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Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 01

By: RibaldWriter



This story started out as a one shot fanfic piece to get Samantha Carter of SG-1 laid. Somehow, it morphed into a longer, much more involved effort.

This is a long story, all 7 parts are 560MB when joined. This story actually became therapy during a long period of unemployment.

I've taken the liberty of introducing new characters. I see Sigourney Weaver, circa the Avatar period, as Dr Andi Samuels, who is introduced in this chapter.

So sit back, let the story happen, and I hope you enjoy it.

(-)

Preface

While I enjoyed both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, I never cared for the way the writers handled Samantha Carter's sex life. At the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2 of SG-1, they started hinting at a relationship between Carter and Jack O'Niell, then snuffed it out as being against regulations. They made use of alternate dimensions and realities to carry that relationship along as the series progressed, and continued with that tease up through Season 7, when Richard Dean Anderson asked to be written out and stepped aside. 

Carter had 2 other short lived relationships, but her sexuality was always suppressed as the storyline continued. 

This story started out as a Stargate Atlantis fanfic sex story to give Samantha Carter a little sexual gratification, but has morphed into an alternate universe story. The story opens with a strong sexual theme, but that tapers off a bit as the story progresses. The sex will continue, just slightly reduced, with more emphasis on the storyline.

For the fun of it, the storyline has been updated so events are occurring in the present day, so you'll see some current technology that may not have been in the original series. 

This interlude takes place following the events of Be All My Sins Remember'd, Season4/Episode11.

The Asuran/Replicator planet has been destroyed, the Wraith/Traveller/Atlantis alliance has broken up, and business is as usual in the Pegasus galaxy.

During a routine staff meeting, Col. Samantha Carter passes out with no explanation. Dr. Keller examines her, and can find nothing obviously wrong physically, so she refers Carter to Atlantis' new resident psychiatrist, Dr. Andi Samuels, to search for other causes.

Which is where our story begins...

*****

Confirming Carter1 Part01

Day One

Interior-Dr. Andi Samuels Office

1500 Hours

"Oh, come in Col. Carter." Dr. Samuels said as she stepped aside and led Sam into her office. "I thought we'd do our first session on the balcony. I love the view of the ocean from there. Is that okay with you?"

"That's fine," Sam said as she followed the older woman out onto the deck. "I like the view too, and the sea air is soothing sometimes."

Dr. Samuels waved her toward a chair as she picked up a pitcher and poured two glasses, handing one to Sam, and taking a sip from the other. She sat her glass down and stepped over to the railing. Leaning over, she rested her forearms on the top rail and looked down at the base of the city almost a hundred stories below her.

"So tell me Colonel, how many episodes have you had like the one that has Jennifer is such a tizzy?" she asked.

Sam took a sip from her glass, barely avoiding choking as she tasted it. It was a margarita, and a strong one at that. She took another big sip, and sat the glass on the table.

"That was the fir..."

"Oh, that's bullshit, and we both know it." Dr Samuels laughed as she turned and looked at Carter. "I've read your file. The real one, not the parsed version you submitted to the IOA when they selected you for this position. I could review everything you've been subjected to over the last eleven years, but I doubt if you'd like to sit and listen to that list. Again." 

She stepped over to the table and picked up her glass, taking a big sip from it as she looked at Sam.

"You work in what could kindly be called a high stress job, and with your Type-A personality, you never back off, and never take time off. So the pressure just builds up. If I was to hazard a guess, I'd say you've been losing it two, maybe three times a year, for at least the last three years. You've just been lucky that it's usually happened when you were alone, and you never hurt yourself too seriously when it's happened." 

"Five and five," Sam said quietly, staring down at her drink. "It's been happening closer to five times a year for the last five years."

Samuels nodded. "How long do the episodes last? Do they last about the same amount of time, or have they been getting longer?"

"I...it usually only lasts a couple of minutes, and they seem to be consistent. I remember what I was doing when I go out, and I come to my senses pretty quickly afterward."

"Good, we got to the honesty faster than I thought we would." Samuels said, walking over and picking up the pitcher. "Now empty that glass, and let me give you a refill. It's not too strong is it?"

"No, it's fine," Sam said, taking a big pull from her drink. "But I wasn't aware that alcohol was typically used in therapy." She drained the glass, and held it out for Samuels to refill.

"Special cases, call for special tactics." Samuels smiled. "I figured that a few drinks would relax you, and loosen your tongue. Either that or I'd get you so drunk I could seduce you."

Samuels' comment took Carter completely by surprise. She coughed into her drink, barely avoiding spraying it all over herself. 

"Wh...what, I don't...you can..."

"Relax, Colonel. I just wanted to see your reaction." Samuels said, sitting down across from Carter. "You're not very comfortable with sex, are you?"

"I like se..."

"Most people like sex, but that's not what I asked you. You're a very tight, self-controlled person, and that tells me that you don't like to be vulnerable. And our sexuality is where we're all at our most vulnerable."

"Okay," Carter said. "I'll give you that. But what has this got to do with anything?"

"A few more questions before I answer yours. First, when was the last time you had sex. With another person. Second, how often do you masturbate?"

Carter blushed, staring down into her drink. Raising her glass to her lips, she gulped down a third of it, paused, then drank another third before she sat the glass down on the table.

"Okay, so your last partner was that Shanahan guy, and that was what, 4 years ago?" Samuels said, picking up the pitcher and filling Sam's glass again. "And how often do you masturbate? Once, maybe twice a month?"

"More like two or three times a year." Carter said, folding her hands in her lap and looking at the floor.

"Jezzus, I'm surprised your head hasn't exploded yet! The amount of sheer sexual tension you have bottled up in you is enough to kill a Klingon! You throw all the other shit you've been through on top of that, and it's amazing that you can even function, much less at the level you obviously do." 

Carter laughed, looking up at Samuels, realizing that she liked this woman. Her bluntness was a refreshing change. She took another drink of her margarita, feeling the warm glow of an unaccustomed buzz flowing over her. She tapped the earpiece of her comm unit, and waited for the beep.

"Col. Sheppard?" she said when the mike went live.

"Go on Sheppard," came an immediate response.

"John, I'm going to be offline for the rest of the day." she said lightly. "I'll be in Dr. Samuels's office if you need me." She paused, then added. "And John, only extreme emergencies, please. You have my full authority to take any action you deem necessary. And tell Rodney that if he causes any trouble, I'll feed him to a Wraith."

"Yes, Maam," Sheppard replied. "We'll take care of everything. You want to take tomorrow off too?"

"I'll have to let you know about that. Carter out." She tapped the comm unit off, then pulled it from her ear, and slipped it into her breast pocket.

"That was quite a step you just took, Colonel," Samuels said lightly. "What brought that on?"

"You want the truth? I want to do that 3 or 4 times a day. Except for the big stuff, this place runs itself. It's the people that cause the problems." She paused, looking at Samuels. "And you're different than the other brain mechanics I've talked to. We both know I'm not happy, and have no idea what to do about it. But I get the impression that you might be able to offer me something the others haven't."

She looked around the patio, then looked back at Samuels. "Do you have someplace I can stretch out? I usually don't use alcohol, and these margaritas are starting to hit me. I'd like to relax and enjoy this while we talk."

"Sure," Samuels said as she stood up and walked toward the door. She led Carter inside, pointing at a wide, plush chaise off to one side of the room. "I think that chaise has your name all over it. But take your clothes off first, I have a gown you can wear. I want to do an examination anyway."

"What, no seduction?" Carter giggled.

"No, you're not ready for that yet. And I don't mean not drunk enough. We have to get you comfortable with pleasuring yourself before...let me get that gown. Go ahead and strip down, I'll be right back."

Carter sat down on the chaise, watching the other woman walking away as she unlaced her boots. She sighed happily as she pulled one, then the other off. Stuffing a sock into each boot as she pulled it off, she wiggled her toes in the thick carpet, then stood up, unbuttoning her pants and shimmying them down over her hips. She kicked one foot loose, and lifted her other leg so she could pull them off. Folding them neatly, she laid them on top of her boots at the foot of the chaise.

She opened the buttons on her fatigue blouse quickly, and was shrugging it off her shoulders when Samuels came back into the room.

"Old lady panties? Are you kidding me?" Samuels grinned as she came over, dropping a long cream colored gown across the foot of the chaise. She had changed into a loose purple lounging outfit that suited her nicely. "The sports bra is a nice touch though. Practical, but it does wonders for your tits. You're what, forty-one? I didn't look at your age in the file."

"What?" Carter gushed. "I'm thirty-six. And there's no way I look over forty. I workout, and eat right. I think I look pretty good."

"You do look good, you've got a great body just going to waste. But you do come across as the older school marm type. Which is probably why you attract the kind of men you do." Samuels said as she stepped over, taking Carter's wrist. She looked at her watch for a few seconds, then let her hand drop. "I guess that explains your lack of interest in sex though, the men you attract don't excite you, and the men that get your juices flowing are off limits."

She stepped back, looking Carter up and down slowly. "Turn around, Colonel." She said softly. "Arms out, legs shoulder width apart."

"How about you just call me Sam?" she said as she turned. "People who see me like this usually do."

"Okay, Sam. You can call me Dr. Samuels." She laughed when Carter looked back over her shoulder at her. "I'm just messing with you. You can call me Andi if you want, that's what most of my friends call me."

She stepped closer, running her hands over Sam's shoulders, out over her arms, then moving them around to pinch the soft swell of her stomach. "You can put your arms down now. You have good definition in your upper body. It's lean muscle from working, not bulky from lifting weights. Very sexy. Go ahead and take your panties off."

Sam reached down and started pushing her panties down over her hips, then froze, gasping as Samuels' hands came up, cupping and squeezing her breasts through her bra.

"Relax Sam, it's just part of the exam." Samuels said softly. She leaned closer, her lips brushing her ear as she slipped her hands under the tight sports bra, cupping Sam's bare breasts in her hands. "But while we're on the subject, have you ever had sex with another woman?"

"N...no." Sam panted, pushing her panties the rest of the way down, and kicking them off to one side. 

"That's interesting. Most of my colleagues, and quite a few of yours, think you're a lesbian." She molded Sam's breasts in her hands, feeling the weight, shape and consistency. Her fingers eased up and pinched the nipples, tracing lazy circles around the areoles. The spiky buds of Sam's nipples stiffened slowly as Andi pinched and teased them.

"Okay," she said, releasing Sam's breasts and stepping back. "Lose the bra and turn around, arms down at your sides."

Sam pulled the bra over her head, dropping it on top of her panties on the floor. She turned around, standing in front of Andi as instructed. 

"Not bad." Andi said lightly. "You're a very attractive woman, Sam. Your breasts are still firm, and don't sag at all. Your nipples are pink, the areoles small and symmetrical. You've never had children, or nursed, have you?"

"No. And I wasn't planning on it." Sam said tightly. "I...I'm not good with children." She paused. "To be honest, I really don't like them. And the idea of having to take care of one all the time, well, it makes me nauseous."

"I can understand that." Andi said. "I feel the same way, and I have two. Alright, onwards and upwards. Put your hands behind your head, and turn in a slow circle."

Sam put her hands behind her head, and turned slowly, watching Andi as she moved over and sat on the edge of the chaise. She stopped when she was facing Andi again.

"That was interesting." She said, waving Sam closer. She reached up, cupping her hand over her close cropped mons, her fingers dipping between the fleshy lips of her pussy. She detected barely a hint of moisture. "Dry as a politician wit." She muttered to herself. 

"Okay Sam, let's trying something else, lift your left leg, but keep your toes on the floor. Put your right hand on your hip, and your left hand on the side of your head. And smile."

Sam did as instructed, then gasped as Andi raised a small camera and snapped a picture of her.

"Hey what do you thi..."

Andi was fiddling with the camera, not paying any attention to her. She tapped the screen on the back a few times, then pointed at a large monitor on the wall.

"What do you see there, Sam?" She asked as she looked at the image filling the screen.

Sam looked at the screen, gasping again at what she saw. Her image smiled back at her, captured in a classic centerfold pose. She'd never spent alot of time admiring herself, or even looking at her body in the mirror, especially naked, but the woman gazing back at her made her breath catch in her throat, and sent a flutter through her pussy.

"I see me. Naked."

"Is that all?"

"Yes...well, I think I...I think I look kind of hot."

"Yes, you do. Now spread your legs a little wider, put your hands on your hips, and shake your hair out, go for that wild look." She raised the camera and snapped another picture. "Okay, turn around and spread your legs, bend over and put your hands behind your knees." She waited as Sam got into position. "No, Sam! Relax! Look back at me between your legs and shake your ass at me! Pretend I'm a guy you're trying to get turned on!"

She snapped a couple more pictures as Sam did as she was told, then stood up and moved up behind her, kneeling and sitting the camera on the floor. She put one hand on Sam's asscheek, and brought the other up between her legs. She stroked her fingers lightly between the fleshy lips of her pussy, noting that they were now darker, and swollen with blood. Spreading the inner lips of Sam's pussy, she worked two fingers slowly inside her, smiling slightly as she felt the interior of her pussy tunnel dripping with moisture.

"Hmmmmm, does posing like this excite you, Sam?" She asked as she stroked her fingers gently in and out. "You were dry as a bone a few minutes ago, and now you're dripping like the prom queen giving it up to the star quarterback!"

"I...Ungh. Ye...yes, it does." Sam panted humping her ass back at Andi's probing fingers. "I nev...I didn't think...Oh god, Andi! I think I'm going to cum!"

"Go ahead, Sam. Let it happen." Andi said, gooshing her fingers faster in and out of her juicing pussy. "Touch your clit, Sam. Fuck yourself on my fingers and play with your clit. Let's go ahead and get you off since you're so close."

Sam moved her hands from behind her knees, one dropping to the floor to support herself, the other moving between her legs. She bent her knees, shifting her feet slightly, and started rocking back and forth, working her pussy onto the Andi's stiff fingers as she stroked her own fingers over the stiff nubbin of her clit. 

Andi watched as Sam masturbated furiously, humping her ass back to fuck herself on her probing fingers. She kept her hand still, letting Sam do all the work, knowing that she would find the best rhythm on her own.

Sam grunted, jamming herself back at Andi's fingers, her fingers a blur on her clit. She threw her head back and groaned as a powerful orgasm surged over her. Her legs shook, then collapsed, and she fell to her knees, her ass jerking back at Andi's embedded fingers frantically. Wave after wave of pleasure roared over her, filling her body with a warm glow. 

Andi watched her, noting her responses with almost clinical detachment. She was getting excited herself, and considered making an approach one day, but today she just wanted to get to know Sam, and see where they needed to go. She hadn't expected anything like what she'd seen so far. She was actually very pleased at how easy it had been to get the normally tight assed colonel to loosen up.

Raising up and supporting herself on her forearm, Sam ground her pussy back onto Andi's fingers, fucking herself furiously as she ground her clit under her fingertips. She was moving back steadily, inching backwards on her knees, trying to get Andi's fingers as deep inside her as she could. 

"Ungh! Oh god, Andi! Help me!" Sam panted as she jammed her pussy back onto Andi's fingers. "I...it's so...so good! Oh god! Oh please, Andi! Fuck me!"

Samuels grinned, and started moving her fingers in time with Sam's frantic movements. On an outstroke, she let her fingers slip from Sam's pussy, making her groan, but quickly put them back in, adding another finger. She started turning them slowly as she stroked them in and out, pressing them against the roof of her clasping cunt channel, stimulating her G-spot.

Sam jerked and grunted as the third finger stretched her pussy. She felt shuddering spasms pulsing out from under Andi's stroking fingers, a sensation she'd never experienced before. She started humping her ass up higher, trying to get her to do it harder, wanting the delightful sensations to continue.

"Wh...what are you doing to me?" She groaned, her ass working in tight circles around Andi's stroking fingers. "I...I've never felt anything like that before!"

"I'm rubbing your G-spot." Andi said softly. "You've never had a G-spot orgasm I take it?"

"N...No."

Andi put her hand on Sam's asscheek, slowing her humping motions. "Ease up, Sam. Stop moving for a minute. Keep rubbing your clit, but stay still if you can. Let's make you cum a different way."

Carter groaned, but complied with Andi's instructions. She let the movements of her ass slow to a stop, and spread her legs a little wider, rocking her hips up so her pussy was pointing up at Andi. Her fingers never slowed on her clit, and it took every ounce of willpower to keep from just fucking herself silly on the other woman's fingers.

"You normally wouldn't react like this, you know." Andi said lightly as she started rubbing her fingertips in slow circles over Sam's G-spot. "I put an Athosian herb in the margaritas. I've been told that it's a very powerful aphrodisiac, and judging from your responses, I'd say that it is."

Her fingers pressed harder against Sam's G-spot, and she felt the tiny gland swelling under her fingertips. She stroked over it gently, working her fingers from edge to edge, always returning to the center, and pressing harder there.


Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 01



Sam grunted and whined as Andi stroked the sensitive gland, her own fingers still grinding over her clit feverishly. She was stunned that Andi had drugged her without her knowledge, but was too far gone by this point to raise any objections. Gasping for breath, she surrendered to the sensations surging through her body.

Andi was steadily increasing the pressure on Sam's G-spot, her fingers working over the swollen gland in small, slow circles. Leaning over the writhing woman, she whispered in her ear. "Let's play a game, Sam. I'm going to say a name, and let's see how you react to them. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Sam didn't reply, but her pussy tightened around Andi's fingers.

"I'll take that as a yes. Okay, who shall we do first? How about Pete Shanahan?"

No reaction

"I expected as much. He was a safe diversion, wasn't he? And probably not much in the sack, I bet. Okay, let's go in a different direction this time." she paused, pressing her fingers firmly against Sam's G-spot and rubbing harder. "Teyla Emmagan."

Sam grunted, and her pussy tunnel spasmed around Andi's fingers.

"Hmmmm, the warrior woman revs your motor up, huh? Interesting. How, about Ro..."

"No..." Sam groaned. "Not him! Don't bring me down! Do someone else!"

"I was going to say Ronan Dex. I figured I'd get the aliens out of the way first." Andi laughed. "But that's an interesting reaction. How about Teal'c? You were close with him, weren't you?"

"Oh god!" Sam groaned. "Fuck me Andi! Hard and fast! Pump your fingers for me, I need to feel him fucking me! Oh god, please! Fuck me!"

"Indeed, Colonel Carter," Andi grunted, deepening her voice into a passable impersonation of Tealc's voice. "It pleases me to see you respond so readily to my caresses. I have often thought of taking you in such a manner."

Sam shuddered, and her quivering cunt channel spasmed and clenched around Andi's fingers. Pussy juice spurted from her cunt slit, drenching Andi's fingers as they plowed in and out of the colonel's quaking cunt chute.

"Fuck me Teal'c!" Sam whimpered, her ass humping furiously back at Andi's stroking fingers. "Fuck me hard, and make me your bitch, you big beautiful bastard!"

Andi started fucking her harder and faster, her fingers a blur as they pounded in and out of Sam's twitching pussy hole. She twisted her fingers around inside her, scratching her fingernails against the bump of her cervix, making Sam grunt and jam her ass back harder against her pumping fingers.

"D...do ano...another one." Sam panted. "Oh god, Andi! This is so fucking good. I...need th...this so ba...bad. D...do the next one!"

"Jennifer Keller."

"Ugh...too whiney," Sam grunted. "I don't know what Rodney sees in her."

"Jack O'Neill?"

"Ancient history. Missed our chance. And he got old on me." Sam panted, slowing her movements and looking back at Andi. "D...do that G-spot th...thing some more. Oh shit, Andi, I don't know h...how much m...more of this I can take, b...but I don't want you to stop!"

Andi let her fingers come to rest on Sam's G-spot again, grinning when she felt that it had swollen to nearly the size of a grape under her fingers. She knew that she could keep the colonel in a sexual frenzy for several hours if she chose to, but she decided not to tell her that.

Caressing the tender gland lightly with her fingertips, she stroked Sam's asscheek with her other hand. "You know Sam, I wasn't expecting our session to go in this direction, but I can't say that I'm unhappy with the way things have gone so far." She pressed her fingertips firmly into her G-spot, rocking them back and forth.

Sam jerked, gasping as her pussy quivered and spasmed sharply. A fresh flood of pussy juice drooled from around Andi's fingers, and she moaned pitifully as yet another wave of sensations surged over her.

"I was actually planning on getting you lightly buzzed, then having you pleasure yourself." Andi continued. "But I think this is much more therapeutic, and doing you lots more good. What do you think?"

"Wh...whatever." Sam grunted. "Ungh! Fuck, I...I need this so b...bad, Andi. Don't st...stop! That's an order!"

"An order? Oh my! Pulling rank to get your pussy played with!" Andi laughed, reaching under Sam's body and cupping her breast. She pinched the stiff nipple between her fingers, eliciting a moan from Carter. "Do you want to go on with our game?"

"Uh huh." Sam nodded, her hips working in tight circles, urging Andi to continue.

"Let's go out on a limb then. How about Dr. Zelenka?"

Sam's pussy spurted a thick stream of juice onto Andi's fingers as she groaned deep in her throat. "Oh god! I can't stand him! But the tongue on him! It's fu...fucking huge! I'd love to sit on his face and just ride that tongue for hours!"

"Now that's an interesting response, Sam. A man you find repulsive excites you, but only for a specific act. Is that what you're saying?" She ground her fingers into Sam's G-spot even harder, squeezing her nipple roughly between her fingers. "Should I call Dr. Zelenka so he can come eat your pussy now, Sam?"

"Oh shit! Yes! D...do it!" Sam panted as she shuddered and jerked in response to Andi's tormenting caresses. "Br...bring them all! I...I'll fuck them all ri...right now. O...oh my gawwwwddddd!" she screamed as she came again, this time losing control of her body, and falling to the floor, twitching and jerking, making gurgling, gobbling noises in her throat. Her fingers flashed over her clit for a few moments, then she stiffened, gasped, and fell limp. 

Andi move up next to her, holding her hand under her nose, checking for breath, then checked her pulse. Her heart was beating rapidly, but regularly, and was slowing at an even pace. Satisfied that Sam had simply passed out, Samuels got up and went over to her desk. She turned off the cameras, and sat down, making a few notes on issues to address in future sessions.

When she was satisfied she had everything she wanted safely put to paper, she pushed her chair back from the desk and hit replay on the recorder. Sliding her hand into her pants, she started masturbating as she watched the action begin on the screen.

Interior Dr. Andi Samuels Office

1930 Hours

Several hours later, Dr. Samuels looked up from the report she was reviewing when she heard a long, low grown come from Col. Carter. Glancing over, she saw that Sam was actually stirring this time. She got up and walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a couple liter bottles of water from the fridge.

"Unhhhhgggg mmuuuwww gaawwwwddd." Sam slurred as she tried to roll over on her back. She wasn't able to make it on the first try, but did manage to get up on her knees, which made her second attempt easier.

Andi walked in just as she flopped over onto her back, legs spread wide, arms akimbo, breasts wobbling spongily on her chest. She laughed as she watched the base commander trying to get up her elbows, her head lolling back as she struggled to raise herself.

Sitting down beside her, Andi put her arm under Sam's shoulders, and helped her sit up. She started to move her arm, but when she did, Sam started to fall backwards, so she scooted around behind her, spreading her legs around Sam's, and putting her arms around her waist. Twisting the cap off one of the water bottles, she held it up to the colonel's lips.

"Drink," she said softly, tipping the bottle up. Sam shook her head, keeping her mouth closed, and the water poured down the front of her. "It's just water," she assured her patient. "Straight from the city's taps. Lots better than that crap they bring from Earth."

Sam brought her hands up and grasped the bottom of the bottle, tilting it up at her lips. She took a tentative sip, then started gulping it down rapidly. Andi pulled the bottle away from her lips after a moment, making her moan.

"Take it slow, Sam. I brought two, but you have to drink it slow. Do you understand?"

Sam nodded, and her head rocked on Andi's shoulder as she turned to look at her. "Pee." she mumbled.

"No, I told you, it's clean water. Now, are you ready for some more?"

Managing a weak smile, Sam leaned back into Andi's arms. "Me. Pee. Go." She said slowly, then turned her head back and with Andi's help, raised the bottle to her lips again. She only took two or three big gulps from it before she stopped herself this time. She took a couple of deep breaths, and looked back at Andi. "I...haff...to...pee." she said slowly, blushing slightly as she said it.

"Okay," Andi said lightly. "Do you want help, or would you rather try to crawl?"

Sam smacked her on the leg as she tried to laugh, and rocked her head back to look at her again. "Hell...pleeezzz."

"Okay, but you'll need to gimme a sec to figure out how we're gonna do this." She took the water bottle and sat it off to one side, then slid back a little, keeping one hand on Sam's back to keep her upright, and pulled her legs back, getting up onto her knees. She brought one leg up and got her foot under her, then wrapped her arms back around Carter's waist. "How much do you weight now? Your last physical said one-fourty, you still in that neighborhood?"

"Lesshhh," Sam slurred. "Losss sum. Ten."

"Okay, I think I can lift and walk a hundred and thirty pounds." Andi said to herself. "Sam, I'm going to start lifting you. When your butt leaves the floor, I want you to try to push up with your legs to help. Can you do that?"

Sam tried to nod, but a queasy expression came over her face and she started to turn slightly green. She held her thumb up instead as she let her head flop forward onto her chest.

"Okay, here we go," Andi muttered, getting her arms seated under Sam's, locking her fists together under her breasts. She pushed off with one foot, hauling Sam to her feet in one smooth movement. She got both her own feet under her as she held the other woman tightly against her. "Wow, we did it. Good job, Sam."

Sam gave her another weak thumbs up, and Andi grabbed her arm and whipped it around her neck as she stepped up next to her. Two hurdles out of the way, she thought. Looking over at Sam, she saw that she was managing to hold her head up, and smiling crookedly.

"Move your foot, Sam. You lead, I'll follow and support. Okay?"

Carter didn't answer, but one foot slid forward, followed a moment later by the other. Working together, they made it to the bathroom fairly quickly, with only a couple near stumbles along the way. Andi guided Sam to the toilet, and turned them so she could sit her down on it.

A weak sigh came from Sam's lips as she started peeing, and Andi smiled, taking her hand and wrapping it around the hand rail next to the toilet. Stepping back, she went over to the shower and turned it on, then started stripping off her clothes.

"Don't worry about wiping, Sam. We're going to get right in the shower when you're done. That will make you feel better."

Carter looked up at her, showing signs of recovery with each passing moment. "Druuunnk." She mumbled.

"No, not drunk. Or at least, not much." Andi told her. "This is one of the after effects of the korathis, the herb I gave you. The Athosians use it in the evenings, so they can sleep the effects off overnight. And the herb seems to have a much stronger impact on Terrans, you know, us Earthlings. The dose we took was about five percent of what Athosian women use on a regular basis. I guess I'll have to cut that dosage again till you build up a tolerance."

Sam managed to nod this time, and held her head up more easily now. "Finished." She held her hand out to Andi, who came over and helped her up. She was getting her strength back slowly, and it made moving around easier for both of them.

With an arm around each other for support, they moved over to the shower and stepped inside. Andi turned, leaning back against the wall under the showerhead, holding Sam upright directly under the warm spray. Carter leaned forward, her head dropping toward her chest as she let the warm spray soak her hair. After a moment, she raised her head, tilting it back, and opened her mouth under the spray. Swallowing once, twice, then a third time, she leaned further back, gasping for breath. She looked much better than she had when they'd stepped into the bathroom a few minutes before.

"You look like you're feeling better already." Andi said softly. "Are you okay enough to talk?"

Sam nodded slowly, and took a step forward. She leaned into Andi's body, wrapping her arms around her waist, resting her head on her shoulder as she hugged her lightly.

Andi moved her own arms around her, hugging her back. "How do you feel about what happened?"

"Pussy hurts," Sam muttered, squirming against her, mashing her breasts into the other woman's. "But feel good. Thank you."

She pulled away, and her eyes started to roll up in her head, and Andi had to hold her up and guide her onto the bench seat in the corner. She got Sam propped up against the wall, and made sure her hand was holding the grab rail.

"I'm going to get you some juice and some more water, Sam. Will you be okay for a couple of minutes?"

Sam nodded weakly, turning her head to look at her hand on the grab rail. She tightened her grip, smiling to herself at the accomplishment.

"Andi." She said softly as the older woman stepped out of the shower stall.

Samuels turned and looked at her.

"Or...orange. Apple. no...not grape. Okay?"

"Got it," Andi grinned. "Be right back. You just hold on to that rail till I get back." She dashed out of the bathroom, moving quickly to the kitchen. She was surprised to find that she had all three of the juices Sam named in the fridge. Grabbing the apple and orange, she snatched a glass off the counter and headed back to the bathroom.

Sam looked up as she entered the bathroom, and held her hand out. Andi started to hand her the glass, but she waved it away, reaching for the bottle of apple juice instead. Andi twisted the top off, and put it in her hands, keeping her own hand under it in case she lost her grip. Raising the bottle slowly to her lips, Sam took a long swallow, paused, panting into the opening, then took another long drink. She sighed heavily as she pushed the bottle toward Andi.

"Be...better...Feel better, already." She said slowly. "G...get out...now?"

"You want to get out now? Okay. Let me turn the water off, and get a towel. Don't move, hon."

She stepped back and shut off the water, then reached out and grabbed a towel off the rack. Kneeling in front of Sam, she rubbed the coarse towel over her legs. then pulled her forward and slipped it behind her back, wrapping it around her and knotting it in front. She took two more towels off the rack and tossed them over her shoulder, then leaned down and lifted Carter to her feet.

"You're going to want to sleep some more, so I'm going to put you in my bed, where I can keep an eye on you." She said as she pulled Sam's arm around her neck and led her out of the stall.

"Jus wun seduss me," Sam said slowly, smiling as she said it.

"I just may, Colonel," Andi grinned back. "And there's not much you could do about it."

"Resissanss isss futile."

"Borg? You're doing BORG on me? You must be feeling better."

They had reached Andi's bedroom, and she pulled one of the towels from around her neck, shaking it out and guiding Carter down onto it. "Hold onto my hips, Sam." She said as she pulled the other towel from around her neck. "I want to dry your hair real quick."

Sam grabbed hold of her hips, leaning slightly forward. "No...hair." she said, looking up at Andi.

"No, Sam. I really need to dry your hair, hon. If we don't dry it, the pillow will get all wet and feel..."

"You. No hair." Sam said more clearly, looking back between Andi's legs.

"Oh, that." Andi said, blushing slightly. "My husband used to like me to keep it shaved, and I just got in the habit. I like the way it feels too."

"Do me?" Sam said, bringing her hand across and running her fingers over the bare skin just above Andi's pussy slit.

"What? Oh...um, I was just..." Andi sputtered as she moved Sam's hand away. "I'm not really going to try..."

Sam pushed her away and fell back on the bed, opening her legs and moving one hand down to stroke through the light fur of her pubes. "Do me. Like you." She said, pointing at Andi's clean shaved snatch.

"Oh no, Sam! You don't want to do that! There are very few naturally blonde pussies in the universe, and it would be a shame to deprive it of one as pretty as yours. Honestly, you can trim it closer if you want, not right now mind you, but you should leave that gorgeous golden bush right where it is!"

"Really?" Sam asked, her fingers dipping down between her legs, easing into the fur fringed slit of her pussy. Smiling happily, she started stroking herself gently.

"Okay, Colonel." Andi laughed. "If you're going to do that, we need to get you up onto the bed." She reached down and grasped Sam's free hand, pulling her upper body around, then leaned down, lifted her legs and heaved them up onto the bed. She lifted Carter's upper body, and slid her up higher on the bed, so her head was resting on the pillows. "There, now there's room for me too!"

Carter squirmed, and slid herself up a little higher on the bed, leaning back against the stack of pillows against the headboard. She had her eyes closed, and a quirky smile creased her lips as she ran her fingers gently over the moistening crease of her pussy. She was a little surprised at herself, she normally didn't enjoy masturbating, but the herb Andi had given her had released something in her, and she found every touch an absolute delight now.

Andi watched her for a moment, smiling as she saw the look of rapture on her face. She went back out into her office, and gathered up her laptop, along with some papers she'd been going through and took them into her bedroom. She had only been gone a few minutes, but when she got back, Sam was sound asleep, her hand still between her legs, and small smile on her lips.

Andi just looked at her for a moment, then turned the lights down, leaving the room dimly lit. She carried her pile of work back out into her office, and sat it back on the desk. She walked over and picked up Carter's fatigue blouse, and fished the comm unit out of the pocket. Putting on her ear, she tapped it like she had seen Carter do. There was a pause, then a light beep.

"Col. Sheppard? Come in please."

"Go on Sheppard. Who is this? I don't recognize the voice."

"This is Dr. Samuels, Colonel. I'm calling for Col. Carter." She paused and before she could speak again, Sheppard was already talking.

"Is everything alright, Doctor?" he said quietly, the concern obvious in his voice. "I haven't heard from the colonel for several hours, and was about to send someone to check on her."

"The colonel is fine John. It's alright if I call you John isn't it?" She went on before he could reply. "We had a...strenuous session, and she's resting at the moment. I expect her to sleep through the night. So if it's at all possible, I'd appreciate it if you could help make that happen. God only knows the poor woman deserves at least one good nights sleep while she's here."

"I couldn't agree more, Doc." Sheppard said, the relief showing in his voice. "And Doc? Thanks for taking care of her. She means alot to all of us."

"It's been my pleasure, John. I'll have her call you in the morning. Samuels out." She turned off the comm unit, and returned it to the pocket she'd found it in, laying the blouse back on the neatly stacked pile of clothes at the foot of the chaise.

Going back over to her desk, she looked at the pile of papers she'd been going through, and decided that she just didn't want to deal with it right then. She went back into the bedroom, and turned the monitor at the foot of the bed on, and picked a series of lighthearted comedies from the city's media database, setting them to play one after the other. Making sure the volume was turned low, she reached into her nightstand and pulled out a small tin and a pipe. She opened the tin, and loaded a tiny pinch of a flaky grey substance into the pipe.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 01



Teyla's Athosian friends had introduced her to a wide array of herbal remedies in the short time she'd been in the Pegasus galaxy, but this was by far her favorite. The herb the Athosians called Tuumpor, but she thought of as Thumper, had properties similar to cannabis, but was at least twenty times more potent than the best maui wowie, thai stick, kush, and columbian all rolled into one. Even for a long time pot smoker like herself, one toke was enough to knock her on her ass.

Lighting the pipe, she drew on it slowly. She'd learned that lesson the hard way, almost coughing up a lung the first time she'd tried it. She drew on the mouthpiece steadily, not stopping until she saw the glow in the bowl go out. Holding her breath, she carefully closed the tin, and returned it with the pipe to her nightstand drawer.

She grinned, and almost giggled as a thought struck her. She looked over at Carter lying beside her on the bed, and couldn't resist leaning over and slowly blowing the smoke into her face. The Tuumpor sometimes counteracted the effects of the korathis she'd given her earlier, but replaced them with its own, much more powerful effects. The only possible risk was that one would have no effect on the other, and Carter would wake up horny and stoned in the middle of the night, in bed with a strange woman, in a strange room, with no idea what was happening or how she got there.

What the hell, she thought, she's been through lots worse. Leaning back and getting comfortable, she turned up the volume on the movie a couple of notches, and settled back to watch. She didn't hear the first joke, or feel the remote drop from her hand as she drifted off to sleep.

Interior-Dr. Andi Samuels Office

0220 Hours

Andi awoke suddenly, the glow from the monitor filling the room, and the audio laugh track providing a surreal background. She was lying on her side, and felt a warm body moving against her back. She looked down, and saw a small hand cupping her breast. The movement behind her was gradually picking up speed, and she struggled to swim up out of the fog of Thumper induced sleep. She started to sit up, but the arm across her waist pushed her back down.

"Don't move," A husky voice whispered in her ear. "I...I'm, oh yeah, that's a good one, so cl...close. I just, ungh, ne...need another, oh shit, f...few str...strokes."

Carter! She'd forgotten that Sam was in bed with her. Then the events just prior to her falling asleep flashed through her mind. Oh my god, she thought, what have I done?

"Oh ye...yeah! Fuck! He...here it c...cums again!" Carter grunted, her hips grinding into Andi's ass as she ground her fingers on her clit and humped against her asscheek, pulling it back firmly, ensuring that she couldn't get away.

Again? How long had she been at this, and how many times had she cum so far? Now that she was awake, Andi could feel a wet spot under her hip, and when she reached back, should could feel that it was at least two feet across. Either one of them had pissed in her sleep, or Sam had been masturbating and creaming all over the bed for quite a while.

"Ungh! Oh yeah, f...fuck me Te...Teal'c! L...lick my fuckin p...pussy Radek!" Sam moaned quietly, lost in her fantasies as she jilled off on Andi's ass. "D...do me g...guys! I'm cu...cumming! Oh m...my god! I'm cu...cumming again! So g...good, oh, it's j...just so go...good..." She whimpered, and Andi felt warm liquid splash against her, then trickle down her asscheek. Sam pressed herself tighter against her, and Andi unconsciously rolled over onto her stomach.

"O...oh shit! Wh...what? Oh m...my god, y...yes! That's perfect!" she grunted as she followed Andi over, one leg falling between hers so she was straddling her upper thigh, just under her ass. "Whooo Daddy! Who's yer cowgirl now, bitch? Ha ha," she grunted as she started humping her pussy mound against Andi's leg, her fingers trapped between their bodies, grinding over her clit roughly with every movement. "G...got me a bronco t...to bust now, baby! And I'm go...gonna ride yer hot li...little ass to daylight! YeeHaw!"

Andi burst out laughing, unable to restrain herself. This was a side of the staid, restrained colonel she'd never even dreamed existed. But she couldn't bring herself to stop her, she seemed to be having such a good time. The best thing for her to do was join her, she decided. There was no point in letting her hog all the fun.

Spreading her legs wider, Andi arched her hips up, bringing her clean shaved pussy slit into contact with Carter's soft, warm thigh. Hunching her ass back, she ground her cunt down onto her lean muscled leg, stroking it up and down lightly.

She turned her head, looking back over her shoulder at Carter, she smiled and whispered, "Move your leg up Sam. Let me ride yours while you ride mine."

"You want me to fuck you, honey? That what you want?" Sam panted. "Then let's do it right." She raised up suddenly, pulling her leg back and rolling Andi over onto her back. Within seconds, she was back in place, straddling Andi's upper thigh, her own now pressing firmly into the musky crease of Andi's cunt mound. 

