removed from pyramid before the detonation of the device and taken by another Goa'uld ship before the Tok'ra had reached the planet - obviously with the intention of restoring them in a sarcophagus. This was not exactly welcome news, but it was unavoidable and O'Neill had been expecting a report of this sort. For the remainder of the briefing Jack allowed his attention to wander, trying to solidify an idea that was forming in his head. He only realised that the meeting had come to an end when the others rose to their feet and began to leave the table. Jack called to General Carter as he turned to go.
"Jacob, can I speak to you for a second?" As Sel'mac bowed his head to allow Jacob to speak, Jack saw Sam out of the corner of his eye, watching them curiously.
"What can I do for you, Jack?" The General began to walk back towards O'Neill's seat.
No, not here. Can you come to my quarters in about half an hour?" As he asked the question, O'Neill wondered whether he was making a huge mistake. Surely this could never work.
"Well, yeah sure. I was planning on sticking around to spend some time with Sam anyway, so I'm sure I can spare you five minutes." Jacob smiled and left the room, leaving only Jack and Sam remaining.
"Sir, do you mind if I ask what's on your mind?"
O'Neill knew that Carter had probably guessed what was on his mind. There wasn't a lot he could hide from her, but until he had given it further thought he didn't want to discuss it.
"Not right now, Carter, I think maybe its better you're kept in the dark about this one. At least for the time being."
She smiled and nodded, but O'Neill knew that she didn't like what her suspicions told her.
********************************
Half an hour later he had filled General Carter in on his idea, laying out his proposal to him and Sel'mac. At first the General had been reluctant after hearing about Murphy's impending disciplinary action, but O'Neill stressed to him the nature of her predicament and the fact that in all likelihood she would not even be given the chance to face court martial. Sel'mac on the other hand was open minded about the idea and willing to go along with what O'Neill was asking.
"I think its an excellent idea, Colonel O'Neill. However are you sure she will be receptive to your suggestion?"
"Well I guess that what we'll have to find out."
So now he stood outside the infirmary, waiting for Dr. Fraiser and her assistant to complete whatever tests they were carrying out on Murphy now.
"Ok, you can go in now, Colonel," Janet said as she left the room.
He walked in and motioned for the two airmen who were the only other occupants of the room to leave.
Murphy turned as he approached the bed and rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"O'Neill, if you're here to ask if I've reached a decision, then you can just turn and walk back out again."
"I may have found you a way out, Murphy."
He saw an expression of hopefulness pass across her face before it was replaced by one of skepticism. She was unwilling to believe that it could be that easy. Maybe it wouldn't be easy, but he had to try and he knew that the hardest part would be talking her into it.
"First of all I want you to know that this isn't a simple option. You're not going to like it but I want you to hear me out."
"Go on." Her expression was now one of apprehension.
"Okay, we're both aware of how extensive your injuries are. Doc Fraiser says there's nothing more the doctors can do for you here. Well the thing is, I've spoken to..."
"I'm not becoming a host O'Neill."
"You haven't even listened to what I have to say."
"Let me save you the trouble and please feel free to correct me if I deviate from the little speech you prepared to talk me into doing this."
O'Neill was silent. He had known that she would be resistant to this plan, but now he was beginning to think he had no hope of talking her into it.
"So you've spoken to General Carter and his little parasite and they've kindly agreed to take me with them to join the Tok'ra. Provided I agree to have my brain commandeered by one of their snakes. Well please excuse my scornful rejection of your bright idea!"
"Murphy, I know this must sound crazy to you and I know I'd feel the same way in your position but you have to realise that this could be your only way out."
"If that's my only way out then maybe I don't want out! Jack, I don't want one of those things in my head," she shouted. "If I do this I do it myself. I don't need a Goa'uld to get me out of this."
"Damnit, Murphy, when are you gonna understand that you need help here? This is one thing you can't do alone."
The vehemence with which he spoke silenced her and she sank back down into the pillow, turning away to look at the wall.
"I do it myself, Jack. That's the way its always been. All or nothing. No compromise."
"That attitude is going to get you into more trouble than it'll get you out of. I'm offering you a lifeline here, Murphy. You don't take it then its out of my hands. I don't know what else I can do for you."
