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Story Notes: Thread of Destiny - 08 - Please do not post or distribute this story without the author's permission. Copyright by Blue Topaz, 2002


"*Confirmed, Sir. There is a bomb inside the generator.*"

Damn, damn, damn. How could this have happened? After Wagner (or Mills) told me about the bomb, I ran like crazy to the control room, still hoping that it was some kind of bad joke.

"*The timer shows 19.04 and counting down, O'Neill.*"

"Copy that, Teal'c." Davis put the time on the computer.

"*Sir, you have to disconnect the Stargate, I could open a wormhole to another planet and send the generator there. We can't let the bomb go off here, it would form a chain reaction with the naquada in the soil and the whole planet ...*"

"We know that Carter. Just hang in there for a sec, we lost control over the computer. We'll try to disengage it manually, but somehow I doubt that Wagner forgot to bypass that one too."

"*How long before the gate disengages on it's own?*"

I check the computer, "Just 5 seconds before the bomb goes, Teal'c. You guys won't have time to dial out."

"*I see ... I'll take a closer look at the bomb Sir, see what I can do about it.*"

" Be careful."

Siler in the gateroom gives me a signal, the manual disengagement isn't working. No surprise there. Some computer geeks are working around the computer, trying to break into Wagner's new program while Hammond is on the phone to the president in his office, informing him about our situation. I shake my head in disbelief, what else can we do? Wagner clearly prepared this carefully, there aren't any holes in his plan. Daniel stands next to me.

"Jack, what does Wagner really want?"

"I honestly don't know, revenge maybe. He thought that I was responsible for the death of Catherine Mills."

"Who's Catherine Mills?" Daniel asked, confused.

Wait, what's his relation to her. As far as I know, Catherine wasn't married and she was an only child, yet Wagner confessed that he has the same name as her. Hammond and I ran a background check on him recently, and the results came normally, much to my dismay. Major Edwin Wagner does exist. I need to talk to Wagner again, but I can't leave the control room. I need to be here, to be as close as possible to the gate.

"Jack, who's Catherine Mills?" Daniel asks the question again.

"I'll tell you later, Daniel." I look for an SF, ah, there's one, "Airman, bring Major Wagner here under heavy guard. If he tries something funny, shoot him on sight. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

Davis calls me, "Sir, there's good news and bad news."

"Let's hear it."

"The bad news is that we can't get the control back yet."

I sigh, I know that this is bad.

"What about the good news?" Daniel asks.

"After this wormhole disengages, the program Major Wagner put in our computer will expire. The computer will function normally as before."

Of course, he only needed those 38 minutes when the wormhole was produced in the first place.

"*Sir, are you there?*" Carter's voice. I grab the mike quickly.

"Yeah, go ahead."

"*The bomb is not really powerful, Sir. But it's fused to the generator core. I'm going to try to separate them.*"

That sounds familiar.

"Wait, tell me what the bomb looks like."

"*Sir?*"

"Tell me what the bomb looks like."

"*Okay ... let's see. It's a small black box ... digital clock for the timer ... seven wires connect the box and the core ... silver line on the top of the box ...*"

Silver line? Please let me be wrong.

"Carter, check the bottom of the box. See if there's any writing there."

"*Hold on a second ... yes, there's some writing there. I'll try to read it, Sir. It's upside down.*"

She doesn't have to do that. I know what the writing is, "3N5M"

"*Yes, Sir. How did you know?*" She sounds surprised.

The Silver Feline. Or that was what Catherine used to call it, it was her baby. A small explosive, not harmful on its own but you can hook it to anything, like a nuke head and set it off. Really useful in a sabotage mission, but extremely hard to disarm.

"Listen to me, don't, I repeat DON'T try to separate them, understood."

She hesitates a little before answering, "*Understood, Sir.*"

"Davis, see if we can receive a visual from the MALP."

Hammond and Wagner decide to arrive almost at the same time.

"Colonel, what's he doing here?" the General is not happy having Wagner here.

I shot Wagner a look, "Sir, I need to ask some questions of him. I believe it would help us with dealing with the matter at hand, Sir."

"I see. Any news?"

"The computer's still out cold, we cannot disengage the wormhole and we got ..." I look at the computer, " 10.16 before the bomb goes off."

He sighs, "Any good news?"

"I think Jack knows what kind of bomb it is." Daniel provides some comfort.

"You do?"

"Yes, Sir. It's called the Silver Feline. Lt. Catherine Mills, a member of my old team back in the Black Ops days, designed it."

"Can you disarm it, Colonel?"

"Yes, Sir. But I have to have a visual to do that." I turn my head towards Davis, "Sgt., how's the visual coming?"

Davis's face falls, "I'm sorry, Sir. But I could not get the visual. When I tried to do it, somehow the computer sent a signal and disabled the camera instead."

God, please help me. I couldn't leave her out there to die.

"I knew you could disarm it Colonel. Did you really think that I wouldn't consider that?" Wagner decides to rub salt into my wound.