"Mmmmm," she purred happily as she writhed on top of the other woman, her full, firm breasts flattening against Andi's, their nipples poking into the other woman's soft, spongy tit flesh. She nuzzled her neck lightly as she humped against her leg, her pussy slit drooling steadily on her thigh.

Andi angled her pussy up at Carter's grinding thigh, then eased back, slipping her hand between their bodies, getting it situated over her clit like Sam's was, then pressing back against her. Her free arm came up and wrapped around Sam's back, hugging her tightly to her, and her leg slid up under her ass, the heel digging in, encouraging her to hump her harder, faster, to use her any way she wanted.

"Fuck me, Sammy. Make me your hot little bitch," She grunted in her ear. She licked the soft shell lightly, making Carter shiver on top of her. "Come on! Fuck me Sam! Gimme that hot pussy! Cream all over me! I fucking love it!"

She wasn't anywhere near the peak that Sam was, but she wanted Sam to think she was. If she appeared at the pinnacle of pleasure, she was sure that it would drive Sam to even higher levels of excitement. And to be honest, she thought, she was catching up quick, if the way her pussy felt under her fingers was any indication.

"Ungh, ungh, ungh!" Sam was grunting again and again in her ear. "Cu...cum with me! Oh god! Oh fuck, hold me! He...here it c...cums! Oh yea...yeah! I...I...ungh!" she grunted, then jerked upright, kneeling over Andi's thigh, her ass a blur as she slid back and forth across the cream coated flesh.

Andi raised her leg, keeping it in firm contact with Sam's spasming pussy mound. Sam glared down at her, her eyes aglow with a lustful fever as her fingers flew across her clit. 

"Go...gonna cum on it! Gonna juice a...all over yer fuckin' leg." She gasped, bouncing up and down on Andi's thigh, her hips swinging in tight circles, scrubbing the crisp wet fur fringing her cuntlips into her thigh.

Andi reached down and grabbed her leg, pulling it tight against her own pussy mound, but it was too late. Sam had scampered up over the top of her sensations limit, and leapt headlong into the abyss of orgasmic delight.

"YYYEEEEESSSSS!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she raised up off Andi's leg, her fingers frozen on her clit, her other hand cupping one heaving tit, torturing the stiff bud between her fingers. Thick jets of girl cum spouted from her quivering cuntlips, spraying across Andi's lower body again and again, soaking her with the creamy evidence of her pleasure.

She knelt over Andi's leg, her body jerking and twitching mindlessly. Her eyes were rolled back up in her head as unintelligible noises spewed from her lips. Andi watched in awe as she kept writhing in the throws of climax after mindbending climax, each swelling over her before the preceding one had ended.

Two minutes, then five...six. Andi began to grow concerned, and slid out from under her, moving behind the mindlessly orgasming woman, and wrapping her arms around her gently, her lips seeking out her ear.

"Yes, Sam. Let it out. Cum on..."

"Nuuuuunnnggghhh!" Sam grunted powerfully, her body jerking several times, then sagging and falling back into Andi's arms. 

Andi guided her carefully down onto the bed, and looked at her. Her eyes opened wide as she saw that Sam wasn't breathing. Dropping her ear to her chest, she detected no heartbeat.

"Oh shit! Come on Sam! Don't do this!" she yelled in her face. 

She pressed her ear to her chest again, then raised up, putting her hand palm down over her sternum, then bringing her other fist down on it as hard as she could. She listened for a heartbeat again, then moved up and began giving her mouth-to-mouth, breathing for her. 

Five breaths, she thought. Time to massage the heart. She moved down, pressing her ear to her chest, and just as she was about to begin compressions, she heard the faintest of beats. She stopped, holding her breath as she listened, and her own heart almost stopped when she heard and then felt Sam gasp in a quavering breath.

Sliding up beside her, she held her in her arms, rocking her back and forth, her eyes never leaving her. Easing them both over to the side of the bed, she tapped on the comm unit on the nightstand, entering the personal code for Dr. Keller.

"Y...yes," came the sleepy voice of Jennifer Keller moments later. "Wh...who is this?"

"Jennifer, this is Andi Samuels. I have a medical emergency, and I need you in my quarters now, no questions asked. Bring a portable defibrillator, your heart kit, and come alone. Do you understand me?"

"I...what? Andi? Is that you? What are you..."

"JENNIFER! I need you to listen to me. Get your heart kit, a portable defib, and get your ass up to my office, alone. And do it right goddamn now! Do you understand me?"

"I'm on my way," Jennifer replied. "I have everything in my quarters. Give me three minutes."

The chime on her door sounded less than two minutes later. Andi dashed to the door, forgetting that she was naked. Jennifer's eyes went wide as she saw her colleague open her door for her naked, but when she saw the look on her face, she held her tongue.

"This way." Andi said tightly, leading her into the bedroom. Sam was stretched out on one side of the bed, her hands at her sides, a stack of pillows raising her feet above her heart. She was breathing, but not showing any other signs of life.

"What happened?" Jennifer asked as she dug in her med kit, pulling out a stethoscope. She put it on, and listened to Carter's heart, glancing at Andi as she listened. "Her heartbeat is strong, breathing is regular. Now let me ask you again, Andi. What happened?" She said as she took off the stethoscope.

"Over the last twelve hours? Or just the last fifteen minutes?" Andi felt the weight of the situation bearing down on her, and felt herself start to crumble under it. Tears started to run down her cheeks.

Keller's hand caught her cheek full force with an openhanded slap, rocking her head to one side. "Don't you dare! Don't you even think about losing it. You are nowhere near out of the woods here, and I need to know what the fuck is going on. Start with the last fifteen minutes, and we'll go backwards from there."

"Okay. You need an overview. She had three glasses of margaritas. The mix was one liter of tequila and one and a half quarts of bitters mix in a large pitcher. With thirty milligrams of the Athosian herb korathis added in liquid form. She responded as has been previously observed. Strong sexual excitation, followed by dulled senses, slowed reflexes, and a strong desire to sleep."

Jennifer just looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Following our initial session, she slept for almost three hours. I cleaned her up, brought her in here, and put her to bed. She had been asleep for almost half an hour when I..."

"When you what, Andi. Come on, your ass is already in the fire. The only way out is to come clean."

"I know. It's just...it's so fucking stupid, okay? I was hitting a pipe of Tuumpor, and I blew some of the smoke in her face while she was asleep. She didn't even react, for god's sake!"

"That doesn't mean she wasn't affected." Jennifer said softly. "What happened fifteen minutes ago?"

"I woke up, I think I'd been asleep...I don't know, five, maybe six hours, and she was laying against me, masturbating. She climaxed vigorously several times, then we changed positions, with her laying on top of me, on my back. She climaxed even more vigorously several more times, and we changed positions again, this time face to face. We were both masturbating ourselves, not each other, not that it matters."

"You're right, it doesn't matter. What happened when you changed position the second time?"

"She seemed to climax almost continuously, until at the end, she raised up off me, ejaculated profusely at least twice, then fell into a series of prolonged orgasms. I watched for, call it six minutes, before I realized that I should be concerned. I...I'd never seen anyone cum like that before, Jenn. It was fucking amazing!"

"Let me get this straight." Jennifer said slowly. "You drugged a patient with an alien compound that hasn't been completely tested, much less approved for use by base personnel. Did you have her consent?"

Before Andi could answer, a soft voice spoke up from the bed. "Yes, she had my full knowledge and consent."

Andi spun around, staring at Carter in wonder. "Oh my god, Sam! You were...I was so...Oh shit, Sam! You were dead, ho..."

"Whoa, hold on one goddamn minute," Jennifer said harshly. "You blubber on about all this psychosexual bullshit, and I'm just now hearing that her fucking heart actually stopped? I thought we were looking at an irregular heart beat or something."

She pushed Andi out of the way, bringing her stethoscope back out, and listening to Sam's heart again. "How long was she down? Or did you even bother to count?"

"Sixty-eight seconds," Sam said softly. "I watched the whole thing." She reached out and took Andi's hand, squeezing her fingers lightly. "Andi took very good care of me."

Jennifer and Andi looked at each other, then back at Sam. "You watched her revive you? From where?" Jennifer asked incredulously.

"From right there at the corner of the bed. I had a ringside seat." She turned and looked at Andi. "I was rooting for you too. I wasn't ready to go, and I knew you'd help me come home." She rubbed her sternum gently. "Ow. Shit, Andi! Did you have to hit me that hard?"

"Stop!" Jennifer said. "You two can kiss each others asses all you want later. Right now, we need to get Col. Carter down to the infirmary, so I can get her under a scanner, and make sure there's been no serious damage."

"No, I'm not going anywhere." Sam said evenly. "And neither of you is going to write any of this down, or tell anyone about it. Is that clear?"

"No," both the other women said at the same time. Jennifer punched Andi in the ribs as she started to speak again, knocking the air out of her with a loud whooshing sound. "No, Colonel, I can't allow that. You've experienced a major cardiac event, and you need to be monitored. That's all there is to it. Andi will back me up on that."

"Jennifer, have you ever been to KS7-535?"

"No, why?"

"Well, it's the planet Anubis escaped to during the lockdown at Stargate Command. Cam Mitchell calls it Hoth, and if you press this, it's going to be your next duty station. Tomorrow."

"Hoth? What's that mean?" Jennifer looked at her quizzically, then glanced at Andi. "What's she talking about?"

Andi never took her eyes off Carter as she lay on the bed. "Star Wars. Ice planet. I kind of doubt you'd like it there." She said slowly. "What about me?" She said to Sam.

"You stay here till you figure out the right dosage of that WhooDoggie drug you souped me up on." She leaned forward, managing to get up on her elbows, and motioned for Andi to come closer. Jennifer leaned closer along with her. "I love this shit, hon. I want you to find me a daily, walking around dose. I want to pop it in the morning, and ride it all day long. Think you can do that?"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Jennifer said quietly. "You're willing to risk you life, your career...everything, for a couple orgasms?"

"Jennifer, I don't know if you've ever had a heart stopping orgasm. I just did, and believe me, it's worth the risk. Without going to that extreme, it's still worth the risk. I experienced at least five times my lifetime total of orgasms, in the last few hours. I've always had trouble experiencing orgasms, so sex was rarely pleasant for me. But now, I'm not only multi-orgasmic, I'm...what would you call it? Mega-orgasmic? I'm not giving that up without a fight."

She turned and looked at Andi. "Would you get me that gown you got out for me earlier? I think it's still on the chaise in the other room. I'm a little chilly."

She watched as Andi stood up and walked into the other room, then turned to Jennifer. "Don't fight me on this Jennifer, you'll lose. My contacts go a lot higher than yours."

Jennifer just stared at her. "You're serious about this. I can't believe what I'm hearing. This is insane Colonel. You're going to kill yourself."

"Humans, aliens, and a wide assortment of critters have been trying to kill me for almost a dozen years now, and I'm still here. I've thought I was crazy for letting myself end up in some of the situations I've found myself in. But here's something that has a direct benefit to me, and I want it. It's my life, and I'm willing to risk it to get something out of this fucked up assignment for me. I'm asking you to stay and help. If you can't do that, I'll understand. But you'll be out of here in the morning."  

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I can understand." Jennifer said slowly. "But we take it slow, and do some testing on this herb before we let you, or anyone else, start taking it on a regular basis."

"That's fair enough. Put one of your assistants in charge of your department for the next few weeks, I want you running this project personally, in conjunction with Andi. Request any personnel you think will push it along faster, and I'll get them here."

Andi walked in just then, and looked back and forth between the two women. "Did I miss something?" She asked as she held out the gown to Sam.

"I don't know yet," Sam said lightly. She waved the gown away, and held out her hand for Andi to help her sit up. "Jennifer and I were just discussing her options, and the direction I'd like this project to go." She raised her arms slowly over her head. "I'm going to need help getting that thing on, do you mind?"

Andi slipped the soft Athosian gown over her head, and got her arms situated in the sleeves. Sam shimmied and wiggled, letting the gown fall down over her body, then flopped back on the bed. Her lower body, from the hips down was still uncovered, and she brushed Andi's hand aside as she started to pull it down for her.

"Not yet, Andi." She said, grinning up at the older woman. She spread her legs slowly, pulling her knees up, and letting them fall out to the sides. "We'll talk more about this in the morning. But right now, I...I want to play so...some more. Andi, wi...will you do that G-spot thing for me?"

Jennifer and Andi looked at each other, and Jennifer start to object, but Sam raised a hand, silencing her.

"Jenn, I'm gonna do it," she said slowly. "You can stay and watch, or help, or you can leave. I really don't care." Her hand slipped down between her legs, her fingers dipping into the fur fringed cleft of her pussy slit. Purring happily, she closed her eyes as she started lazily stroking her clit.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 01



(-)

That's all for Chapter One. Please read Chapter Two to see what happens next...



Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 02



Another new character is introduced. I see Demi Moore, circa the GI Jane period, as Tammy Ford.

Tammy will be a major player in the storyline.

Sorry for the spoiler...

(-)

Confirming Carter Book One Chapter Two

Day Two

Interior-Dr. Andi Samuels Office

0840 Hours

Carter woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in years. She sat up in the bed, looking around. She was still in Andi's bed, alone this time, but she smelled coffee, and knew someone was in the suite with her.

Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, she stood up, stretched her arms over her head, then bent over at the waist, touching her palms flat on the floor. She raised up slowly, then repeated the move. 

"Okay, that's weird." She said to herself. "I wasn't limber enough to do that yesterday."

She stepped over to the mirror, and ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it up, then finger combed it out into her usual shag. Leaning in, she looked at herself closely in the mirror. She thought she could see subtle changes in her skin. Nothing major, just that the crows feet around her eyes didn't appear as prominent.

The smell of coffee in the air got her attention again, and she followed it out into Andi's office. Jennifer and Andi were sitting at the breakfast bar, both of them looking tired and worn.

"Morning girls!" Carter said brightly, as she walked into the kitchen. "How'd you two sleep? I went out like a light...and damn, I feel great!" She leaned across the counter, puckering her lips and making kissing noises. "Give us kiss! Mwwwwahh!" she said, then turned and looked around the kitchen.

She picked up the coffee pot, poured a cup, and took a sip. She made a face, and poured in a dollop of milk, then added a spoonful of sugar. Stirring it a little, she took another sip, and grimaced at the taste. She added three more spoons of sugar, and tasted it again. "Ahhhh, that's better." She muttered as she turned and looked at the two doctors. "Okay, what's the plan fo...What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You just put four spoonsful of sugar in your coffee." Jennifer said slowly. "You usually don't use sugar. Or milk."

"Yeah, I know." Carter said lightly. "I just got a taste for something sweet this morning." She turned and opened the freezer door and looked inside. "You got any ice cream in here?" She said over her shoulder to Andi as she poked around.

"No, I need to get some from the commissary. Sorry."

"That's okay. Would one of you call down to the mess and ask them to send up a couple quarts? French vanilla and chocolate ripple would be great!" She turned and looked at the other women. "Wanna see something kewl?" She asked. Taking a couple steps back, she put her feet together, bent over at the waist, and touched her palms to the floor again. She held the position for a few seconds, then stood up, throwing her hands out like a gymnast nailing a perfect ten landing. "Tada! I couldn't do that yesterday." 

"Come out here. Colonel. We need to take a look at you." Keller said. She slid off her stool and picked up her medical kit from the floor.

Carter came around the corner and stood in the center of the room. "Before you do anything else, Jenn, Do you have a light? Like a flashlight, or something you can light up my skin with? I thought I saw something, and I just wanna make sure."

"Sure, I have this small one in my bag." Keller said, digging around for a minute, then holding up a penlight. "Will this do?"

"Beats the hell outta me," Carter giggled. "You're the one that's gonna be using it. Come over here and look at my face, especially around the eyes, and the corners of my mouth."

"Your speech pattern is different." Samuels said softly. "It's more colloquial than usual. You tend to be more formal, even in informal settings. And you're using slang and contractions, where you normally tend to use proper English."

"And that's a bad thing, how?" Carter asked, pulling a stool out from the bar and spinning it around. She hopped up on it, and tipped her head back as Jennifer moved in front of her.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing. I just pointed out that it was different." Andi said lightly. "But it might be something we need to watch. Personality changes could be a problem."

"Good point." Sam said, nodding slowly. "Okay, Jenn. Look at the crows feet around my eyes, and the laugh lines around my mouth, and tell me if you can see any changes."

Jennifer shined the light over Sam's skin, leaning in to examine it closely. "I think you're right, Colonel. The skin around your eyes appears tighter." She reached up and ran her fingertips lightly around the corner of Carter's eye, then stretched the skin slightly, and released it. "The skin feels softer and more supple too. You haven't applied any lotions, creams, or anything like that this morning have you?"

"Nope, I fluffed up my hair a bit before I came out, but that's it." She looked back and forth between the two doctors. "Hey, can we hurry this up, or can we wait till after I hop in the shower? I'd like to freshen up a little, if you know what I mean." She gave Keller an exaggerated stage wink.

"I don't see any reason why not." Keller said, stepping over to her medical bag. She pulled several items out and sat them on the counter. "But I want a blood sample first." She pushed Carter's sleeve up, and tied a rubber strap around her upper arm. Tapping the inside of her elbow, she found a vein, and picked up the syringe, easing it into her arm. When she was satisfied it was seated properly, she pressed the vial up, and watched it fill with blood. She removed the first vial, and quickly filled two more. 

"You didn't swab that." Carter said as she watched her mark the vials and put them in her bag.

"Waste of time, this is better." Keller said offhandedly as she sprayed an antiseptic on the puncture as she removed the syringe and sat it on the counter. She held a piece of gauze over the wound for a moment, then put a drop of clear gel on it. She waved her hand over it for a few seconds, then poked it with her finger. "NuSkin. Better than band-aids for small wounds. waterproof too."

Reaching into her bag again, she pulled out two small plastic sample cups. "Spit." She said, holding one under Carter's mouth. Sam spit in the cup, and Keller put the lid on and marked it. She held the other cup out. "I want a urine sample too."

"Excellent, cuz I really gotta go!" Carter said, hopping off the stool and whipping the gown off over her head, dropping it on the floor. She grabbed the cup out of Keller's hand, and skipped down the hall toward the bathroom, disappearing inside. Her head reappeared a moment later. "Either of you wanna come with? Might be fun!" Her voice came down the hall, echoing from the confined space of the bathroom. "And I haven't heard anyone order any ice cream yet. Hellllooohhh?"

"I'm going to join her." Andi said, unbuttoning her top as she went. "She needs someone to observe her, and to make sure she's okay." She stopped, and looked at Jennifer. "Why don't you order that ice cream, and three breakfast trays, then come join us. There's plenty of room for three."

"I...wha...you can't..." Jennifer sputtered as she watched Samuels drop her pajama top to the floor as she turned into the bathroom door. She stopped, staring after her, then went over to Andi's desk and paged the mess on her comm.

"Mess hall, Sgt. Stevens." came a response after a moment. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, this is Dr. Keller. I need some food delivered to Dr. Samuels quarters. We're working with Col. Carter today, and won't be able to come down to eat."

"Yes, maam. What would you like?"

"Let's see, How about half a dozen eggs, half scrambled, half scrambled with cheese, six strips of bacon, six sausages, six biscuits, and six pieces of toast, don't butter it, but send butter up with it. Oh, and hashbrowns, or fried potatoes, whichever you have. Both if you have both."

"What kind of sausage? We have links, patties, and smoked."

"Six of each then, and gravy. Do you have any gravy today? If you do, send up a pint."

"Yes maam. Is there anything else?"

"Ice cream. We need two quarts of french vanilla, two chocolate ripple, one strawberry, and one rocky road. Can you read all that back to me?"

The mess sergeant repeated her order quickly, and she confirmed it, then added, "Oh, and if there's no answer at the door, just have them leave it outside. We'll get to it."

"Yes maam. It should be there in about fifteen minutes. Call it 0920 hours."

"Thank you." Keller said, shutting off the comm.

She looked down the hall, and thought she heard the faint sound of giggling coming from the bathroom. Curiosity got the better of her, and she crept quietly down the hall. The sounds from the bathroom got louder as she got closer.

"Oooohhh, that feels good Andi! Fuck! I love it when you rub my G-spot like that." She heard Carter gasp. "Why didn't anybody tell me about this before? Oh, oh shit! Yeah! Do it like that...Oh god!"

Keller stepped into the bathroom, her eyes going wide when she saw Carter leaning back against the wall, with Samuels kneeling between her legs, pumping her fingers slowly in and out of her pussy. She felt a shudder run through her, her own pussy fluttering and moistening at the sight of the two women together. "Oh my god." she said softly.

Carter looked up, grinning when she saw her. "Jenn! Come on in! You gotta try this G-spot thing! Oh...My...Gawwwwdddd! It is In-FUCKING-credible!"

"I...I don't kno..."

"Oh, come on! Don't be a party pooper!" She grabbed the shower wand off the wall, and held it at arms length, pointing it at Keller.

Jennifer squealed and jumped back, but a second too late. The front of her scrubs were soaked.

"Goddammit Colonel! You can't do that!" She sputtered.

"Call me Sam," Carter laughed, pointing the sprayer at her again. "Now get naked and get yer ass in here. You need a shower anyway!"

Andi looked up at Carter from between her legs, her fingers brushing lightly over the swelling bump of her G-spot. "Rub your clit, Sam. Or do you want to see if you can cum just from this?"

Carter looked down at her, then back at Keller, then down at Andi again. "Why don't you rub it for me Andi?" She purred, reaching down and wrapping her fingers in the older woman's hair, pulling her face toward her gently. "With your tongue."

Jennifer whimpered as she saw Samuels tongue slip out, then dart into the fur fringed cleft of Carter's pussy slit. She looked up, and saw that Carter was staring at her. She looked back down at Andi, then back up at Sam, and slowly lifted the hem of her scrub top, pulling it up over her head, and dropping it on the floor. She opened the front clasp on her bra, and shook it off her shoulders, making her small, pert tits bounce on her chest. The tie on her pants came loose next, and she pushed them down over her hips as she walked toward the shower stall. She pushed her panties off and stepped into the stall, taking the hand wand from Carter, and sprayed herself down quickly.

"T...try it o...on your cl...clit, Jenn!" Carter panted as she scrunched down against the wall, spreading her legs wider around Andi's hungrily sucking mouth as she bent her knees a little more. "Oh sh...shit, Andi! Yo...you're good at th...that. God! I...I think I'm gonna cum already!"

Jennifer saw a shiver run though her body, then her legs started shaking as she started cumming. "Shit!" Jennifer grunted as she saw Carter start to collapse. She just barely got her arms around her as she started to fall. Holding the colonel in her arms, she was surprised when she felt her arms slip around her neck.

"Hi, Jenn." Carter purred in her ear, then kissed her lightly on the neck. She drew her tongue slowly up under her chin, and licked at the cleft as she moved up over it.

Keller started to pull back, but she gasped suddenly as she felt Andi push her legs apart, and plant her mouth right on the hairlined lips of her pussy mound. Her tongue snaked between the fleshy labia, and darted up inside the tight ring of muscle guarding her cunt hole. Jennifer squealed, then gasped, and Carter chose that exact moment plant her lips over hers, her tongue darting into her mouth.

Jennifer tried to pull away, but Carter had her arms wrapped around her neck, and Andi had one arm wrapped around her hips. Andi's other hand was pressing up between her legs, and she could feel two stiffened fingers trying to enter her pulsing pussy. Jennifer surrendered to the dual assault. Tightening her grip on Sam, she let her own tongue slip out, lapping and lashing it over her boss's. Her legs parted of their own accord, allowing Andi full access to her juicing cunt slit. She purred into Sam's mouth as she felt the probing fingers slip up inside her, then start stroking in and out slowly.

Andi turned on her knees between the two younger women. She had two fingers of one hand firmly embedded deep inside Keller's creamy cunt hole, and she returned her other hand to Carter's wide spread pussy slit. She eased her fingers back up inside her pussy, and started moving both hands slowly in and out, then pulling them down, centering her fingertips over the twinned G-spots. She started turning her head, her tongue lapping at first one, then the other furry cunt slice, trying to pleasure both women at the same time.

Carter was kissing Jennifer hungrily, her eyes closed, her breath harsh and panting through her nose. Jennifer was equally excited, and she pressed her body forward, rubbing her tits over Sam's, enjoying the way the older woman's full, fleshy tit mounds felt against her own smaller ones. She spread her legs a little wider, bending her knees slightly and arching her hips forward at Andi's face.

Andi was stroking both women's G-spots rhythmically, whimpering as she felt them swelling slowly under her fingertips. She moved her mouth from ones drooling cunt slice to the others dripping pussy hole, her tongue licking and laving all around between each set of puffy lips, darting out to slap and slither over stiff, throbbing clits. She was tormenting them both equally, trying to get them both to cum as quickly as she could. 

Sam stiffened, and her creaming cunt channel clenched and quivered around Samuels' stroking fingers. She groaned into Keller's mouth, and her tongue went into overdrive as she dipped and darted it in and out of her mouth. Jennifer grunted as she felt Carter stiffen against her, and she squatted onto Andi's fingers, forcing them deeper into her juicing pussy hole. She started cumming with Sam as Andi locked her lips around her clit, nipping and nibbling at the tender bud eagerly.

Both women shuddered and spasmed on either side of Samuels, and she kept up her frantic licking, stroking and slurping, trying to drive them both over the top.

Jennifer cried out into Carter's mouth, then jerked back, losing her footing and barely stopping herself from falling to the floor. She fell back onto the bench seat in the corner, her ass perched on the edge, her legs spread wide apart. Samuels dove on her exposed beaver, her tongue stabbing up inside hungrily. She sucked and slurped at the tight, spasming hole for a moment, then moved her head up and plastered her lips around the twitching bud of her clit. She sucked at it, munching it between her lips as she eased three fingers up inside Keller's clasping cunt hole. She found the swollen bump of her G-spot, and started stroking it gently in time with the sucking action of her lips.

Keller screamed as her pussy erupted under Samuels combined oral and digital onslaught, and steaming girl cum sprayed from her quivering cunt hole, soaking Andi's face, and running in pearly ribbons down over her heaving breasts. Jennifer finally couldn't take anymore, and pushed Andi away, slipping off the bench and curling into a ball on the shower floor.

Andi stood up, and Sam opened her arms, smiling as the older woman stepped into them, sliding her own arms down around her waist. They kissed lightly, and Sam licked the sticky girl cum from her cheeks and chin. 

"Wow, she tastes good!" Sam giggled. "I'm gonna have to munch on that muff myself, sometime soon!"

Andi laughed, and hugged her tighter, then relaxed her grip and started to pull away, but Carter held her in place.

"You haven't cum yet." She said. 

Andi grinned. "Yeah, I did! I was cumming like crazy doing both of you at the same time! Damn, Sam! You were right, That was fun!"

Carter laughed with her, and hugged her tight, rocking them back and forth. They both looked down when they heard Jennifer groan. Carter let go of Andi, and grabbed the hand wand, pointing it down at Jennifer. "Hey Jenn, you okay down there?" She hosed her down, working the spray up and down over her body. She looked at Andi, arching one eyebrow and holding up the sprayer.

Andi stepped back, holding her arms up, and Sam sprayed her up and down. She moved the nozzle between her legs, and Andi squatted, spreading her pussylips, and rocked her hips back and forth over the spray. Taking another step back and to the side, she moved under the main shower and rinsed quickly. She reached out and grabbed a towel, and started drying herself as she stepped from the stall.

"Why don't you see if you can get her up and going." She said to Sam as she moved toward the door. "I'm gonna check on the food!"

Carter laughed, then dropped to her knees, brushing the hair away from Keller's face. "How ya doin' down there Jenn?" She asked. "Think you can get going on yer own, or you gonna need help?

Jennifer opened one eye, and she smiled wistfully. "I could use a hand getting up, but I'll be okay on my own after that." She rolled over onto her knees, and held her hand out. Carter got to her feet, and reached down, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. She guided her into her arms, and kissed her lightly, then stepped back and moved under the shower spray. Scrubbing herself quickly, she watched Jennifer the whole time.

"We'll check on you if we don't see you in a few minutes, okay?" She said as she took a towel from the rack, and started drying herself. When she saw Jennifer nod, she stepped from the stall and left the bathroom.

Keller slumped against the wall, unable to believe what had just happened. She had never had a lesbian experience, and she was stunned that when she did, it was a threesome. She finally pushed away from the wall, and stepped under the shower, rinsing off quickly. She decided that she could take a longer shower when she got back to her quarters. Turning off the water, she got the last towel from the rack, and walked out of the bathroom, drying herself as she went down the hall to Andi's office.

Interior-Dr. Andi Samuels Office

0945 Hours

Samuels saw the message light on the comm flashing as she walked into her office. She pressed the play button, and the message began.

"Dr. Keller, this is Sgt Stevens in the mess. We had a mix up, and your order never got sent out. We're sorry about that, and we're putting it together now. Everything you ordered is being made fresh, so it should be nice and hot when it gets there. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Your order should be there no later than 0950 hours."

She glanced at the clock, and grinned when she saw that it was just rolling over onto 9:48 AM. Just then, the door chimed.

"Wow, talk about timing." She muttered as she moved toward the door. She was about to press the door release, when she caught sight of herself in the wall mirror beside the door. She was naked, her hair still dripping from the shower. Looking around the room, she spotted the gown Sam had dropped, and scooped it up, pulling it over her head and smoothing it down over her body. Shaking her hair out, she hit the door control, and it slid open.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 02



"Hi there," she said to the steward. "I'll take that. Put it on Dr. Keller's tab, and give yourself a big tip!"

The steward grinned, and pushed the cart though the door. "That's okay, maam. We're eating this one. Bad mojo screwing up the big boss's breakfast, if you know what I mean."

"I'll take care of it for you." She laughed, "But thank you. We may be calling down for our meals for the rest of the day, and maybe tomorrow, we're not sure yet. We'll have to let you know."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll let Sgt. Stevens know. Have a good day, Maam," He turned and walked down the hall, heading for the porter.

"Food's here," she yelled, then saw Sam coming out of the bathroom drying her hair.

"What? It's just now getting here?" Carter said, her face clouding up.

"They had some kind of mix-up, and the order never got sent out. So they made it all fresh. It just now got here. Everything should be hot off the grill."

Andi started taking lids off of plates, and opening containers. Warm clouds of steam wafted up from the cart, filling the room with a riot of aromas. She opened the doors on the bottom of the cart, then closed them quickly when she saw six cartons of ice cream sitting on a sheet of dry ice.

"Jezzus! What did she order?" Samuels laughed.

"A little of everything," Jennifer said as she walked into the room. "I figured we'd be hungry by the time it got here. I know I am!" She looked back and forth between the other two women. "I'm gonna call down to the infirmary and have some scrubs sent up. I wear a medium, what sizes do you want?"

"I'll take a large, I like mine loose." Carter said as she picked up a plate and started heaping food on it.

"I'm going to throw on a gown, I hate scrubs. Mainly because I have a big ass." Samuels said.

"You do no..."Carter began, then she leaned around Samuels and grinned. "Yeah, you do have a big ass, don't you? And you took my gown, you bitch!" She picked up a biscuit and threw it at her. Samuels caught it in midair, and threw it back.

"Hey! if you two are gonna have a food fight, get your own damn food!" Keller laughed. "All this is mine, and I'm taking it out onto the patio." She started pushing the cart toward the door.

Carter followed her, still loading her plate, and taking a bite off the occasional item. Sam went outside, but Jennifer hesitated at the door. Sam pulled the cart the rest of the way out, still piling food on her plate.

"What? You afraid someone is going to see you? We're a hundred stories up for chrissake." Carter laughed. Just then, a jumper cruised by slowly, barely fifty feet away. Carter dropped to her knees behind the railing, and Keller skittered back inside quickly.

"What's the matter, Sam? You afraid someone's going to see you?" Jennifer giggled as she watched her crawl quickly through the door, and pull the curtains closed.

"Shit! The foods out there!" Sam laughed. "Andi, you got something we can wear till Jenn gets us some scrubs up here?" She glanced over by the chaise, and noticed the pile of clothes she'd left there. "Never mind, I'll just wear what I come in with!"

She went over and picked up the fatigue blouse, pulled it over her shoulders and buttoned the middle three buttons. The blouse came down over her hips, so she decided not to bother with the pants. She felt the breast pocket vibrating, and she reach in, pulling out her comm unit. Putting it over her ear, she stepped back out through the patio door, and retrieved her plate. 

"Sheppard to Carter, come in colonel. Sheppard to Carter, respond please."

The jumper was slightly higher now, but it was obvious that it was doing a sweep of this building, looking for something. She tapped the comm, and said, "Go ahead John. What can I do for you?"

"So that was you just now. Sorry about that." Sheppard said, barely able to keep himself from chuckling. "Was that Dr. Keller with you?"

"John, I'm in the middle of som...I was about to eat breakfast. Did you need something?"

"I was told you would check in this morning, and I haven't heard from you."

"So instead of calling the person you knew I was staying with, or sending someone to check the quarters you knew I was in, you decided to take a jumper and go peeking in windows?" She paused, letting that sink in. "Please tell me that's not what's happening here, John."

"Uh...no maam. I was out showing some of the jumper trainees how to maneuver around buildings in the city." He said slowly. "We just happened to be in the area, and thought we spotted someone."

"I see." Sam said icily. "We'll have to talk about this later. But back to my original question. Was there something you needed?"

The jumper dropped down, and took up station twenty feet from the building. She could clearly make out Sheppard in the pilots seat, and Rodney McKay riding shotgun.

"She's not wearing pants." she heard Rodney say in the background as she watched him turn in his seat, looking into the cargo bay. "I'm not kidding, that's why she's standing so close to the rail like that!"

"John, tell Rodney to shut up. and tell him that its none of his business what I'm wearing, because he's never getting close to it anyway!"

"You just did Colonel." Sheppard laughed. "We're on vox over here."

"Good. But as you can plainly see, I'm fine. Now would you please go away? My breakfast is getting cold."

"Yes maam. We'll reach out through Dr. Samuels if we need you for anything. My apologies." The jumper backed away, turning as it started to rise slowly. Sam grinned, and just before she was out of its view, she stepped back, turned around, and lifted the back of her blouse, mooning the jumper.

"I saw that." Sheppard said quietly, then added. "I'm off vox."

"Good. I was hoping you would. Anyone else?"

"Huh uh. If I ditch the baggage, can I get another peek later?"

"Maybe." She laughed. "Depends on how I feel later. I'll call you."

"Copy later. Sheppard out."

The jumper turn and accelerated quickly, and was out of sight in seconds.

Interior-Dr. Andi Samuels Office

1310 Hours

Breakfast turned into an extended affair with Carter regaling the doctors with stories of her experiences at Stargate Command. Keller had heard most of them before from Sam, or Rodney, but Samuels sat spellbound as she listened to the firsthand recounting of what she'd only read about. She peppered Sam with an almost non-stop barrage of questions.

Breakfast also lasted longer than normal because Carter excused herself twice, disappearing once into the bathroom, the second time into Andi's bedroom. She was gone about ten minutes each time, and from her flushed, rosy appearance on her return, it was obvious she had been masturbating.

When they were done eating, Jennifer took the samples she had taken down to the infirmary to be processed. She was gone several hours, and when she got back, Sam was chasing Andi around the apartment.

"Hey, what's going on here?" She said as she danced out of the way. Sam had leapt over the chaise, diving for a shrieking Samuels.

"What? Oh, hi Jenn." Andi panted. "Timeout!" She yelled, then ducked and dodged out of Carter's reach. She squatted down in front of her as she struggled to her feet. She was tapping one hand over the other, make a 'T' in her face. "Timeout. Jenn's back." 

"What the hell are you two doing?" Jennifer yelled.

"Wow, who pee'd in her cheerios?" Carter grumbled, walking into the kitchen and pulling a wad of paper towels off the roll. She started blotting at her skin as she glared at Jennifer.

"We were playing tag," Andi laughed. "And she's it!"

"I had you! If she hadn't gotten in the way I would have had you." Sam said as she came storming out of the kitchen. "I was this close, and BAMMM! There's a body in my way."

"I moved." Jennifer said.

"Yeah, you did, didn't you?" Sam said, suddenly sounding much calmer. "Whatcha got there, Jenn?"

"Test results."

"Anything interesting?"

"That's what we're gonna try to find out." Keller said, dropping the folder on the table. "You two want to help me clear off the table?"

"You guys take care of that, will you? I'll be back in a minute." Sam said as she walked down the hall into Andi's bedroom.

"Not again," Jennifer said with an exasperated sigh.

"Hey, fiddle fiddle, girlfriend likes to diddle..." Samuels laughed. She sobered up a little. "That's the third time since you left. What's that, five times so far today?"

"Yeah. Twice during breakfast, then three more. Shit, I'm starting to feel a little inadequate. And jealous."

They finished clearing the table, moving everything back onto the cart.

They were sitting at the table going over the reports when Sam strolled back it. 

"So what's the verdict?" she asked brightly. "How long have I got doc? I can take it!"

"Bad news, Sam." Jennifer said, looking up at her soberly. "As near as I can tell from this, barring accident, or injury, you're good for another fifty years or so."

"Really?" Sam said, leaning over the table. "Show me..."

Jennifer reached up and flicked her under the nose when she was close enough.

Sam jumped back, barely managing to avoid falling over a chair.

"I told you she'd fall for it." Andi giggled, holding her hand up. Jennifer high fived her, and they turned and looked at Sam.

"Have a seat, Sam." Andi laughed. "We were just going over some of this stuff. We really haven't gotten into it yet."

Carter got situated, and the doctors started going over the test results with her.

"Everything here shows that you're healthy." Jennifer told her. "Your blood sugar is a little higher than on previous tests, but you had sugar in your coffee before we took blood. That could account for the spike in the blood sugar."

"What's got us stumped is the personality changes. Especially the increased sex drive."

Carter nodded, but didn't really seem to be paying attention.

They continued for a few minutes, pouring over the data. Keller kept glancing over at Carter, sitting across the table from her. She noticed that she had one hand under the table, and seemed to be squirming around more than she normally did.

"Sam?" Keller said quietly as she stopped her review of the test results she'd been going over.

"Hmmmmm?" Carter purred, a soft smile on her lips as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes closing.

"Um, are you masturbating?" Keller asked.

"Huh?" Carter's eyes popped open, and she looked down between her legs. The fingers of one hand were nestled between her fur fringed pussylips, moving gently over the soft, moist flesh. "Damn, I guess I am. I didn't even realize...I'm sorry. Please go on Jennifer." She said. She moved her hand from between her legs, and brought it up in front of her face, looking at it as she turned it back and forth. Jennifer gasped, and Andi smiled as Carter slipped the juice slickened fingers into her mouth and started licking them clean.