With that O'Neill turned and left the infirmary, afraid that her stubbornness would lead to an full scale bawling match between them. He hoped she would change her mind, but there was little time left to do it in. The future was looking increasingly grim for Lieutenant Anna Murphy.
************** #18:Destination
Harold Maybourne marched purposefully through the corridors of the SGC that he had left only a few hours before. He couldn't wait to get to General Hammond's office with the order from the Joint Cheifs, that Murphy was to be released immediately into his custody. With or without Hammond's say so. However no matter how much he was looking forward to letting the General know the real extent of his authority in this matter he was even more enthralled at the prospect of seeing Murphy get the punishment that lay in store for her. He wanted to watch her face as they bound her wrists, maybe pulling the restraints rather more tightly than was necessary, chaffing her flesh and cutting off circulation just a little. He wanted to look in her eyes as she came to realise exactly what was in store for her at the hands of the Agency. Farley would not allow her to rejoin the operation. Murphy had made her feelings about her work all too clear now and she could never be trusted again. She would have to disappear and of course she must know that. Maybourne took great joy in imagining the expression that would adorn Murphy's face when she was handed over to him. What would that expression be, he wondered? Terror maybe? Despair? He wanted her to squirm. She had to understand that it was all about power. Power that he had over her future. Her life. Her death. Maybourne knew that at some point in the recent past, Murphy had thought that she was the one with the power over him. She had to be informed of how wrong she was. And he would take great delight in being the one to inform her. He would crush her like a beetle and savour every minute.
************************************
As she crouched by the door of the storeroom, she could feel her eyelids sweeping slowly down, luring her into sleep. For the third time her head drooped down and once more her chin hit against her chest, jerking her awake. She couldn't sleep. There were too many things that she had to look out for. By now they would have realised that she was no longer in the infirmary bed and found the unconscious guard concealed behind one of the curtains. No alarms had sounded but she knew that a search of the base must now be underway. The airmen who guarded all entrances and exits to this level would also have been warned. That didn't matter. She had no intention of going topside. It would all end in here, one way or the other. No easy exit.
Murphy's eyes closed once more without her even being aware of it.
"Anna? Anna, honey? Are you in here?"
She pulled the coats around her face and body and tried to hide her legs behind the shoes and other debris that lay on the floor.
"Anna, you little bitch! You come here when I fucking call you!"
Footsteps.
Her head jerked upwards. After a few seconds she remembered where she was and why she was there. There were footsteps outside in the corridor and she peered out of the crack in the door to see who it was. General Carter and General Hammond walked along the corridor in the direction of Hammond's office, followed closely by Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. They talked and laughed casually, however there was an air of tension surrounding them and Murphy guessed that the source was probably O'Neill, who seemed strangely introspective. She listened to their idle chatter until they were out of ear shot, turning the corner that led to the Gate room and General Hammond's office. Not long now.
Still she struggled to keep sleep at bay, taking comfort in the fact that soon it would be over, one way or the other. She knew he was coming. That much was inevitable and so now here she was waiting. He had said that it wasn't over but he didn't comprehend how true his words had been.
Murphy had heard the news thirty minutes earlier that Maybourne had entered the mountain, so with the various security checks and verification of clearance that would be required in order to make it to level 28, she should expect him anytime soon.
So now she lay here waiting. His first port of call would be Hammond's office but he wouldn't make it that far. It would all end here.
"Anna, you dumb little bitch! Think you can hide in there?"
The glass shattered and there was blood all around.
Footsteps. Her eyes had closed again. She rubbed her free hand over the face and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to expunge the exhaustion that was threatening to overwhelm her. Again she heard footsteps approaching and looking out, saw that Maybourne had finally arrived. He uttered a few words to a passing airman and carried on up the corridor towards her, still wearing that same expression of self-satisfaction. For the first time, Murphy realised that she would actually enjoy wiping it from his face. But not yet. Just a few more seconds. Don't waste the advantage, Anna.
Maybourne approached rapidly, obviously exhilarated by his impending conquest and eager to complete his assigned mission. The degree of control it awarded him was clearly enthralling to him. Did he even realise how menial his task was in the 'Grand Plan' of the Agency? He wouldn't even be responsible for her disposal. He was merely an errand boy, yet he viewed himself as a major player.
