The four of them had been sitting around staring at it for what felt like hours. It didn't do anything but sit there- a small wooden box in the middle of the briefing room table. It was like they expected it to open by the sheer force of their combined wills.
Teal'c spoke first, "MajorCarter, do you not think it would be wise to transport this item to your lab for further study?"
Jonas nodded in agreement, "There isn't any marking on it at all that would help us to determine who, or what, left it behind. Or for what purpose."
"I just hope there isn't any sort of auto-destruct that will activate if I try to force it open. But, we're not getting anywhere this way either," Sam started to reach for the box as she stood.
"Not so fast, Major. This thing was left for me, and I'm going to carry it wherever it needs to go," Jack stated rather possessively.
Sam, Teal'c and Jonas shared a look as Colonel O'Neill tucked the box under his arm and walked out of the room toward Sam's lab.
As Teal'c watched with his zat handy, Sam tried any way she could think of to get that stupid box open! No element know to man (at least on earth or a few of the other dozens of planets that they visited) was strong enough to force the box open. She finally threw up her arms in desperation, "I give up!" What/whoever had made this thing didn't want it to be easy to get into.
Always trying to see the bright side, Jonas offered, "At least we know it won't self destruct if we try to open it."
The glare Sam sent his way might have been the best weapon they had against whatever that thing was made of. "I'm going to get some coffee."
Teal'c lowered his zat, "I will now leave to meditate."
Jonas left the lab in search of some fruit, and Jack was left alone with his box and his thoughts- yes, his thoughts. Couldn't he even go away for a week without something alien happening to him anymore? He had been at the cabin, cleaning out some old papers and pictures- things he hadn't dared to look at for almost 10 years. Pictures of his family, or rather, the family he had then; old awards; letters; stuff from a different life. As he searched through the last drawer in what used to be Char...- in the guest room- he found this box. Plain and simple, but he couldn't open it. It felt, well, different somehow, and so he cut his trip short and brought the box back to base. He couldn't imagine who- or what, as Jonas had pointed out- had left him this thing, and why? In a place he wouldn't really have found it, that is if he hadn't been thinking about a certain major he knew. What was it about her that made him want to put the past in the past, and not in a stuff-it- away-don't think-about-it-ever-again kind of way. It was more of a put-it-where-it- belongs-and-in-perspective kind of way that he felt when he thought about his future. Or rather a future that he envisioned with her, when he thought about the future, which wasn't often. Or thought about her, which was often. As his mind wandered in the general direction of her, a grin appeared on his face at precisely the moment when she...
"Something amusing, Sir?" She liked to see him smile, and it didn't happen often.
"No. Nothing. Not at all. Just thinking about... nothing." He had a hard time getting rid of the smile on his face, especially when she was shooting one right back at him.
"Well, I was. Thinking, that is. And I wondered if you could be a little more specific about how and where you found this. It might give me a clue as to its purpose."
"I thought its purpose was to drive you crazy, Carter."
"Sir, if that's true, then it might just be working."
Jack sat down on a stool, "There's nothing much to tell really. I was going through some old stuff. Found it in a drawer. It felt kind of weird, so I brought it back."
"Ok, but can you tell me where it was in relation to other things- like was it in the kitchen cabinet, for example? And what do you mean it felt weird?"
He was quiet all of a sudden, but he knew she was right. They didn't have anything to go on, so any information he had might be important. He was glad this was just her, "I found it in a drawer in Charlie's old room. It was beneath some old pictures and letters. I honestly don't know what possessed me to look at that stuff, " Nice lie, Jack- keep it up, and maybe you'll convince yourself, "but there it was. When I first touched it, I just remember thinking that it wasn't like anything I had ever felt before. Then when I saw it, there was a feeling of déjà vu all of a sudden. But I swear to god, I've never seen it before, so how is that possible?" He was obviously frustrated at not being able to reconcile his feelings about the box and what his senses were telling him. He ran his hands through his hair, and just waited for her to come up with the answer. Like always.
"It's obviously made of something that we haven't encountered before. Maybe even from the future. That would explain your sense of déjà vu about it, and why we can't seem to use any of our technology to open it. You know, that really could be it. This thing could be from the future!"
He watched with awe and semi-amusement as her eyes grew big and that look came over her. It was the one he loved the most, although he was sure there were other looks he would love more, if given the chance. "Carter, are you telling me that you think this thing was planted by someone in the future in my cabin for me to find now? Don't you think that's a little far fetched even for, well, even given everything we've seen?"
"No, Sir, I don't. And I'm not saying 'someone'- I'm saying you left it for you to find now."
"Why would I do that? Wouldn't I just leave myself a note, or at least the combination to open this thing?" "Maybe, maybe not. If you were you- well, you are you- but pretend you are a future you. Why would you put something in a box that was impossible to open?"
"To get you to look at it." He blurted it out without even thinking. Damn! The problem was, the minute he said it, they both knew it was true. The only reason he would make something this hard would be so that she would have to figure it out. Double damn!
"OK, so I'm looking at it. But I can't figure it out, so that probably means that I need your help. Maybe that's why you didn't want to let it out of your sight. Some future part of you knows that we have to figure this out together." Could this get any weirder?
"So, what- I just say 'open sesame' and the box pops open?"
At that moment, the box popped open. They just looked at each other with huge eyes and a little bit of fear. This was uncanny, to say the least. They both leaned over the table to peer inside. A folded up envelope that had been sealed was all that was inside.