"Let's change the subject." Samuels said. "We can get back to your test results in a minute, Jenn. Sam, when we were talking yesterday, you said you had only masturbated two or three times a year previously, and that it was difficult for you to achieve orgasm. Do you remember that?"

"Mmm hmm," Carter said, taking her fingers out of her mouth and licking her lips. "Yeah, and it really sucked too. And I always felt like shit afterward." She looked over at Samuels. "Why bring that up now?"

"Well, would it surprise you to hear that you've masturbated at least six times that I know of today, and had three orgasms in the shower earlier?" Samuels said lightly, watching Carter closely.

"Really?" Carter grinned. "Have you got another one of those gowns I can wear?" She said as she stood up and started walking toward the bedroom. "I'll be back in a minute."

"No, Sam. Come sit down. We need to talk about this." She turned and looked at Keller. "Go back to the blood tests. Do you have the toxicity report in there somewhere? I want to see something." She looked up, and saw that Carter was still moving toward the bedroom, skipping along lightly.

"Sonofabich," Samuels laughed, glancing at Keller. "Gimme minute." She got up and jogged after Carter. 

"Sam," she said as she grabbed her arm and turned her around, pushing her against the wall. She put her forearm across her chest and held her as Carter started to resist. "Sam we..."

"Mmmmm, Andi wanna play with Sammy?" She giggled, leaning forward, trying to kiss her.

"No, Sam! Goddammit, you listen to me now..."

"Please, Andi! I...it hurts. I...Please?" Carter whimpered, her eyes filling with tears.

Samuels glanced at Keller, then turned back to Sam. She leaned close and pressed her lips to Carter's, her free hand dropping down between her legs, cupping the lightly furred mound of her pussy. She was sopping wet, and Andi's fingers slid easily between her puffy pussylips. She stroked her fingers gently up and down, finally settling them over her clit, and started stroking it lightly.

Carter groaned into her mouth, her arms snaking around Andi's back as she spread her legs wider, arching her hips up at her stroking fingers. She shuddered, then groaned into Andi's mouth as she kissed her hungrily, and warm pussy juice trickled over Andi's fingers.

Samuels started to move her hand away, but Sam dropped one hand, grabbing her wrist, stopping her. She writhed against her as she pulled her hand tighter against her, trying to work it up and down.

Andi put her fingers back on her clit, and started stroking again, and Sam stiffened, orgasming almost immediately. Samuels kept up her steady, gentle caresses, guiding her through three more climaxes, each progressively stronger than the last. Finally, Carter slumped against her, panting for breath.

Samuels looked over at Keller, motioning her over with a wave of her hand. She eased her fingers from between Sam's legs, making her whine unconsciously. "Help me with her." she whispered as Keller came close. "Let's put her on the chaise. I don't want to leave her alone right now."

Keller moved to the other side of Carter, and they walked her back down the hall, and got her settled on the chaise. "Hold her up, I'll be right back." Samuels said, and walked quickly down the hall, stopping and opening a set of double doors. She pulled a gown from a hanger, looking toward Keller as she held it up. "Want one?" She asked. When Jennifer shook her head, she pulled another down for herself and joined the other two women.

Stepping up behind Sam, she held her shoulder, and looked at Jennifer. "Put your hands around her waist, under the blouse, and slide it up, we're gonna take it off over her head." She put her hands under Sam's arms, getting a handful of material in each hand, and started pulling it slowly upwards. The blouse slid off easily, and Andi dropped the gown over her head, and they got her arms into the sleeves. The gown dropped around her waist, and they eased Sam up onto the chaise.

Jennifer started pulling the gown down over her hips, but Andi stopped her. "Leave it, she's just gonna pull it up eventually anyway." Jennifer looked at her quizzically. "Take my word for it. Let's see those toxicity reports. I'll show you what I'm talking about."

They went back over to the table, and Samuels stopped, pulled the gown she had on over her head, dropping it on the floor at her feet. She pulled the fresh one over her head, and looked around the room. "Damn, someone's gonna have to clean this place up soon." She muttered.

"Not gonna be me." Jennifer giggled, then shot a look toward Carter. "And I doubt if you're gonna get much help from our peerless leader either." She sat down, and started shuffling through the pile of reports in front of her. Finding the one she was looking for, she slid it over in front of Samuels. "Toxicity report. What are you thinking Andi?"

Andi ran her finger down the column of figures slowly. "Did you test for alien pathog...oh, here it is." She picked up a highlighter and ran it across a line near the bottom of the second page. "Look at this. These numbers for the korathis are way out of whack. There's actually more of it in her system than she originally ingested. Several orders of magnitude more as a matter of fact."

She looked at Keller. "I based my study on testing Beckett's people did on this herb. Do you know if any of the test subjects showed any unusual reactions to it? The human ones? I don't recall any notations of that in any of the case histories."

Jennifer shook her head. "Not that I know of, but it was a very short study. I think it was like, four months? And there were only seven human subjects. And three Athosians. From what I was told, its just a harmless herb. Most Athosian women use it their whole lives with no ill effects."

"Well, we've got one human woman showing odd...I don't want to go to ill yet...effects from it." She glanced over at Carter, and looked back at Jennifer. She grinned and jerked her head toward the chaise. "What did I tell you?"

Jennifer looked over at the chaise, and gasped when she saw Sam, apparently asleep, curled up on her side, her hand between her legs, her fingers working lazily in her crotch.

"Anyway, back to these numbers. Her initial exposure was less than one milligram. We started with thirty milligrams diluted in thirty-three ounces of tequila, forty-eight ounces of a bitters mix, and twenty-four ounces of water. The water was in ice form, so probably isn't a factor. She had, call it twelve ounces total of the margaritas. I had an equal amount at the same time. So now we're way under a milligram, and into microgram levels. Call it closer to thirty micrograms. That's less than two tenths of one percent of what the Athosian women take on a regular basis."

Samuels shook her head as she looked at Keller. "But these numbers show considerably more of the substance in her blood by volume. And there's no way she could have gotten more on her own, I don't keep any here. I have to sign it out from the dispensary on a by use basis. And she hasn't been anywhere else in the last twenty-four hours."

She looked over at Carter, then back at Keller again. "Is there anyway she could be producing it on her own? At least, the active components?"

"We don't know what the active components are, or at least I don't right now." Keller said. "I'll have to review the material, and talk to the people that were involved in the study. It's possible that she could be producing any number of substances as a result of this exposure."

Jennifer looked over at Carter, then stood up and paced back and forth for a moment. "There's something else we need to talk about Andi." She paused, then turned to face her colleague. "She...she's not fit for duty in this condition. I'm going to have to relieve her of command eventually, if she doesn't show improvement soon. And I mean today."

"I know," Samuels said. "I thought of that too. I think you should go talk to Sheppard, and do it now. We don't know enough to diagnose, much less try to begin any kind of treatment."

"I wanna go home..."

Both women turned and looked toward the chaise, but Carter was gone, already on her feet, moving toward the door.

"Whoa, Sam." Andi said as she ran after her, catching her at the door. "You're in no shape to be going anywhere right now."

"I'm fine, sweetie." She said lightly, leaning close and kissing her on the cheek. She looked over at Keller. "And you're right Jennifer, I'm not fit for duty at the moment. You know what you have to do, right?

Keller nodded, her eyes tearing up. She shook her head, and took a deep breath. "Yes maam. I'll take care of it."

Carter nodded. "Good. Now come with me, I've got something I'd like to show you." She pressed her hand to the pad beside the door. Nothing happened.

Turning slowly, she looked at Samuels, her face clouding over. "Why is the door locked, Andi?" She asked coldly.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 02



"Because I didn't want you wandering off when I wasn't looking." Samuels said, looking her in the eye. "I didn't want you to hurt yourself...or do something stupid."

"Oh...good idea. Would you unlock it please? I want to show you something. And I think it will solve some of the problems that are going to come up."

Andi keyed in a code, and the door swooshed open. Carter took her hand and led her into the corridor. She looked back over her shoulder at Keller. "You come too, Jenn. I want you both to see this."

She touched the pad next to the porter, and the door swooshed opened. "You should code this too, Andi." She said as she stepped in and started tapping on the pad on the porters wall. "I probably won't be coming back here, but a little security never hurts, ya know." The doors swooshed shut behind Jennifer as she stepped in. 

Interior-Col. Carter's Suite, Tower Fifty-Eight

1350 Hours

Sam hit the pad one last time, and the doors opened behind them.

"Remind me to set up access codes for both of you before you leave." She said as she stepped out of the porter. "You won't be able to get back here without one."

Keller and Samuels followed her out, but stopped in their tracks when they saw their surroundings. They had come out directly into a room, not a corridor the way most porters did. And what a room.

The arched ceiling was fifteen feet high where it met the walls, but soared to almost twenty-five feet at the peak. The entire expanse glowed softly over the richly appointed interior. The room was filled with long, low couches, tables that appeared to have been carved from single pieces of wood, and the carpet was some sort of animal fur that they sank into, almost ankle deep. Tapestries and paintings adorned the walls, while knick knacks, and other objet d'art were strewn about tastefully.

"Oh...my...gawddddd!" Samuels muttered.

"You like it huh? So do I." Carter chuckled "I found this place the first week I was in Atlantis. I was doing a walking tour, hitting random addresses in a porter, and I landed here one evening. I've been making little changes as I moved some of my stuff in over the last few months, but what you see is basically how I found it." She walked toward an arched doorway across the huge room. "Lemme show you the best part."

The doctors followed her, stopping again as they stepped through the doorway.

"Fuck me..." Keller gasped, her mind barely able to take in the incredible vista spread out before her.

"Why Jennifer, I never thought you'd ask!" Sam laughed, tickling her under the chin, then spinning and running across the room, diving headlong onto a huge bed in its center.

The room was more than fifty feet across, and over thirty feet deep, the three outer walls each made up of single sheets of floor to ceiling glass. Even from where they were standing, the view was incredible. The back wall was a hand carved bas-relief in some shiny black material neither of them recognized. The huge bed nestled in under it, and a long shelf with different sized nooks under it ran just over the width of the bed.

The bed was at least fifteen deep, and twelve feet wide, and looked like it could easily sleep a dozen people. Sam had grabbed a long, thick round pillow, and was hugging it as she rolled around on the bed.

"Oooohhh, I knew these things were gonna come in handy someday," She giggled as she rolled over, straddling it, and started humping back and forth slowly. "Um, I'm gonna...uh, you know...is that okay?"

"Knock yourself out." Samuels said as she walked over and looked out the windows. She was facing the east pier, and Atlantis was spread out below her. She walked along the wall, turning when she reached the corner and walking down it. The side wall had an ocean view, and the sun shimmered on the water like diamonds. She looked over her shoulder, and saw that Jennifer was walking toward the other, shorter side wall, equally spellbound.

"Jennifer," She said, then pointed at the doorway when Jennifer looked at her. She glanced at Carter on the bed as she walked by. Sam was humping and writhing happily on the pillow, and Samuels couldn't think of any reason to disturb her.

"She'd lucid, and appears to be capable of rational thought." She said as they stepped into the adjoining room. They went over and sat on one of the couches in the center of the room. "Her cognitive processes seem to be unaffected, it's just that this new, sexual element appears to be overriding everything else at the moment."

Jennifer nodded. "I think you're right. She was masturbating while we were reviewing some of the test results with her, I'm sure of it. If she hadn't leaned back and closed her eyes, I might not have noticed."

"She'd been going at it for almost ten minutes before you said anything." Samuels said, grinning at her. "I made some notes of my observations if you want to look at them. But the fact that she could participate in the conversation we were having, shows that she is still highly functional." She paused, looking at Keller closely. "I'd like to test that further if we can."

"Okay, that's not a bad idea. What did you have in mind?" Keller asked.

"Well...besides what happened in the shower earlier, have you ever had a lesbian experience?"

Jennifer blushed, and before she could say anything, Samuels continued.

"I didn't think so. It's ok, not everyone is into it." She grinned at Jennifer. "Bu..."

"It wasn't unpleasant. I...I actually kind of liked it." Jennifer said softly, Blushing furiously, but maintaining eye contact with Andi.

"Really? Do you think you could..." She paused and took Jennifer's hand. "Do you think you could do to Sam what I did to you? I need her in a state of extreme sexual stimulation so I can hit her with a barrage of high level questions. Based on her responses, a combination of oral and digital stimulus is the fastest way to get her there. I'd do it, but it's kinda hard to talk with your mouth full of pussy, you know?"

"So you want me to...to.."

"I want you to eat at the 'Y', muff dive, slurp on the bearded clam. Yeah, I want you to eat her pussy, Jenn. Do you think you can do that?"

Jennifer laughed and squeezed Andi's hand. "Oh my god, Andi, what are we doing?"

"We're treating our patient. And we need to get back to her, I don't like leaving her alone." She stood up, pulling off her gown and laying it across the back of the couch. "And that's gonna be rule number one from now on. She is never, and I mean never, to be left alone. She already had one cardiac event, and I want to make sure she doesn't do it again. Or at least someone should be with her if she does."

"We're going to need some help. That means staff, which means more people that know about this." Keller said as she stood up. She looked at Andi standing naked in front of her, and shrugged, pulling off her scrub top, then pushing her pants down over her hips. She laid them on the back of the couch next to Andi's robe. "I have a few people on my staff that I trust completely to be discreet about this, but I think we can wait a couple of days before we start pulling anyone in. I want to talk to Sam, and see what she thinks before we go making plans that affect her."

"That's a good idea," Samuels said, stepping closer to Jennifer and slipping her arms around her waist. She leaned forward, her lips pressing against hers. Jennifer tensed up, but relaxed after a moment, and let her lips open to Andi's probing tongue. Andi kissed her gently for a moment, then pulled back. 

"Good girl," she smiled, then gasped as Jennifer pressed her lips back against hers, kissing her hungrily. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Jennifer pushed her away. 

"Oh shit, I'm starting to like that!" She panted. She grinned at Andi. "Let's go look in on the boss, shall we?"

They went back into the other room, and Sam was still busily humping on her pillow. She was on her back now, and she had her arms and legs wrapped around it, and she was frantically humping her hips up at it.

Andi looked over at Jennifer, lifting one eyebrow. Jennifer nodded and took off at a dead run, diving onto the bed next to Sam. Andi laughed, then followed, just at a slower pace.

"Hey!" Carter yelled when Jennifer jerked the pillow out of the way, Then sighed and purred, "Oh, nevermi...OHSHIT...Do that some more!"

Jennifer pushed her legs apart, looking at the hairlined slit of Sam's pussy for a moment, then plastered her mouth to it, letting her tongue slide from her mouth and slip up between the soft, juice slickened lips. Moving her hands up, she pushed Sam's legs up higher, and wider apart. She spread the lips of her pussy with her thumbs, and slapped her tongue up and down over the soft, slippery flesh.

Andi crawled up onto the bed and moved over next to them. She pushed the pillow off of Sam and reached down, grabbing the hem of her gown, pulling it up over her. Sam raised up slightly so Andi could pull the gown off of her, then grinned up at her as she slid down on the bed next to her.

"Hi! This was your idea, wasn't it?" she laughed. She looked down at Jennifer as she eagerly munched on her juicy muff. "Mmmmm, you're pretty good at that, Jenn" She said huskily. "You sure you never did this before? Oh...Ohhhhhhhhh!" She put her hand on the back of Jennifer's head. "Ne...nevermind! Don...don't stop! Oh shit! Please don't stop!"

Andi reached over and started squeezing one of her breasts, then leaned over and sucked one stiff nipple into her mouth. She chewed on it lightly, lashing it with her tongue. Sam's back arched up as she pressed her tit up at Andi's sucking mouth. She whined when Andi pulled her mouth away.

"Sam, what's pi?" She asked softly.

"3.14159265." Sam answered immediately.

"And what's the square root?"

Carter turned her head and looked at her. "You're testing my cognitive abilities, aren't you?"

She closed her eyes, and humped her pussy up at Jennifer's face. "Lick my clit, Jenn. And stick a couple fingers in too." She looked at Andi again. "Tell her how to do the G-spot thing, Andi. That'll be kewl!"

"Come on, Sam. What's the square root of pi?"

"Lick my titty again and I'll tell you..."

Andi leaned back down and sucked Sam's nipple back into her mouth. She clamped the spiky bud between her teeth and bit down on it, shaking her head like a dog. Relaxing her grip on it, she cupped her breast in her hand, and sucked lightly on the nipple, letting her tongue lash around over the bumpy ring of the areole.

"Mmmmmm, that feels sooooooooo good!" Sam gasped.

Andi pulled her lips off her tit with a loud slurp, and smiled down at her. "Okay, what's the square of pi, Sam?"

1.772453849892854yadayadayada, ad nauseum, ad infinitum..." She said quickly, then added, "Like you'd know anyway."

"Ya got me there, Sam. Where are we?"

"Tell Jennifer how to do the G-spot thing first."

"What? No! Now you listen to me..."

"No, you listen to me, Dr. Samuels. I'll participate in your testing, but you have to give me something in return. Quid pro quo. That's only fair."

Andi stared at her in shock, taken completely off guard by this sudden reappearance of the career Air Force officer.

"That's right, Andi. I am completely lucid, and for the most part, completely in control of my faculties...well, kind of." She paused, and her features softened again as she smiled. "And if you two want to have private little chats about me, I suggest you go to another building. Or at least another floor." She grinned wolfishly. "It seems that my hearing has improved quite a bit in the last few hours."

Andi nodded, and looked down at Jennifer.

"Jenn, put two fingers in to the second knuckle. Press your fingertips against the upper wall of her vagina..."

"Pussy." Sam corrected her.

Andi gave her a withering glare, but Sam just grinned at her.

"Press them against the upper wall of her pussy. You won't feel anything at first, but you'll be able to tell by her reactions if you're in the right place."

"Yeah buddy..."

"Be good, Sam!" Andi laughed. "As she gets more aroused, you'll feel a slight swelling under your fingers. It will grow as she gets more excited. I've felt it get as large as a marble, so don't be surprised."

"Let's see if we can get it as big as a baseball!" Sam cackled as she shimmied and writhed under Jennifer's busily sucking mouth. She turned her head, and saw Andi scowling at her. "Okay, a tennis ball...a ping pong ball?"

"Anyway, you'll want to work on her clit at the same time. The more excited she gets, the more you'll need to work in her clit. Vary your strokes, and alternate between licking and sucking." She looked back at Sam. "There, satisfied?" 

Sam grinned back at her. "Nowhere close...God, I can't believe you asked me that!" She swatted at Andi's head, making her dodge back quickly.

"That was kinda dumb, wasn't it?" Andi laughed. "Now tell me about this place, Sam."

"We're on the one hundred forty-fourth floor of tower fifty-eight, southwest pier of Atlantis, in the Pegasus galaxy. This room is fifty-three feet wide, thirty-six feet deep, and fifteen feet high, for a total vol...OOOOOOhhhhh!"

She stopped abruptly as Andi pinched her nipple sharply.

"Too much?" She asked.

"Not at all," Andi said lightly. "Tell me more, but just the useful stuff, okay?"

"Hmmmmm, I've been doing modifications to the buildings systems. None of the elevators will go below one thirty-one, and none of the porters in the city will go to any floor above one thirty without a code. That was the first thing I set up. I also changed the buildings parameters in the city database, so it shows up as only having a hundred thirty floors. Didn't want anyone to come nosing around, ya know?"

"Why? Those seem like some extreme precautions." Andi said.

"The IOA is going to try to replace me at some point. I like it here, and I don't think I ever want to leave. Earth will be dull after this." She said quietly as she pushed Jennifer away and rolled over. "Let's take this into the other room. I think I need something to drink."

Getting to her feet, she bounced to the end of the bed and hopped off, walking slowly toward the door. "You two coming? Or do you want some private time?" She spun around, walking backwards, pointing her hands at them from waist level like a pair of six guns as she leered at them.

Andi and Jennifer looked at each other, then scampered off the bed after her. Sam started talking as they caught up to her.

"This suite takes up this entire floor, I'll show you around later. The next two floors down have two suites each, the next three under those have four, and everything else down to one thirty-one have six each. I haven't looked below that, so don't ask."

"I wasn't going ask about any of that, but okay." Andi said. "You said something about getting something to drink. Where's the kitchen? And where can I pee?"

"The kitchen is just down the end of the hall here, and one of the bathrooms is right next to it. More like a powder room, actually, but you can pee in it I guess."

"Excuuuuuse me." Jennifer said as she skittered by and skipped down the hall, disappearing through a door.

"Guess she has to go too." Sam said lightly. "Let's go on to the kitchen, she can catch up. Can you wait? I can show you where another bathroom is if you can't."

"Oh, I don't have to go." Andi said. "I just like to know where the bathroom is for when I do."

"I'm the same way. But there's five bathrooms in this place. The master is just off my bedroom, then there's this one," She waved at Jennifer sitting on the toilet as they walked by. "There's another powder room off what I think of as the office, then there are two more full baths off the other two bedrooms."

"Only three bedrooms? I would have thought there'd be at least five with a place this size."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But the other two bedrooms are, oh, I'd say seventy percent the size of mine, and one of them has two beds in it. I think it was the kids room. They were more interested in living space I guess."

Interior-Kitchen

1510 Hours

"Wow!" Andi gushed as they walking into the kitchen. Polished metal cabinets lined two sides of the room top and bottom, with a space between. There was a thick stone countertop in an "L" shape stretching from wall to wall in each direction, and a double sink was centered on each side. The third side, where they had entered, had a wide, double refrigerator on each side of the entryway. the fourth side was another window wall, which seemed to be a favorite of the designer.

A long glass and metal table dominated the room. Easily twelve feet long and five feet wide, it had four metal chairs on each side, and a larger one on each end.

Sam stepped to the left and pulled open the door on one of the fridges. "There's juice, milk, soft drinks, and water on this side." She pointed over to the fridge on the other side of the doorway. "Alcohol and frozen foods are in the other one." 

She walked over, opened a cabinet, and pulled down three big glasses. Coming back, she lifted a panel, revealing an ice maker. Handing Andi a glass, she held one of the others under the spout, and filled it with ice.

"Does Jennifer use ice?" She asked Andi. "I never noticed."

"Sure do," Jennifer said as she walked into the room, holding out her hand.

Sam handed her the glass of ice, and Andi stepped back, opening the refrigerator door. "Drinks." She said.

Jennifer reached in, grabbed a bottle of grape juice, and walked over, pulled a chair out from the side of the table and sat down.

Sam held the glass of ice out to Andi, but she shook her head, and picked up a bottle of orange juice. Sam reached in and grabbed two cokes, and they joined Jennifer at the table.

Sam took the place at the head of the table away from the windows, and Andi walked behind her, taking a seat across from Keller.

"Okay," Sam said when there were all settled. "You have more questions. Let's hear them."

"How do you feel?" Andi asked her.

"Physically, emotionally, otherwise? You wanna narrow that list a little?"

"No, I don't." Andi said. "Start with how you feel physically, right now, then we'll go from there."

"I feel pretty good, actually. I tend to be a healthy person, so that's not unusual. I do generally feel...better is the best I can give you. I feel stronger, and I think my stamina is increasing too." She looked over at Jennifer. "I suppose you're going to want to run some kind of tests on me over the next few days?" Jennifer nodded. "Okay, there's a gym, pool, and sauna up on the next floor. I guess we could do stress testing up there."

She turned back to Andi. "I mentioned that my hearing has improved, becoming more sensitive. Well, my other senses appear to be doing the same thing. Especially smell, at least, that's the one I'm noticing most." She smiled at them, then continued. "I not saying that you stink, but if this keeps up, we're going to have to make arrangement to have anyone that comes up here shower before they do. With unscented products."

She got up and walked over to the freezer, and pulled out a small tub of ice cream. She got a spoon from a drawer and returned to the table. She frowned when she opened the container, noticing that were only a few spoonsful left. "Oh, this is not good." She sat the container down, and stood up, walking toward the door. "Come with me. Both of you."

They followed her down the hall, across the living room, and into a smaller room. Sam moved behind a richly carved wooden desk and sat down, touching a panel on the desk, bringing a lighted keyboard embedded in its surface to life. "I hate this thing." She muttered to herself, then looked up at them.

"Give me a fourteen character alphanumeric string that you'll remember. You first Andi."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 02



"Can I use my name, with numbers in it?"

"Sure, that'll do for now." Sam said. "Good thinking. okay, you're 1andi1samuels1, all lower case. Jenn?"

"1hothotdoctor2." Jennifer said, keeping her face as straight as she could.

Sam laughed as she typed it into the system. "Our dreams betray us." Andi said quietly. Jennifer punched her in the shoulder.

"Okay, Jenn." Sam smiled up at her. "You are now 1hothotdoctor", she paused, then added, "2."

She stood up, and came around the desk. "Now that both of you can come and go at will, would one of you PLEEEEZZZ, go get me some ice cream! I'm having a major sugar jones, and I know there's some at Andi's place."

"I'll go," Andi said. "I know which porter to hit, and I know right where it is. What else do I need to bring back?"

"A few of those gowns, I like the way they feel. We need to stock up on those. And you two need to start making notes as we have these little chats. Remind me to get you some tablets for that."

She leaned back against the desk and looked at them. "Jenn, this might be a good time for you to go have that little chat with John."

"No." Andi said. "She can do that after I get back. I was serious Sam. There is going to be someone with you 24/7 from now on. You no longer have a private life, everything you do is going to be observed and monitored. Is that clear?"

Carter just looked at her, then sigh and nodded. "Then you two are going to need some relief. Jenn, contact three people in your department and brief them on what's happening. Tell them that this is their new duty assignment until further notice, and have them plan on staying here. We can assign them suites on the lower levels. I doubt they'll complain about that, it's a major upgrade."

"Andi, I don't like being told what to do, but you seem to have a knack for it. I'll defer to your judgment when it doesn't conflict with mine, except for anything medical, where you two will have final say. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Yes, and thank you," Andi said, leaning forward, kissing her on the cheek. "I'll go get your junk food now."

"Let's go back in the kitchen, Jenn." Carter said lightly. "I hope that ice cream hasn't melted yet."

Samuels went out to the porter, and touched the symbols for her local porter. She stepped out into the corridor and walked quickly toward her quarters. Moving inside, she went to the hall closet and started going through the gowns, then just pushed them all together, pulled them out, and threw them over her arm. She went into her bedroom next, and got her stash of Thumper and her pipe from the nightstand. She stepped into the bathroom to get her toothbrush, and caught sight of herself in the mirror, noticing that she was still naked.

While she wasn't uncomfortable with nudity, she wasn't normally a nudist by nature. But she had a feeling that she was going to be spending alot of her time sans clothes in the near future.

Going back out into the main room, she spotted the food cart and grinned. Emptying it quickly, she started piling things on it. Her laptop, a stack of files, then the gowns. She went into the kitchen to get the ice cream. She opened the freezer, and stopped. It wasn't there. Going back out to the food cart, she opened the doors, and saw it sitting on what was left of the slab of dry ice. She picked one up and opened it. Still solid, she thought, and put it back.

Looking around the room, she spotted Carter's uniform blouse on the floor, and went over, digging the comm unit out of the pocket. She tossed it on top of the pile on the cart, maneuvered it over to the door, and hit the pad. She moved quickly down the corridor to the porter, turned around, and pulled the cart in behind her. Entering her code into the pad, she tapped in the symbol combination for Sam's building.

"Little help here!" She yelled as she turned the cart sideways in the porter.

Carter came jogging out of the hallway, a spoon in her hand. "Where's the ice cream?" she said as she skidded to a halt. Andi opened the cart doors, and Sam squatted down looking them over. "Lessee, FV, french vanilla, CR, chocolate ripple," She picked one of the CR tubs up and pried the lid off, dropping it on the floor. She stuck her face in it, making 'numm, numm, numm' noises as she licked at it.

She stood up, digging the spoon into the tub. She scooped up a spoonful and shoveled it into her mouth, her eyes rolling back in her head, a look of absolute delight spreading across her face.

Jennifer came strolling in a moment later, wearing her scrubs. She walked over and held her hands out, and Andi heaved the gowns into her arms. She gathered up her laptop and files, and stepped out of the porter, picking up the lid to the ice cream as she went by it.

"Are you just gonna leave that in there?" Jennifer asked as she threw the gowns over the back of the couch. "And did you go out dressed like that? Or should I say, undressed?"

"Yes and yes," Andi grinned. "I didn't notice I was naked till I was already back at my place."

"Okay, I'm going to go down and talk to Col. Sheppard. I might be a while, I want to make a few other stops on the way back. I'll drop the cart off at the mess hall."

"Jenn, are you going to take a shower? Or at least wash your face?" Andi asked her.

"What? Why?"

"Because you smell like pussy, dumbass. I can smell you from here." Sam said as she walked toward her bedroom. "She was just trying to be polite!"

"Oh my god! I do! Gimme a sec, I'll be right back." 

She took off down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom.

"So much for help," Andi muttered, picking up the ice cream and stacking it on top of the cart.

"Leave the strawberry on the cart." Carter yelled from the bedroom. "I can smell that shit from here, and it makes me wanna wretch. Write that down. No strawberry allowed!"

"Picky bitch," And muttered.

"I heard that!"

"You did not! You're just fucking with me!" Andi laughed.

Sam stepped into the doorway. "Oh yeah? I'll have you know, that while I can be a bitch, I am not the least bit picky! And I really can smell that strawberry from here. I'm not kidding Andi, it's making me sick to my stomach."

Jennifer came back out of the hallway, her face freshly scrubbed. "You want some help with that ice cream?"

"No, I got it," Andi said, gathering the cartons up in her arms, heading for the kitchen. She stopped and came back, stopping Jennifer before she could close the porter doors.

"Are you going to go by the dispensary, Jenn?" Andi asked as she stood in front of the porter.

"I can, I'm going to the Infirmary, and it's right next store. What did you need?"

"Can you get me an ounce of Goorm? It's an Athosian herb, and if you chew a little of it, it counteracts the affects of Tuumpor. Brings you right down, no hangover."

"Okay, but you're gonna have to start being careful with these alien substances." Jennifer said softly. "I mean, look at what you've gotten us into, fucking around with things you don't know about! This is al..."

"No, it's not." Carter yelled from the bedroom. "Super hearing, remember? Get her what she wants Jenn, and get us some of that other stuff too! The shit she smokes!"

"Damn, that's gonna take some getting used to. Gonna have to get her some ear plugs."

"Good idea," Carter yelled from the bedroom. "Bring me back a box. Some nose plugs too, or some of those clip things."

Jennifer flipped her the bird, grinning wickedly at Andi.

"You're lucky she can't see through walls yet." Andi whispered.

"Did she flip me off?" Sam yelled. She came stomping into the doorway. "Tell me you didn't just flip me off you little..."

Jennifer hit the symbols for the porter closest to the Ops Center, and the doors swooshed shut in front of her.

Interior-Ops Center, Central Tower

1435 Hours

Keller stepped out of the porter and jogged up the stairs to the Ops Center. She walked along the back wall, going down the short hallway to the CO's office. Looking in through the open door, she saw that it was empty. She went next door, to the deputy's office, and saw Col. Sheppard working on a stack of reports.

Knocking briskly, she smiled when he looked up.

"Jennifer, come in." He said lightly, pushing the stack of folders to one side. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here in an official capacity, John." She said as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "As Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis, it's my responsibility to inform you that I have determined that Col. Carter has become unfit to perform her duties, and that I have relieved her of her command." She paused and took a deep breath, then continued. "I have reviewed my findings with Col. Carter, and she agrees with my determination. My findings have also been confirmed by Dr. Andi Samuels, a consulting psychiatrist, who was initially called in to consult on an unrelated matter."

"What the hell?" He said quietly, as he looked up at her, his face ashen. "What can you tell me about her condition? I'm going to need some information to pass along to the IOA, and the Pentagon." He paused, and stood up, coming around the desk to stand in front of her. "That can wait, though. Between you and me, how is she, and what can I do to help? This entire base is at your disposal, you say jump..."

"Thank you, John. She'll appreciate that. I'm sorry, but I am not at liberty to discuss her condition with you at the moment, on a formal, or informal basis. I hope to have more information in the next few days."

"The IOA isn't going to go for that Jennifer, and you know it! Protocol states that the relieving official must provide documentation supporting any action taken against a Commanding Officer..."

"Except when the named Commanding Officer concurs with said action, and agrees in writing." She reached into her pocket, pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to him. "As I said, she agrees with my determination, and has stated such, in her own words."

He read the letter quickly, then sat it on the desk behind him. "I accept your decision based on the evidence provided. Please inform Col. Carter that I will be assuming her duties, effective immediately. I will also inform the chain of command of your actions, and my support of it."

He waved toward the couch behind her. "Sit with me for a minute, will you. This is alot to take in all at once, you know?"

They sat down, and she took his hand, holding it both of hers. "We're sorry that we had to take this step, John. But there was really no other choice." She paused, looking around the room, then leaned close to him. "Are there any recording devices active in this room at the moment?" She asked quietly.

He looked at her, then took off his comm unit, turned it off, holding it up so she could see it was inactive, then tossed it on the desk. He stood up, and walked over to the door, opened it, and stepped out. Jennifer followed him as he moved quickly down the short corridor. He stopped facing a side wall, pressed his hand against it, then stepped through the panel that slid aside. Jennifer followed him, and the panel slid shut behind her.

The small room was bare except for two chairs and a small table.

"Only three other people know about this room. And one of them is dead." he said as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "I found this room the first year we were here, completely by accident. I was running down the hall, tripped and fell against the wall, and the panel opened. You used to have to have the ancient gene to open it, but it's also DNA coded now, so Col. Carter and I are the only ones that can open it. I've had the pleasure of sharing this space with both of my base commanders. We use it for confidential meetings."

He pulled the other chair around so he was sitting right in front of her. "You can speak freely here, Jennifer. I understand that you have doctor patient confidentiality to worry about, but anything you can tell me will help."

"I can't tell you much, because we don't know much. She's given me permission to bring you into the loop on a limited basis." She paused, and reached out to take his hand. "She has had an adverse reaction to a substance commonly used by Athosian women, which has also been tested on a small pool of Terran women, none of whom showed any ill effects, to my knowledge. I still need to review the case histories, because I wasn't directly involved in the study, it was done before I got here."

"Her condition has both mental and physical effects. The physical effects actually appear to be a benefit at the moment, at least for her. It's looking like at least one of them is going to be a pain in the ass for the rest of us for a while." She paused again, and gave him a weak grin. "I'm sorry, that was mean. Her hearing and sense of smell have become incredibly sensitive in the last 12 hours. I don't have any other information on other physical effects, because we haven't been able to do any tests, and she hasn't revealed anything. She's not being uncooperative, at this point, its just that she hasn't noticed it yet. She revealed the hearing and smell issues as soon as they became apparent."

"And the mental effects?"

"I have very little leeway on what I can discuss with you there. We don't have enough information at the moment to make a clear diagnosis. All can tell you, is that she is being affected to the point where she is not able to perform her duties. She is also not able to care for herself. She has demonstrated a lack of control that puts her health, and life, in jeopardy."

"What do you need from me?" He asked quietly. "Like I said, all you have to do is ask, or say that you want something, and I'll do whatever it takes to get it as fast as we can."

"I'm going to be drafting some of my staff from the infirmary, three to begin with, I'll give you names after I decide which ones. I'm also going to be requisitioning equipment from the infirmary. I may also need you to special order some supplies and equipment from Earth, probably on a rush basis."

"Okay, don't worry about requisitions, just take what you need, or tell me what you want, and I'll have it delivered. We'll worry about the paperwork later." 

"If I make a request for anything, I'll want it to be delivered to the infirmary, that's going to be my processing point. Some areas are already set up as clean rooms, so it will be easier to move materials from there."

"What the hell does that mean, Jennifer?"

"It means that she is under an unofficial quarantine at the moment, which I will make official the second I feel anyone, including you, is stepping out of bounds. Because of her enhanced sense of smell...John, she smelled strawberry ice cream from over fifty feet away, and it made her physically ill. We have to be very careful what comes into her residence, so everyone and everything is going to need to be screened and cleaned before we bring it in. "

"Wow, I knew she hated strawberries, but I didn't think it was that bad."

"It is, I'm going to have to go through her records with a fine tooth comb looking for any mention of sensitivities. But you know how she is, she keeps her mouth shut and just sucks it up. This is gonna be tough for a while. we're going to end up stumbling across things one at a time."

"One thing I will need you to order is tablet PC's, I'm going to need at least six to start, as soon as you can get them. And were you serious about taking what I want? Because if you were, I'm going to strip the infirmary. I won't take the one of a kind items, but I need testing and diagnostic equipment, and supplies. I'll also be taking bulk materials from the commissary and mess hall. We're going to have to start preparing meals on site. And as our staffing needs go up, so will what we need. Oh...ear plugs, I doubt if there are any of those in the infirmary. How about the shooting range, or anywhere else that requires hearing protection? I need a box, no, make that two, we're gonna try to see if that helps."

"I said take what you need, and I meant it, and I have a box of tablets sitting in my office. You can take them with you, or I'll have someone bring them to the infirmary as soon as we're done here. I can get the ear plugs too. Is there anything else you can think of off the top of your head?"

"No, I'm going to have to reach out as we figure out what we need. But there is one last thing. I doubt if there is anyway you can keep the fact that she's been relieved quiet, but if you can keep it to as small a group as possible..."

"Don't worry about that," he grinned. "Later this evening, Col. Carter is going to be recalled to Stargate Command for an unspecified period of time, for a classified mission. The gate room and Ops Center are going to be cleared before we do the dial up. That's all anyone is going to know."

"You can do that? Wow, do you think you can get away with it?"

"We did it twice with Elizabeth," he said. "And no one was the wiser. It won't be a problem."

"Okay," Jenifer said, looking at her watch. "I need to get moving. I have several hours of work I need to catch up on in my office, and I need to get an inventory of what I'm going to take. I'll send you an itemized list as soon as I can."

They stood, and Sheppard held at his hand. Jennifer looked at it, then stepped closer and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly, and burying her face in his chest. She held him for a moment, then stepped back.

"Sorry," She said. "But I needed that."

"It's okay," He said lightly. "I think I did too."

Interior-Col. Carter's Bedroom

1520 Hours

"Can we talk about how we're going to work the logistics of all this?" Andi asked, running her hand lightly up and down over Sam's back.

"Mmmmm hmm," Sam purred, hugging her pillow as she shimmied up and down over it. They were lying on the big bed in her bedroom, both of them naked, and had just finished a frantic sixty-nine session that had left Andi weak and exhausted. As usual, Sam appeared energized by it.