Now he was level with the door of the storeroom, but still not yet. By the time he had walked a few yards further down the corridor the time was right and Murphy was ready. She gripped the stolen MP5 firmly but not too tightly and entered the corridor with the utmost of stealth. Maybourne wasn't even aware of her presence until the cold barrel of the handgun was pressed against his neck. Murphy wished that she could see the expression that adorned his face now, but the only view she was awarded was a partial profile.
"Don't even think about calling out, Harry. I think you understand me pretty well by now and you must be aware that I will have absolutely no qualms about painting a mural on that wall with your brains." Murphy's voice could have cut crystal. " Now we're going to take a trip to the Gateroom and on the way we'll have ourselves a psych test. I'm gonna test whether you have the intelligence to stay alive for the next ten minutes. You willing to play along?"
Maybourne nodded and tried to speak, but the only sound that emerged from his mouth was a strangled squeak.
"Ok, now Harry, that didn't make much sense, my friend. I think the best option is for you not to talk anymore 'cause its fairly annoying and I may shoot you out of sheer crabbyness."
Murphy half pushed, half dragged the Colonel along the corridor towards the Gateroom. A soldier turned the corner at the end of the hall, but even as his hand reached for his weapon she called a warning to him that her hostage would die as soon as he laid one finger on his gun. The man froze with his hands in the air.
"That's good. Now why don't you just lift that handgun with your thumb and forefinger and lay it on the ground." The airman did as she ordered.
"Ok, good, now... you can walk just ahead of me and open doors like a gentleman. I do like to think that chivalry is not dead."
The airman turned and walked ahead of Murphy and her captive, his hands raised in the air, while the lieutenant tried to ignore the trembling of the man who was grasped in her arms.
****************************
George Hammond stood in the Gateroom, saying the customary goodbyes to his friend Jacob Carter. Their words were relaxed and good-hearted but there was an underlying pressure amongst the group. Hammond glanced round at Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter and thought he saw a look pass between them, that was unlike the normal flirtatious glances he had noted in the past. O'Neill was tense and edgy and Carter watched him with something akin to apprehension and expectancy. Murphy's escape obviously bothered the General, but his two officers were clearly unnerved by the thought of what she might do. This worried him. They, more than anyone, were aware of what she was capable of. As Hammond watched Jacob Carter ascend the ramp leading up to the Gate he pondered the events that lay ahead. Suddenly he was aware of shouts coming from the corridor and as the occupants of the Gateroom turned toward the door, Lieutenant Murphy burst through, clutching a petrified Colonel Maybourne, a gun held to his throat.
"What the hell is going on here, Lieutenant? Are you out of your mind? Don't you think that you are in enough trouble already?"
"I'm sorry, General. Maybe I'm not thinking clearly in my fragile mental state but I fail to see how this can possibly make things worse for me," said Murphy, dragging her hostage across to the Stargate, its iridescent surface casting a blue sheen over everyone in its path. "In fact I think shooting this dumb bastard would probably be doing the world a favour."
"Murphy, c'mon. Think about this. You said you wanted to face the consequences of your actions." O'Neill's words were calm and soothing as he took a few steps toward the lieutenant, who was now making her way up the ramp.
"Just maintain your position O'Neill. One step further and we'll see exactly how empty Maybourne's head is." The Colonel stopped. Hammond knew that as much as he disliked the man he would be unwilling to have him killed in a situation such as this.
"Aww, c'mon O'Neill. Spare me the look of disappointment. Don't tell me you bought my Road to Damascus routine. I honestly thought you were wiser than that. Well it looks like we were both wrong." By now Murphy was standing at the entrance to the wormhole, next to General Carter, who was watching her carefully. "Ok, people, I think is the part where we all say good night. Say goodnight, Harry."
Maybourne's eyes widened in realisation and only has time to let go a choked sob before his captor brought the butt of her MP5 down hard on the base of his neck. All eyes followed him as he collapsed unconscious onto the metal runway.
"And you...two...are coming with me!" The distraction caused by Colonel Maybourne's downfall gave Murphy the time she needed to reach out and grab Jacob Carter by the arm, aiming her gun at his temple.
"Dad!" Sam Carter called out to her father and began running towards him, before O'Neill caught her in his arms and struggled to restrain her.
"Sam, please," he said gently. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. And then stopped struggling, falling almost limp in his grasp. Hammond watched the exchange with interest and filed it away as yet another facet of a relationship he could never hope to understand.