Who is he anyway? Who the Hell does he think he is?

"Wagner, or Mills, whichever you prefer, what is it that you really want? I'm sure blowing up Carter and Teal'c is not your ultimate purpose." I could kill him with my bare hands right now, but half of my team is still out there.

"What I want? It's simple. I want you to suffer ... a lot ... I've been watching you, you know. I know what your weaknesses are. Your team is important to you, but Major Carter is different. She's ... special to you." He did this just to get to me, he knows how I feel about her. He continues, "Her death will haunt you forever, like your son's did. She's my main target, Teal'c is just ... a bonus. You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself, once again someone you love is dead, and you're the one who's causing it. Life will be unbearable for you."

I feel numb.

"Why? Why would you do this? What has it got to do with Catherine?"

He softened as he said, "Catherine is ... my sister. She's the one whom I love the most. While most people come and go, only a few people stand by you, and for me, it will always be her. She's my everything ... but you took her away from me."

"Snap out of it Wagner. She's a soldier. Even you are a soldier. Everytime we go on a mission, we know the risk."

"If she died as a soldier, then I would of accepted it. But she's didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"She wrote me a letter. Just before she went to her last mission."

"And?"

"She told me everything. About you and about ... her feelings."

I know this is one of the reasons why he hates me so much. I knew back then that Catherine had feelings for me, but I was happily married with Sara and I had Charlie. Besides, she was my subordinate. I requested her to be transferred into another team, her last mission was supposed to be our last mission together.

"She found out that you were going to transfer her to another team, and she was broken-hearted. She told me in that letter that she couldn't bear the thought of loosing you. So ... she ..."

Suddenly, it's all making sense right now. "She was making sure that the mission would be her last mission." I ordered her to disarm a bomb, she said that she could do it. So she went inside the compound where the bomb was while the rest of my team stood guard outside. And then the bomb blew off and killed her instantly. At that time, the thought of her commiting suicide was beyond me.

"Yes, you forced her to do that." Wagner's eyes accused me with anger.

"I did what I had to do."

"Don't make me laugh. It's that what you and Major Carter are doing right now."

"It's different." I almost shouted.

"Tell me how it's different?"

I couldn't find a single word to say. She's just different.

"Uhm, Jack. I think you'll want to know this. We have a visual." Daniel interrupts.

"We do?" I am taken aback. Relief that there is a chance to finish this off.

"Yeah."

I quickly go to the computer, couldn't care less about Wagner right now.

"Where is it?"

"We have to wait for the device from Sam's lab."

"Come again?"

"We couldn't fix the MALP, but Sam brings extra equipment with her. She's waiting for your instructions."

I turn on the mike, "Carter, try to open the black box. Carefuly."

I wait anxiously.

"*Done, Sir.*"

"Now, send me the visual of the inside part of the box."

"*Yes, Sir. Is the device ready yet?*"

"Daniel?"

"Not yet. Siler will be here in a moment."

"Not yet, Carter. Just wait a moment."

"*Okay. Sir, you have to put the device as close as possible to the gate.*"

"Got it."

I see Siler carrying something into the control room, and I approach him and take it from him straight away. Hold on a minute.

"Are you sure this is the right device, Siler?" he looks at the device that is now in my hand.

"I'm pretty sure, Sir. Major Carter was quite specific when she asked for it."

Jeez, I never do understand scientists. I shake my head and head down to the gateroom, taking a headpiece communication radio on the way.

"Carter, I got the device. Are you sure it's the right device?"
"*It's the right one Sir. Now, you have to activate the infrared. If you go into the menu, look for infrared, and then just select it.*"

I fiddle with all the buttons, "Done, now what should I do?"

"*Try to hold it still around the center of the gate where the iris meets.*"

I do as she says, and then there's something flashing on the screen of the ... device, "Carter, I think it's working, it says 'Receiving Picture'."

"*It might take some time before the picture transfer is complete, Sir.*"

"Okay, hey, do you have the same ... device as I have?"

"*Yes, Sir.*"

"Tell me then, why do you feel it necessary to bring a cell phone off-world? It is a cell phone, isn't it?" She never ceases to surprise me.

"*Sir, it's not any cell phone. It's the new Nokia 7650, it has a built-in digital camera, GPRS, and some other features that I added. After our last visit here, I think it's necessary for me to have my own camera, Sir ... the one that you are not aware of.*"

"We need to talk about this after you come back, Major." She will come back, the thought makes me smile.

"*Yes, Sir.*"

The phone is beeping, I guess the transfer is complete. Siler is right behind me with a laptop, and I look at him questioningly.

"Major Carter said that we need to upload the image into the laptop to get a bigger picture, Sir."

"Oh ..." I give him the cell phone right away. He connects the laptop and cell phone, and in a matter of seconds the picture comes out on the screen. Yep, I recognized it straight away as the Silver Feline.

"How much time before the gate disengages, Sgt.?"

He types something and the time appears at the top right corner of the laptop. We still have 05.53.