"I already gave Jenn an outline, and she's going to line up equipment, supplies and personnel while she's out. As chief medical officer, it'll be easier for her to get it done." She opened one eye, and looked at Andi. "Do you mind if I..."

"Go ahead," Andi grinned. "But you're on your own this time. You wore my ass out! And you really don't have to ask." She paused, then continued, "I...I have to tell you something Sam. I...I'm sorry this happened to you. It was stupid of me to expose you to an alien substance without your knowledge. I..."

"Stop." Sam said, grinding her loins down onto the pillow, and moaning deep in her throat. "Ahhhhhh, oh Andi, you don't have anything to be sorry about. If the IOA didn't replace me, I would have ended up resigning, and trying to disappear into the city eventually. You have no idea how unhappy I was, and it wasn't just because of sex."

Hugging the big pillow tighter, she writhed and humped her ass up and down frantically. "I...oh god, ungh, ungh! Fuck! Yeah...Nnnnnuuunnggghhh!" She groaned as a small series of climaxes surged over her. "Wow" She panted, gasping for breath. "That was a good one! Quick too!"

Andi laughed, running her hand down and stroking her sweaty asscheek, making her jerk and moan again. "You know, I um...I actually like watching you when you...play. I've never been especially voyeuristic, but the way you respond to stimulus, from a clinical point of view, is amazing. From a personal point of view..." She rolled over, then reached out and took Sam's hand, drawing it down between her legs.

"Oh my god!" Sam whispered and she ran her fingers over the sopping wet slit of Andi's pussy. She pried the puffy lips apart, easing her fingers slowly up into the warm, wet depths of her pussy.

Andi let her stroke them in and out a few times, then pulled away, rolling back over onto her stomach beside Sam. "But back to logistics?"




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 02



Carter nodded. "I'd like you and Jenn to take the suites on the next floor down. Assign one of the others on forty-two to Sheppard, leave the other one free. Put the first group of staff on forty-one, leave thirty-nine and forty empty for growth, and setup thirty-one as office space. I want both you and Jenn to have an office down there. That's gonna be our ingress point."

She rolled over, pushing the pillow aside and slid off the bed. "I'm thirsty, and I need to pee. Let's take this in the kitchen. I'll meet you there." She walked over and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Andi got up and went out into the central room, then into the bathroom off one of the other bedrooms. She turned on the shower, then sat down to pee. Getting into the shower, she noticed that there was no soap, so she just rinsed off, standing under the steaming spray, sighing happily as it pounded on her. After a couple of minutes, she shut the shower off, grabbed a towel, and dried herself as she went back into the central room. Picking up a gown from the back of the couch, She pulled it over her head, and went into the kitchen.

Sam wasn't there yet, so she got a couple of glasses from the cupboard, filled one with ice and sat it on the table for Sam, then got the bottle of orange juice from the fridge. She was pouring a glass when Sam walked in, running a towel over her head. She was still naked.

"You took a shower too, huh?" She laughed, coming over and wrapping her arms around Andi. "Doin' the nasty is dirty work!" She kissed her lightly, then opened the fridge and took out two cokes, and sat them on the table. She went back over to the freezer, and got a carton of ice cream, and sat down at the head of the table.

"Damn," she muttered. "I forgot..."

"To get a spoon." And said, holding one out to her. She pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at Carter. "And there's no soap in the other bathroom."

"I've got some in the pantry. And one of the suites down on thirty-one is a supply room too." Carter said as she popped the top off the ice cream and dug out a big spoonful. "I've been stealing stuff for a couple months and stashing it there. I wanted to be ready."

"You were really planning on hiding out here? Just dropping off the radar and becoming invisible?"

Carter nodded. "But this is gonna make life alot easier on me, I think. Here's what I see happening over the next few days. The IOA and the Pentagon are gonna shit a nail when they hear I've been relieved of duty. But they've both been satisfied with my performance, or so I've been told privately by sources I trust."

"But they won't wait long. The wolves will start to gather fast. So I think I have a week, ten days tops, before they start trying to replace me." She grinned at Samuels. "I want to be ready before that. We'll do whatever tests you and Jennifer want, I'll cooperate. But I'm working on the basis that you will not be able to come up with a treatment, much less a cure, in the window I have to work in. You with me so far?"

Samuels nodded.

She opened a coke and poured it into the glass, then opened the other one and took a drink from it while she waited for the foam to settle in the glass. "Tell Jennifer to do some tests on why I'm craving sugar. I usually don't use alot of it, but right now, I can't seem to get enough."

"I'm going to resign both my command and commission before they have a chance to ask for them. That puts me in a better bargaining position. I'm going to request that I be allowed to stay in Atlantis, as the permanent head of an independent department for research and exploitation. The exploitation part is really gonna grab their nads, and clinch the deal."

"What kind of exploitation?" Samuels asked. "This is a clandestine operation. How are you going to get anything out."

"Atlantis has things that people in the Pegasus galaxy want, and they've only seen a fraction of what's available on Earth. Even if we hit a road block trying to go earthside at first, we can cut the budget for this place in half just by marketing to the locals, instead of giving it away." She took a sip from her coke. "But the IAO controls the gate now. They say who and what goes through it. I'm positive that once they see the numbers, they'll be falling all over themselves to make it happen. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Earth gate moved out of Cheyenne Mountain, and into an accessible warehouse facility to handle the volume. And we have a ZPM, so shipping to Earth, is alot cheaper than shipping from there right now."

"What kind of numbers are you talking about? And what kind of products did you have in mind?"

"I don't know about the numbers, I haven't made them up yet!" Carter grinned. "But the first product I plan on offering is that...what did you call it, Thumper? That's a good name by the way. Good marketing potential." She reached out and took Andi's hand. "You have any problem with becoming a top lieutenant in a drug cartel, Andi?"

"Not at all. I use it myself, and have been for months. I have yet to see any negative side effects, and there's an antidote that brings you right down, with no hangover. Package them together, and we can put half the drug cartels on earth out of business in less than a year. The other half would limp along for a while, but go under eventually too. That's a selling point for the IOA."

"That's what I was thinking. Make sure to put that in your report. I'm going to want testing on both human and alien subjects. We're going into both galaxies with that one. The only downside I see for going earthside is that the alcohol industry is going to take a hit too. That's a powerful lobby, so we're gonna have to be careful there."

She got up and went over to the freezer and got another carton of ice cream, french vanilla this time. "We got off on a tangent."

Carter sat alternating between the ice creams. She looked at Andi. "I already have an escape plan in place." She said quietly.

"I wasn't going to ask about that. Need to know item, and I don't." Samuels said lightly. "Based on what I've read about you, and from what you've told me, I figured that you would."

"It only made sense. Elizabeth Weir gave me the idea. She was going to do the same thing." She took a bite of ice cream before she continued. "I only met her a few times, but we really hit it off. Her death hurt me deeply. But when Daniel and I came to Atlantis looking for information on the Ancients, and to setup the stargate to block the Ori supergate, we spent some time together, and she told me what she had in mind. She knew that she wouldn't be able to stay on Atlantis, but she loved the Pegasus galaxy, and there was nothing left for her on earth, her relationship had faltered, and she had no relatives..."

She smiled wryly. "Sound familiar? Anyway, I have an advantage she didn't have. I've been working with Ancient technology for over a decade, and aside from McKay, I probably have a better understanding of it than anyone else in the universe. That's another reason I think I'll get my way when I hit the IOA with my proposal." She grinned again. "He thinks he's so damned smart! And he is, but he doesn't think things through. I'll be glad to be done with him."

She leaned back and stretched, yawning as she did. "I think I'm gonna take a nap. Wanna come with? If you don't, I promise I'll be good."

Andi shook her head. "No, I want to get started on a few things. I brought my laptop up, so I can do some work. And I think I want to check this place out, maybe go down and stake out a claim on my suite."

"You'll have to wait on the suite. The doors have to be coded so you can open them." Carter said as she stood up. "I'll see you in a bit."

Interior-Jennifer Keller's Quarters, Central Tower

1525 Hours

Jennifer took the box of tablets with her, and stopped by her quarters first. The message light on her comm was flashing, but she ignored it. She went into her bedroom and started pulling clothes out of drawers and throwing them on the bed, then stopped. She thought about it for a minute as she looked at the pile, and decided that she actually preferred the Athosian gowns that Andi wore. Opening a different drawer, she pulled out all her bras and panties, and put them in a separate pile on the bed.

Going into the bathroom, she got her toothbrush, and made a mental note to get a box from the commissary. She didn't know if Sam had one in her suite or not, but having spares couldn't hurt. As she came out, she spotted her comm unit on the nightstand. She snatched it up and dropped it in her pocket, then grabbed the clothes off the bed and went out into the main room.

Picking up her backpack, she dumped it out on the couch and stuffed the clothes inside, then went over to her desk and closed her laptop, unplugged the power cord and stuffed them into her backpack next. She pawed through the stuff she had dumped, picking up a few items, putting them back in the bag, and left the rest sitting. She took a quick look around the room, then threw the backpack over her shoulder, picked up the box of tablets, and left.

Interior-Infirmary, Central Tower

1540 Hours

Her next stop was her office in the infirmary. She breezed through the door, and was relieved to see that they weren't very busy, there was only one patient being treated. The attending looked up as she came in, smiled and waved, then turned back to his patient.

Keller sat the tablets and her backpack down by the door, and went into her office, closing the door behind her. She started making lists of supplies and equipment, then connected a portable drive to her computer and started downloading the medical database onto it. She wasn't sure Sam had network access from her suite, and she wanted to be able to look at the available research without having to run back and forth.

She was finishing up the supplies list when there was a knock on the door. She looked at the clock, and was amazed to see that almost forty minutes had past. "Come in," She said lightly, smiling when she saw one of her nurses, Tammy Ford open the door. "Tammy! I was going to come looking for you. Come in, and have a seat. And close the door."

She waited till Tammy got settled, then leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her on the desk. "We've had an incident, Tammy, and I'm going to need your help. If you're willing."

"Of course doctor," Tammy said, leaning forward of the couch. "I'd be..."

"Don't jump in until you have the big picture, Tammy. You may not want to be involved once you do." She paused, looking at her carefully. "What I'm about to tell you is classified, well above your clearance level I have to add, but I have confidence in your discretion. If you decide to accept my offer, you'll be transferred from the infirmary to a new duty station, and to new quarters as well. Unfortunately, this assignment will also mean that you will be effectively cutoff from other base personnel, until further notice."

She paused, letting what she had said sink in for a moment. "Should I continue?" She asked.

"Yes maam," Tammy answered, leaning back on the couch, and crossing her legs. "I'd like to hear more."

"Good, I thought you would. There's been an...incident...with Col. Carter. She's had an adverse reaction to an Athosian herb, called korathis, are you familiar with it?"

"Yes maam, I was involved in the study that Dr. Beckett did...not quite three years ago. I documented the human subjects and did the follow-ups on them for the next two years, I'm still documenting one subject..."

Keller sat staring at her, open mouthed, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Doctor? Dr. Keller? Did I say something wro..."

"Yeesssss!" Jennifer yelled, rocking back in her chair, pumping her fists up and down in the air. "I finally got a break!"

"You're hired," Keller laughed. "Oh my god, Tammy! I can't believe my luck! I haven't even looked at that material, and the first person I talk to was involved in the fucking study! Damn! This is incredible!"

"Dr. Keller, I need to te..."

"You just became my resident expert on this shit. Besides helping to care for Col. Carter, you'll have to work with Dr. Samuels and me trying to figure out what caused the problem. With your background and experience, you're going to be our best resource for a while, so you're probably going to be putting in some long hours for a while."

"Dr. Keller? Can I say something?" Tammy asked, leaning forward on the couch.

"Huh? Sure. I'm sorry Tammy, but its been a really weir..."

"I'm the subject that I've been documenting. I've been taking korathis myself, on a daily basis, for over three years. I was one of the original human test subjects. I continued the research on my own, just out of curiosity."

Keller just stared at her again, then a slow smile crept across her lips. "Well aren't you just full of happy little surprises today." She said slowly. She checked the file transfer, and saw that it was done, so she disconnected the drive, then printed out the lists of supplies and equipment. She got up from behind the desk and walked to the door. "Follow me, Tammy. You just went on the clock."

"I've been on duty for three hours, doc..."

"My clock, hon. And call me Jenn, or Jennifer. You can call Dr. Samuels, Andi. I'll have to let our problem child decide what she wants you to call her." She handed Tammy two of the lists, and the portable drive. "Give those to someone and tell them to have everything on them stacked and ready near the transporter no later than 1800 hours. If they have a problem with it, have them call Col. Sheppard. Hold onto that drive. It has the medical database on it, and we're gonna need that."

"Yes maam." Tammy said, and headed for the back of the infirmary.

Jennifer walked next door to the dispensary, smiling at the clerk. "Hi, I need a few things." She said, handing him a list. "How long will it take you to put all that together?"

The clerk looked over the list, then looked up at her. "I don't see a problem with any of this. It'll take a couple of hours to get some of these quantities out of stores, but we have most of it on hand, and I can put alot of it together for you now, if you want to wait."

"Excellent. But I'll come back when you have everything. Now, do you have any toothbrushes, or do I need to go to the commissary for that?"

"I can hook you up with those. How many did you need?"

"Gimme a dozen each medium and firm. And do you have any unscented, unflavored tooth paste? If you do, just give me a box to go. And I need an ounce of Tuumpor, and an ounce of Goorm."

"You'll have to sign for those last two, they're classed as controlled substances."

"That's fine. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

He nodded and disappeared as he walked behind a set of shelves.

Jennifer went back into the infirmary, and saw Tammy coming toward her. "Any problems?" She asked.

Tammy shook her head. "Stevens bitched about giving up a portable scanner, especially when I told him I wanted the good one. But he shut up when I mentioned Col. Sheppard. We'll have to look to make sure he doesn't try to screw us when we come back to get it though."

Jennifer laughed and pulled her off to the side. "I'm gonna tell you more about what's going on once we get out of here, okay?" Tammy just nodded. "I thought we had some laminar air curtains around here somewhere. You got any idea where they might be?"

"I just saw a stack of...I don't know, fifty of them in one of the storerooms. Four footers, battery powered, good for two years."

"Goddamn! I'm on a streak! The way my luck is running, I'm probably gonna get eaten by a wraith before this day is out, but I'm gonna ride it while I'm hot."

Tammy just looked at her, not used to hearing her talk like this.

"Ok, get a cart, and have someone help you load a couple dozen of them on it, we'll be taking them with us. Try to save room for that box by the door and my backpack if you can. Okay?

Tammy nodded and Keller headed back for the dispensary again. The clerk was back, and had a small box and two bags sitting on the counter. She looked in both bags, and nodded, then picked up the clipboard and signed at the X's. The clerk took the clipboard back and sat it on a desk behind him.

"We'll have your order ready for you as quick as we can. This stuff going offworld?"

"Something like that. I'll be back around 1800 the pick up some stuff from the infirmary, I'll get it then. Just have them stack it next to the porter."

He nodded and walked away.

She put the bags on top of the box and went back into the infirmary, sitting everything down on the box of tablets. As she stood up, she saw Tammy coming toward her again. Stevens was behind her, pushing a cart full of boxes.

Damn! This girl is good, she thought. Sam's gonna love her! She laughed suddenly as she caught her own, internal, double meaning.

"Just put that box by the door and my backpack on the cart, and leave it by the porter, we'll take them from there." She told him, trying to get herself under control. "And Stevens, any equipment that doesn't have wheels on it needs to go on a cart, okay?"

He nodded, and pushed the cart out the door.

"You ready to go?" She asked Tammy as she headed for the porter.

"Yes maam. Can we swing by my quarters so I can pick up a few things?"

"No, we can do that later when we come down to get the rest of the stuff. Either me or Dr. Samuels are going to have to escort you for the first few days. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."

"I understand doc...Jennifer. I was part of the original expedition, so I'm used to it."

Jennifer hit the pad, and the porter doors slid open. The cart from the mess hall was still sitting in it. "Damn, I forgot all about that." She muttered. "Gimme a sec," She said to Tammy, then stepped into the porter, turned the cart around, and pushed it out into the hall, parking it against the wall. She grabbed the supply cart and started pulling it into the porter. Tammy gave it a push, and followed it. The doors swooshed closed behind her.

Jennifer tapped her code into the panel, then pressed the symbol combination for Sam's suite. "Shit. I forgot to tell you what to expect. I'm sorry Tammy. But you're a smart girl, and I think you can handle what's coming. I'll try to give you more details later. I promise."

"After some of the shit I've seen in the last few years, Jenn, very little is going to surprise or offend me." Tammy laughed. "So relax, and let's go take care of our patient, shall we?"

Jennifer stepped to the side of the door, and looked at her. "You go out first. You know, in case something bad happens. My luck has been just too damn good this afternoon!"

"Gee, thanks. I can see you're gonna be even more fun to work with than usual." Tammy said with a smirk as she pushed the cart forward. The doors swooshed open, and she pushed it out into the room.

Interior-Col. Carter's Suite, Tower Fifty-Eight

1705 Hours

"Fuck me!" Tammy muttered, stopping as she took in the room she'd just stepped into.

"Did I hear another volunteer?" Sam yelled from the bedroom. She came strolling out a moment later, naked, and rubbing her eyes.

"I have gifts," Jennifer said, giving Tammy a cold stare. "And company. Where's Andi?"

"Right here," Andi said, walking out of the kitchen wearing a dark green gown. She was eating out of a carton of ice cream.

"That better not be one of mine!" Sam said, her face clouding up.

"Oh shut up! It's rocky road. You didn't show any interest in that one." She looked over at Tammy. "Who's your friend Jenn?"

"Yeah! She said she wants to fuck!" Sam laughed

Tammy walked over and stood in front of Sam, looking her up and down. She reached up, pinching one of her nipples between her fingers, then dipped her fingers between her legs, running her fingers up and down the length of her pussy slit.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 03



Day Three

Interior-Bedroom

0450 Hours

It was dark when Sam woke up. She lay still for a moment, then sat up.

"Where are you going, Sam?" A voice close to her asked.

"Tammy?"

"I'm here." Her hand touched Sam's, her fingers stroking the back of her hand.

"I have to pee."

"Okay."

Carter slid off the bed and walked to the bathroom. She sat quietly as she pee'd, listening intently. She could hear the water in the bowl splashing, and a few noises from the pipes in the wall behind her, but otherwise it was quiet.

Sliding back up onto the bed, she moved up next to Tammy, then slipped into her arms as she held them open.

"These earplugs are working. I didn't know you were here." She snuggled in closer to her, laying her head on her shoulder. "How long was I out?"

"It's not quite oh five hundred. You laid down about twenty hundred, and went right out. I checked on you every hour or so, then climbed in with you a little after midnight. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I'm glad you were here." She shivered, and snuggled closer. "I...I was scared when I woke up. I knew where I was but..." She felt her chin quivering as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I know, Sam. I'm here." Tammy said softly, her hands stroking her back gently.

"Oh god, Tammy! I'm so scared! I've never been this afraid of anything before in my life!" she said as she surrendered to her emotions, and let the tears come.

Tammy didn't say anything, just holding her and rocking her gently, making soft shushing noises as she let her cry herself out.

Sam quieted down after a few minutes, but neither of them spoke. They lay quietly together until Sam raised her head and looked at Tammy.

"I'm not a lesbian."

"Neither am I. What brought that on?" Tammy laughed.

"I...I just wanted you to know." Carter said burying her face in her shoulder again. "And don't laugh at me!"

"I always laugh when someone says something funny. But I had heard the rumors. I figured it was none of my business, since you never hit on me, or anyone I knew."

They lay quietly for a few more minutes.

"What would you have said?" Sam whispered.

"I would have said, 'We'll have to go to your place, I have a roommate'."

"Really?"

"Yes. Even though I'm not gay, I still like women." Tammy said lightly. "I've made some friends among the Athosians, and they're not as uptight as we are about sex. Same sex relationships are no big deal as far as I can see. I've had brief relationships with both the men and the women."

"I didn't know that. But I never paid alot of attention to sex anyway."

"The fact that you're pretty hot doesn't hurt either."

"You think I'm hot?" Sam asked, wriggling loose, and climbing off the bed, then going over to the window.

"Eighty percent of the base thinks you're hot!" Tammy laughed. "The only ones that don't are the eggheads, but that's only because they don't think that way, so that's no big deal."

She stretched and purred happily. "You slept straight through. I know, I'm a light sleeper, you woke me when you sat up."

"I'm sorry." Sam said, putting her hand against the glass, and doing pushups against it.

"Nah, it's okay. I only sleep four or five hours at a pop anyway." Tammy said as she got up and walked over to her. She held out her hand. "Come on, I want to go down to my place and grab a few things. I picked up some stuff from my quarters last night, and I want to bring some of it up here." She grinned and added, "And it looks like you have some nervous energy to burn off!"

Sam took her hand and they went out to the elevator.

As they got off on Tammy's floor. Carter looked at her.

"I like it when you hold my hand." She said lightly.

"So do I." Tammy grinned. "I pretend you're my girlfriend."

"No you don't!" Sam said, trying to pull her hand away.

Tammy tightened her grip as she touched the pad to open the door.

"Would it be a problem if I did?"

Carter followed her into the apartment, then down into the pit. Tammy waved her into a seat, then stepped over and opened a panel next to the fireplace, a moment later, it roared to life.

She stepped down to the next level, and adjusted one of the lamps, and all four dimmed at the same time. She turned it low, so the fire was providing most of the light in the room. She came down into the pit and sat next to Sam. She felt her stiffen as she put her hand on her leg.

Carter looked at her, a pleading look in her eyes. "Are we going to..."

Tammy shook her head. "No, that's going to happen when you're ready. You'll know when it's time, and you'll tell me." She said as she stretched out beside her, laying her head in her lap. "Right now, I'm your friend and your nurse. That's what you need from me."

Carter nodded.

They sat quietly, staring into the fire for a few minutes.

"I wouldn't mind, you know." Sam said softly.

"Mind what?"

"If...if you were my girlfriend." She said, brushing Tammy's hair away from her face. "You're the kind of person I'd choose, male or female. You're smart, independent, you speak your mind and stand your ground."

"I feel the same way about you. I've always liked you Sam. You've been a good boss, and you take care of your people. That's important to me."

They lapsed into silence again. 

"How bad is it going to get? Do you have any idea?" Carter asked her quietly after a few minutes.

"I really don't know. As near as I can tell, and both Andi and Jennifer kept excellent notes by the way, it shouldn't be happening at all. You got a very weak dose of the korathis, and it was from one of my batches. So the only thing I can figure is one of the complex sugars in the margaritas mix bound to the korathis, and that new molecule interacted with something already in your system."

She rolled over on her back, looking up at Carter. "If it had been anyone else, I doubt if they would have even noticed. But you've been through so much in the last few years. Any one of the things you've been through could have been a deciding factor, or it could have been a combination. And I don't know if the effect is centered in your brain, or whether there's been a more basic change to your DNA. I'm betting on the latter, you had already experienced manipulation of your DNA several times, so you'd be more susceptible there. I can figure it out eventually if you want. It won't make a difference."

"Do it. I'd like to know...morbid curiosity, I guess."

Tammy nodded. 

"How are you feeling, Sam?" She asked.

"Pretty good, a little hungry. Why?"

"Well, you haven't had a fix for...call it ten hours. You came close to stroking out yesterday afternoon when you went two hours without one."

"Is that what we're going to call it, getting a 'fix'? Makes me sound like a junkie."

Tammy laughed. "Sorry, but that's how I think about it when I'm jilling off hopped up on Special K. Getting a fix."

"Jilling off?"

"Yeah. Oh come on, don't try to tell me you never heard that!"

"No, I just call it masturbating."

"Ick! That sounds so clinical! No wonder you never had any fun...oh shit! I'm sorry Sam. I..."

"It's okay. It's true. Don't apologize for telling the truth."

"But back to jilling off, she said, tactfully changing the subject..."

Carter laughed and smiled down at her.

"Jack and Jill went up the hill? You know, the nursery rhyme? Well, boys jack off, and girls jill off. Or at least that's what my mom told me."

She sat up, turning to look at Carter. "You mentioned being hungry. Getting something to eat doesn't sound like a bad idea. Lemme get the stuff we came for, then we can go up, and I'll cook you breakfast. How's that sound?"

"That sound wonderful! I really am starting to get hungry."

Tammy got to her feet and stepped over to the fireplace, turning it off. She turned the lamps back up, and walked into the bedroom. She came back a moment later carrying a gym bag in one hand, and a cordless drill in the other. She headed for the door.

"What's the drill for?" Sam asked as she met her at the door.

"The air curtains. They have sticky tape on the back, but there were screws in the boxes. I want to secure them so they don't fall on anybody."

"Good thinking," Sam said, holding out her hand. "Let me carry it."

"That's okay, I got it."

"Please?" Sam said softly. "I...I can't hold your hand if it's full."

Tammy glanced at her as she touched the pad and opened the door. She held out the drill, and Sam took it, then she held out her hand to her. Sam slipped hers into it, squeezing gently.

Interior-Kitchen

1110 Hours

They were sitting at the kitchen table laughing when Andi walked in.

"I gotta get a doorbell," Sam said, then burst out laughing again. They both laughed hysterically, until finally, Tammy opened a small plastic bag, pulled out a small yellow pellet, broke it in half, and handed a piece to Carter. She popped the other half into her mouth and chewed it for a minute, then spat it back out into her hand.

Carter imitated her, making a face as she chewed it. She got up and leaned over the sink, chewed for a few more seconds, then spat it out into the sink. She got a glass off the drainboard and filled it from the tap. She rinsed her mouth out a few times, then turned and looked at Andi.

"Sorry, we got into the Thumper. That's some good shit!" she laughed. Then went back and sat down at the table.

"You're gonna have to do something about the taste of the Goorm though, if you think you're gonna market this on Earth. Most people, at least the Americans and Europeans, will just throw it away. Be a waste of time and money shipping it." Tammy said. "I'll play with it later. Put it on my do list, okay?"

Andi nodded, and made a note on her tablet. She walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee, then came over and sat down at the table.

"I just came from the infirmary. Jenn ran a battery of tests, she said she'd have most of the results this afternoon. She said the EKG looked clean though. She ran it for an hour. But she confirmed your blip."

"How long were you down there? And what time is it anyway?" Carter asked.

"It's a little after eleven. Jenn said she'd try to get up here after lunch. Sheppard came and got her. Said they had to do a conference call with the IOA."

Carter nodded. "The wolves are gathering faster than I expected." She laughed. "That's okay, I only need two days to get everything together, and that's even if I spend one of them jilling off."

"Funny you should mention that." Tammy said, looking at her watch, then at Carter. "That puts us over fifteen hours."

"Fifteen hours over what?" Andi asked.

"Since my last fix."

"So you were wrong about the time constraint." Andi said, looking at Tammy.

"Maybe. Be nice if I was." Tammy laughed. "But I think it's something else. I'll have to look at the methodology."

"What are you thinking?"

"The first night, when she coded out. Your notes said that she ejaculated?"

Andi nodded.

"Then she slept, undisturbed, for what, four hours?"

"Closer to six."

"Yesterday after her spell, I masturbated her to ejaculation, then two more times before she went to bed. She slept straight through for nine hours. We've been up since five, and she hasn't jilled off yet." She looked over at Carter. "Have you?"

"No, haven't even had a craving."

"We got back up here about six." She looked at Andi. "We went down to my place and got some stuff, but we sat talking for a while. There was no sexual contact."

Tammy leaned back in her chair, stretching her legs out under the table, and put her hands behind her head. 

"We came back up here, I made breakfast, we secured the air curtains, then we got into the Thumper." She looked at Carter. "That sound like an accurate sequence of events?"

Carter nodded.

"So I'm thinking we fired up the Thumper around seven, I went to pee once, and you walked in a little while ago."

She looked over at Andi. "Yesterday morning, did she have her first orgasm before, or after she ate?"

"Before."

"Did she ejaculate?"

"I don't know. I'll have to think about that for a minute."

"No, I didn't." Carter said flatly. "I was going in that direction, but you started working on Jenn, Andi."

"And you spent the rest of the day wandering off, or getting one of them to help you jill off until I made you squirt later in the afternoon?" Tammy asked.

"That sounds about right." Carter said. She turned and looked at Andi. "Don't you love her? You can just hear the wheels grinding away! She's alot more fun to work with than Rodney, even if I don't know what she's talking about most of the time!"

Tammy grinned and leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "We can eliminate food, so that leaves us with ejaculation, and Thumper. I think its both, but working independently for different reasons. I think we can either jill you off till you squirt, two or three times a day, or keep you stoned on Thumper, I doubt if we'd have to do both."

"Why would making her ejaculate reduced her cravings? And she's not acting nearly as childish, as sexually aggressive, or as moody as she was yesterday either."

"You release hormones and endorphins when you climax. The stronger the climax, the more you release. We'll have to do blood tests to verify that." She looked at Andi. "How long does Thumper stay in the blood stream on average? There's no point testing hormone and endorphin levels when the Thumper may be present, that won't tell us anything."

"I don't know right off the top of my head. I'll have to take a look at the research."

"You're a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl, aren't you Andi? Well, I won't allow that kind of behavior around my patient. You just lost your privileges doctor. Unless Dr. Keller or I approve, you are not to prescribe, or administer any medications to our patient. You can bring her food and drinks, and help with her daily maintenance. And whatever else she wants you to do."

"You can't do that! I'm a boar..."

"No, she can't, Andi." Jennifer said from behind her. "But I can. And I was going to do that anyway. I don't like the halfassed way you practice medicine either. But you're an excellent physiatrist, and that knowledge is useful right now. Leave the hands on medicine to me and my staff, and we'll get along fine."

Jennifer dropped a pile of folders on the table and pulled out a chair. "The meeting with the IOA went faster than I expected, because I refused to tell them any more than I told Sheppard yesterday. The official stuff. They gave me forty-eight hours to give them a more detailed diagnosis. From the tone of things, I'd say you have until the first part of next week. I doubt if those bureaucrats will want to give up their weekend to do anything about you."

"So I have to be ready to hit them on Friday. That's doable." She glanced over at Keller. "How much of the rest of the conversation did you hear?"

"I heard something about endorphins and hormones being masked by Thumper?" She asked.

"Close. It's been over fifteen hours since Sam's last orgasm, or masturbation session." Tammy said lightly. "We were talking about what's causing that. I believe that we may have narrowed it down to stimulating her to ejaculation to produce endorphins and hormones, or the Thumper. I doubt if it's both together."

"Well, that sounds like good news. And Tuumpor stays in the blood stream six to eight hours on average for a one hundred thirty pound human, double that for an Athosian. It's water soluble, so it only stays in soft tissue for forty-eight hours." She looked at Tammy. "I looked it up this morning. I really don't know why." She laughed.

Tammy turned and looked at Sam. "If it does turn out that we can manage this with endorphins and or hormones, it could be either, or a combination, I'd encourage you to continue masturbating to produce them. We can do that manually, or with electro-stimulation. Both are equally effective, and fun." She grinned. "Your body is going to respond better to what it produces itself, rather than an outside source. There's always a danger using artificial, or donated materials."

"I have to agree with that." Andi said.

"So do I." Jennifer said.

"I can continue to stimulate you, and I've already sho..." She stopped when she saw Carter frowning down at the table. "What's wrong, Sam? Are you okay?" She reached out and took her hand, looking at her closely.

"I don't know, I just feel like a..."

"Oh, Sam! I'm so sorry! We just got into it and I never thought...Can you forgive me?" She leaned closer, smiling softly. "I still want you to be my girlfriend."

Sam jumped to her feet and grabbed Tammy's other hand, pulling her out of her chair and across the kitchen. They went out into the hallway, and Sam pulled her into the bathroom, slamming the door behind them. 

"Don't you ever tease me, or make fun of me like that again!" She said in a harsh whisper, barely fighting back tears. "Do you understand me?"

"I wasn't teasing or making fun of you, Sam," Tammy said, putting her arms around her and pulling her close. "I meant what I said downstairs, I do think of you as my girlfriend when we hold hands. I feel warm and special when you're touching me." She leaned back, bringing a hand up, and lifting her chin. "But I'm sorry I said it in front of Andi and Jennifer. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"I...I, oh damn!" She looked up at Tammy. "I think I'm starting my period! That's the last thing I need right now." She reached between her legs, and brought her hand up, showing Tammy that her fingertips were spotted with blood.

"That points toward hormones," Tammy said under her breath. She looked at Carter. "Do you use tampons or pads? And do you have any here?"

"Tampons, and no. I haven't stayed here during my period, so I didn't think of it." She took a piece of toilet paper off the roll, and wiped her fingers, then dropped it in the toilet.

"I've got some down at my place. We can go get them. You need a break from those two anyway."

She opened the bathroom door and stepped out, she pushed Carter toward the elevator, then stuck her head through the kitchen door. 

"Minor medical emergency, we'll be right back." She said quickly. "Fifteen minutes, tops."

She turned around and caught up to Sam, taking her hand and following her into the elevator.

Interior-Tammy's Suite

1150 Hours

"We just had our first lovers quarrel." Tammy said as they stepped out onto forty one.

"Will you stop!" Sam laughed as she put her hand on the pad. "You haven't even kissed me, and you're talking all mummmpphhh..."

Tammy cut her off as she spun her around, pressing her lips to hers as she pinned her against the wall. Sam responded eagerly, throwing her arms around her neck and jamming her tongue into her mouth. 

They moved along the wall, trading places as they rolled along it. Tammy's back hit the end wall next to the bedroom, and she pulled back.

"How did we get here?" She laughed.

"Get where?" Sam asked as she pulled her lips back against hers. 

They kissed for a few more minutes, much less frantically now. Sam finally broke it off and stepped back.

"Oh damn! I'm going to drip all over your floor!" she squealed, and ran for the bathroom.

Tammy followed, stopping to pull a pair of panties, a sports bra, and a tank top out of a drawer. She walked into the bathroom, and laughed when she saw Sam dabbing between her legs with a wad of toilet paper.

"You know, that would be alot easier if you just got in the shower and used the sprayer."

"Huh?" Sam said as she looked up. "Oh, I didn't think of that." She turned around and turned the water on, then stepped in under the spray. "I love how the water is hot as soon as you turn on the tap. You have to wait forever for it to get hot in my quarters."

Tammy got the tampons and a panty liner out of the medicine cabinet, put the lid on the toilet seat down, and sat down. She pulled the paper strip off the panty liner and got it seated in the panties, then leaned back and watched Carter rinse off.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 03



When she was done, Tammy tossed her a towel. She dried off quickly, and tossed the towel back. She was about to step out of the shower when Tammy held out the tampon. She took it, and looked at her.

"Yo...you're not going to w...watch are you?" She said, blushing slightly.

"Well, I am a nurse, and I have had my fingers where you're getting ready to put that tampon. Several times."

"I know. But...please?"

Tammy laughed at this sudden shyness, finding it appealing.

"Okay. I'll be in the living room."

Carter came out of the bathroom a couple minutes later. She was wearing the sports bra and the tanktop, but carrying the panties in her hand.

"I can't wear these. They're too small."

"No they're not, they're a six, they'll fit you just fine."

Carter held the panties up in front of her, holding them by the edges.

"That's not what I mean! They're too smaaaallll." She said, drawing the word out.

"Are you kidding me? Don't tell me you wear those waist high old lady panties!" Tammy laughed. "This puts a whole new light on things. I don't know if I..."

"Oh shut up!" Sam laughed, stepping into the panties and pulling them up, trying to get them seated comfortably.

"You look great! But we gotta get moving. If we stay down here too long, they're gonna get suspicious."

"Will you stop!" Sam said, taking Tammy's hand and following her to the door.

"I wasn't kidding just then." She said as she opened the door. "Andi already doesn't like me, and I just kicked her in the balls professionally. I'm going to have to be careful around her."

"I can always fire her."

"I won't tell you what to do about who you choose to treat you. But I think that would be a mistake." Tammy said. She stopped outside the elevator and looked at Sam. "I think she's a valuable resource right now, and we do need a psychiatrist in the mix. Let us work out our issues, if we can't, you and Jennifer can decide who you want to keep."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Sam said as she stepped into the elevator. The doors opened almost immediately, and they stepped out.

"We're engaged!" Sam gushed as she walked out into the kitchen, holding out her bare hand to show off an imaginary ring. "Tammy asked me to marry her, and I just had to say yes!"

Jennifer spun around, her mouth open. "Are you se...Oh, you're fucking with us."

Andi groaned and let her head fall to the table with a thump. When she lifted it again, Sam was taking her place at the head of the table. "You're wearing clothes. But damn, that get up makes you look hot!"

Carter pointed at Tammy as she dropped into her seat. "Her idea. My period started, so we went and got some tampons from her place."

"I don't care if you run around naked. But right now I think panties with a liner just make sense." Tammy said. "I think you should wear a bra even if you decide to skip the panties. Otherwise, your tits are gonna start to sag, and that would be a shame." 

Both the doctors nodded.

"You do have nice breasts, Sam. Much firmer than other women your a..." She stopped, realizing what she was saying. "That didn't..."

"I am only thirty-six years old. That's not even middle-aged." Carter said, glaring at Jennifer.

"It's close." Tammy muttered.

Sam swung at her, but she leaned back, avoiding it easily.

"And she wears old lady panties."

"I know, you should have seen the pair she had on the day she came to see me." Andi laughed.

"Over her belly button?" Jennifer asked.

Tammy saw Carter starting to bristle, and stepped in, cutting the teasing short.

"Are we in for the day? You two have anything else you need to go out for?" She asked.

"I may have to go out later, but I don't have anything planned for the next few hours. I was planning on doing some tests." She looked over at Sam. "Are you up for that? We really need to get started on it."

Carter just nodded.

"That's what I was thinking too." Tammy said. She turned to Andi. "Andi are you available to help with that?"

Andi nodded, not looking at her.

"Good. I'd like to run down to the gym for a little while if that's ok. It's usually not that crowded this time of day."

"Why don't you use the one upstairs? It's alot nicer, it's never crowded, and there's a pool." Carter said. "You can take the elevator, or there's a set of stairs behind a panel by the window behind you. The last one on the end."

"That's a good idea. I'd like you to be available if we need you." Andi said. "You're very competent, and Sam seems to relate to you more than Jennifer or me. She likes us well enough, but she bonded with you as soon as you two met. I think it would be best if you stayed close, if only to make her feel more comfortable."