"I'm touched by that display of daughterly love, Samantha, and also slightly sickened by it." Murphy's tone was dry and unyielding. "There's another thing in here, Carter!! How can you love that?!"
"That's enough, Lieutenant!" The yell came from Colonel O'Neill and to Hammond's eyes Murphy looked almost chagrinned. If he didn't know better he would've sworn that she was about to apologise.
"Yes, Colonel, you're right. The time for speeches and waxing lyrical is over. Now should be the moment for an earth shattering one liner that leaves you all shaken to the marrow in my wake." She paused and chewed her lip as if contemplating. "Nah can't think of anything. The one thing I will say though is, if anyone comes through that Gate after us then I blow Daddy's head off."
With that she stepped backwards through the event horizon and the wormhole disappeared leaving nothing behind but wisps of blue and white vapour.
************** #19: Summation
The few moments of stunned silence that followed Murphy's departure were broken by Hammond calling the alert and the flurry of activity that followed. Medics were summoned to deal with the fallen Colonel Maybourne.
"Dial up that planet again!" Hammond called to the tech in the control room. "I want that wormhole reopened and Lieutenant Murphy followed."
"General, you can't do that!" O'Neill was quick to interject. "What I mean is she's already threatened Jacob. I know she won't hesitate in carrying out that threat."
Hammond regarded the Colonel carefully, taking note of the fact that he still had his arm wrapped tightly around his 2IC. Major Carter seemed to be still in state of shock at her fathers capture. Colonel O'Neill realised what Hammond was staring at and almost reluctantly withdrew his arm.
"Colonel O'Neill, I appreciate your concerns in this matter, but I believe that General Carter will be in more danger if we don't send a team through after them."
Jack began to say something else but then stopped. He turned to look at the other SG teams gathering in the embarkation room at Hammond's order.
"Uh, sir, what if I could assure you that no harm will come to General Carter." Sam turned her head sharply, watching her commanding officer through narrowed eyes.
"What are you talking about, sir?" she asked.
"Yes, Colonel," agreed Hammond, "I'd definitely like to know the answer to that question."
The Colonel stood with eyes downcast, aware of the possible repercussions of what he was about to say. All the while the huge dial of the Stargate spun locking the chevrons into place.
"Sir, we knew about this." His words were subdued and even though he addressed them to General Hammond, he had raised his head to fix his gaze intently on Carter. She had taken a step back at his revelation and was staring at him with her jaw clenched. The tech announced the encoding of chevron five.
"Perhaps you'd care to explain yourself, Colonel O'Neill," said Hammond with barely concealed anger. "What exactly do you know? And who is we?" he turned to look at Major Carter as he said this last part. O'Neill was quick to interject.
"I know what you're thinking, sir, but Carter had nothing to do with this. She wasn't aware of what we had intended." He paused. "And by we I mean, myself and General Carter and of course Murphy. Uh, maybe we should talk about this in your office, sir."
"Chevron six engaged."
"I agree, Colonel. But I will not order these teams to stand down. They will proceed with the pursuit of the lieutenant." But the Generals plan was halted nonetheless by the techs next announcement.
"Chevron seven.....will not engage."
"What?!" exclaimed Hammond, but Carter understood.
"She's dialled back out by now, hasn't she," she said to O'Neill.
"Yes."
"Is my father with her?"
"Probably, but not against his will."
"I see." Her voice was like stone and her glare, unwavering. O'Neill found it difficult to meet her eyes, yet he refused to look away. It was Carter who broke eye contact as she turned to rush from the Gateroom, pushing through the gathered soldiers and almost knocking one to the ground in her retreat.
*****************************
Five minutes later Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond stood in the office of the latter, facing each other across the desk. Hammond seemed to have calmed slightly on the way up from the Gateroom.
"What the hell were you thinking, Jack? Do you realise how serious this is?"
"Yes, sir, of course I do. But I'm not sorry I did it. That kid needed help and I gave it. Court martial me if you have to but whatever punishment I get it'll be nothing compared to what Murphy would've had to endure if we sent her back where she came from. You know as well as I do why Maybourne was back here. He would've taken her regardless of whether we had signed a piece of paper or not and there would've been nothing you or I could've done to stop him."