"Okay, Carter, listen to me carefully, do exactly what I tell you to do OK?"

"*Yes, Sir.*"

"Okay, here we go ... "

And I start to give her instructions. After a couple minutes, we're down to the last wire.

"Carter, make sure you don't cut the fine wire under the last black wire."

"*Yes, Sir. Let's get this done and over with.*" She sighs heavily. The radio has been on the whole time so I can hear her every breath. And then I hear a snap; the last wire is cut.

"*Sir ...*" Her voice is troubled.

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"*The countdown hasn't stopped.*"

"Are you sure?"

"*Positive.*"

It should've stopped. Catherine showed me how to do it herself. It should've stopped.

"*Major Carter, there's another wire hidden under the timer.*"

"*Let's see.*"

"What? What do you got there?" So, Wagner decides to add another extra to his bomb, huh?

"*There's another ... two wires, Sir. Red and Blue. What should I do, Sir?*"

I'm furious, I really am.

"Wait there, Carter. Don't do anything."

"*Understood.*"

I glance at the laptop, 03.45 left. I walk up to the control room, go straight to Wagner, grab and push him to the wall with only one arm.

"No games Wagner. Tell me how to stop it." I'm not screaming, but my voice is full of threat.

"Colonel ..." General Hammond snaps me out of my rage.

"Damn ..." Hurting him won't do any good, so I release my grip on him.

Wagner smiles victoriously, enjoying the way he makes me frustrated. "This is a classic situation, Colonel. You only have to cut one of those. Red or Blue. Which one is it?" He then continues his assault, "This is another one of your weaknesses. You can't stand not being in control. You don't like feeling helpless, but that's how you're feeling right now, isn't it?"

"*Sir, I hate to do this. But we're running out of time here.*"

Carter's voice. I was so caught up in dealing with Wagner, I almost forgot about the bomb. 01.48 seconds left.

"Carter ..."

"*Yes, Sir?*"

She trusts me and yet I can't help her. Wagner is right, I can't stand the feeling of being helpless. I close my eyes and try to calm my emotions.

"Sam ... "

I haven't called her that name for ages. Even when there's just the two of us, I never call her Sam, but I don't call her Major or Carter either. The same goes for her, I guess we're afraid that we would cross the fine line if we use our first names. No matter how much we wanted to. But now, I don't care.

"*Yes ...*"

I look up to the gate and pray.

"You choose. Just cut one."

She's been listening to my conversation with Wagner, and she knows that I have no idea on which wire to cut. She is silent for a while.

"*I'll cut it as soon as the gate disengages. I don't want to risk any radiation to SGC.*"

"Copy that."

I look at the timer.

01.03

"*General Hammond, Sir. Just in case we don't make it. I just want to say it's been an honor serving with you, Sir.*"

"*So do I, General Hammond.*"

"It is my honor too, Major, Teal'c"

00.48

"*Daniel, I'm glad that I had the chance to know you. You're a great friend, the best I've ever had.*"

"Sam, don't talk like that. You'll be back, right? Or else, who's going to help me with all the military stuff?" Daniel is clearly distressed over the whole thing.

"*Daniel, I'm just saying. I never told you that before, did I? So, I just wanted you to know.*"

"*Daniel Jackson, it is my privilege to be considered one of your friends.*"

"Teal'c, I ..." Daniel starts to protest, but when I touch his arm, he concedes, "it is my honor to know you too."

00.31

"*O'Neill. Thank you for giving me the chance to fight against the Ghoa'uld. I truly am grateful to have known you.*"

"Back at ya, T."

I could almost see him bow his head.

00.26

"*Jack ... I ...*" she trails off. She used my first name. I look at the gate, wishing that I was on the other side of the giant ring, giving her some comfort.

"Hey, I know ... don't worry."

"*Bye ...*"

"Not yet, Carter." Not yet.

00.14

Davis announces, "The Gate will disengage in ... "

00.10

"Ten,"

I couldn't take my eyes off the gate.

"Nine,"

God, what would I do if ...

"Eight,"

"*Wish me Luck, Guys.*"

"Seven,"

"Good Luck, Sam." Daniel whispers.

"Six,"

Please don't take her away for me. Not like this.

"Five,"

"I don't think that this is her lucky day." Wagner sneers.

"Four,"

I shoot him a vicious glare.

"Three,"

But then it hits me.

"Two,"

//Start Flashback// "*So, what's your color, Major?*" //End Flashback//

"One,"

//Start Flashback// "...*Named him Al, short for Albert, after Albert Einstein, my dad bought him for me as my birthday present. After that, I always had a thing for red, it's my lucky color.*" //End Flashback//

"Gate disengaged."

She will cut the red one and Wagner knows it.

"Four,"

Countdown for the bomb has started.

"Three,"

My eyes are still locked with Wagner.

"Two,"

"It's the red one, isn't it? It's a trap. You knew all along that she's going for the red one."

"One,"

"Nice of you to notice."

"Zero."

"But it's too late."

-to be continued-




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