"Okay, I'll go check it out in a little while. But while we're on the subject, what are we going to do about comms. I haven't liked being out of touch with you two, I'm a nurse, and while I may be over educated, I don't have the level of medical training you do, and I'm not licensed to prescribe medicines, only administer."

"This building is the hub for the comm system covering the southwest pier, and I'm already tapped into it. There are a dozen unused frequencies that we could use without being noticed, unless someone was looking for traffic. I have a box of headsets down on thirty-one. We can get them later if you want."

"Okay, Jennifer, did you get those cameras I asked you about? Which reminds me of something else." 

"Yeah, they're in a box by the porter. I got two for her bedroom, two for the living room, two for this room, one for the office, and one for each of the other rooms." Keller said. "I didn't get any for the bathrooms, but I can if you think we need them." 

"Get one for her bathroom and the powder room. Those are the two she uses most." Tammy said as she got up and went over by the door where she had dropped her gym bag earlier. She took out a small box, and came back over to the table. She opened the box and took out a thin silver bracelet, and sat the box on the table.

Turning to Sam, she dropped to one knee, reached out and took her hand. She slid the bracelet over her hand, looking up at her as she did.

"I couldn't get a ring on such short notice. Will you settle for bracelet?"

"Look what I got," Carter beamed. "She got me a bracelet!" She pulled her to her feet and kissed her lightly on the lips. "What should I say girls? Help me out here!"

Tammy dropped back in her seat, and held out her hand to Andi. "Can I see your tablet for a second?" She tapped the screen and grinned. "Good, it's Windows based. Trust the military not to move to Android." She slipped a flash drive into the port and started tapping on the screen. A minute later, she handed it back to Andi.

"Jenn, I need yours too."

She glanced over at Sam as she repeated the process on Keller's tablet, and handed it back. "I can adjust that bracelet later if you want. It doesn't have to be skin tight, it'll work fine like it is."

"I like it like this. It's pretty." Sam said, smiling at her. 

A puzzled look came over her face as she thought about the last thing Tammy had said. "Wait. What do you mean, work fine?"

"Okay, now you can monitor Sam's vitals from anywhere close." Tammy said, looking back and forth between Keller and Samuels. "I don't know what the wireless range of the tablets is, but the bracelet is good to two hundred feet, it starts getting a little iffy over that. The application name is Guardian Angel, and its the little angel down in the tray."

"I think you just fucked up, Tammy. Her blood pressure just spiked!" Andi laughed, looking down at her tablet.

Tammy glanced over at Sam, and saw her glaring at her. 

"Then I think this is a good time to go check out the gym! See ya later girls!" She laughed as she went over and opened the panel, disappearing inside.

Interior-Gym

1425 Hours

Tammy was doing laps in the pool when Sam strolled up. She watched her do a racing turn, then switch to the breast stroke. She only did a dozen strokes before she did another turn, rolling over into the backstroke this time.

Tammy caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye and arched high in the water short of the wall. She submarined, flipped over underwater, and popped up a second later by the edge of the pool.

"Towel?" She said, pointing behind Carter.

Sam picked up the towel and held it out, just out of her reach. "Don't pull me in, I don't want to attract sharks."

Tammy nodded, and heaved herself out of the pool.

Sam handed her the towel. 

"You okay?" She asked as she stood up, running the towel through her hair.

Carter shook her head, then walked over and sat in one of the chairs next to the wall.

"They hurt you?"

Carter just nodded.

"You mad at me?"

Carter nodded again.

"It's gonna happen. You gonna forgive me?"

She shook her head, then nodded.

"You wanna dance?"

"Where the hell did that come from?" Sam laughed as she stood up.

"I put myself through Harvard teaching dance for three years. Helped cut down on the student loans I needed." Tammy said as she stepped over and put her arm around her waist, she took her hand in hers and smiled. "Waltz. Let me lead."

They danced slowly along the side of the pool. Sam started to move closer, but Tammy backed away.

"Don't. I'm still wet."

"I don't care." Carter said. "I like to feel you against me."

Tammy nodded, and held her tighter against her.

"You got two masters, and taught dance at the same time? When did you sleep?"

"I got six hours a day, sometimes all in a row." She laughed. "Similar disciplines, alot of the classes and study material overlapped. I finished in three years."

"Just how smart are you?"

"I'm in your league, believe it or not. Low one eighties."

"You got me beat. I'm only in the mid one six..."

"Don't do that. I know you've hit one ninety twice. I've been following you for years. I'm a fan."

"I'm sorry. I know I'm not supposed to lie to you. Habit."

"Where are the glitter twins?"

"They'll be up in a few minutes. They're getting equipment together. They want you to supervise me doing stress tests." 

"Okay, I'll pace you. We'll take it easy at first, then ramp up. I'll do it with you." Tammy stepped back, but held Sam's hand, leading her over to the machines.

"You said you could do three-fifty on the bench. I'd like to see that." Sam said as they walked by the universal gym.

"Your machine doesn't go that high, or at least I don't think it does. But I'll show you what I got."

"It's not my machine. Well, I guess it is now. It was here when I got here. I think it's Atlantian."

"I didn't recognize the writing, but the plates look like steel, and the weights feel about the same. Take a look at the markings, think you can you teach me that?"

She moved the pin down to the bottom plate, came around and laid out on the bench, and got her hands settled on the bar, and pressed it up. She did five reps, then let the bar down slowly to a rest.

She sat up, panting, and grinned. "Impressed?"

"I dunno, lemme try that."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Sam. That feels like three hundred pounds. Have you every tried to lift that much?"

"No, but I don't think it's that much weight."

Tammy looked at her, then sat up and stepped off the machine. Sam sat down and laid out on it, got her hands settled on the bar, and heaved it upwards. The bar didn't move, and she grunted, straining mightily as she tried again.

Tammy stepped over, putting her hands on the bar. "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself." She held her hand out, and Sam took it, letting her pull her upright.

"I'll work with you if you want, bulking up a little wouldn't hurt you any. I'd like to see you put some weight on, maybe twenty pounds. I'll split the difference with you, ten pounds of fat, ten pounds of muscle. How's that sound?"

"I don't think I can carry one-fifty. I felt heavy at one-fourty."

"We're the same height, and about the same build. I weigh one-fifty. You think I look heavy?"

"No, I would have said one-thirty-five. Uh oh, here comes Jennifer."

Jennifer came over, pushing a cart with a monitor and a variety of cables dangling from it.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked.

"We were just talking about Sam's training regimen. She said you wanted her to do some stress tests."

"Really? Can we do something about her weight? I'd like to see her put on, I don't know, do you think she could carry twenty more pounds? Split it ten pounds fat, and ten pounds muscle? I think she'd look pretty good!"

Carter groaned, while Tammy grinned. Jennifer looked back and forth between them. "I'm missing something again, aren't I?"

"She just said the same thing." Carter said. She looked down at herself, then back up at them. "What is it? Do I look bad like this? Or sickly?"

"No, not at all." Tammy said as she moved around behind her. "But if we put ten more pounds of muscle on you, and I'd like to see most of it on your upper body, that will help improve your strength and stamina. Then we put ten pounds of fat on you, that'll fill out your hips, and tits." She said, reaching around and cupping Carter's breasts in her hands. "I like big tits." She whispered in her ear.

Keller was nodding. "She's got good definition in her calves and thighs, so I think cycling or a stair stepper there, But I think free weights would do her more good than that machine you were playing on. What do you think?"

"I do..." Carter began.

"That sounds like a plan." Tammy said. She gestured toward the equipment Keller had brought up. "We really don't need that stuff, you know. We can just capture the telemetry from her bracelet, and review it later." 

She looked at Sam. "I don't want to start you off on weights, I'd like to use your own weight as resistance at first. How many push-ups can you do?"

"I don't know. I haven't done any in a while." Carter said.

"Sit-ups or pull-ups?"

Carter shook her head.

"What kind of exercise do you do? You've been doing some kind of workout, that much is obvious." She reached over and pinched her triceps. "We need to do some work here though, you're starting to sag a little. Inverted push-ups will fix that though."

Carter looked at the underside of her arm, seeing that Tammy was right. "I do the bike for thirty to sixty minutes, at least three times a week, try to do the punching bag and speed bag at least twice a week, and I spar with someone for twenty to thirty minutes everyday. Until the last few days at least."

"Good program, keeps you in shape and in practice at the same time. Smart. I'll spar with you. But I want to get some gear from the gym before we get to that." She turned to Keller. "You want to join us? I can help you shrink that ass a couple of sizes pretty quick if you give me an honest effort."

Keller colored, but nodded. She put her hand on her hip and looked down. "It is getting kinda wide back there isn't it?" She looked back at Tammy. "Yeah, count me in. But not today, I have to go down to the Infirmary for a while and catch up with some stuff. But if you'll set up a schedule, I'll be here when I can." She looked back and forth between them. "What do you think? Two sessions a day, then ramp up to three a days after a couple of weeks?"

Tammy nodded. "We're only gonna do one today. Maybe an hour or so." She turned and looked at Carter. "I just want to see what you can do, and what we need to concentrate of first. You okay with that?"

"Yeah," She said. "But I'm still not sure about putting on more weight..."

"Don't worry about it. It'll be there before you know it, and you won't even notice." She looked at Keller. "Why don't you go do whatever you need to do, and take that with you." She said, waving toward the cart of gear. "We'll get started and talk to you later."

Interior-Kitchen

1610 Hours

Carter, Samuels, and Tammy were back at the table in the kitchen. Carter was drinking apple juice right from the bottle, and Tammy had a glass of water in front of her.

"She did pretty good," Tammy was telling Samuels. "Sixty-five push-ups, and she does them Marine style, on her fists. Another twenty-two inverted, gonna have to work on that, I'd like to see her doing fifty to tighten up her triceps and traps. Forty pull-ups, but she loafed through the last five or six there." She grinned at Carter. "You're not gonna get away with that often, so enjoy it while you can." She looked back over at Andi. "Eighty clean sit-ups though, and she pounded through them in less than two minutes. She was winded, when she finished, but she never strained. I was impressed."

She took a sip of water. "So have you looked at the telemetry? Did your tablet capture it okay? I can take one up with us next time if it didn't."

"No, I got everything fine, the signal never dropped off. But take one with you, or leave one up there so you can monitor her while she's working. You can make on the spot adjustments, and get her into a target range."

Tammy nodded, and took another sip of water.

"Heart rate looked good, never got into the red, hovered in the one-thirty range when she was exerting herself, Spiked to one-fifty something a couple times, but returned to normal quickly between sets." She looked at Sam. "You're in excellent physical condition, Sam. Jenn told me what Tammy has in mind, and I agree with it." She looked over at Tammy. "It sounds like you're more interested in toning than conditioning?"

Tammy nodded. "Yeah, I've seen her in the gym a few times, either on the bike, or sparring. She doesn't mess around, goes full bore the whole time, so conditioning isn't a problem." She looked over at Sam, then back at Andi. "Other than a few other soft spots, her triceps need the most work, her muscle tone is good otherwise. We're talking about bulking her up a little, calisthenics the first week or so, then move to free weights so we build her up evenly all over."

She turned to Carter. "Stand up and pull your shirt up for a second, will you?"

Carter stood up and pulled her tanktop up over her midriff.

"Push your stomach out as far as you can," Tammy told her. "Then relax, and tighten your abs."

Carter did as she told her.

"See, not much belly, and she's already got a good start on a decent six-pack." She said to Samuels. She waved Sam back into her seat.

She looked over at Sam. "I want to keep you smooth, but add a little bulk to your upper body. Mostly arms and shoulders. We add some definition, but it won't really show unless you're exerting yourself. How's that sound to you?"

Carter smiled at her. "Sounds good. That sounds like the ten pounds of muscle you and Jenn were talking about. What about the ten pounds of fat? And do I really need that much more fat on me?"

"No, I'm want you to do that for me. I like full figured women." She glanced over at Samuels, then back at Sam. "Not including your breasts, you have about eighteen percent body fat right now. that's just a guess, but we can measure that later. We try to put half on your tits, take you up another half cup size to a solid C, maybe a little more and get the rest on your hips and ass."

Samuels picked up her tablet and stood up. "That's going to do it for me. You've got this under control. I've got some stuff I need to move over, but I'll either be in my quarters or downstairs if you need me." She looked back and forth between them. "What do you two have planned?"

"I'm going to get the comms setup, and bring the headsets and desk units up. I'll give them too you later. Come back for dinner." She looked at Tammy. "What do you think, 1900 or so? Jenn should be back by then."

Tammy grinned. "I'm cooking again I guess. But yeah, 1900 sounds good. I'll make chili." She looked up at Samuels. "I want to get the cameras up. They're wireless, so installation is easy. Getting the software setup is going to take a while, but I'll have it all done tonight."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 03



"Then we have a plan." Andi said. "I'll come back for dinner, I have some bread and salad stuff in my quarters, so I'll bring that. See you then."

After she left, Sam went into her office, and Tammy put up the cameras around the suite. The high ceilings presented her a problem at first, but she just mounted them on the walls, high enough that they would have a clear view of each room.

Interior-Kitchen

1940 Hours

After dinner, Andi and Jennifer cleared the table, then they sat back, relaxing as Sam and Tammy reviewed what they had gotten accomplished. 

"Comms are up, we're using five channels on the upper band, and our signals will float on them, never using the same channel for more than a few seconds. you shouldn't notice the changeovers, but if you do, let me know and I'll take a look at it. I did it that way so the Ops Center won't see continuous traffic on any one channel. If they even notice it."

She pointed to a pile of boxes at the end of the table. "Grab a headset, and two of the desk units before you leave." She said to Samuels and Keller. "I want both of you to take a suite on thirty-one, that's going to be our ingress point. Since we have to be careful about my sensitivity to smells, we might as well use those spaces for that. Make them your offices, I'd like you to keep your suites up here for down time."

She looked at them, then got up and went to the fridge and got a coke. "You two need to block some time into your schedules for yourselves. You're both still doing your jobs over in the Central Tower, and bouncing back and forth over here, and its starting to show already."

"Now that we can reach you if we need to, you really don't have to be here unless there's a problem, or you just want to come and visit." She grinned as she sat back down. "You're both welcome anytime by the way, I enjoy your company. Call first. There's no door, so we can't hang a sock on the knob."

"My turn?" Tammy asked.

Carter nodded.

Tammy picked up a tablet, brought up an application, and turned it around to show them the screen. They were looking that the four of them sitting around the table.

"This application is called Watchdog. You just touch one of the pictures here on the right, and you can bring up that camera. You can't pan, but you can zoom. Don't worry about resetting it afterwards, the software automatically resets all of them to the widest view every ten minutes."

"We found a box of wireless routers downstairs, so we put one, along with a new desktop and monitor, in your suites. Sam's got us tied into the buildings network, and apparently some of our technology is compatible with the Atlantian's. Whoodda thunk it?" 

"The whole central tower is run off its own internal network." Sam said. "Rodney told me that they brought tons of networking equipment, but never had to use it, except they needed routers to interface some of our computers. I just did the same thing."

"I gave you a desktop because the software will capture both the audio and video from the cameras, and we needed the hard drive space. The tablets are flash based, so don't have the storage we need." Tammy said as she continued her review of the monitoring system. "I have Sam's bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen set to save for seventy-two hours before it starts to delete them. The recordings are saved in thirty minute blocks, so all you have to do is enter the time you're interested in looking at, and the application will pull up an hour on either side of that time. I set the other rooms to save for twenty-four hours each to save drive space, because we don't spend as much time in them."

"This is amazing, Tammy." Jennifer said as she played with the cameras in different rooms. "Can I pull up a recording from my desktop and watch it on here, or do I have to do it there?"

Tammy shook her head. "You can't do that from this one, because I haven't set it up for that yet. But I'll get both of yours configured so you can do that. There's a desktop in the small bedroom, the kids room. It looks like that's going to be our sickbay, so I figured that would be the best place for it."

"My main concern is having eyes on her. If I'm not around, or I'm asleep, I want someone to be able to see if she's in trouble." Tammy said, looking back and forth between Keller and Samuels. "So whoever is on duty is going to have a tablet within arms reach, and is looking at it every couple of minutes. Everything else the system can do is just window dressing."

"My turn again," Carter said. She looked over at Keller and Samuels. "I still want you to bring in more people Jenn, and I'll talk to you about that in a little while. But I want you to know that I asked Tammy to stay here, on a full time basis. She agreed. She's going to keep her suite downstairs, but for all intents and purposes, she'll be living here with me."

She gave them a moment, then asked, "Do either of you have an objection to that?"

"I actually think that's a good idea." Keller said. "She's the most knowledgeable about what we're dealing with. And the way you relate to her, you're going to tell her what's going on with you before you tell us. That's if she doesn't notice it first."

"My only concern is getting Tammy some of that down time you were talking about." Samuels said, looking at Sam. She made a point not to look at Tammy. "Having her here round the clock is fine for now. I'm worried about what happens next week, or the week after that. But I'm okay with it for the moment, at least until we see how she holds up under the stress."

"I have another nurse I want to bring over, but that can wait a day or two if you want to wait. Jennifer said. "I'll block out a schedule once we get the staffing settled, and put Tammy on it. I'll give her the day shift, since we'll probably be doing most of the testing during those hours. I'm assuming that she'll be sleeping with you?"

Carter nodded. "Is that a problem?" She asked.

"Not for me," Jennifer grinned. "I think it's a bonus. I know she's a light sleeper. If anything happens overnight, I've got two sets of eyes on you, and my most experienced nurse on the scene."

"Okay. Let's go into my office." Carter said. "I want to talk to you about Susan, and you can fill me in on who else you have in mind." She looked at Samuels as she moved toward the door. "We're done for the day, Andi. You can hang around if you want, but it's your choice. I'm going to make it an early night. I just want to review a few things with Jenn."

"I think I'll go downstairs. I still need to get settled down there, it's a mess right now."

"You want some help?" Tammy asked. "Jennifer can call us if there's a problem."

"No, but thanks. I'm probably going to go to bed early myself." Andi said, giving her a wan smile. "I'll see you all tomorrow then."

She stood up and followed Sam and Jennifer down the hall.

Interior-Office

2050 Hours

"I'm not sure about Susan, Jennifer." Carter said as she sat down behind her desk. She waved Keller into a chair. 

"Can we talk about Susan in a minute, Sam?" Jennifer said slowly. "I'd like to talk about Andi first."

"Sure," Sam said, leaning back in her chair. "What's on your mind?"

"I want to remove her from your case, for a variety of reasons." Keller said as she opened a folder on her lap. "Do you want me to make my case, or will you trust my judgment?"

"I've always trusted your judgment, Jennifer. But I'd still like you to make your case."

Keller nodded, looking down at her folder.

"I originally referred you to her because she had shown amazing results with some people that hadn't been helped by other mental health treatments. I wish I had known more about her methods before I sent you to her now." Keller sighed. "First and foremost, and I know you don't want to assign blame, but she did this to you. Even if you think of this as a benefit to you in some fashion, she put your life and health at risk because she didn't do a little research, and follow a few basic protocols."

She flipped through the folder, pulling a form out and putting it on top. "Tammy was right, she's a fly by the seat of her pants kind of person. And that's no way to practice medicine. I pulled her files from the database, and there's more than a few instances where she actually caused serious medical problems, while helping to resolve complex mental issues. The trade off just isn't worth the risks, not when you're talking about peoples lives." 

She looked over at Sam. "As a psychiatrist, she's top notch, but as a physician, she leaves much to be desired, and I can't trust you in her care."

"The last thing is her relationship with Tammy. Tammy stepped on her pretty hard today. In front of you, her patient. Tammy was right, but she handled it the wrong way. She should have come to me, and I've already talked to her about that. But my concern now, is that Andi might do something to sabotage Tammy, that ends up hurting you."

"I understand how you feel, Jenn." Carter said slowly, bringing her hands up and steepling her fingers together in front of her. "But I'd like to keep her on. Not just as our resident brain mechanic, which you say she's qualified for, but I can use her skills when we start up our program later. She's going to be very useful running the exploitation branch. Having a psychiatrist as head of marketing...well, it just makes sense to me."

"Another reason I want to keep her around is Tammy thinks she's going to be useful too. We talked about it earlier. She thinks that if you do the physical medicine, and just let Andi worry about my head, things will go alot smoother. She suggested we give them some time to work out their issues. What do you think about that?"

"I trust Tammy. She's the best nurse I have on my staff. She was my first choice even before I found out about her experience with korathis. I sorry that she didn't get an MD instead of just an RN, but I understand why she did it. She cares about people, and genuinely likes caring for them."

She paused, considering what Sam had said for a moment. "If she thinks that she can work things out with Andi, I don't have a problem with that. But I don't want Andi prescribing any medications for you, except if there is no other choice. Not until she reassures me she actually knows what she's doing there. And I'd like you to avoid being alone with Andi. I don't want her to have a chance to work on you. I already told Tammy that too."

"I can do that." Sam said, leaning forward and smiling softly as she looked at Jennifer. "But the most important reason I want to keep her, is that I like her. Jennifer, she cut me open, stripped away all the shields I had up, and was walking me around inside my own head in the first ten minutes I was in her office."

"Even before we started drinking, she demonstrated a knowledge and understanding of me that no one, not even my closest friends have." She shook her head. "On one hand, that's scary as hell. But on the other, it's comforting. She didn't pull any punches with me, and I hope she doesn't start because of what happened today. I need her to keep being straight with me, I think I can learn alot from her."

"We'll have to see what happens. But we'll do it your way, Sam." Jennifer said, pulling another set of forms from her folder. "I talked to Susan today. She was thrown off little by being pulled out of her comfort zone, and I think once she relaxes, she'll be fine. She's an excellent nurse, and you just have to let her take care of you."

She handed a sheaf of papers to Sam. "These are the other nurses I have in mind. I'd like..."

Interior-Living Room

2210 Hours

There was a movie playing on Tammy's laptop, but she was asleep on the couch when they came out. Sam leaned over the back of the couch, smiling down at her.

"Hey sleepyhead, Jennifer is leaving, and I'm going to bed. You coming?"

Tammy sat up, closing her laptop. 

"Goodnight, Jenn. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, standing up and coming around the couch. She blew Sam a kiss as she walked toward the bedroom. "I'll see you in a minute, Sam. Don't take too long."

"Goodnight, Jennifer. I'll see you tomorrow too." Carter said.

"Goodnight Sam, Sleep well." Jennifer smiled as the porter doors closed in front of her.

Interior-Sub Basement Three

2230 Hours

"I need to go downstairs for a few minutes. I just thought of something and need to check it out." Carter said as she came out of the bathroom

"Okay." Tammy said as she pulled her gown back on. "Where are we going?"

"I have some equipment I need to check in one of the sub basements. I haven't been able to get to it in the last few days."

Tammy nodded as they walked through the living room. She grabbed a gown off the back of the couch as they went by. She waited as Sam tapped on the elevator panel, and when she turned around, she dropped it over her head, taking one arm and putting it into a sleeve.

"N...I'm just..." Carter said as Tammy got her other arm in the sleeve, and smoothed the gown down over her.

"Shhhhh, be good." Tammy said as she stepped back. "I swear, you're like a six year old that doesn't want to go to school! You look nice in that gown, and you really need to wear something. I want you to start wearing shoes when you leave the suite too."

The elevator doors opened, and a long corridor stretched in front of them. Carter stepped out and moved at a brisk pace, stopping and going through a door about fifty feet down the corridor. 

As they stepped inside, the lights came up, and equipment started to hum, but Tammy was used to that because it was a regular occurrence throughout the city. She looked around, but didn't see anything special about the room. There were lighted panels lining three walls, and a large boxy device stood off to one side. A few feet away from it, there was a smaller device with an open front. It was about the size of a washing machine, and blue and green bars of light chased each other in random patterns around a large ring inside it.

"What is all this?" She asked Carter as she turned and looked at her.

Sam had her gown pulled up over her knees as she squatted in front of the bigger machine. She opened a panel and pushed a button several times, then touched the screen and made an adjustment. 

"My STM bridge." Carter said as she stood up and looked at the laptop sitting on the machine. She scrolled through pages of data, then started typing on the keyboard.

"That doesn't mean anything to me." Tammy said. "What is it? And what are you doing."

"It's a Space Time Matter bridge. A gateway between universes." Cater said, not looking up from her laptop. "McKay tried this a couple of years ago, and as usual, he fucked it up, because he didn't think it through. They brought his sister Jeannie in to help, because she made the real breakthrough on it." She glanced back at Tammy over her shoulder. "Basically, what they were trying to do was connect to another universe to siphon energy out of it to charge the ZPM. But it backfired on them."

She moved around to the end of the machine and opened another panel. She looked at her laptop, then bent down and changed the positions on several switches, and pulled two levers down, locking them in place. She looked at her laptop, and a small smile creased her face.

"Better." she muttered.

"I remember that. They brought another McKay over from the other universe." Tammy said. "I met him. I liked him alot more than the one we got."

"Close. The other universe sent their McKay over, to tell them that they were flooding that universe with exotic particles, and it was destroying that universe. He came over to ask them to stop. That was a ballsy thing to do."

"So what if you do the same thing? Kill another universe?" Tammy asked her.

"I'm taking a different approach." Carter said as she entered commands on her laptop. "They locked onto one universe, and were just gonna pull energy till the ZPM was charged. I'm playing hop, skip and jump. My bridge connects to each universe, snags a little energy, then moves to the next one. It doesn't stay in any one place long enough for the exotic particles to form, and if some do, there aren't enough of them to cause any trouble."

"Why didn't they do it that way the first time?" Tammy asked, moving over and looking over her shoulder.

"Cuz McKay is an arrogant dumbass, and doesn't think about anyone but himself." She turned around and looked at Tammy. "Do you know that he hadn't talked to his sister for more than four years? Four years! And the only reason he did, was because we made him. Then he picked her work apart looking for any reason he could find to say she was wrong."

She turned back to her laptop, checking her work. "I've got that part worked out. I took information from the original experiment, and over the last few months, I've been pulling everything I can find on anything similar, or even remotely related that anyone else is doing. I've even swapped emails with Jeannie Miller, his sister. She's really nice. She's smarter than McKay is too, but down to earth about it. And her daughter Madison is a real cutie."

"Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the energy coming back toward us from all those other universes to feed into my containment chamber, that disco looking doohickey over in the corner, so it can combine it into a coherent form that we can use."

Tammy looked over at the containment chamber. "The lights have changed in your ring." She said.

"Really?" Carter asked, turning around and looking at it. 

She glanced back at the laptop, typed in a command, and looked back. The lights in the containment chamber flickered, then changed again. The alternating bars of blue and green were moving faster now, and in a steady pattern. She looked at the laptop again, bringing up another screen. 

"I think I got it." She said. "Take a look."

Tammy leaned forward and looked over her shoulder.

"Power levels being output are steady." She said, pointing at a graph on the screen. "I can do the rest of this from upstairs. I want to run some simulations, but that will only take a couple of minutes to set up."

She looked around the room one last time. "Let's go upstairs. I'm tired. I think I'll go bed as soon as I get those sims going."

"Okay." Tammy said, taking her hand. "We got up early this morning. So I'm not surprised."

(-)

That's all for Chapter Three. Please read Chapter Four to see what happens next...



Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 04



Sam and Tammy begin to grow closer, and Sam begins showing new symptoms from the korathis.

(-)

Confirming Carter Book One Chapter Four

Day Four

Interior-Bedroom

0310 Hours

Tammy felt Sam snuggle up close behind her, her arm pressing into her back as she ground her pussy mound against her ass. She could feel Sam's hand trapped between her ass and her own pussy as she humped against her.

"Mmmmm", she purred. "That feels nice." She wiggled her ass back at Sam, making her moan as she humped her pussy harder against it.

She reached down between her own legs, letting her fingers dip into the clean shaved cleft of her pussy, stroking them up and down lazily. She felt herself moistening as she caressed herself.

Sam was humping against her more urgently, and suddenly, she shuddered, stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. But she didn't move away, or stop playing with herself as they lay together in the dimly lit room. 

Tammy drew her fingers up through her now damp pussy slit. She spread the slippery juices over the fleshy folds of her pussylips, then teased herself by pulling and squeezing them between her fingers. She moaned softly in her throat.

"Ar...are you..." Sam panted, her hand picking up speed again as she ground her fingers onto her clit. She pressed her body harder against Tammy.

"Uh huh," Tammy whispered. "Don't stop. I want to feel you."

"Oh god!" Sam grunted, stiffening against her again.

Tammy felt a small spurt of warm liquid on her ass, and Sam began jerking against her even more frantically. She moved her fingers up over her own clit, strumming it lightly, purring softly.

"Ruh...roll over." Sam grunted. leaning into her back, trying to force her over onto her belly. 

Tammy eased over, and Sam followed her, sliding up onto her and straddling her leg. She laid out on top of her, sliding her body back and forth over Tammy's back as she settled her pussy mound onto the back of her leg and started rocking back and forth on it. 

Tammy got her own hand back under her, and started working her fingers faster on her clit. She humped her ass back at Sam, And Sam responded by jerking and humping even harder against her, whimpering steadily as she worked herself toward her climax.

She stiffened again, and Tammy felt a gush of warm girl cum soak her thigh as Sam gasped, then fell limp on top of her.

Tammy froze, her breath catching in her throat. She lay quietly under her, then relaxed as she felt Sam's heart beating rapidly, but strongly against her back. She could hear that her breathing was slowing, settling into a steady rhythm. She had passed out from her climax, and moved right into sleep.

Raising up slightly, Tammy moved her hand out from under herself, then lay still again, waiting to see if she had disturbed Sam. When she didn't move, she reached back with one hand and eased Sam's hand out from between their bodies, bringing it up so it lay alongside her. Moving her hands up under her head, she rested her cheek on them as she lay listening to her breathe.

She was asleep again in less than a minute.

Interior-Bedroom

0440 Hours

Tammy felt Sam shift on top of her, then slide off and snuggle up against her. 

"I love you." she heard her whisper. 

Her breathing became slow and regular as she went right back to sleep.

I love you too, Tammy thought, and let herself drift back into sleep.

Interior-Bedroom

0650 Hours

"I'm hungry." Sam said quietly, tracing little patterns on Tammy's back with her finger.

"I was wondering when you were going to say something." She stretched in place, and when Sam raised up, she rolled over and held her arms out to her.

Sam snuggled in, letting her head rest lightly on her breasts. "You shave too." She said, running her hand down between Tammy's legs, stroking the soft smooth skin gently. She looked up at her. "Will you cook me breakfast again?"

Tammy nodded. "I have to take a shower first. Somebody pee'd on me while I was asleep."

Sam blushed and buried her face in her breasts. "I'm sorry." She said, her voice muffled by the full, firm mounds.

"It's okay. I liked it." She eased Sam off of her and rolled over to the side of the bed. "I love this bed, but it's a bitch to get out of." She laughed.

"Nah, it's easy! You just do this." Sam said, jumping to her feet and bouncing, once, twice, then off the end of the bed.

"You're gonna break your neck doing that." Tammy said. "Gimme a couple minutes. I'll be right back."

"Can I come with?" Sam asked.

Tammy held her hand out, and Sam ran over, taking it in her own. 

They went into the bathroom, and Tammy turned on the shower while Sam sat down to pee. She finished quickly, and removed her tampon, dropping it in the toilet, and flushing before she stood up.

"We need to get some more tampons. I left this one in way too long as it was. I should have changed it before I went to bed." Sam said as she stood up, walked over and got in the shower. She turned under the spray, then wet her hair, pumped out a palm full of soap and started lathering it up.

"Tampons are in the medicine cabinet. Jenn didn't know what kind you used, so she got three different ones." Tammy said as she sat on the toilet. "Your flow must be light. I didn't notice any spotting on the bed."

"It'll be heavier today, then lighten up tomorrow. I'll be done tomorrow night. the next morning at the latest." Sam said as she stuck her head under the spray, running her fingers through her hair, rinsing it quickly. She looked over at Tammy. "You coming in?"

"I'll wait, you're almost done."

"There's room for both of us." Sam said, picking up a wash mitt and running it over her shoulders. "I could wash your back." She said, holding up the mitt.

"Okay, but just washing. We both have things we need to get done today." Tammy said as she stepped into the shower. She turned around, wetting herself down, then turned her back to Sam. "And I want to get some food in you. You didn't eat very much last night."

Sam started washing her back, soaping her up quickly. Then she wrapped her arms around her, and started sliding her body over the soft, soapy skin on Tammy's back.

"Huh uh, don't even start." Tammy said, stepping away and turning around. She took the mitt from Sam and slipped it on, put more soap on it, and washed quickly. She rinsed off, gave the mitt back to Sam, grabbed a towel as she stepped out of the shower, and started drying off. "Come on," She said, looking at Sam. "I want some coffee, and I was thinking about biscuits and gravy. How's that sound to you?"

"Okay, I guess." Sam said, running the mitt over herself. She was washing halfheartedly, looking down at the floor. 

Tammy stepped back into the shower and took the mitt from her. "Turn around." She said. "Put your hands against the wall and spread your legs, like I'm frisking you."

Sam did as instructed, and Tammy began running the mitt over her, running it back and forth in slow sweeping strokes over her back, down over the full, firm cheeks of her ass, then dropping onto one knee to wash her legs. Sam purred as she lifted her feet and scrubbed each one slowly.

Standing up, she reached around her, running the mitt under her arms, and over the front of her shoulders, down over her breasts, lingering there for a long moment, then moving down over the gentle swell of her stomach. Her hand kept moving down, and she soaped up the soft, crinkly hairs of her pubes, then eased down between her legs.

"Do you want to cum?" She asked softly.

Sam shook her head, and Tammy stroked her hand back and forth a few more times, then withdrew it, dragging it slowly up her body, and around her back.

"Rinse off, I'll get you a towel."

She let the mitt drop to the floor, then stepped out of the shower. She got Sam a fresh towel, and held it out to her as she stepped out. She picked up her own towel and started drying off again.

"I wasn't rejecting you." She said gently.

"I know." Sam said, drying herself slowly, not looking at her.

"But something's wrong."

Sam shrugged, then looked up at her, dropping her eyes almost immediately. "I feel fine. I'm...I just feel...I don't know. Sad." She looked up at her again, holding her gaze this time. "It just came up. One second I was fine. Then I was...sad."

Tammy nodded and went over, taking her in her arms and holding her. "We'll call Andi. Maybe she can help. Are you still hungry?"

Sam nodded into her shoulder.

"Okay, let's get you dressed, you're dry enough." She eased herself away from Sam. "Do you need help with the tampon?"

Sam shook her head again.

"I'm going to go get your clothes ready. I'll be back if you're not out in a couple minutes. Okay?"

Sam just nodded again. 

Tammy kissed her on the forehead and went out into the bedroom. She got out a sports bra and a tank top, and two pairs of panties, one of Sam's, and one of hers, so she could choose. 

"I need a panty liner when you come out." She listened, but there was no response.

She went back into the bathroom and found Sam sitting on the toilet, staring at the floor. Tammy knelt down in front of her, lifting her head gently. Sam just stared at her. 

"Sam? Can you hear me?" But Carter still just stared at her.

"Sam?" She said louder, shaking her gently. "SAM! Can you hear me?" There was still no response.

Tammy got her to her feet, then lifted her, carried her back into the bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed.

She ran into the living room, and hit two buttons at the same time on the comm. "Andi, Jenn...Are you on?" Her finger hovered over the emergency button.

"I'm on," Andi said, followed a moment later by Jennifer.

"Something is wrong with Sam. Physically, she appears fine, but she's unresponsive. She was fine when we woke up, but something happened, I don't know what, and now she's...would you come up here please? I need help."

"I'm on the way." They said at the same time.

Tammy went back into the bedroom. Sam hadn't moved, and Tammy slid onto the bed next to her. Taking her in her arms, she held her, rocking back and forth slowly.

Andi and Jennifer came in a moment later, and Tammy moved back, kneeling on the bed as the doctors started examining Carter. Jenn was looking at her tablet. "Vitals are fine. There's nothing wrong with her physically. Andi, this is all you."

Andi nodded. "Can you give us few minutes?" She said, looking at Tammy.

Tammy started to object. 

"No." Andi said firmly. "You're too close. Jenn, get her out of here."

Jennifer moved over next to Tammy. "Come on, Tammy. Let's go in the kitchen. We can make breakfast. Come on, Sam's going to be fine, but we need to give Andi a little time. Come on now."

Tammy looked at her, and Jennifer paled when she saw the pain in her eyes.

Jennifer took her hand and led her off the bed, then out of the room. As they walked slowly through the living room, Jennifer stopped her and picked up a gown from the back of the couch. She slipped it over Tammy's head, got her arms in the sleeves, and smoothed it out on her. They continued on to the kitchen, and Keller watched her closely the whole way.

Tammy went over to the counter and started a pot of coffee, then started pulling out pans from under the counter, flour from the pantry, bacon, eggs, and sausage from the refrigerator.

"She said she was hungry," She mumbled. "I told her I'd make her biscuits and gravy this morning."

"You two aren't kidding. About the girlfriend thing." Jennifer said. It wasn't a question.

Tammy shook her head.

"Do you love her?"

Tammy nodded as she started mixing ingredients in a bowl.

"Are you in love with her?"

Tammy shook her head. Then Keller heard her whisper, "Not yet."

Tammy got out a baking sheet and started dropping biscuits on it. She sat it off to the side, opened a door and turned the oven on, and closed the door again. She touched the front of the counter, and a section of it next to the sink started to glow.

"Wow." Jennifer said. "I didn't know it did that."

Tammy nodded, moving a pan onto the heat, and started crumbling sausage into it.

"Both sides of this sink are burners. The ones on either side of the other sink are chill pads. For a party I guess." Tammy said as she got the milk from the fridge.

"What's she doing in there, Jennifer? Would you go check?" She asked, fighting back tears.

"I don't know if I should leave you alone right now, Tammy." Jennifer said as she came over and stood beside her. "Andi will take good care of her. In the meantime, can you tell me what happened? Start when you woke up."

"I...I'll have to go back before that." Tammy said softly, and Jennifer had to lean close to hear her. "She woke up, and made love to me." She glanced at Jennifer. "Not like...you know, but what she did with Andi the first night. But she was making love to me in her own way. I could feel it."

Jennifer nodded. "Then what happened?"

"She passed out, and slipped into sleep on top of me. Her heartbeat and breathing were fine. I went back to sleep a little later."

She stirred the sausage, breaking up the bigger chunks with her spoon.