Hammond rubbed his eyes and settled back into his chair, gesturing for O'Neill to do the same.
"So you and Jacob decided to take matters into your own hands?"
"More or less," said the Colonel. "Jacob's taken her to join the Tok'ra, where I think you'll agree she'll fare better than at the hands of whatever operation she was working for. She was reluctant when I first put the idea to her, but relented later on. I think she knew this was her last chance."
"That's understandable, Colonel, but why all the dramatics? Why didn't you inform me of this?"
"Would you have let us go through with it?"
Hammond sighed and looked away.
"Ya see? That's why we didn't tell anyone. This breaks every rule in the book, General. You would never have agreed to it if you'd known and even if you had, we couldn't risk jeopardising your career by letting you in on it." O'Neill paused and added quietly. "That's why I didn't tell Carter. She's probably lost all respect for me and never wants to speak to me again but at least her hands are clean."
He continued, "We needed a diversion to get her through the gate with Jacob without anyone getting in their way. It was Murphy who came up with the idea of using Maybourne. Although I can't say I objected too much to the idea."
"And what if she'd killed him? Who would take responsibility then, Colonel?"
"She didn't kill him and I don't believe that was ever her intention. But if she had then I would take full responsibility. General, I realise that I am in no position to ask favours from you right now, but we're the only two people who know about this. I guess what I'm asking is for you not to tell Maybourne or anyone else that she's with the Tok'ra. Don't make their job any easier. Punish me if you must, but at least give her a chance."
The room was silent as Hammond considered what O'Neill had just told him. Jack waited patiently for his answer.
"I hope you realise the position you've put me in, Jack."
"I do, General and I apologise."
Hammond paused again. "I am going to have to send a team after her."
O'Neill held his breath.
"But of course our resources are limited. I doubt we'd be able to keep up the search for more than a couple of days."
O'Neill felt the beginnings of a grin take hold of his face.
"And in addition to that we have absolutely no idea where she might have gone."
"And Maybourne?"
"Well, he knows as much of the situation as we do. The prisoner escaped with a General Carter as a hostage. There was nothing we could have done to prevent it."
"And...me?" asked the Colonel with a little more apprehension.
"As I remember events, Colonel O'Neill you tried to talk Murphy into releasing her hostage and surrendering. I don't believe that is an offence that demands a court martial."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." O'Neill expelled a sigh of relief.
"But I wouldn't consider myself off the hook yet if I was you. I think there's still someone who needs an explanation from you. And I don't think that person is going to be quite as lenient as I was," warned the General.
The grin disappeared from Jack's face as he remembered Carter.
"You go talk to her, Jack. That's an order. Dismissed."
O'Neill rose and left the office, heading to where he knew Carter would be. He reached her lab in a matter of minutes, slightly breathless after running all the way. He had been eager to explain things to her, but now that he was here, he didn't have a clue what he was going to tell her. When he had told General Hammond that they were the only two people who knew the t about where Murphy had gone, he had been well aware that this wouldn't be the case for long. He had to tell Carter. She had a right to know and he had no intentions of keeping her in the dark. His main reason for not informing her beforehand was to prevent her from risking her career as he had. General Carter had agreed. Jack knew that some might say she had the right to make an informed choice, that she should've been given all the facts beforehand, but he also knew that Sam would've gone along with his plan if he had asked her. He had led her into contravening direct orders before, at the risk of a court martial and she had followed, not because he had ordered her, not even through blind loyalty, but because she trusted him and respected him. He had never wanted to betray that trust. Now it looked as though he'd gone ahead and done just that, without even realising it. An instinct suddenly gripped him to just turn and leave. How the hell could he tell her what he had done? When he considered it from Sam's point of view all he saw was the fact that he had deceived her for the benefit of another. But he had to make her understand that would do at least that must for her. In fact, if he ever thought that Carter's life were in danger the risks he would take would be far greater. Of course he could never tell her that part. His courage failed. he turned and began walking back up the corridor, ignoring the glances of passing personnel, curious at his nervous behaviour. A voice behind halted him in his tracks.
"Did you want to speak to me, Colonel?"
He turned back and regarded her carefully. She was still angry, but at least she was willing to talk.
"Sam, I have to explain....."
"Yeah, I'd certainly agree with that.....sir." She added the salutation as an afterthought, realising that she was bordering on insubordination.