"It's your box, Sir, so you should do the honors."
He reached inside and pulled out the envelope. He unfolded it to reveal the intended recipient's name, scrawled in his handwriting- Sam. He handed it wordlessly to her.
"I don't know if we should be going any further without..." She didn't know how to finish that sentence. Did she really want General Hammond in here to see whatever was written in the letter that the envelope presumably contained?
"It's for you- I think you should open it." Nervous didn't begin to describe how he felt. He had written dozens of letters to her already- all shredded and recycled now- imagine what a future him had to say. Hell, they could be married, engaged, who knows??
She looked from the envelope to him and back again. Gently, she began to open it and unfolded the page that was written in his unmistakable writing:
Dear Sam,
If you are reading this, then at least there is hope. If this is someone else, I'll have to kill you when I find you. If all went as planned, then we should have already gotten the note that we sent back in time through the Stargate warning ourselves to stay off of the planet where the Aschen were. If we didn't get that note, make sure we don't go there-ever.
Assuming it's really you reading this and that all happened, I guess you figured out that I left this box for myself to find. You also probably know that we had to work together to figure out how to open it. So, maybe not all of the Aschen technology was bad- this voice-activated lock thingy worked pretty well, right? At any rate, I felt like my old self should be there when you read this note written by the "new" me that now won't ever exist. At least not like how I know me now, I hope. Wow, is this confusing. But, I've had some time to think about it, and here it is in a nutshell.
You see, when the Aschen first came with their miracle cures, I doubted them. I was the only one. Even you believed what they were selling- of course, you falling for the Ambassador to the Aschen didn't help either. You married him, Sam, and you have no idea how that hurt. Well, I guess you do now. We didn't speak from that time until yesterday, when you came to ask for my help to send the note back in time. You and Janet finally figured out that the Ashen were trying to end humanity with their sterility drug. When you told me you couldn't have kids, a part of me died. I guess I had always hoped that if you had kids, they would be mine. But knowing there wouldn't be any little blond-haired, blue-eyed scientists in the future... Well, it made me get past the pain of you not believing in me then and decide to help you- us- now. I guess there's a part of me that still hopes that we can be an "us" in the future. Well, in the future of my past.
So, that's it. I figured if I knew anything about me, it was that I would never say anything to you about how I felt. And now I know that not saying anything caused you to go to somebody else- in a way, it caused the end of our planet. Or rather, it would have, if we hadn't worked together to send the note back. And if we hadn't worked together to open this box. I guess that says it all- if we aren't together, the world really does stop. And I want our world to go on forever.
Love,
Jack
P.S. If you feel the same way, even a little, just ask me to retire. I already have a resignation letter signed in my top dresser drawer underneath my lucky Simpsons boxers.
She couldn't believe it. But she could at the same time. She always had this feeling that they had to be together. Not just for themselves, but for something bigger than either of them. Now here it was. Proof that they were- what?!?!- destined for each other? Not a very scientific explanation, but since when was love scientific? Is that what this feeling was? Love? Did his future self just offer to retire his past self so that they could... have kids? Oh my god! OH MY GOD!
How long was it going to take her to read this freakin' letter? What the hell did he write, anyway? Well, she wasn't running away screaming- that had to be good, right?
"Is your door open?" She barely whispered the question.
"Door to what?" What the hell was she talking about?
"Door to your quarters- is it open?" She was getting impatient and jumped off her chair and made a dash for the hall before he even answered. She ran blindly to his room- knocking a few people over in the process, but she really didn't care. He followed just a few steps behind- knocking the same people over. Couldn't they just move?!?!
She flung the door open and looked for the dresser. Finding it, she started to lose her resolve. She had to know if it was there. If it was... well, first thing's first. She could hear him coming behind her, and turned around to lock him out. That would buy her enough time.
He pounded on the door, "Carter! Open up!" He reached into his pocket for the keys, but they were in her lab. Damn! He started to run back. God help those people if they were still in the hall.
She opened the top drawer. It felt odd to be going through her CO's drawers, literally. There they were- the Simpsons were unmistakable in any form, especially cotton boxers. So, guess he's not a briefs kind of guy, she smiled to herself. 'Enough, Sam! Just look a little deeper,' she gasped as she saw the corner of a single sheet of paper. Afraid and thrilled at the same time, she heard a key in the door. Time was running out. She could either pull out the paper and change their lives, hell, apparently the world, or close the drawer and come up with some excuse. An alien virus maybe? No, tried that already.
In the split second that the door opened, she made her decision. He walked in, out of breath, more than a little irritated, and saw her standing in front of his dresser. Why was the top drawer open? Why were his boxers on top? What was she holding in her hand? Oh my god! OH MY GOD! "How did you know..."
"You told me. Or rather the future you told me. You said that if I felt the way about you that you do about me, even a little, then you would resign."
"So that we could be together." It was a statement, not a question.
"Apparently, the future you wants me to have your children in the present, or in the future of the present, actually. You even hope they are scientists." She smiled as their eyes locked, both realizing the full meaning of the situation.
"Who am I to argue with myself?" And with that, he took the letter of resignation and walked toward General Hammond's office.
Guess they really were lucky boxers after all.
Story Notes: Hope you like it!
Feedback: Welcomed
Date: 10-9-2002
Feedback: Welcomed
Date: 10-9-2002
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 ]