"She woke up an hour later, maybe more...it wasn't two, and moved off of me, but she snuggled in close." She glanced at Keller. "She does that. She likes me to hold or touch her when she sleeps, it makes her feels safe." She glanced at Jennifer again. "She's scared. And for her, after what she's been through..."

She stirred the sausage again, then turned down the heat, and poured a couple of big glugs of milk into the pan, then added two handfuls of flour. She stirred it slowly, then turned suddenly, throwing the spoon on the floor.

"Don't you leave me Sam Carter. Don't you dare." She said softly. "I swear to god, if you leave me, I'll follow you, and find you wherever you go."

She stared at the wall, and Jennifer came up behind her, touching her lightly on the shoulder.

Tammy shook her off, and bent down to pick up the spoon. She rinsed it off under the tap, and went back to stirring the gravy. Opening the door under the counter, she checked the oven, then reached over and picked up the baking sheet. Sliding it into the oven, she tapped a screen several times, then closed the door again.

"She's been showing me how to work stuff." She said quietly.

"Tammy?" Andi called.

She as out of the room before Keller heard the end of her name, moving at a dead run. Jennifer took the pan off the heat, because she didn't know how to turn it off, then followed.

Tammy was holding Sam in her arms, and Andi was walking toward her as she came into the room. Andi shook her head, taking her arm and leading her out of the room.

"What happened?" Keller asked as soon as they were out of the room. "How did you get her to come around?"

"I don't have any idea. If you want the truth, I don't think it I did. I did a quick exam, talking to her the whole time. Physically, she responded perfectly, but she was gone, Jenn. There wasn't anybody home in there. I don't know where she went." She shrugged. "Then, a minute or so ago, her eyes cleared, and she asked for Tammy. That's when I called."

Keller's eyes went wide, and Andi looked at her. "What? What di..."

Jennifer held her finger to her lips, and pulled her over to the porter. She tapped in the symbols for the porter near her quarters. When the doors opened, she stepped out. 

"Tammy did it." She said as she palmed the pad for her door. She stepped in and turned around. 

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Tammy was cooking, and suddenly, she turned and told Sam not to leave her, that she would follow and find her if she did. A moment later, you called for her." She made an "X" on her chest. "Cross my heart, Andi. She HEARD her. And she came back from wherever it is she was. Tammy brought her back."

"I don't know if I can believe that Jennifer." Andi said. "And I definitely don't like it. And I don't like that woman either. I think she's a bad influence. I think we..."

"No, Andi. That's not going to happen." She brushed the leftovers from her backpack off onto the floor, and motioned for her to sit. "I talked to Sam about letting you go last night, and she said no. She said that Tammy thought that you were going to be a valuable member of the team, and that she should give you and her time to work out your issues. She's not stabbing you in the back Andi."

"You want to fire me? This is my case, I brou..."

"Andi, I'm the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis. I can fire anybody I want. And you know why I was thinking about removing you. Tammy was right, you fly by the seat of your pants, and that's no way to practice medicine." She paused, giving her a chance to object. "But Sam wants you to stay, she likes you, and she insisted that she has faith in you. Don't let her down Andi. She needs us at our best, so I need you to put your game face on and get with the program. Can you do that?"

Andi nodded. "Yes, I can do that. I'll stay out of the hands on medicine, and stick to what I know. I'll do better, Jennifer."

"Okay. We need to get back over there." She said as she stood up. "I left the burner on because I didn't know how to turn it off. I want to get back before the place burns down." 

She stopped suddenly. "There's one other thing. They love each other, and it's a very deep bond. You've seen how Sam responds to her, and you just saw how Tammy reacted when she couldn't help her." She shook her head. "I don't think they're in love yet, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna happen. So you watch your ass there. Because I think Samantha Carter would cheerfully toss both our asses off the roof of her citadel before she lets anything happen to her girlfriend."

Going back out to the porter, they were back in Sam's suite moments later. They went into the bedroom, and found it empty. They went into the kitchen, and found Tammy standing at the stove stirring a pan of eggs. Sam was sitting at the table wolfing down a plate of biscuits and gravy, and didn't even look up at them.

"Hey, where did you two go? And why did you leave the burner on?" Tammy asked when she noticed them.

"I had to get something from my quarters, and Andi went with me." Jennifer said, taking down a cup and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I didn't know how to turn off the burner. I couldn't find the controls."

"That looks good, Tammy. Can I get some?" Andi asked.

"Grab a plate. Family doesn't have to ask." She said, not turning around. "But you have to wash dishes if you don't cook."

She turned around, and Andi had to stepped out of the way of the pan. She scooped a big pile of eggs out onto Sam's plate, and put the pan back on the stove. "Want some more gravy?" she asked Sam.

Carter nodded. "Ana bizgit."

Keller and Samuels glanced at each other. Tammy saw them, and shook her head.

Tammy dipped a big ladle into a bowl of gravy and poured two scoops over her eggs, then sat the bowl on the counter and moved a plate of biscuits over onto the table.

She took her usual place next to Sam, pulled her plate closer, and dug out a fork full of eggs. Carter looked at her out of the corner of her eye, and her hand moved over toward her. Tammy closed her hand over it, and they both continued eating.

Andi and Jennifer both got plates and sat down. They ate quietly for a few minutes, when Sam said, "Sumbowy tawk." She paused and took a breath. "Nah abouw me."

Andi and Jennifer looked at her, then at each other. After a moment Andi said, "So, how 'bout those Cubs?"

Sam burst out laughing, spraying a mouthful of eggs across the table. Suddenly, they were all laughing, and didn't stop for a very long time.

Interior-Carter's Suite

0940 Hours

They were in one of the small bedrooms in Sam's suite, and she was stretched out on one of the beds. The portable scanner was set up on its track over the bed, and Tammy was operating the controls as it moved over her.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 04



Samuels and Keller were sitting side by side looking at a bank of laptops in front of them, scrutinizing the information on the screens.

"We've been over her three times Andi," Jennifer was saying for the forth time. "There's no occlusions, no aneurysms, no narrowing of any arteries or veins, and no evidence of any kind of blockage." She looked over at her. "There's no evidence of a stroke or any other brain insult or injury. We're going to have to look somewhere else."

"God, I'm glad you didn't say brain fart." Carter muttered.

All three of them looked at her, and Tammy sat down next to her on the bed.

"Say that again." She said, taking her hand.

"I said, 'God, I'm glad you didn't say brain fart.'" Carter repeated.

"Thank god," Tammy breathed, squeezing her hand.

"Uh, Tammy," Carter said, wincing. "You're gonna break my hand, hon."

Andi looked at Jennifer, then over at Sam. "So you got any idea what happened, Sam? We're clueless. We can't a find damn thing to explain why you went out, or why your speech was affected."

Carter shook her head. "I was fine till I got in the shower, and started soaping up. And all of the sudden, I was just...sad." She paused, looking up at Tammy. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"As long as you're better." Tammy said. She looked over at Keller and Samuels. "She is better, isn't she?"

"She looks fine, sounds fine, all the tests say she's fine...so no, I don't think she's better." Andi said. "I can't explain what happened to her to begin with, or why she suddenly came out of a semi-catatonic state, then miraculously recovers from a serious speech impairment." She looked over at Carter. "I'm sorry, Sam. But you're starting to scare the shit out of me."

"I want to rule out an allergic reaction. We had already swapped out everything in the suite for unscented, hypo-allergenic products. But we can swap 'em out again if you want." Keller said. "I guess we could put a filtering system in, but the water is already several orders of magnitude cleaner than anything you can get on Earth."

"She took out her tampon." Tammy said, looking down at her. "You said that you had left it in too long. No, you said, 'way' too long." She looked over at the doctors. "She put it in just before noon yesterday. You remember when we went downstairs to get them?"

They both nodded.

"So she had the same tampon in for almost twenty hours." Tammy said. "I commented that her flow must be light, because I hadn't noticed any spotting on the bed. Then she said that it would be heavier today, lighten up tomorrow. and that she'd be done tomorrow night, the next morning at the latest." She looked down at Carter. "But you never said what your flow was like on the first day."

"It's usually moderate, then picks up the second day." Carter said, looking up at Tammy. "But you remember I was worried about dripping on your floor after we...I didn't want to get blood on the floor. So it must have been heavier that usual."

"After you what?" Jennifer asked.

"Are you thinking toxic shock syndrome, Tammy?" Andi asked.

"Kissed. And no, I just want to get as much information as we can out so we can eliminate possibilities and narrow the range of what we're looking for."

"It's not a bad thought, there have been strokes resulting from toxic shock. But I don't know how we'd test for that with out exposing her again." Andi said.

"She's already been exposed. I gave her the same brand, out of a brand new box." Tammy said. "Maybe contamination? Something on the one I gave her yesterday?"

"I wanna hear about the kiss!" Jennifer said. "Was it platonic? Or..."

"Full blown, tongue down your throat, face sucking session." Sam grinned at Jennifer. She looked up at Tammy. "It lasted what..."

"I don't know! We started at the door, and didn't stop till we hit the end wall." Tammy said, blushing slightly as she glanced at the doctors. "Then you came back for seconds. So, five, maybe six minutes?"

"That sounds about right." Sam said. She looked over at Jennifer. "She's a good kisser too."

"Can we take this in the kitchen, or do you need to do some more tests?" Tammy said. "I could use some water, and..."

"That's not a bad idea," Carter said as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She looked around. "If anyone wants a urine sample, speak up now, cuz I gotta do that too."

All three of them nodded. "I'll get you a cup. You going to use this bathroom?" Tammy asked.

Carter nodded, and Tammy walked out of the room. She turned to Keller and Samuels. "Andi, would you talk to her later? This has really shaken her, and she's not going to believe me when I tell her I'm okay."

"You're not okay, but I know what you mean." Andi said. "I have some things I need to talk to her about, but I think both of us need to talk to her about this." She said, looking at Keller. "She'll believe you before she believes me, and she'd be right there."

Keller nodded. "We can do that. She's frightened, but I think she'll calm down if you don't pull any more surprises on her. Or us."

"I'll do what I can." Carter grinned, standing up. "I hope she hurries, I really have to go." She said, looking toward the doorway.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, I'm coming." Tammy said as she came back. "I put a pack in all the bathrooms, so we don't have to get one every time we need a sample." She handed Sam two plastic bags. "Just leave the ones you don't use in the bathroom. You want me to wait?"

Carter shook her head. "I'll be fine. But give us a kiss first?"

Tammy stepped over and put her arms around her, and they kissed lightly for a moment, then moved apart.

'Thank you.' Sam mouthed, then turned and went into the bathroom. Tammy watched till she closed the door.

"Tammy?" Jennifer said from the door.

She turned and looked at her.

"She's gonna be okay. Come on, let's give her some privacy." She held her hand out.

Tammy walked over, taking her hand for a moment, then letting it go. "I hope you're right." she said as she walked toward the kitchen.

Interior-Kitchen

1010 Hours

Andi already had glasses out, there were glasses of ice and cokes sitting at Sam's and her spots at the table. Two more glasses were sitting on the counter.

"I didn't know what you wanted, so I just got you guys glasses." She said.

"Thanks." Tammy said, picking up a glass and filling it from the tap. She moved to her usual spot and sat down. Her eyes barely left the door.

"What kind of juice do we have left?" Keller asked her as she opened the fridge.

"I brought up some apple and orange, no one was drinking the grape." Samuels said as she sat down. Jennifer joined her a moment later.

"I had to use two cups," Carter said as she walked into the room. "So I poured one of them on your laptops."

Tammy laughed, and relaxed visibly.

Andi looked over at Jennifer. "You want to go check? You know, just in case?" She whispered.

"Good god, Andi! I heard that even with the earplugs." Carter laughed.

"Comic relief. Think nothing of it." She looked at Keller again, raising her eyebrows.

"Relax Andi. We can always get new ones." Jennifer laughed.

That broke the tension, and they sat back, reviewing the morning's events and discussing the tests they had done.

Tammy got up a few minutes later and filled her glass from the tap. "Any of you need anything while I'm up?" All of them shook their heads, and she took her place at the table again.

She reached over and took Sam's hand. "Then there's something else I want to talk about." She looked at her for a moment before she spoke. "This is for me, but Andi needs to hear it, because it might help her figure out what's happening to your personality and your brain, while Jenn and I try to figure out what's happening to your body. We need the whole picture." She squeezed her hand gently, then said, "Is that okay?"

Carter nodded. "I think I know what you're going to say, and you're right." She looked over at Andi, then back at Tammy. "Go ahead."

"The day we met, you were like a mink in heat. Now, I understand that if we keep your hormone and endorphin levels in balance, you behave almost normally. There are still minor differences that I can see, even with the limited contact I had with you before."

Sam nodded, looking at her steadily.

"The next morning, when we went downstairs, you were terrified that I might try to make love to you, but relaxed when I told you no, that we were going to move at your pace."

Carter squeezed her hand, and Tammy continued.

"Then later, down in my suite again, you were receptive to my kisses, responding eagerly. You were actually asking me to do it without saying the words. Almost like a schoolgirl out with her first beau."

She smiled at Sam, squeezing her fingers gently. "Then in the bathroom, you were almost painfully shy about me watching you put in a tampon."

She glanced over at Andi, and saw that she was tapping out notes on her tablet. She looked back at Sam.

"Then you made love to me this morning, and it was so beautiful, and so gentle."

"You want to know which one is me, or which parts of them are me? All of them, and none." Sam said softly.

"I think I can help here." Andi said. She looked over at Sam. "Do you mind if I throw my two cents worth in?"

Carter shook her head. 

Andi looked down at her notes, then spoke directly to Tammy. 

"Sam is a very self-restrained, self-contained, and private person, with a small circle of what she thinks of as friends, very few of them female. Those are lifelong traits, so her being shy about putting a tampon in in front of you, even in your role as nurse, isn't that unusual. But in the scenario you described, you weren't her nurse, she saw you in your role as her girlfriend, which would make her even more uncomfortable. You can expect that to continue until you consummate your relationship, and have cohabitated for a while. I'd say that it would take at least several months, probably closer to a year, for her to relax enough for her to expose herself like that."

"She has...Sam, We sit around and we talk about you in the third person like you're not even here. Sometimes it hurts to have to..."

"It's okay, Andi." Sam said, smiling at her. "I'm used to it. And I know you're only doing it for my own good. I actually get something out of it. I feel included, and I know you need direct feedback and input sometimes. And I'd much rather you do it like you have been, rather than go off and talk about me behind my back, because I want to know everything that's going on. So please, go on."

She looked at Tammy. "I'm okay, really. Listen to what she has to say."

"Sam has had very few sexual partners, not because she's been especially selective, but because she's never really found physical sex that enjoyable, and found more satisfaction in her work. That's not an uncommon trait, and she didn't even take it to an extreme. She's very normal in that respect."

"But this new need for sexual stimulation has shaken her. Where most of us have an interest in sex throughout our lives, she's suddenly had this incredible, overwhelming desire for sexual stimulation thrust upon her, and that's never been a big part of her world view. Understand that she never thought of sex as wrong, or dirty, she just didn't think about it. As a psychiatrist, I think it's astounding how well she's dealing with just that part of the situation she finds herself in."

She looked at Carter, tabbed down through her notes, and continued.

"Sam, you think of yourself as a heterosexual, and it's always bothered you that people thought you were a lesbian because you never settled down into a classic male/female relationship, or even dated that much. There are notes in your Air Force and college records making reference to it, even though no one could, or ever bothered to try to prove it. And your innate need for privacy wouldn't allow you to tell anyone that you were actually asexual. Which is a good thing. Because in Western society, with the possible exception of the clergy, asexuals are classed even lower on the social ladder than homosexuals, even though no one talks about it."

"Then we come to Tammy." She looked back and forth between them. "She tells you at the outset that she is here to care for you, and about you, and gives you a set of ground rules that you are expected to follow. The first one was that you are never to lie to her. She's added to the list, but that first one is the most important. Because it told you that she was never going to lie to you, and that you could trust her, and not wait for her to earn it. You gave her that trust immediately, and it took a tremendous burden off of you."

She took a sip from her drink, looking around the table.

"How am I doing so far? Anyone disagree, or have any objections?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Jennifer said.

"I told you we should keep her." Tammy said to Sam.

Carter looked at Andi for a moment. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you knowing this much about me, but I don't have any objections to anything you've said so far."

"Then let's go back to Tammy." Samuels continued. "You never would have had a chance for a relationship if this situation hadn't arisen. I'm calling that a blessing in disguise. Sam, Tammy is your intellectual equal, though with different interests. She shares many of your character traits, and possesses some that you admire, but see as lacking in yourself. If she were a man, and you had met her prior to this, you'd be happily married, living your dream life at some university somewhere on Earth."

She took another sip of her drink. "But she's female, and even though you're comfortable with being sexual with her, you still have that nagging little voice in the back of your head, telling you that you're not a lesbian. And I think you should listen to it."

Carter and Keller both leapt to their feet, shouting at her. and Carter started around the table for her. Tammy grabbed her wrist as she stared at Samuels, then smiled slowly. Andi nodded at her.

"Sit down, Sam." She said quietly. "You too, Jenn. I don't think she's finished yet."

They both sat down, and Sam looked over at Tammy, then down at the table, her face flushed with anger.

"Like I said, I think you should listen to that little voice telling you that you're not a lesbian. Then just go ahead and be Tammy's girlfriend. That doesn't make you a lesbian. But it will make you happy. And that's more important, isn't it?"

"You're not making any sense, Andi! You say don't be a lesbian, but go ahead and be Tammy's girlfr..."

"I'm making perfect sense Sam." Andi said, smiling softly at her. "And I didn't say don't have sex with Tammy, I said listen to the little voice telling you that you're not a lesbian. Because you're not."

She paused, glancing over at Tammy. Tammy nodded, and Andi continued.

"Is that voice telling you that what you're doing with Tammy is wrong? Even one little peep?"

"Well...no." Sam admitted grudgingly.

"It's just telling you that you're not a lesbian. So listen to it. You're giving yourself permission to love her, and be with her. You're just not listening to yourself."

Carter sat mulling it over for a few minutes, then the looked at Tammy. "What do you think?" She asked.

"I think she's smarter than I gave her credit for." Tammy said, taking Sam's hand in both of hers. "You remember the other morning when you told me that you weren't a lesbian, and I told you that I wasn't either?"

"You laughed at me."

"No I didn't. I laughed because you said something funny, and I told you that." She paused, looking at Sam. "I've never thought about me being gay or straight, I just thought about being me, and I think you're basically the same way. I think what's bothering you isn't whether you may be a lesbian or not, but that other people have thought you were over the years, and that hurt you, being blamed for something that you're hadn't done. And what made it worse, is you couldn't do anything to defend yourself."

"Not a bad bit of psychoanalysis if I do say so myself. She pretty much nailed the problem on the first shot." Samuels said to no one in particular.

"So what do I do about it?"

"Oh for god's sake Sam! You've got a chance for love staring you right in the face!" Andi said. "What do you do about it? You grab it, hold onto it for dear life and pray that it never goes away!"

"Bravo!" Jennifer cheered, clapping enthusiastically. "I agree with her. But let me add this. Are the people that care about you, and who's opinions you respect going to care if you love a woman? Or are they going to be happy for you because you found someone to love and be happy with? You don't have to answer that question, except for yourself."

"While that's all well and good," Tammy said as she looked around the table. "I was asking more from a medical point of view, and trying to work out how today's episode fits in."

She shook her head, and looked at Carter. "I'm just as confused as you are about our feelings. I've never pairbonded this quickly with anyone before, or felt as deeply about anyone as I do for you, even my early puppy love crushes. I told you I had been a fan. I've followed your career, even before I was recruited for the Atlantis expedition. But that was as a role model, you set a standard for other female scientists and professionals. You actually have a rather large following in that crowd."

"Really?" Carter asked. "I didn't know that."

Tammy nodded.

"I had heard about you before I joined Stargate Command," Jennifer said. "There was a club at Stanford that had a group of females that excelled in their fields as role models to compare themselves to, to rate themselves against. Your were in that group." 

"Then when you took command of Atlantis, I liked the way you ran things, and admired your way with people, but I was never seriously attracted to you." Tammy said. "There's quite a few women on the base that are though. Not that I'm jealous or anything."

"But now I'm wondering if there might be something else at work here." She turned and looked at Carter. "I honestly hope I'm off base here, because I want what's happening between us to continue." She squeezed her hand, then looked over at Keller and Samuels.

"What's the possibility of a pheromone based agent being at work here, or something transferred through physical contact?" She asked. "We've been concentrating on what the korathis is doing to her. We haven't looked at what changes may have occurred in her system that affect others."

"You're talking about contagion, aren't you?" Carter asked.

"Yes," Tammy told her quietly. "Like I said, I hope I'm wrong, but we need to at least look at the possibility."

"I have been looking at that actually," Andi said, bringing up a screen on her tablet and sliding it across to Tammy. "There's a sniffer in the living room, and it samples the air every few minutes. That chart shows the air quality over the last two days, and there's no increase in pheromone levels in the air. The green line on the chart is the air quality from the Central Tower. I overlaid them for a comparison."

"So we can rule pheromones out." She stopped and grinned at Andi and Jennifer. "Or are you two feeling something too, and just not saying anything?"

Andi grinned back and shook her head.

"I'm not," Jennifer said, "I've got my eye on a guy. I never really liked hairy men before..."

"Rodney's not that hairy, Jenn, I've seen him without his shirt on." Carter said. "He's not that muscular either."

"I think I'm going to pass on Rodney, I've got someone a little more macho in mind."

Tammy leaned close and whispered in Sam's ear. Carter's eyes went wide, and she turned toward her. "Really, I never would have thought! She never..."

"I know," Tammy said. "But she lights up every time he comes in, even though she tries to hide it. You should see how she hovers over him when comes in with a boo boo."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 04



Jennifer blushed, giving Tammy a scathing look. Carter and Tammy laughed, then Andi spoke up.

"There's still a chance of contact based exposure of something she might be secreting or excreting. And we've all been in contact physical with her, ungloved. She was naked most of the first two days, then Tammy put her in a tank and panties, so she's still effectively naked. All three of us have had unprotected oral sex with her as well, I might add."

"We can test for contagion, it's easy enough, but considering that neither Jenn or I are showing any effects, I think we can rule it out as a cause."

She turned to Tammy. "I honestly think that what you're both experiencing is simple natural attraction. You're both healthy females in your early to mid-thirties, when women are most prone to seek out true love. We'll look at other possibilities, but I wouldn't let it worry you, either of you."

Interior-Gym

1150 Hours

Jennifer came out of the stairwell and saw Carter doing sit-ups on the other side of the pool by the windows. Tammy was kneeling at her feet, holding them down.

"Faster." She heard Tammy say as she walked closer.

She looked up and nodded at Keller. "We have a new development. Her strength and stamina have both increased overnight. Kinesthetic awareness is up too. She just went over three hundred on this set. This is her third. She did two hundred each on the first two. We were going to see where she maxes out, that okay with you?"

Keller nodded as she looked down at Sam. Her face was flushed, but she moved rhythmically, showing no signs of strain. She picked up the tablet off a bench, and scrolled back through the telemetry. 

"Your heart rate hasn't gone over one twenty-five." She said. "That's amazing."

"Don't talk to her, she needs to focus on me. She's in the zone." She looked at Carter. "Four hundred. Keep going, you got some left."

Keller moved around and knelt behind Tammy, looking over her shoulder. Carter was wearing a sports bra and panties, and a pair of athletic shoes. She was soaked in sweat. She could see her abs rippling as she went through each sit-up.

Tammy reached down and put her hand on Sam's chest. "Stop, you're done." She said, pushing her back onto the mat. "Breathe." 

Sam lay back, her arms out to her sides, taking in great gulps of air. Her breathing tapered off quickly, and in less than a minute she was breathing normally. She held her hand out, and Tammy grabbed her wrist, pulling her upright as she moved to the side and let her pull her feet up under her.

"Well?" Carter asked.

"Four eighty-seven in eleven minutes fifty seconds." She grinned. She held out a water bottle. "Swish, rinse, spit...then you can drink."

"You wanna get in on this, or you wanna watch?" She asked Jennifer as she stood up. "I was going to workout with her, but she blew me away on the first set, so I've been spotting her on each exercise to see what she can do."

"What have you done so far? And how long have you been at it?"

"We've been up here a little over an hour. I know I told you noon, but she was getting antsy, so I figured she needed to burn off some energy." Tammy said as she took the water bottle from Sam. "She banged out two hundred sit-ups, then rolled over into a hundred pushups without resting. I made her take a break, then she did two sets of sixty inverted pushups, with a one minute break in between. I made her rest for five minutes after that. Then another hundred pushups, and two hundred sit-ups, again with no break in between. I made her stop for another five, and talked to her about letting her muscles rest between workouts, then we started on the set you saw her doing when you came up."

She looked down at Sam. "You wanna show Jenn what else you can do?"

Carter nodded, and Tammy reached down, pulling her to her feet. 

"Gimme a walkover, into a walkover, into a handstand, do a planche, then five press-ups. Bring your feet back up, do another press-up, then power out onto your feet."

Carter nodded, and moved over into a clear spot on the mat. She took a breath, then took two quick steps and went into an aerial walkover, then another walkover that ended in a handstand. She held the handstand for a moment, than her legs opened slowly, spreading until they were at almost seventy degrees in relation to the floor.

"She'll be able to get her legs out horizontal tomorrow, maybe the day after. She could only do forty-five degrees the first time she did that." Tammy said quietly.

They watched as she did five press-ups, brought her feet smoothly back up over her body, held the position, then eased down into another press-up. She bounced a couple times on her hands, then drove her body upward, arching up smoothly and landing on her feet.

"Wow! That's was incredible!" Jennifer said in amazement.

"She cheated on the powerout," Tammy said. "Did you see her bounce before she drove out?"

"I had to," Carter said. "My left arm was starting to give."

"I didn't see it." Tammy said. "You were clean till right at the end. Your leg extension was better this time. You almost hit seventy degrees."

"Really? Lemme try something." Sam said, holding out her hand. "Spot me."

Tammy stepped closer and took her hand. Carter eased down into a vertical split, her legs going out in front and in back of her. She finally stopped, bouncing slightly as she bottomed out.

"That's it, I can't get any lower."

"You've got less than a hand width between you and the floor." Jennifer said. "What can you do side to side?"

"It's at least double that." Sam grinned. "I need to stretch the muscles some more, but I should be able to go flat in a couple days."

"I did gymnastics in high school, I was all state my junior and senior year." She said as she brought her legs under her and let Tammy help her up. "But it's been ages since I've done anything like that."

She looked over at Tammy. "I'm starving, Can we go get something to eat?"

"After that performance? Sure. You want hot or cold?"

"Cold is fine, I don't want a lot, I just think I need to get something in me."

"Tuna, or tuna salad on wheat?" Tammy asked as they headed for the stairs.

"Can I have chips?" Carter asked.

"Sure," Tammy laughed. "Ten chips. But you can only have one piece of bread."

"Awww, That's not right!" Carter pouted. "I worked hard! I should get a reward!"

"You're right. I'm sorry." Tammy said, turning and taking her in her arms, and kissing her lightly. "You can eat all the tuna you want. With one piece of bread. And ten chips."

"Awwwww!" She whined, stomping down the stairs.

They saw her going into the hallway as they came off the stairs. 

"I'm gonna take a shower. Have it ready when I get back!" She called back over her shoulder."

Interior-Kitchen

1215 Hours

"That was mean of you." Jennifer said as she went over to the fridge. She got out a bottle of apple juice, and a glass from the cabinet. "You're not gonna go with her?"

"Nah, I can see her from here. And she needs some alone time. She'll sulk for a few minutes, and she'll be in a good mood when she gets back." Tammy said as she opened a three cans of tuna and drained the water from them. "Hand me the mayo, will you? And the pickle relish."

Keller handed her the mayo, then the relish, and took her place at the table.

Carter came back into the kitchen a few minutes later. She was in a fresh tanktop and panties. She walked up behind Tammy and wrapped her arms around her waist and laid her head on her back.

"I feel good." She said. "I haven't worked out like that in forever. Can we do it again later?" She raised her head up and nibbled on Tammy's ear. "Or maybe go downstairs and make-out a little...in the pit?"

"Mmmmm, I like that idea." Tammy said as she spread a thick layer of tuna salad on two pieces of bread. "I need to work up a sweat myself!"

"Meanie!" Sam said, smacking her on the shoulder.

"I sure hope that pit cleans up easy..." Tammy laughed as she turned around. "With both of us sweating all over it, I mean."

Sam went to wrap her arms around her, but Tammy held the plate in front of her. "Eat first, play later. What do you want to drink, the usual?"

Sam nodded as she took the plate and sat down, and a moment later Tammy sat a glass of ice and two cokes next to her, then opened a big bag of chips and sat it on the table. 

"I'm gonna hop in the shower too, I'll be right back. Jenn, hang around for a bit?"

Jennifer nodded, and watched as Sam took a big bite of her sandwich, moaning happily, her eyes rolling in her head.

Carter ate steadily until Tammy got back. By that time, she had eaten three sandwiches and half the bag of chips. She was eating tuna salad right out of the bowl when Tammy walked in, drying her hair.

"Bet you didn't save any for me, did you?" Tammy said as she opened the freezer.

"Sawwy." Sam mumbled around a mouthful.

"That's okay. I'll just eat...lemme see, chocolate ripple looks good!" She said.

"Awwww, don't." Sam whined, but her eyes were glassy, and she started to smile again almost immediately.

Tammy took the lid off a carton and tossed it on the table as she came around and sat at her usual place. Two handwritten R's were showing on the top of the lid as it sat on the table.

"You're still cruisin' on those endorphins, huh sweetie?" She smiled as she dipped out spoonful of ice cream.

"Is that what it is?" Jennifer asked. "I was starting to wonder."

"Yup, natural high. My baby probably still has four times what she's used too surging through her system, and she feels so gooooood. She is sooooo stoned." She reached out and pinched Sam's cheek. "I wish she could take a nap, but that ain't gonna happen."

"I was looking at the telemetry, and I noticed that her endorphins were way up. She hit six times what she was at this morning. Her estrogen is way up too. We probably won't have to stim..."

"Don't bet on it." Tammy grinned.

Carter stood up suddenly, and started for the door. She turned around and picked up her glass, and started back out.

"Where ya goin, Sam?" Tammy asked her.

"Office. I just thought of something, and I need to work on a few things." They heard her say as she disappeared down the hall.

Tammy switched views to the office camera, and saw her walk in and sit down a moment later.

"She's gonna be like this for a couple hours, till she comes down a little, but she's not in any danger. I'll keep an eye on her..."

She stopped when she saw Jennifer grinning as she looked at the tablet propped up on the table.

She looked over, and saw Sam holding up a piece of paper with BITCH written on it.

"Don't feel bad," Keller said. "The first one said, I Love You."

As they watched her, they saw her reach out and touch the monitor, a soft smile creasing her lips. Then she touched the desk and the Atlantian computer came up, and she started tapping away at the keyboard, checking some notes every so often as she went through the buildings systems.

"Does that machine have access to the cameras?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, but I'm the only one that can modify the software."

"That's not why I was asking. She can see us, and she's watching you."

Tammy looked at the tablet again, and a moment later, Carter looked at her monitor, and waved at the camera without taking her eyes off the screen. Tammy waved back, and Carter smiled, then went back to work on the Atlantian machine.

"Do you have any idea what she's working on? I thought she had all the buildings systems configured already." Keller said

"She said something about wanting to check some simulations that she had running. She has something going on in one of the sub basements, we went down last night after you left, and she spent half an hour playing with a device she has down there. Some kind of bridge? She said that McKay messed it up when he did it, but that she had figured it out. I missed alot of what she was talking about because she spent most of the time bitching about how arrogant he is."

"I've heard people talk about that experiment." Keller said. "They put up a bridge or something onto another universe, and brought back another McKay. His sister was here helping them do it. That was before Sam or I got here."

"She was talking about making the bridge jump, and not stay in one place for too long. I think she has that part worked out. She was more concerned about why it wasn't stable coming this way, but I didn't recognize the terms she was using."

Tammy looked back at the tablet. Carter had an application open on her desktop, and the camera was minimized in a corner. She also had a laptop open, and was rotating between the three machines. 

"She's not referencing her notes as often, and look at how she's banging away on the ancient machine. Andi said we were intellectual equals, and she was right to a point, our IQ's are close, within 10 points or so." She paused as she watched Carter work on the ancient machine. "But I don't think that's going to last..." She said quietly.

Interior-Office

1435 Hours

Tammy came into the office with a fresh glass of ice and two cokes. She had her laptop under her arm.

"Do you mind if I join you? Jenn went back to the Infirmary, and I don't know where Andi is." She said as she sat the drinks down on the desk, safely away from any papers. She took the other glass and sat it on a table by the door. She sat her laptop on the edge of the desk.

"Huh? Oh yeah, come on in." Carter said absently as she flipped the pages of a thick, hand written book. She found the section she was looking for, and Tammy could see her lips moving as she ran her finger over the page.

"Can I take a look at that book, Sam?" Tammy asked.

Carter glanced up at her, nodded, then started typing on the ancient keyboard again. She checked some calculations on the desktop machine, wrote the numbers down, then wrote a series of symbols under them and typed them into the ancient machine.

Tammy picked up the book, slid a piece of paper between the pages to mark her place, then sat down and started flipping through it.

The book was filled with neatly hand printed notes, in English at the beginning, then again on the edges of the pages later on, but most of it was drawings of ancient buildings, devices, artifacts, and what Tammy assumed were ancient symbols. It was a journal that had expanded into a reference book as the author learned more about his subject. The pages filling the last third of it were nothing but row after row, and blocks of symbols, with English translations under them. She recognized a few that she had seen on different stargates over the years, and around Atlantis.

"These pages toward the end, and the stuff you're working on, that's all in ancient?" She asked.

"Uh huh."

"And you can read that?"

"Some of it." Carter said, running her finger over the screen on the ancient machine. She typed for a minute, checked her work, then looked over at Tammy. "Why?"

"I'm just curious." Tammy said. "How much of it could you read last week?"

Carter looked like she had hit her upside the head with a brick. She looked back at the machine, then back at Tammy.

"Oh my god, you're right." She said softly. "I've only been glancing at Daniel's translations when I hit something I wasn't familiar with."

"I know, I was watching. But you knew that." Tammy flipped back to the front of the book. "Daniel Jackson wrote this?"

"Yeah, Jonas Quinn added to it while he was with SG-1, after Daniel ascended." Carter said as she turned back to her machines. "Jonas made some breakthroughs that made it possible for Daniel to finally translate most of the ancient language."

"And now you understand it well enough to type forty words a minute on that thing."

"What are you trying to say, Tammy?" Carter asked her, reaching over and picking up the glass and a coke.

"I'm not saying anything. I just want to make sure I understand what's going on." Tammy said as she sat the book back on the desk. "And just to clarify, last week, you had a passable understanding of ancient, and today you understand it well enough to do calculations for that gizmo you've got in the basement?"

Carter looked at her, but before she could say anything, Tammy went on.

"I may not understand high level physics, but I recognize it when I see it. It shares alot of the same math I deal with in chemistry." She leaned back and stretched her feet out in front of her.

"I guess I'm busted." Carter said. "I wasn't trying to hide anything, and if you want the truth, I hadn't realized that I was going as fast as I was. I've made alot of progress this afternoon. I was setting up simulations with different parameters this time, to make sure it doesn't bite me in the ass like it did McKay."

"So you want to tell me what that thing downstairs does? You were talking it about it last night, but alot of it bounced off my forehead. And you spent more time bitching about McKay. You really don't like that guy, do you?"

"It's a Space Time Matter Bridge, or a bridge between universes. I've got it configured to jump from reality to reality every few micro seconds, suck a little energy from each, and send it back to us, where we capture it and use it." She shook her head. "I don't know why someone didn't think of it earlier. The bridge McKay set up was locked onto one universe, and it almost tore it apart. That's why the alternate McKay showed up."

She stood up and stretched, then looked at Tammy. "Would you like to go for a walk? Outside I mean? I haven't been outside in weeks, other than a few minutes on a balcony every now and then, and I miss it."

"Sure." Tammy said as she stood up. "Where did you want to go? And do we need shoes? I don't think you have any here."

"There's boots and sneakers in my closet, but I'd rather go barefoot." Sam smiled. "There's a small park at the base of the building, on the oceanside, no one will see us. We have to take the elevator down one floor, then take another one down to ground level because of the way I have them locked out."

Interior-Kitchen

1745 Hours

Andi Samuels was in the kitchen when Sam and Tammy returned. She announced that she was cooking dinner that evening, and ordered them out. Sam went back to her office, while Tammy went over to the Central Tower to finish clearing out her quarters.

She packed up what little she had left in her locker, stripped the bed, and left a short note for her current roommate. Her next stop was the commissary, where she got toppings for sundaes and batteries for her boombox, then went on to the mess. The steward behind the counter looked at her like she was crazy when she told him that she wanted six quarts each of chocolate ripple and french vanilla, and three each of chocolate and rocky road. She'd had to call Keller to have her order the mess sergeant to give it to her. She took six sundae glasses from the fountain to make up for the aggravation.

She went back to her suite, put her things and the ice cream away, and straightened up in the living room. After a quick shower, she changed into her favorite jeans, and a blue chambray work shirt. She was bummed because she couldn't wear her favorite perfume, but she was getting used to going unscented. Just before she left, she laid out her korathis and massage oil, and made sure that the batteries in her boombox were fresh.

The first thing she noticed when she stepped out of the porter was the delightful smell of italian cooking. The second thing she noticed was Jennifer Keller on her knees, feeling around under the couch.

Tammy couldn't resist, and she walked over quietly, leaned close and ran her hand over the full, round cheek of her ass. Jennifer squealed and leapt forward, bumped her head on the back of the couch and fell face first onto the floor.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 04



"Goddamnit Sam!" She shouted as she rolled over, glaring up at her. 

"What did I do now?" Sam asked as she came out of her bedroom. She had showered, and was wearing one of the loose, flowing gowns Andi had brought up.

"Apparently nothing," Keller grinned up at her, reaching up to take hold of the hand Tammy was holding out to her. "Your girlfriend on the other hand."

"What were you doing down there anyway?" Tammy asked as she pulled her to her feet. "And I couldn't resist. It was such a BIG target!"

Jennifer glared at Tammy, then grinned. "Oh, I dropped my comm unit. I think it went under the couch."

"Nope, must have bounced over here." Sam said as she leaned down and picked it up. She tossed it to Keller, and she dropped it in her pocket.

"So if you two are out here, who's cooking dinner? It smells delicious. I..." She glanced over at Sam, and noticed that she was wearing a nose filter. "Oh, a little strong, huh?"