O'Neill glanced around, suddenly aware of the heightened interest their exchange was creating amongst passers-by. This would fuel the gossip in the commissary for another week at least.
"Maybe we should continue this inside, Carter," he said gesturing to her lab. Bingo! Another week of speculation right there. The major stood aside and O'Neill walked past her into the room. She followed him and once inside walked around to the other side of her desk, where she stood with arms crossed in front of her. He wasn't quite sure where to start, but thought than an apology was probably his best option.
"Sam, I know that you must feel as if I've betrayed you and I suppose in a way I have. But that wasn't what I intended and I'm sorry that you were hurt by what happened. You have no idea how sorry."
"Well then why don't you explain it to me, sir."
"We had to get her out of here, Carter."
"And my dad was her way out?"
"Actually that much was Jacobs idea. He didn't think it would be a good idea for you to know about it. And I had to agree with him on that one."
"So you just let me believe his life was in danger? What did you think I would do, sir? Go snitching to the General?"
"No! I never thought that for a second. Just the opposite in fact, but I didn't want to put you in the position of having to cover up for me."
She looked at him for a second as if trying to gauge exactly what he was thinking and then smiled tiredly.
"For what its worth I understand why you did what you did," said Carter and in response to her CO's raised eyebrows she continued, "Murphy needs a second chance, sir. I still don't like her and I don't think I'll ever trust her, but she does need another shot. I just hope she uses it wisely."
O'Neill nodded and took a breath before asking, "So what happens now?"
"What happens? With what?"
"Well can we go back to how things were? Lies have been told, secrets kept. I've let.... I've let people down. So where do we go from here?"
Carter sighed and shook her head. "This is all too much. I'm not used to all this conspiracy and deception. We've always been open with each other," she said, walking round the desk to where he stood, and then added, "All of us. A team can't work if they hide things from one another, Colonel."
"I know that, major."
She now stood between him and the desk, her arms hung at her sides. For some reason the proximity, unnerved him.
"Can you promise me it won't happen again?" He felt himself leaning forward and struggled to stop himself.
"I promise," he said quietly and hoped that it was the t.
*********************************
Later that night, Jack O'Neill stood in the Gateroom watching as the vortex gushed forward to signal once again the opening of the wormhole; a sight he had seen a million times, yet one that never failed to amaze him. SG-13 walked down the ramp, each member saluting the Colonel as they passed. O'Neill returned the salutes casually. They had been sent to carry out a thorough search of the planet Murphy and General Carter had gated to, but their search had obviously been fruitless as was expected. O'Neill stood staring at the wormhole until it vanished and even afterwards at the dormant Gate.
"Wondering where she is?" Hammond's voice startled him. He'd thought the General had gone home long ago, with the rest of the personnel from the day shift. The base was calm and still with only the skeleton staff on for the graveyard watch, but Jack had found it hard to leave.
"Yeah, I'm wondering."
"Don't you think she can take care of herself?"
"Well I know she'd kick any aliens ass that tried to take her on." O'Neill chuckled quietly and then added, "But there's more to it than that."
"How much more?"
"I don't know, she'd only tell me so much. But she's damaged, General." He turned away from the Gate and started walking toward the huge metal blast doors. "I hope the Tok'ra can help her."
"Well, I guess we'll never know for sure," said Hammond, following him. "Afterall she can never come back here and she can't exactly join the delegation of Tok'ra that we deal with. She's just going to have to disappear."
Jack paused and turned once more to look at the huge Naquada ring, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, ya know what General? Nothing disappears. It just goes where you can't see it." A smile spread over his face as he left the room. " Yeah, something tells me that girls gonna turn up when you least expect it."
The blast doors closed behind Colonel Jack O'Neill and General George Hammond, leaving the Gateroom vacant and hushed. The morning would bring with it the usual activity of technicians and scientists and airmen and officers, but they were all just playing by ear. They planned and they projected and they hypothesised, but none of them knew what lay in store. That was the nature of the Stargate. And the future was an undiscovered universe.
THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Laura Harper ( who craves feedback )
Story Notes: Authors notes: Its been ages since I've posted this the first time round so now I've finished it all I'll just post everything over the next few days. Thanks to those who beta'd for me at various times, Ann, Kris and Efrat and especially AQ :)
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]