"The first half hour wasn't too bad, but then she started crushing garlic, and I didn't have any choice." Sam laughed. "I already apologized, but she blew me off. She said it was okay, but I think her feelings are hurt."

"Oh, I'm fine Sam." Andi said as she stepped out of the hall, wiping her hands on a towel. "I didn't take it personally. And the fact that you kept coming back for samples tells me that you liked it. But dinner is served ladies. I wasn't going to wash dishes three days in a row."

They followed her into the kitchen, and gasped at the spread she had laid out. One counter was filled with hot dishes, lasagna, spaghetti, various pastas, sausages and grilled vegetables, while the other side was laid out with breads, salads, cold pasta dishes, fruit salad...

"Good lord, Andi! There's no way we'll be able to eat all that!" Jennifer said. "That's enough food for twenty people! We're going to be eating italian for a week!"

"No, we're not." Andi said with a smile. "Whatever we don't eat, I'm taking down to the marines over in barracks two. Those boys get every tough job that comes along, and never complain. I cook them up something nice every couple weeks, and they're about due. I'd do it more often, but Sgt. Wilkins won't let me. He says they're fat and lazy for two days after I bring them a dinner!"

Carter stared at her, barely able to hold back her tears. She stepped over and took her in her arms, hugging her tightly. When she released her, she looked at her again. "That's a really nice thing to do, Andi. Thank you."

"I can't help it, my father and my husband were both marines. It's in the blood." She smiled. "Now come on, eat up! I didn't spend hours slaving over a hot stove so you could stand around looking at it!"

Everyone filled their plates, but knowing where the leftovers were going made them take just a taste of everything. 

"Oh, come on, don't be shy, dig in and eat all you want." Andi laughed as she watched them. "There's only twelve of them, and even they won't be able to eat all this! So come on, enjoy it, that's why I made it."

Soon plates were piled high with food, and they sat laughing and telling stories as they ate. Andi passed around bottles of wine, telling them to drink up, because the marines couldn't have any.

As they finished, Andi sat back and looked between Sam and Tammy. "So what were you two talking about in your office, Sam? There's no audio, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with that book Tammy was looking at. And the way you were pounding away at that keyboard, I'm betting you're showing a new talent."

Sam and Tammy looked at each other, then Sam looked at Andi. "Yeah, apparently my ancient is improving. The book is something Daniel Jackson gave me, he rewrote it and kept the new version. I was using it to figure out some of the markings around the city, then when I found this place, and got into the terminals, it came in handy."

She shook her head as she took a sip of wine. "I hadn't realized that I had made that much progress. I've been using it to help me get around in the cities systems, and just didn't notice that I was relying on the book less and less."

"I don't think it's anything to be concerned about. Being smarter probably can't hurt you that much, it's not like you're growing another head..."

She stopped when both Sam and Tammy burst out laughing, then sat looking between, waiting politely for them to calm down.

"Sorry." Sam said after a few moments, "But that same subject came up earlier!"

"I'm not even going to ask," Andi said. "Just let me add that I want to include an EEG in our testing schedule, maybe every other day or so to start."

She stood up and looked around the kitchen. "If you'd be kind enough to cover these dishes, I stole another cart from the mess, and have it parked downstairs. I'll go get it, and we can load it up so I can take it over to my boys."

Interior-Tammy's Suite

2130 Hours

The lights were dimmed, and the fireplace was lit, filling the room with a soft, warm glow. A saxophone solo was playing in the background as Sam and Tammy lay back against pillows in the pit.

"What's this?" Sam asked, reaching for a small plastic box.

"Don't," Tammy said, moving the box out of her reach. "That's my korathis. I probably should have done it earlier, if I was going to do it at all, instead of leaving it out like that."

"You're going to it with me, the korathis? That's sweet of you."

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea now. I mean, after what happened this morning." Tammy said as she took a sip of wine. "And I'm not sure if swapping spit with you while I'm doing it is that smart either. What if you have another reaction to it?"

"We could ask Andi, or Jennifer, see what they think." Sam said, getting to her knees. She looked at Tammy, her eyes glowing in the firelight. "Come on, let's call them."

She pulled Tammy to her feet, then led her into her office. She saw the comm unit on the desk, and went over, pressing two buttons at the same time. "Anybody home?" She asked.

"I'm here," Keller said immediately. "Is there something wrong, Sam?"

"I'm on too." Samuels said a moment later.

"No, I'm fine. I just have a question. I want Tammy to use her korathis, and she's worried about..."

"Secondary exposure. Jenn, I'm just not sure what effect that might have." Tammy said.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about, Tammy." Keller said. "I've been looking at Sam's blood work, and the levels of korathis in her blood steam are still increasing. She's producing elements of it on her own, so if you keep what you ingest to a small dose, I don't think it will be a problem."

"I think it's a good idea too, Tammy, for a couple of reasons." Andi added. "It will do Sam good to see how another woman reacts to it." She paused. "How long has it been since your last dose, Tammy?"

"A little over three days. I had some the night before I came onboard." Tammy said quietly. "I'm thinking the same thing, Andi. I'm starting to feel...a little off."

Carter looked at her, and Tammy smiled, mouthing 'later', as she listened to Andi.

"Just keep the dose small, and spit out the chew before you start...exchanging fluids...and keep a headset handy, just in case."

"Oh, you're such a romantic, Andi!" Carter laughed. "But thank you, we'll call before we go to bed...to sleep I mean."

She closed the link, and turned to Tammy. "Do it, it'll be okay, I promise."

Tammy opened the box, and poked at the buds with her finger. Picking up a small one, she broke it in two and popped the smaller piece in her mouth, and put the other one back in the box. She sat the box on the desk and took Sam's hand.

"It takes a few minutes to kick in." She said as she chewed the bud slowly, moving it around in her mouth. "Let's go get another bottle of wine, it should be working by the time we get back to the living room."

"What were you and Andi talking about?" Sam asked as they entered the kitchen. "You said you were feeling 'off'. What did that mean?"

"I've been using korathis on an almost daily basis for three years." Tammy said as she got a bottle opener from a drawer, and started opening a bottle of wine. "I had some concerns about withdrawal, and it looks like I may have been right."

Pulling the cork out, she sat the bottle and the opener on the counter, and took Sam in her arms, holding her lightly. "I don't want you to worry about me. I just need a small dose, every few days, so it's not a problem. Okay?"

She pushed her away, and turned to the sink, chewed a few more times, tipped her head back and swallowed, then spat the chew into the drain. She ran water behind it for a moment, then filled a glass with water, swished some around in her mouth, then swallowed. She repeated the process twice, then turn back to Sam.

"Come on, woman." Tammy said, holding her hand out. "Take me, and have your way with me!"

Sam laughed and grabbed the bottle of wine, then took Tammy's hand and led her into the living room. She stepped down into the pit, but turned and put her hand on Tammy's stomach as she started to follow her.

"Wait," She said as she sat the wine down. 

She turned and looked up at her, reaching up and opening the top button on her shirt. She moved down slowly, opening each button in turn. When she reached her waist, she undid the button on her jeans, and eased the zipper down slowly, then opened the last button on her shirt.

Tammy sighed as she watch her spread her shirt open, running her hands lightly up her sides as she leaned in and kissed her softly, her lips brushing gently across stomach. 

Sam's lips moved slowly up over her as her hands worked her jeans down over her hips. Tammy moved her legs, helping her get them off, then stepped out of them and kicked them off over her feet, pushing them aside with one foot. Sam's hands came up, pushing her shirt off of her shoulders, and Tammy let it drop off her arms onto the floor.

"You're so beautiful." Sam whispered, stepping back, but keeping her hands on her hips. Tammy's skin glowed in the light from the fire as Sam let her eyes roam over her body.

Taking her hand, Sam pulled her down into the pit, guiding her down onto her back. She pulled her gown off over her head, tossing it to the side as she knelt beside Tammy. One leg moved over Tammy's, settling between them as Sam straddled it, her upper body easing down, and pressing against Tammy's. She rocked back and forth lazily, making their breasts brush against each others, the nipples scraping across soft skin. 

Tammy purred, and her arms came up, wrapping around her as she spread her own legs wider. She pulled Sam down onto her. Their lips met, and Tammy let her tongue dart out, lightly caressing Sam's. Sam moaned and pressed her lips to hers, and they kissed, gently at first, then more hungrily. 

They ground together, each of them moving against the others leg as they kissed, then Tammy rolled over, and began moving down Sam's body. Sam stopped her, rolling them over again, smiling down at her as she slid slowly down over her, planting soft kisses on her breasts, then the soft skin of her tummy as she moved down slowly.

"Tonight is for you." She whispered as she whisked her face back and forth through the soft curls of her pubes, inhaling the musky scent of her. "Lay back, let me, I want to...mmmm." She moaned, as her head dropped between her legs.

Interior-Dr. Samuel's Suite

2240 Hours

Her marines had been overjoyed when she showed up with a load of food for them, and they had torn into it eagerly. Andi had gone into Wilkins' office with him, as she usually did when she made her food runs. She smiled as she wondered if they knew what they did in there while they ate.

Her pipe and Thumper were sitting on the desk, and she picked up the pipe, loading it as she read through the file she was working on. She made a note, then brought up Jennifer's medical logs. She lit the pipe and took a long, slow hit off of it, then sat back, holding her breath as she tabbed down through the records.

She made another entry on her notes, transferred them to her tablet, then picked up her laptop and went into her bedroom. She sat the laptop on the nightstand, started a movie, then pulled off her gown, tossing it across the foot of the bed. Dimming the lights, she laid down, feeling the Thumper starting to hit her, and a happy smile spread across her face.

She started masturbating lazily as she let her mind drift back to her time with Wilkins earlier, her fingers were still moving between her legs as she drifted off into sleep.

Interior-Bedroom

0010 Hours

"Jennifer? Are you on?" Tammy said as she stood next to the comm unit.

"Yes, Tammy. I was getting ready for bed." Keller replied a moment later. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, I just wanted to tell you that we're home, and the everything is fine. We're going to bed too." Tammy said. "I just didn't want you to worry."

"How did it go? Did you have a good time?" Keller asked.

"It was wonderful, you little perv." Tammy laughed. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow if you want...well, some of it." She paused then said, "Have you heard from Andi? She's not answering. I didn't really need her but..."

"I know, she's not answering me either." Keller said, sounding irritated. "It's okay, she's like that in the evening. She probably just went to bed early. We're all doing that lately."

"Okay, we'll see you in the morning. Kisses." Tammy said, then closed the channel.

"Did you have to put that thing in here?" Sam asked as she held her arms out.

"Yes, there's one in every room of the house now." Tammy said, yawning as she slid down the bed and lay her head on Sam's shoulder. "Help is only few steps away now. I'm not leaving you again like I did this morning."

"Okay." Carter said, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "I'm happy right now. I think I'm going to sleep good tonight."

"Mmmmmm, me too." Tammy purred. "You wore me out you little vixen!"

"Good, now go to sleep." Sam said softly as she reached up, dimming the lights. She looked down, smiling when she saw that Tammy was already asleep, a small smile on her face.

(-)

That's all for Chapter Four. Please read Chapter Five to see what happens next.



Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 05



Day Five

Interior-Col. Carter's Suite, Kitchen

0650 Hours

"Hey, I woke up and you weren't there." Carter said as she stepped into the kitchen. "How long have you been up? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Tammy said, taking her hand and kissing it lightly as Carter stood over her. "I couldn't sleep, and didn't want to wake you, so I came in here. I've been looking at a few things."

"What kind of things are you looking at?" Carter asked, leaning over her shoulder. "How long have you been out here?"

"A couple hours. I just made the coffee. Get a cup, and I'll show you. I'll make breakfast in a little bit."

Tammy turned her laptop around so Sam would be able to see it when she came back. She was looking at an image on her tablet when Sam sat down.

"Okay, this chart shows your blood chemistry over the last 48 hours." She said, pointing at the laptop screen. She traced her finger across a line near the top. "This shows your glutamate levels. It's the most common neurotransmitter, and is in as much as half of all neurons in the brain. It's especially important in regards to memory. Curiously, glutamate is actually toxic to neurons, and an excess will kill them."

"If you say so." Sam said.

"I do. The problem is, with levels this high, you should be having trouble remembering your name, much less learning new skills, like you appear to be doing."

"What's that thing on your tablet? It looks like an ultrasound." Carter said, leaning closer to get a better look. "I'm not pregnant am I?"

"No, you're not pregnant." Tammy laughed. "This is one of the images we got off the scanner yesterday. That's your brain, not your belly. Here's a better look." She brought up another image that showed a top view of Carter's brain, with colored highlights in different areas.

"This is a representation of what was going on in your brain just as you began speaking normally yesterday. It was the scan I had in progress. We didn't look at, because you seemed to have recovered."

"Seem to have recovered. I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Carter said slowly. "Hold on a sec, I need more sugar. You need a refill?"

"I'm fine." Tammy said, bringing another image up beside the first on her tablet.

"Now, look at these two images side by side. You see the difference?" She said as Carter sat down.

"The second one is mostly red and orange, and the first one is blue and green." Carter said. "How much time passed between these two scans? And I'm guessing that the second one was earlier?

"Yeah, they were about forty minutes apart. These are the first and last scans. Now look at this." She wiped the images from the screen, and brought up another pair. "These two images are also of your brain. The first pair showed what was going on in your brain, these show the make-up of your brain itself. What do you see now?"

Carter took the tablet and examined the images. She looked up at Tammy, a puzzled expression on her face. "I don't see any difference. But you do, or you wouldn't be showing me these."

"Look here," She said as she slid around next to Carter. She pointed at part of the screen, circling it with her finger, then pointed at the corresponding area on the other picture. "Then here, and here." She repeated the process in another area.

Carter looked at the images again, flicking her eyes back and forth between them. "The picture on the left has more dark areas where you're pointing. What's that mean?"

"This area here is the frontal lobe. It's involved in decision making, problem solving, and planning. This other area is the temporal lobe, and it's involved in memory and language, among other things."

She stood up and went over to the fridge. "You didn't have a stroke, or anything like that yesterday. Your brain went wonky while it was reconfiguring itself."

She poked around in the fridge for a moment, then turned back to Sam. "You got any ideas what you might want for breakfast?" She asked.

"Timeout!" Carter said, looking back and forth between Tammy and the pictures on the tablet. "My brain did what? I don't think I want to believe what I think I just heard you say."

"Well, if you think you just heard me say that based on those images, one taken yesterday, the other five months ago during your last physical, that you now have roughly thirteen percent more active neurons, you would be right."

Tammy walked over and leaned over Sam's shoulder, pointing at another area of the screen. "This is the cerebellum. It coordinates the brain's instructions for skilled repetitive movements and for maintaining balance and posture. I see a dramatic change there too, that explains your improved kinesthetic awareness."

"You knowledge of your body's position in space." She said when Carter looked back over her shoulder at her. "Which is why you can do gymnastics again, without practicing recently."

"But I think yesterday's incident was centered in the temporal lobe, which is why your speech was impaired. That's where all the red and orange were on the first two images." She said as she went back over to the fridge. "I'm thinking that these changes are happening mostly while you sleep, but we just happened to catch one as it occurred."

"You seem to be taking this very well." Carter said as she looked at the tablet again.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I appear to be taking this lightly, but I've had a couple of hours to go over this a few times, and now I'm just relieved. There's no noticeable change in the brainstem, the part of the brain that connects the brain and spinal cord. That's involved in coordinating the basic functions, like heart rate and breathing. That's what let's you do other stuff without going, 'breathe in, breathe out'."

"And these other changes don't worry you?"

Tammy walked over and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. "I don't know yet." She said as she took Sam in her arms, looking into her eyes. "But aside from yesterday's incident, they appear to be benign, at least from a direct health standpoint. We're going to have to do more testing to see what's really happening in there." She tapped her fingers lightly on Carter's forehead.

Sam laid her head on her shoulder, her arms going around her waist, hugging her tightly to her. "I'm scared, Tammy." She said softly.

"I know, hon." Tammy said as she stroked her hair gently. "We knew there were changes taking place, but now we know where, and that will help us figure out the what and the why. It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. Just...better."

"Better?" Sam asked as she stepped back, looking at Tammy. "How do you mean?"

"Yes, better. You're not just changing, Sam. You're evolving. I need to see medical data on the ancients if you can get that for me, but I think right now, you're somewhere in between them and us." She smiled as she looked at her. "And I think that means you don't have to die. At some point, you can decide to ascend if you want to."

Interior-Bedroom

0825 Hours

Sam was back on the bed under the scanner when Keller walked in. She had electrodes attached to her head and neck, and Tammy was asking her a series of questions, seemingly at random, making notes on her tablet and marking points on the chart as it scrolled out.

"What are we looking at?" She asked as she went over and sat at the bank of laptops.

"Brain activity and density." Tammy said, glancing down at Carter. "You need a break, Sam? We've been at this for a while now."

"Yeah, no point in me just laying here while you bring Jenn up to speed." She sat up, ducking as Tammy pushed the scanner out of the way. She pulled at one of the leads attached to an electrode. "Can I take these things off?"

Tammy nodded and sat on the bed behind her, rubbing her shoulders as Carter peeled the electrodes off.

"Good. Andi said she wanted an EEG...did you say density?" Keller asked, looking over at them.

Carter grinned at her. "I'm evolving. Isn't that kewl?"

Keller looked over at Tammy. "What's she talking about?"

"I sent you some pictures. Before and afters of the scans we did yesterday. One pair shows brain activity, the first and last scans. The second shows her brain, yesterday, compared to the last physical, five months ago. Look at them, then I'll explain."

Keller opened her mail, found the pictures, and nodded as she looked at the first set. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the second set, and she looked over at Tammy, then back at the pictures.

"These are accurate? There isn't a chance that the images from yesterday are faulty in some way?" She asked finally.

"I have the results from every scan we did yesterday, and two more from today. They all show the same thing. Today's show another noticeable increase in neural activity, and neuron density. You're seeing what you think, Jenn. She's converting other tissue into neurons."

"I want to say that this is impossible." Keller said slowly. She looked over at Carter. "I'm sorry Sam, I didn't even say good morning. How are you?"

"I'm good, Jenn. Thank you for asking." Carter said, smiling warmly at her. "It's been an interesting morning, but I can't say it's been bad. Tammy and I have been talking while she pokes and prods me, and we decided that I'm going to be okay."

"I hope you're right." She looked passed her at Tammy. "What else do you have?"

"There's another picture, take a look at that one."

Keller opened the third picture and studied it. She looked puzzled for a moment, then went back to the second one. She flipped back and forth between them, then left the last one up on the screen.

"When were these images taken, this last pair?" She asked.

"The one on the left was done this morning. The one on the right, about nineteen thousand years ago."

"This is an...wh...how? I don't unde..." She sputtered. "These images are almost identical! The neural density is what, less than ten percent difference?"

"Something like that. I was thinking fifteen." Tammy said as she hugged Sam from behind. "Sam accessed the ancient database, and we went through the medical records. That image is from a sixteen year old girl, as near as we could tell."

"And I don't need Daniel's notes anymore. As a matter of fact, I made a few corrections I'm going to have to tell him about." Carter said casually as she turned and looked at Tammy. "And while I'm thinking about it, I want to check those simulations I started yesterday. I need to sit down with the three of you today too, so we can decide what we're going to tell the IOA. I'd like to do that tomorrow."

Tammy let her go, and she stood up and walked toward the door.

"You coming back, or should I check on you in a bit?" Tammy asked.

"I may get into it, so come say hi. Yell if you need me." Sam grinned, and walked out.

Tammy put the leads for the EEG away, and rolled the machine off to one side. She gathered up the paper readout, and rolled it up as she sat down beside Keller.

"I looked at the last scan we did yesterday, the one that was in progress when she recovered her speech. I noticed a change in brain activity, all of it centered in the temporal lobe. I think we caught her while her brain was reconfiguring, that's why her motor functions weren't impaired, and she responded normally to every test Andi did. Andi wouldn't have known to check for something like that. No one would have."

Jennifer looked at her for a moment, then looked at the floor.

"What is it, Jennifer." Tammy asked. "You want to say something."

"I...yesterday morning, when we were in the kitchen, making breakfast." Keller said slowly. "Yo...you did something. You turned and faced the wall to her bedroom, and you told her not to leave you, that you would follow and find her. Do you remember that?"

Tammy shook her head. "No, I was making gravy, and Andi called out..."

"I'm not surprised." Keller said. "Considering the state you were in. But I talked to Andi, and she said that Sam came around on her own, and asked for you. The timing is almost perfect."

She paused, letting Tammy absorb what she's said. "Andi told me that she was gone, Tammy. That there was no one in there when she was looking at her. Sam was completely unresponsive to any verbal or sensory cues, even though she responded to physical stimulus, and her vital signs were fine."

"Oh my god." Tammy whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "You're saying that we almost lost her."

"No, I'm saying that she heard you, and she came back from wherever she was, to be with you." Jennifer said as she put her arms around her, rocking her gently. "Call me a romantic, but that's what I think happened."

"What does And..." Tammy began, but at that moment, the lights flickered, went out, then came right back up.

"Sam?" She called as they stood up, looking around. "Sam, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Sorry, that was me." Carter yelled back.

Tammy and Jennifer went into Sam's office, and saw her grinning sheepishly from behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect the lag." She said, looking down and tapping out a few symbols on the keyboard.

"What did you do?" Keller asked.

"I took the building off the cities power grid. We're running off my STM bridge." She said as she looked back up at them. "It works. I'm smarter than McKay."

"We already knew that was going to happen." Tammy said as she sat down. "But how about a heads up next time you do something like that?"

"Okay. Would one of you call Andi, and see when she's going to put in an appearance?" Carter asked. "I really do want to go over a few things with all three of you. I'm going to let the building run off the STM for a few hours, and switch it back later. I just want to do a test."

"I'll do it, I have to run over to the Central Tower anyway." Keller said. "How about I tell her we're going to meet here at ten hundred, or do you want us sooner than that? I'll check to see if she's downstairs before I go over."

"Ten hundred is fine. That'll give me some time to think, and play with some things." Sam said lightly. She looked over at Tammy. "Or maybe I'll just spend some time with my girlfriend. Yeah, that sounds like a better idea."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tammy grinned as she stood up.

"You can feel me up, but it has to be for fun...no more medical stuff for a few hours." Sam said as she came around the desk. "Promise?"

"I promise." Tammy said, holding out her hand.

"Cross your heart." Jennifer said

"What?"

"Cross your heart. It doesn't count if you don't."

"What is this, junior high school?" Carter laughed.

"No, she's right." Tammy said, turning toward her. "Cross my heart, ho..."

"Don't do that part. I believe you." Sam said, pulling her close and kissing her. Then she looked over her shoulder at Jennifer. "Will you get out of here? We'd like to be alone if you don't mind."

Jennifer smiled and waved as she went out the door.

Interior-Kitchen

1015 Hours

"If I wasn't seeing it, I never would have believed it." Andi said as she flipped through the pictures Tammy had put together, then reviewed the scans from the day before, and that morning. She had already gone through and verified the findings, pulling her own images out for comparison.

"I didn't either." Tammy said. "That's why I reran the scans and did an EEG this morning. You said you wanted an EEG anyway."

"Good thinking, and thank you." Andi said. "This is an astounding change in such a short period of time, but I can't see how the korathis accounts for it on its own. It has to be reacting to, or working in conjunction with something else that's already present!"

"There's lots to choose from." Sam said lightly. "You've been through the files, pick something. I knew at least a few of them were gonna come back and bite me in the ass someday."

"We will, but in the meantime we need to monitor these changes in your brain."

"I agree." Jennifer said. "But there's an option I don't think we've considered yet." She looked around the table, finally letting her eyes settle on Sam. "You understand ancient, and have access to the cities systems. That means you should be able to tell us how to operate the ancient medical equipment in the Central Tower, and help me interpret the output."

"I'd prefer not to go to the Central Tower unless it can't be helped. We'd have to do it today, because after tomorrow, the risk will just be too great. It may be passed that point already. And to be honest, I just don't want to leave here."

"I understand. I may be able to get some of it out, I'll talk to Sheppard. If I can, do we want to set it up in the bedroom, or just make one of the suites downstairs into a medical bay?"

"I like the medical bay idea." Tammy said, turning to look at Sam. "Having a few things here is fine, but this is home, and should feel like a home. Having the scanner and all that other crap in the bedroom is creepy, and it says we think you're going to die. You're not, so let's put it somewhere else."

"I was going to say the same thing." Andi said. "You're not some ninety year old billionaire on life support. We can get you downstairs just as easily as we can get you into the bedroom. It's not like we're going to be hiding it, just getting it together in one place. Then, as we get other people onboard, we're already set up for them."

"I like that idea. Not because it's creepy, or I think I'm going to die, but because I want to make that room into a theater. I miss going to the movies. There's a huge display down on the third floor, I'd like to move it up here eventually, and put it in there." Sam said. "I'm not kidding. I'm going to tie that big monitor in Tammy's suite into the cities media database, so we can watch movies down there until I can get it set up."

She got up and filled her glass with ice, and got two cokes from the fridge. "We can worry about all this later, I'm not in any hurry. But I want to talk about handling the IAO, and that's what I want to do, handle them. I sent you all an email, the file is encrypted, and the password is opensesame, one word, all lower case. Save it to your tablets, because I'm going to delete it from the servers when we're done."

She poured a coke in her glass as she waited for them to check their mail and open the file. She knew by the smiles on their faces that she had taken the right tack with her plan.

"You seriously expect me to stand in a meeting and say this?" Jennifer laughed. "I doubt if I'll be able to keep a straight face."

"I don't care if you sit or stand, and that's why you're going over it." Carter grinned as she looked over her own copy. She had thrown together some notes the night before, sketching out the most outlandish scenario she could think of. She knew it would have to be toned down, but thought it better to be bold from the start. "This is just a rough draft, and the three of you are going to go over it and clean it up."

"I like the opening, it gives the what and some background in two paragraphs, and doesn't leave them much room for questions." Andi said as she read through it.

"This part about being blatantly sexual. Double, no, triple the number of times she masturbates a day. That'll throw them off balance, and keep them from focusing on other things." Tammy said.

"Write it down as you go, you can compare notes later. This is a polishing session." Carter told them as she stood up and picked up her glass. "I want this finalized by fourteen hundred, so Jenn can talk to Sheppard by sixteen hundred, and tell him that she needs a meeting with Stargate Command, and the IOA tomorrow morning."

She walked toward the door. "I'll be in my office. Tammy, turn your eyes on, I know it makes you feel better." She blew her a kiss, and walked away.

Interior-Kitchen

1250 Hours

"We think we're done." Tammy said as she leaned against the doorframe of Sam's office. "And I made lunch, bacon cheeseburgers and fries. I thought you could use a treat."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 05



"I smelled the bacon. I've been sitting here drooling." Sam laughed. "I need a couple of minutes to finish here. What did you come up with?"

"It looks good, straightforward where it needs to be, outrageous when that's called for. We stuck to the truth as much as possible. No point wasting a lie when you don't have to. Jenn is comfortable with it, and that was the important part. Giving her something she could sell, and sound natural doing it."

Carter nodded, tapping away at the ancient keyboard as she listened. She wrapped up with a flourish, and shut the machine down.

"Did you notice when I switched back over to city power?" She asked as she came around from behind the desk. She walked over and took Tammy's hand, and they walked down the hall to the kitchen.

"No, when did you do it?" Tammy asked.

"About fifteen minutes ago. I didn't even see a flicker, but thought I'd ask anyway." Sam said. She stopped and pushed the bathroom door open, backing into it and pulling Tammy in with her.

"I missed you." She said as she pressed her body against Tammy's, nuzzling her neck gently. "Have I told you how much I enjoyed being with you last night? That was the most beautiful thing I've ever done, and the most fun too. It was incredible!"

Tammy smiled and ran her hands down Sam's back, letting them glide down and squeeze the cheeks of her ass through her gown. "You did all the work, you naughty girl. And for someone who says she's never made love to another woman...you know alot of tricks! Why wouldn't you let me..."

"I was all messy down there," Sam blushed. "But I've been paying attention to everything that all of you have done to me. And it was easier than I expected. I wanted to make you happy, so I just did what I thought would feel good to me."

"Well, you are a delightful lover Samantha Carter. And I look forward to making love with you for a long, long time." Tammy whispered in her ear. She leaned back and looked at her. "But for now, gimme a kiss, and let's go get some of those burgers."

Sam smiled, and kissed her lightly, then more hungrily. They were both gasping for breath when they finally broke apart.

Tammy opened the door, and they went out into the kitchen.

"I told you they were making out in the bathroom," Jennifer said, grinning at Andi.

"Jennifer, what is your fascination with my love life? Not getting any on your own lately?" Sam asked in a teasing voice.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, that's exactly it." Jennifer laughed. "And I'm going to have to do something about that soon. But in the meantime, I'm going to live vicariously through you!"

"Whatever floats your boat." Carter said as she started putting together a burger. "Talk to me. Let's hear what you decided on for our show tomorrow."

"Like I said, our main concern was giving Jenn something she could sell comfortably." Tammy said. "So we decided to embellish the facts, as opposed to falsifying them. We have enough data to back up what we say."

"The major selling point on the contagion we're going to tell them about, and that's the only outright lie that we used," Andi said, picking up the narration. "Is that we sent a request to the CDC, and several other prominent research labs a couple of days ago, asking that they to confirm our results on a blind study of a fictitious patient. We've gotten several replies already, and their findings will back us up when the IOA goes sniffing around."

"I'm comfortable with what we have, Sam, and can sell it, no problem." Jennifer added. "But I want to use you to close the deal."

"How would you do that?" Carter asked as she sat down.

"We bring you into the meeting. Remotely." Keller grinned. "If I keep my laptop open, and glance at it throughout the meeting, at some point someone, probably the IOA rep, is going to ask if they can see what I'm doing. I'll have an IM window open, with prompts from you, which wouldn't hurt anyway, then we bring you in on audio, then video, for the big blowoff."

"And what would I do for this blowoff, as you call it?" Carter said slowly, not liking what she was hearing.

"I don't know." Jennifer said. "When we bring you in on audio, you sound fine, rational and in control, then we bring you in on video, just a head shot, still rational. I could say something, and the camera pans out, and you're naked. I do a routine about it being hard to keep you in clothes, and you start diddling or something."

"A workout, handstand press-ups maybe, then add her playing with herself." Tammy added, jumping in. "That would confirm half of what we're telling them with one visual." She looked at Carter. "You can do this. Just forget the camera, and do one of your gymnastic routines. Piece of cake."

"You'll need to say something sexual as you're doing whatever you decide on." Samuels said. "Direct it at McKay. He's going to object anyway to you asking for an independent department, and that would be a good way to shut him down before he even gets started."

"I like that idea, Andi." Sam grinned. "He's been a pain in the ass since I met him, and he's got it in his head that I'm actually attracted to him. It would be nice to shut him up once and for all, while showing him that I still have the power, not him." 

"So we're calling this the plan? I'd like to go talk to Sheppard." Keller said, looking around the table. "I can set up the meeting with the SGC and IOA, and ask him about the medical equipment at the same time. I doubt if he'll object, but McKay might."

"You can tell Sheppard that my ancient gene is active, and about my being able to understand ancient. But ask him to keep it to himself." Carter told her. "He would anyway, but if you're honest with him, he's more likely to help."

"When did your ancient gene start working?" Keller asked. "Your initial treatments failed with the gene therapy."

"I noticed it a couple of days ago. Most of the systems were already active over here, like the terminal in my office. So someone with the ancient gene has been here." Carter replied. "There were a few that were down, like the power control systems in the sub basement. They came up for me the other night, which is going to be a big plus. Now I don't need to bring anyone in to finish my project."

"You need to tell us things like that, sweetie." Tammy said lightly. "On a scale of one to ten, that's about an eighteen. You got anything else you might have forgotten to mention, since we're on the subject?"

"No, and I'm sorry. It never occurred to me that it was out of the ordinary with everything else that's been going on." Carter said, looking at Tammy. "But I could have sworn that I said something the other night when we were down there, because I thought it was weird. Maybe I didn't."

"No, you didn't." Tammy told her. "I noticed that the lights came up when we entered the room, and equipment stared powering up, but it does that most of the time when I go in a room, and I don't have the ancient gene."

"You guys work this out, I'm going over and talk to Sheppard." Keller said as she stood up. "I'll call if I have any luck with the ancient medical equipment. Where are we going to want to put it, if he says yes?"

"Thirty-one." Carter said immediately. "That's our ingress point for this part of the tower. You and Andi will have offices there, so set up your medical bay there. One of those suites is being used for storage, but can be cleared out, so we have three free to use for processing personnel. No, two, make one of them the personnel office."

"Yes, maam." Keller said. She smiled at Samuels, then looked over at Tammy. "Thanks for lunch Tammy. Can we workout out later? I can feel those fat grams settling into my ass already!" She turned and was gone before Tammy could say anything.

"Did she just ma'am me?" Carter said, glaring at the door after her.

Interior-Ops Center, Central Tower

1400 Hours

Sheppard met Jennifer at the porter near the Ops Center, and led her up to his office. He closed the door as he waved her into a seat, then took his place behind his desk.

"We can talk today, we're not being recorded." He told her. "I disabled everything that I know about when you called. And this," He patted a small box on the edge of his desk. "Will take care of everything I don't know about."

"I appreciate that," She said, leaning back and crossing her legs. "I need you to arrange a meeting with the SGC and the IOA, for tomorrow if you can. I'm sorry for the short notice, but we have some information, and we'd like to get it to them as soon as we can. I thought that a briefing would be preferable to a report, so they can ask questions if they need to."

"I can do that. They've been humping my leg for two days trying to get information." He laughed. "Can you tell me anything, or do I need to wait for your briefing?"

"She's stable, but we're still testing her. We know that there's been a basic change to her DNA, and we just discovered that there are also changes occurring in her brain. The brain matter itself is being altered, so new neurons are being created. She's already smarter than McKay, and by next week, she might make Stephen Hawking look like a moron."

"Rodney's not going to like that." Sheppard grinned

"We don't care what he thinks. You're more important to us, but I'll let Sam talk to you about that. We just found out that her ancient gene is active, and because of the changes in her brain, she's now conversant in ancient. She can read and write in it. Which brings me to the other reason I wanted to see you."

Sheppard didn't say anything, but sat waiting for her to continue.

"We'd like to borrow some of the ancient medical equipment. It would help in diagnosing her, possibly even help in treating her, now that she can operate it, or guide us through how to use it." She said, leaning forward. "She can also help interpret the results, and in the long term, teach others how to use it."

"So once you got her diagnosed, or treated, she would what, write up an instruction manual?"

"I was actually thinking about going a different direction." Keller said. "We're going to set up a medical bay, and once we get situated, I was thinking we could train people in its use, so everyone in Atlantis can benefit."

"I know she's over on the southwest pier, or she was yesterday, before her STID signal went dead. I'm assuming she's blocking it. She's not coming back, is she?"

"I ca...I need a minute." She said, then pulled the comm unit Sam had given her out of her pocket.

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, and she grinned, then shrugged her shoulders at him.

"Andi, Tammy, are you on?" She asked, then waited for a reply.

"Yes, Jenn." Tammy answered. "Did you get it?"

"Working on it." Jennifer laughed. "I need to talk to Sam."

"She's right here, wait one."

There was a pause, then Carter came on. "Yeah, Jenn. What do you need?"

"I want to read John in. He's already figured out alot on his own, so I don't see any reason not too."

"Go ahead, I thought I told you that already. What?" She said, then there was a pause, and Keller could hear Tammy talking in the background. "Oh, apparently I didn't. Yeah, bring him up to speed, but don't recruit him, I want to do that."

"Okay, I'll be in touch." She took off the comm unit and put it back in her pocket. "Sorry, apparently we had a communications failure. She thought she told me to read you in on everything."

"So what's she planning? You talk like you're setting up for the long term." he said.

"We are. She's going to resign her command and commission tomorrow, and request that she be allowed to stay in Atlantis as head of an independent department. We're pretty sure that the IOA will go for it, once they hear what she has in mind. Add to that the fact that she is now, or will shortly be, the foremost authority on the ancients. We doubt if they'll want to let that slip through their fingers."

"They'll go for it." Sheppard said, a look of disgust on his face. "If they see a chance to exploit something, they're all over it." He shook his head, looking at her again. "You've told me some of what's happening to her, and what's she going to do, but you haven't told me how she is. How's she handling all this?"

"She handling it very well, much better than I would have." Jennifer said with a smile. "I've seen her in a good mood, but for the first time since I met her, I can actually say that she seems happy." She thought for a moment. "You know how there was always this...distance, like she never wanted to let anyone get too close?"

"Yeah, she's more afraid that they might get hurt than she is of getting hurt herself." He said. "And that's not surprising considering what she's been through while she's been involved with the SGC."

"Well, that haunted look she had is gone, and so it the defensive distance. And I can't say I miss either. John, she appears so comfortable with herself, and so at ease, it's obvious that she doesn't see what's happening to her as a bad thing. I really think she sees it as a blessing."

"I'll take your word for that." Sheppard said as he stood up. "I just hope what's happening to her is more pleasant than my little brush with having my DNA altered. I got turned into an arathis bug." He shivered at the memory, then moved over to the door. "Let's go see what equipment we can move easily, we'll look at the other stuff later. As far as I'm concerned, you can have it all, it's not doing us any good. And now is the best time, Rodney is going to be offworld for a few more hours, so I won't have to listen to him bitch."

They went down to the porter, then down to the science section. Sheppard led her into a large storage room filled with equipment covered with sheets of plastic.

"Start moving this stuff out to the porter, and I'll keep moving it into the hall." Sheppard told her as he waved at the machines closest to the door. "You have someone over there that can help you unload?"

"Yeah," Keller replied, and got her comm out again. She called Tammy as she pushed a piece of equipment out into the corridor, and parked it next to the porter. "What is all this stuff?" She asked as she maneuvered another unit toward the door.

"You'll have to ask Col. Carter when you get it unloaded." He said. "I quit listening to Zelenka and McKay after the first few months when they'd start going on about this stuff. If it ain't a big, honkin' space gun, or a little space gun, I got no use for it."

Keller pushed the machine down to the porter, hit the pad, and pushed it inside. She pulled the other machine in after her, and entered the symbols for Sam's building.

When the door opened, Tammy and Sam were standing in front of it. She pushed one machine out, then pulled the other one out behind it.

"Keep the hallway clear, it looks like I'll be making a few trips."

When she got back to the science section, the corridor around the porter was full of equipment. She grabbed closest one, moved in into a rear corner, then loaded another right next to it. She filled every foot of space she could, then climbed up on the one in the door, and reached over to tapped the symbols on the panel.

When the doors opened, she hopped down, pulled the first machine out, then stepped back, breathing heavily.

"You empty it this time, let me catch my breath." She said, leaning over, her hands resting on her knees.

"What is all this stuff? Tammy asked as she pulled another machine out, and moved it down the hall.

"No idea," Keller panted. "Sheppard said Sam could figure it out later. We just want to get it all out before McKay comes back and wants to know what's going on."

It took five more trips to empty the storage room. When they were done, Sheppard took her to another floor. There were three marines standing outside the door when they got off the porter, and he waved for them to follow.

"Stay with the porter, Jenn, and keep the door open. We'll bring it to you." he said. He turned to the marines. "This is a need to know operation. You weren't here, and you know nothing about what happened here today. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." They said in unison.

"Good, come by my quarters later. I've got a couple cases of beer I need to get rid of, you can help." He grinned, knowing the beer would ensure their silence better than an order.

Keller waited as they shuttled gear from the store room to the porter. When it was full, she went back over to Sam's building, and helped them unload it. Another load was ready when she got back to Sheppard. She stepped out of the porter, and watched with him as the marines loaded everything onto the porter.

"That's everything we can move easily." He told her. "I'll talk to Zelenka about what can be unmounted and moved, and we'll make arrangements to do that later. I doubt if you'll be wanting Rodney's ascension machine."

"Not right now, maybe in a few years if she can't manage it by herself." Jennifer said offhandedly.

She stopped and looked at him, realizing what she'd said.

"Forget I said that, huh?"

The marines were finished loading the porter, so she stepped on and turned around to face them.

"Thanks guys. John, I owe you dinner. I'll call you." She waved as the doors closed in front of her.

Interior-Tower Fifty-Eight

1550 Hours

"Last load." Jennifer said as the porter doors opened on thirty-one. She picked up an arm load, and stepped into the hall. "Which way?"

"First suite, the door is open." Tammy said as she stepped into the porter.

The first thing she saw was Sam playing with one of the machines off to one side.

"You could help, you know." Jennifer said as she sat the equipment carefully on the floor.

"I'm management. I don't do grunt work." Carter said, not even looking at her.

Jennifer laughed and stepped out into the hall, and saw Tammy walking toward her. Tammy waved her back into the suite, and followed a moment later.

"I emptied the porter. We can move it later. Let's see what this stuff is." She walked over next to Carter. "Whatcha got here, Sam?"

"Looks like a scanner." She said, turning to look at her. "Hold your hand under the head for a second."

Tammy put her hand under the head of the scanner as Sam touched a series of controls. A moment later, a three dimensional display of Tammy's hand appeared. Sam tapped out a series of commands, and the display changed to show the veins, arteries and capillaries in her hand.

"Think this might come in handy?" Carter asked, looking between them.

"Not until you teach me ancient and show me how to use it." Jennifer said as she looked around the room. A third of the machines were uncovered, and nearly half of them were powered up. "In the meantime, you got any clue what these any of these others do?"

"They're all marked." Carter said as she moved over to another machine. "And this is the first one I'm going to play with. The label says it's a teaching machine." She grinned as she looked at them. "Don't ask me what that means, because I don't know."

She picked up a headset hanging from the machine and slipped it on, getting it seated, then tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

"Sam..." Tammy said as she started for her.

"Relax, it's not turned on." Carter said a she took the headset off and sat it on the machine. She turned to look at another one. "I just wanted to see how it feels."

"Then why is this panel lit up?" Tammy asked as she looked over at her. She looked back down at the machine. "And the symbols on it are changing."

"What? Let me see." Carter said as she stepped over. Tammy moved to the side so she could see the panel. "It scanned me. This is a readout of what was going in my brain."

"What the fu..." She tapped on a series of keys, scrolling through several screens. "Apparently I'm not as smart as you think I am, kids. According to this, I'm in the bottom fortieth percentile for intelligence, I'm in the top ten percent based on spatial reasoning though." She looked over at them, then back down at the machine. "There's a list of suggested training here too."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 05



She reached around and grabbed one of the headsets.

"Sam, don't," Tammy said. "Please? Not till you learn more about it."

"Huh?" Carter said looking over at her. "Oh, I wasn't going to...I'm sorry, I wouldn't do that." She held the headset out to Tammy. "Put this on. I want to see something."

Tammy took the headset and looked it over, turning it slowly in her hands. She looked back over at Sam. "This things not going to zap me is it?" She asked.

"Um...I'm not sure. I doubt it." Carter told her. "It's set to scan, and that's all it did to me."

"But you don't know for sure. Great." Tammy said as she gingerly put the headset on, moving it around till it was comfortable. "You didn't even notice that it did anything to you, so what's the wor..."

She stiffened suddenly, her eyes rolling back up in her head. She collapsed, falling to the floor, jerking and twitching.

"Tammy!" Sam screamed, dropping to her knees beside her. She gathered her up in her arms, hugging her tightly. Jennifer came over and tried to make her let her go, but Carter pushed her away roughly.

"Gotcha." Tammy whispered in Sam's ear, grinning up at her as she pulled back, looking at her.

"You were fucking with me?" Carter whispered, staring at her.

"Well, you were going to use me as guinea pig, so yeah. Turnabouts fair play."

"Don't do that again." Sam said as she helped her up. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Good." Tammy said as she put the headset back on. "We need to be careful with this stuff, at least until you figure out what they all do. You should go through and see if there are help screens, or maybe a manual built in."

Carter nodded as she looked at the panel on the machine again. "You can take that off." She said, glancing over at Tammy. "It already did you."

She scrolled through the screens, then tapped back to the first scan the machine did. She flipped back and forth between the two scans, then looked over at the equipment Keller had put by the door.

"I need a piece of equipment. It has a connector like this on it." She said, opening a door on the side of the machine, and pointing to a series of slots. "I don't know what it will look like, but it won't be that big, there's room for five of them here." 

She went over and started going through the boxes piled by the door.

"There's more out by the porter." Tammy said. "Come on, Jenn. Let's go look through that."

She started for the door, but Carter stood up, a small device in her hand.

"Hold up, I think I found one."

She went over and plugged it into one of the slots, and a blue light came on over the panel. Carter tapped though a series of symbols on the panel, then pressed a button next to it. She looked down at the smaller device, and noticed that there was now a slice of yellow showing on the end of it. She reached down and pulled it out of the slot, looking at it.

"Memory card, or their equivalent. Kewl." She said as she looked over at Tammy and Jennifer. "Let's go upstairs. There's slots for these on my machine up there. I want to look at something."

Interior-Office

1630 Hours

"You said didn't have the ancient gene." She said to Tammy. "Didn't the treatment take?"

"I never got it," Tammy replied. "They did the science teams first, then the military types. They never got around to me or half a dozen of the other nurses. I think they meant to hit everyone, but then they got approval to go, and then all that stuff happened with the Wraith when we got here, I guess it got lost in the shuffle."

"Go get her a dose." Carter told Keller. "And tell Sheppard to have someone look at the records and see who never got the gene therapy. This is going to be important."

"What do you see there?" Jennifer asked. "There's something about Tammy's scan that has you excited."

"I'll tell you when you ge..."

"No, Sam. Tell me now." Keller said. "I'm pretty sure Tammy wants to know too." She said, glancing over at her. Tammy nodded. "This is a team, not the Samantha Carter show. So when you find something that's going to affect all of us, and maybe other people, you tells us. Maybe we can help."

Carter looked at her, then glanced over at Tammy. "You're right. I'm sorry, I'm just used to working alone, or telling other people what to do."

She tapped out a series of commands on her keyboard, and a large section of the wall lit up. She entered another set of commands, and an image appeared. She scrolled down through the information, stopping when a graph appeared.

"This is my scan. The graph shows where I stand in relation to other ancients in the database." She shrank the image, and brought another one up next to it. She scrolled down till both images showed the same graph. "This is Tammy."

"Are you kidding me?" Tammy said as she stepped closer, looking at her scan. "You didn't doctor this? You know, to get back at me?"

"Nope, wouldn't do that even if I knew how." Carter laughed. "According to this, you're in the top ten percent in very category, and in the top five in more than half of them." She paused, and typed for a moment. Her scan disappeared, and a document replaced it. "It says here, that they were looking for people like you. You're an anomaly. Less than one percent of the ancients were in your class."

"And what do you think the gene therapy will do?" Keller asked. "There have been negative reactions to it, not many, but I'd like to know if it's worth the risk to see if it will work on her."

"It's worth it, just so I can initialize and operate things as we find them." Tammy said. "And we use ancient gear down in the Infirmary. It sucks that I have to get someone to do my work for me."

"I was thinking that if it takes, we study that training machine, figure out how it works and what it actually does, and if Tammy wants, see what she can learn from it." Carter said looking at Tammy. "Based on what I see, She stands a better chance of succeeding than I do."

"Okay, I'll go over to the Infirmary and get it." Keller said as she turned toward the door. "I should be back in about fifteen minutes."

"We're going to go get that machine and bring it up here." Tammy said. "If we're not back before you are, you'll know where to look, okay?"

Interior-Living Room

1705 Hours

The teaching machine was sitting against the wall when Jennifer stepped from the porter. She found Carter and Tammy huddled over Sam's terminal. Sam was pointing out things as she scrolled down the page.

"We found a help file, and dumped it onto the memory card." Tammy said as she looked up at Keller. "She says it looks pretty straight forward, and she thinks she can operate it. You got that gene therapy for me?"

Keller nodded. "Got one for me too. Turns out I never got it either." She grinned, holding up a small grey case. "I looked at the database, Andi already failed. Twice. I called Sheppard, and he's going to have McKay go through and see who else got missed. He was pissed too."

"Let's do me first." Tammy said, coming around the desk. "We can get Andi up here for when we do you, once we make sure that I don't show any of those negative effects you mentioned earlier. Let's go out into the living room, so I can stretch out on a couch."

Jennifer led her out to the other room, and Tammy laid out on one of the big couches. Keller knelt beside her, and pushed her sleeve up, tied a rubber strap around her upper arm, then sprayed her arm with an antiseptic. She saw Carter's hand come over the back of the couch, taking Tammy's other hand in hers.

"It's going to be fine." Tammy said as she looked up at her. "This should have been done along time ago." She looked over at Keller. "Ready when you are, Jenn."

Keller nodded and slipped the cover off a syringe. "This works best intravenously." She said as she eased the needle into a vein, and injected a pale green liquid. She pulled the needle out and sprayed the area with antiseptic again, then released the rubber strap. "That should kick in immediately. We have anything we can test her on?"

Carter went into her office, and came back a moment later with a life signs detector. She held it up so that they could see that it was active. She handed it to Keller, and she looked at it, then turned it so they could see that the screen was dark. Jennifer looked at Tammy, then held it out to her.

The screen lit up as soon as Tammy touched it. She looked at it, then grinned up at Sam. "Is this thing telling me that there's three life signs in this room?"

"Sure is. Welcome to the ancient club, girlfriend." She grinned.

"Excellent!" Tammy said as she sat up. "Bring your new toy over here, I know you're dying to try it out."

"I don't know if tha..." Sam began.

"You read the manual, or at least the help file, and you said you could operate it, right?"

"Well, yeah. But..."

"Then roll it over here, go through the menu, and see if there's a language lesson in there somewhere." Tammy said. "I want to do it, Sam. And I don't think it will hurt me, honest."

"Jenn? What do you think?" Carter asked still looking down at Tammy.

"I think she's right. There are safeguards built into most of the ancient devices." Jennifer said. "The ones we've had trouble with, or that actually hurt someone were still in the experimental stage, or people just started playing with them before we knew what they were, or did. That machine looks like something that was in common use, there's even some wear on it."

"You're sure about this?" She said, looking down at Tammy.

Tammy nodded, and Carter went over and rolled the machine up behind the couch. She took one of the headsets off its holder, and handed it to Tammy.

"Jennifer, sit next to her, if you see anything you don't like, you pull that headset off." Sam said as she worked the controls on the machine. "Tammy, if you feel anything weird, or if it starts to hurt, you raise your hand, and I'll shut it off."

They both nodded, and Carter tapped out a string of commands on the panel as Tammy put the headset on.

"Here we go. Intro to Ancient101." She entered another command, then said, "Forty seconds...Thirty."

"She's smiling, and her pulse is steady, color is good too." Keller said.

"Ten seconds...Done." Carter said as she pushed the machine aside and leaned over the back of the couch.

Tammy turned and looked up at her. She spoke, but neither of them understood what she said.

"What did you say? Tammy?" Jennifer said, shaking her leg. "Say something else."

"She's speaking ancient. But I don't speak it, I can just read and write it.

"Get me a pen and a piece of paper, and I'll tell you." Tammy grinned.

Sam went back into her office, and was back a moment later. She handed Tammy a pad and a pen, and Tammy wrote out a line of symbols, paused for a moment, then added a line under it. She handed the pad back to Sam.

Carter laughed, then looked over at Jennifer, holding the pad up so she could see it. "She wrote 'I love you'," She said, moving her finger over the top line.

"What's the other line say?" Keller asked

"That's personal." Carter said, blushing slightly. She looked down at Tammy, watching her take the headset off. "And I'd love to." She said softly.

"Sex. I knew it." Jennifer pouted as she stood up. She turned and headed for the kitchen. "You two are doing it every time I turn around, Andi's boffing Wilkins, why can't I find someone to boink me? I mean, I'm cute. I'm good in..." Her voice trailed of as she went down the hall, and into the kitchen.

"We gotta get her laid. Soon." Tammy laughed. She stood up and stretched, then looked at Carter. "Let's go get something to drink, it feels like that machine sucked all the water out of me."

"I wanna hear about Andi and Wilkins," Carter said as she took Tammy's hand and headed for the kitchen. "She just doesn't seem like his type."

Interior-Kitchen

1835 Hours

"So Sgt. Wilkins likes milf's, huh?" Tammy said as Samuels walked into the kitchen.

Sam and Jennifer giggled, and Sam hit Tammy on the arm. "You weren't supposed to say anything!" She laughed.

"What? How di..." Andi said, her face coloring as she looked at the three women giggling like schoolgirls around the table. "You." She said, looking at Jennifer. "Who have you been talking to? And what did they say?"

"Nothing really," Jennifer grinned. "I heard a few of your boys talking in the Infirmary, and it seems that whenever you take them food, you and the sergeant disappear, and when you come back...well, it's pretty obvious what they think." She looked up at Andi. "And last night, when you mentioned his name, your eyes kind of glazed over."

"Really?" Sam asked. "I didn't notice that."

"That's because I am a trained medical professional, and know to look for little things like that." Keller said smugly. "Now come on," She said, grabbing Andi's hand and pulling her down into a chair. "Fess up. I want to hear everything!"

Andi pushed her away and stood up, going to the fridge and getting a bottle of orange juice, then a glass from the cabinet. "We're just friends, Jennifer," She said as she poured a glass. "Okay, okay. Friends with benefits. It's nothing serious. We just, you know, like each other."

She came back over to the table and sat down, looking at each of them. When her eyes returned to Keller, she leaned forward. "Jennifer, you are not going to believe this." She said slowly.

Keller leaned forward eagerly. "Yeah?"

"But you really have to get laid. Soon." Samuels grinned, then sat back and looked over at Sam and Tammy.

"Just tell him, Jennifer." Tammy said. "I doubt if he'll say no, he's a guy for god's sake. And he's probably interested too!"

"Enough about my sex life, and Jennifer's lack of one." Samuels said as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. She looked at Carter, then glanced at Tammy. "What kind of mischief have you been up to today."

"Let's see." Carter said lightly. She leaned back in her chair and started ticking things off on her fingers. "I did a test on my STM bridge, and ran the building off of it for a few hours. Jenn talked to Sheppard, and we're on for a meeting with the IOA tomorrow. We got some of the ancient medical gear, or at least the stuff that wasn't bolted down, it's in one of the suites down on thirty-one." She paused, looking back and forth between Tammy and Jennifer. "Anything else?"

"You forgot to mention that we activated my ancient gene." Tammy said.

"And you left out the part where you taught her ancient with that machine we found."

"So I'd have to say nothing out of the ordinary, Andi." Carter grinned. She looked around the table. "Who's cooking tonight? Jenn, you any good in the kitchen?"

"Useless. My favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations."

"Did you say she used an ancient machine on Tammy?" Samuels asked Jennifer. "And you let them? I can understand Sam, or even Tammy doing something wreckless like that, but you dressed me down and wanted to fire me for flying by the seat of my pants. It sounds like you forgot to put yours on!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Andi." Tammy said lightly.

"You know what I meant, and I'll get to you in a minute." She looked around the table, but before she could say anything else. Sam spoke up.

"I read the manual, Andi." She said. "Well, the help files actually. I had a pretty good idea what it would do, and how to operate it."

"I told her to do it, after we activated my ancient gene." Tammy added. "You need to see the initial scans the machine did. Once you do, you'll understand why."

"And I gave Tammy the gene therapy once we heard that she'd never gotten it." Jennifer said. "And I need you to give it to me later, I never got it either."

"We didn't just grab a machine, and go, 'hey, what's this do?'" Sam said.

"Actually, that's exactly what you did, Sam. You just didn't ask the question out loud." Tammy said. "We had just finished moving all that gear over here, and Sam was telling us what the different machines were, apparently they're labeled. She picked up a headset from the teaching machine, because she thought it was turned off, and put it on, just to see how it felt I guess. And it scanned her."

She got up and filled her glass from the tap. "I told her that the machine had gone active, and she looked at the readout on it. Then she scanned me, and got all excited." She sat back down and looked at Samuels.

"We weren't being wreckless, Andi. Once we knew what it was, and part of what it did, we brought it up here and checked it out. Sam spent almost an hour going over the manual, then once we knew that the gene therapy had taken, I decided to go for it."

She looked at Sam and smiled, then looked over at Jennifer before she looked back at Andi.

"I can read, write and speak ancient now. I think it was worth the risk."

"You got lucky." Samuels said. "But you're probably right. I would have done the same thing in your place." She paused, looking at Tammy. "You can really speak ancient?"

Tammy nodded. "Reading and writing it will come in handier, no one else around here speaks it." She glanced over at Carter and grinned.

"She thinks she's so smart now. Look at me, I'm ancient girl." Sam said in a mock huff. "Don't forget who got there first girlfriend. If I couldn't read it, you wouldn't be talking it."

"Go ahead, have your fun, but all of you know that you got lucky." Samuels said. "Can I suggest we hold off using any more of those devices and machines until Tammy and Sam can go through them, and read the manuals, help files, or whatever? They may look benign, but we don't know what they may do on an individual basis. And I'm talking about both the machines, and to the people involved."

"I don't think that's a bad idea." Keller added. "We can use the time to monitor Tammy for any unexpected side effects."

"And how are we supposed to know what counts as an unexpected side effect?" Tammy asked.

"Growing another head would be bad, I bet." Carter pitched in, earning her a glare from Keller.

"Nah, then I'd be twice as smart as you." Tammy told her. She turned back to Keller. "Seriously, Jenn. What would you suggest I look out for, and don't say 'anything', I hate it when people do that."

"I really don't know what to tell you Tammy. But I think the place to start is in the ancient's medical database. They probably had some problems with some of these machines when they were used on the general population. Some of them had to have had some kind of negative side effects, and there should be some documentation."

"Or their research files. They tested them somehow, or on someone, that might be a good place to look too." Andi offered. "Now that there are two of you that can read them, it should go half as fast."

"I'm going to need my own terminal up here." Tammy said to Carter. "We ca..."She stopped, and turned, looking at Andi. "You made a funny. Did you hear her?" she asked Carter. "Two of us can get it done half as fast..."

"I heard her. She boned us." She looked at Tammy. "What do you think we should do about that?"

Andi was on her feet heading for the door before Sam finished speaking, and was moving at a run by the time they got to the doorway. By the time they got to the end of the hall, the porter doors were closing in front of her. She smiled and waved at them.

"There's always tomorrow!" Tammy yelled. "And I'm coded to open your door." She said to herself as they turned back toward the kitchen.

Interior-Office

2050 Hours

"I've got the outline for my proposed department finished, but I'm not sure what to do about the compensation package. I'm sure they'll ask for that up front." Carter said to Tammy.

Tammy was standing across the room, in front of her own terminal. They had moved two more of the ancient computers up into Carter's office from suites on one of the lower floors. There was a diagram of one of the ancient medical devices on the wall screen in front of her, and she was skimming through it quickly.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 05



"I'm going to need a course on crystal technology when we start using that teaching machine on a regular basis." She muttered. "This schematic is eighty percent crystals, and I don't have the background for it."

"Don't worry about how the damn things work." Carter said. "We want to know what they do, and how to use them first. We don't need to know about the guts till one of them breaks down. Except the teaching machine, we need to know how to fix that one if it goes wonky on us. And we have three of them, so it's not a problem." She looked back down at the document she was working on. "Did you hear what I said? What should I ask for in my compensation package, go big, and let them negotiate me down, or lay out what I want and tell them to take it or leave it."

"That depends on how big you were thinking about going. If you're going to ask for this building, you might want to scale back the salary, which you're not really going to need anyway." Tammy said as she sat down and brought up another document on her terminal. "They're going to balk when you tell them that you want it. They'll say that it's not theirs to give you."

"I covered that in the outline for my department. This building is to be the headquarters for my operations. I'm going to propose that I be given an independent department, which will be run as a separate corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the IOA, with the sole purpose of generating profits to offset the costs of the Atlantis expedition, and eventually, the SGC itself."

"So you're giving them ownership of the company. What do you get out of it?"

"They can have it, and the lions share of the profits too. I don't need them, and since the stated goal is offsetting operating costs, they'll go for that."

Carter sat back and closed her eyes. "I'm thinking I should ask for a base salary, and profit sharing. But what I really want is the patent and distribution rights to any discoveries or technologies developed that are not directly related to ongoing IOA research. Basically, What I come up with on my own, I get to keep."

"Which is everything related to the ancients, and what we're going to learn from them, I take it."

"You got it. Rodney and Zelenka have a hundred different projects going, very few, if any of them related to what we're going to be doing. And none of them involve any of the equipment we got today."

She looked over at Tammy, but didn't say anything for a few moments.

"What the IOA's not going to realize, is that in the long term, you and I are going to be around alot longer than they are, and I have an idea of what I want to happen over that time, and where I want things to go. And we're not going to need Atlantis forever."

Tammy turned off her terminal, and gave Carter her full attention. "You have a plan. Have you got it worked out yet, or where are you still putting it together?"

"It just hit me this afternoon, when we had you hooked up to the teaching machine. It just popped into my head when you started speaking ancient." Carter said slowly. "We know where there's another ancient city, Sheppard's team found it a couple of years ago. It's occupied by a medieval society right now, but from what I've read, and I'll get you the reports on it, the city is intact, it just needs power and probably some repairs."

"And you're thinking, that if there's another one out there, there might be more?" Tammy asked.

"No, but that's not a bad thought for later." Carter said. "I was thinking that once we get geared up, and have the Atlantis operation up and running, we quietly start working on acquiring and repairing that other city, for our own use. Then we can deal with the IOA, but won't have to listen to them any more."

She got up and came around the desk. "Can we go down to your place, and forget about all this for a little while? I think I can hook up your laptop to that monitor, and I'd really like to watch a movie, maybe an action adventure flick. I just want to spend some time with you. How's that sound?"

"I'd like that." Tammy said as she stood up. "Let's get some snacks, and maybe a bottle of wine. Come on, I just got a bunch of new movies, and we can watch whatever you want."

(-)

That's all for Chapter Five. Please read Chapter Six to see what happens next.



Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 06



Day Six

Interior-Andi Samuel's Bedroom

0342 Hours

Tammy threw the dart up, watching it carefully. She grinned when it stuck in the high ceiling on the first try. Tugging gently on the line coming down from it, she satisfied herself that it was secure.

She let the thin line out, stopping when she saw that it was level with Andi's cheek, and tied it off. She picked up the shaving cream, and shook it, then slowly sprayed it into Andi's hand, cupping her other hand around it to reduce the noise. She stopped when she had her hand covered with foam from fingertips to wrist in a pile three inches deep.

She stood up, pulled the thread back, and released it so the feather tied to the end brushed Andi's face lightly, then she backed away until she was just outside the doorway.

She watched as Andi stirred in her sleep, turning her head, her face directly under the feather. She heard her grunt, and started moving toward the door. There was a muffled splat, followed by a sputterering sound, and Tammy held in her laughter as she darted out the door, and ran down the hall.

She burst out laughing as the elevator doors closed in front of her.

Interior-Bedroom

0401 Hours

"Where have you been?" Sam asked as Tammy slipped into bed beside her.

"I went and got a glass of water. Go back to sleep."

"Uh huh." Carter grinned to herself as she moved closer, throwing one leg over Tammy's. She knew she'd hear about it from someone in the morning.

Interior-Conference Room, Central Tower

1120 Hours

Jennifer Keller sat at the end of the table in the conference room off the Ops Center. Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay sat on either side, just down from her, while Gen. Landry, Gen. O'Niell, and Richard Woolsey of the IOA, appeared on video conference, each on their own monitor at the foot of the table.

"I know you've all been curious about Col. Carter's absence over the past week." She said slowly. "And she's asked me to thank you for your concern. She's also asked me to explain why she's been absent."

She paused, looking at each of the men around the table. "Five days ago, Col. Carter was exposed to an herb commonly consumed by Athosian women. The exposure was voluntary, and was taken under the advice and supervision of a consulting psychiatrist, Dr. Andi Samuels." She hesitated, then continued. "The herb has been confirmed to have aphrodisiac properties, which appear to have an effect that is considerably stronger on Terran females, than on the local Athosian females."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Keller. But could you get to the point? And where is Col. Carter?" Gen Landry said, sounding irritated.

"No," Keller said, looking at his monitor. "This is difficult enough as it is, and I've been asked to give a full explanation of events." She paused again. "Col. Carter is in Atlantis, but has been moved into new quarters that we prefer remain private at this time." She glanced over at Sheppard, and he gave her the barest of nods.

"That doesn't sound promising." Woolsey muttered.

"What's wrong with her?" O'Neill asked quietly, his face ashen.

"The herb had an unexpected side effect, which has resulted in ongoing personality changes, physical modifications, enhancements would be a more accurate description, and most startling, a reduction in her metabolism. We're not sure if this is a reaction to the herb itself, or if its reacting to something that she was previously exposed to in her service with the SGC."

"Yes, yes...But what does all that mean, Doctor? What's the bottom line here?" Landry asked, the irritation obvious in his voice now. 

Keller glanced at the monitors at the foot of the table. Landry was staring at her red faced with anger, Woolsey stared back at her blandly, waiting for the hammer to fall, and O'Neill had his face in his hands, shaking his head slowly.

"From the personality perspective, she has become sexual addict, where she had little, or no interest before. She is currently engaging in active sex, mainly masturbation, approximately thirty times a day, and the rate appears to be increasing. She has also had three cardiac events as a direct result of sexual stimulation." She said bluntly, then waited as they absorbed this. "She is also exhibiting strong exhibitionist tendencies, which is why she has withdrawn from contact with base personnel."

"Excuse me. Doctor. Would you define a 'cardiac event' please." Woolsey asked. He didn't do it, but Jennifer could hear the finger quotes in his voice.

"It means just what it sounds like, Mr. Woolsey. Her heart stopped, and she had to be revived with artificial measures."

"Jezzus!" Landry gasped. "How much of this stuff did she take, and how long has she been on it?"

"The exposure was approximately one tenth of a milligram. Call it ten micrograms. That's about one fifth of a standard grain of salt, to give you some perspective. She has consumed the herb on only one occasion. As I said before, this was done under the advice and supervision of a physician."

"And the rest of it?" Woolsey asked quietly.

"Physical modifications, or enhancements include, but are not limited to, increased vitality, strength, range of motion and kinesthetic awareness, or knowledge of her body's position in space. In regards to her senses, she is currently able to hear a whisper at over one hundred feet, as well as accurately identify smells at the same distance. Her vision does not appear to be affected, she is still 20/10 in both eyes. Her sense of touch also appears to be unaffected. With the exception of her response to sexual stimulus."

She paused again before moving on to the next item on her list. No one said anything, so she continued.

"She is also showing signs of...not a reduction in age, but a reduction in aging. Which brings me to the next point." She paused again, taking several deep breaths before continuing.

"We've been monitoring her cellular decay over the last few days, and we'll have to continue monitoring her before we can give you a definitive answer on this. But as of this morning, she appears to be aging at roughly one half of one percent of the rate you would expect of a normal human female."

"Wow." Sheppard said softly.

Jennifer smiled, and looked over at him. "That's what I said when I saw the results."

"This isn't funny Doctor." Landry said. "Have you begun try..."

"I'm not finished yet, General." She said, cutting him off. "In consultation with the CDC, Currie Labs in Paris, the Beijing Medical Standards Institute, and more than a dozen of the top independent diagnostic practioners on Earth as a blind study of a fictional test subject, we've determined that her condition is contagious. Col. Carter will not be able to return to Earth. If she does, she'll have to be kept under permanent quarantine for the rest of her life. Which may be a very, very long time."

She continued before any of them could say anything. "Dr. Samuels has already been tested, and at the moment, appears to be unaffected, as have the other members of the expedition staff who have been caring for her. But we plan on continuing to test them all into the foreseeable future. I am currently awaiting results of my own tests as we speak."

"How is the contagion transmitted?" McKay asked, looking at her with a stone faced glare.

"Through bodily fluids." She said, looking right at him. "Specifically, vaginal secretions."

McKay gasped, and Sheppard grinned, turning his face away from the cameras until he got himself under control.

"So much for don't ask, don't tell," Landry said lightly. "I guess all those rumors were true after all."

"Actually, no General, they weren't. Col. Carter had her first lesbian experience the day she ingested the Athosian herb." She looked at the monitors again. "And I think that's a heartless thing to say about someone under your command. Someone I'm sad I have to remind you, has pulled your, my, and Earth's ass out of the fire more times than any of us care to remember. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"You're right, Doctor," Landry said. "I'm sorry. And please pass my apologies along to Col. Carter."

"You...when di..." McKay sputtered.

"Shut up, Rodney," Jennifer said curtly, giving him a withering glare. "It's none of your damned business!"

McKay shrank down in his chair, looking down at the table.

Keller glanced at the monitors again, and saw O'Neill walking toward the door of his office. "Please stay general, there's more." She waited for O'Neill to sit back down, then pressed a button on her laptop, and took several sheets of paper from the folder in front of her, sliding sets over to Sheppard and McKay.

"I'm transmitting Col. Carter's resignation as commander of the Atlantis expedition, and her resignation of her Air Force Commission. She would like both to go into effect immediately."

She gave everyone a few moments to look over the documents, then continued. "Colonel, no...Sam has asked that she be allowed to remain in Atlantis. She feels that she can still make a contribution to the mission, and thinks that her knowledge and experience would warrant a position as head of a separate, independent department for a variety of different research and exploitation efforts." 

She paused, then added, "Sam understands that she will have to isolate herself from any personnel that may be affected by her condition, which at this point, is only Terran females. We'll have to do more testing to determine if any males might be affected based on their DNA make up, but I'm pretty sure we'll be able to come up with some kind of test to determine who might be at risk."

"I don't have a problem with that," Woolsey said cheerfully, "Apparently this situation isn't as grave as you originally led us to believe, Dr. Keller. If Col...I'm sorry, if Ms Carter wishes to remain on Atlantis, as a working, contributing asset, subject to the IOA's jurisdiction of course, I'm sure the committee would welcome her involvement."

"Jezzus, what an asshole." Sheppard muttered under his breath.

"I agree with you Colonel. And it's still Col. Carter, Mr. Woolsey. I'll have to take this to the Pentagon. But there's no way we can force her to stay in the Air Force, even if we wanted to." He paused, looking down at his laptop. "She really covered all the bases didn't she? I suppose she already has transportation and a safe haven set up in case we say no?"

"I sorry, General. I have no knowledge of any such plans or arrangements." Keller said lightly.

"I'll take that as a yes, Doctor." Landry smiled. "If I know our girl, she had everything set up before she outlined how she wanted this meeting to go with you. Col. Sheppard, would you turn Dr. Keller's laptop around please?"

Sheppard reached over and spun the laptop toward a camera before Jennifer could get to it. 

"Just as I thought," Landry said when he saw the IM window on the screen. "She's been watching and listening this whole time, feeding you lines when things looked like they might get tight."

Landry leaned back in his chair, looking relieved. "Okay, Sam." He said. "We'll try it your way. I'm sorry this has happened to you, but if you think you can make this a win/win, I'll back you on it."

Sheppard's eyes widened suddenly, and he reached out and pressed a key on the keyboard.

"Thank you, General." Carter said as she paced back and forth in front of the window wall of her apartment. "And it's Dr. Carter, not Ms, Mr. Woolsey. I'd appreciate it if you would have a representative contact me as soon as possible, to work out the details of my contract and compensation package. I'll transmit an outline of what I have in mind for my new department by close of business today."

"Excellent, Dr. Carter. I look forward to seeing it." Woolsey said, completely nonplussed to hear her join the meeting. "Would you include your salary, personal, or other requirements along with that outline? I prefer not to go into negotiations blind, if you don't mind."

"Are you going to be okay, Sam?" O'Neill said quietly, looking into the camera.

"Beats the fuck outta me, Jack." She laughed. "But on a scale of one to ten, I'd say this is a solid forty. I feel better than I have in years, I have no responsibilities except to myself at the moment, and I've dumped alot of excess baggage." She paused. "You want the truth, I think I'm sitting on that win/win Gen. Landry was talking about."

"I'd like to see you." 

Sheppard reached out and pressed another key on the laptop, and she appeared on the overhead monitor above the door.

"Like I said, Jack. I've dumped alot of baggage." She laughed and turned, pacing back and forth, naked in front of them as the camera panned out. She faced the camera again, did a quick pirouette, followed by a back flip ending in a vertical split. She rolled out of the split with a scissor kick that brought her back to her feet, then continued. "That train you're looking for pulled outta the station a long time ago, and neither of us got on. Oh well, shit happens."

O'Neill's monitor went dark, and Sam laughed. "Fuck him if he can't take a joke."

"This would be an example of the exhibitionist tendencies, personality changes, and enhanced physical abilities you mentioned, Dr. Keller?" Landry said wryly.

"Yes sir," Jennifer smiled. "It's been diff...Sam do you mind? They really should know."

"Nah, go fer it, hon." Carter said as she did a handstand, spreading her legs out in a planche, and started doing press-ups.

All four men's eyes went wide at the display. None of them said anything.

"It's been difficult, if not impossible to get her to wear clothes. She finds them too restrictive. I have to warn you, that when you interact with her, she will probably be as naked as she is now. And you can expect her to wander off unexpectedly to masturbate, that's if she doesn't do it right in front of you." Keller paused, looking around the room. All four men were watching Sam on the monitor. "Her mind has not been affected negatively as near as we can tell, she still has full command of her faculties, and we have observed no loss of memory. But her attention span for anything other than sex is...well, limited. She does, however, function at a high level, even in a state of extreme sexual arousal. We've had her doing advanced computational equations in her head while subjected to electro-stimulation of the clitoris and Grafenberg, or G-spot, and masturbated vaginally."

"Mmmmmm, that was fun! I wanna do that again!" Sam purred as she lifted one hand from the floor, moving it between her legs, beginning to rub her clit. She continued doing press-ups on one hand as she began masturbating, showing no obvious sign of strain. 

"Oh my god!" Rodney gushed, his face turning cherry red.

"I rest my case," Jennifer laughed, spinning the laptop back toward her, and turning off the feed from Sam's camera. "As you can see, almost anything takes her off on a sexual tangent. Any mention of sexual activity is guaranteed to result in a prolonged masturbation session."

"Don't I have a pretty pussy, Rodney? Too bad you'll nev..."

Jennifer turned off the audio from Sam's apartment, and looked up at the table, trying not to smile.

"I think we're done with Dr. Carter's part of this meeting." She said lightly. "Mr. Woolsey, I'll ensure that you have that package by close of business, local time. Gen Landry, if you'd contact me when you have confirmation of the pentagon's response, please? You can both consider me Dr. Carter's official liaison until she decides to replace me. I will be staying on as Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis, until such a time as the IOA sees fit to replace me. At which point, I will transfer into the employment of Dr. Carter as her personal physician. Either way, I'm staying in Atlantis for the foreseeable future."

Both men nodded, and their monitors went dark. Jennifer closed her laptop, put the folder on top of it, and stood up. "Then I think we're finished here. John, would you wait a moment?"

"What?" Rodney sputtered. "I'm the head of Research and Technology on this base, and I should be cons..."

"I'm pretty sure Sam is going to get her own independent department, Rodney, sooner, rather than later. And I would suggest that you not push it. Like she once told me, her contacts go alot higher than yours. You could find yourself out of a job, or even worse, working for her again." 

Rodney blanched at the prospect.

"That's what she thought you'd say." Jennifer laughed.

She held her hand out to Sheppard. "Come with me John, we need to talk."

She reached in her pocket and pulled out her comm unit, tapping it lightly and waiting for the beep. "Sam?" she said softly.

"Go ahead, Jenn."

"They bought it. Didn't even ask for copies of anything. They'll do that later though. Woolsey's one smart sonofabich, and he's gonna be a problem if we're not careful."

"I can handle him," Carter laughed. "How'd my show go over?"

"Perfect! You even had me fooled. We're on our way, I'll see you in little bit."

"She wants to see you." Jennifer said softly, glancing at Sheppard as they stepped out onto the balcony. She led him down the stairs, stopping just short of the transporter. 

She turned so she was facing him. "She's not the woman we knew John, I hope you understand that. If you don't, you need to get your head around it fast. She's mostly under control, but she has lapses. What you just heard in there about what she does was mostly bullshit, but it has a basis in fact. If she doesn't get...well, we can go into that later."

"What does she want from me?" Sheppard asked quietly.

"You're her friend John, you've stood by her, cared for her and about her, she knows she can depend on you, and she doesn't want to lose that. Or you." Jennifer looked around, seeing several people approaching. She led him into the porter and pressed several symbols on the pad, a moment later, the doors opened behind them.

Interior-Keller's Ingress Office

1205 Hours

"We're in her building, but she's several floors above us. You're not ready to see her yet. Come on, one of my suites is just down the hall."

"One of your suites?"

Jennifer grinned at him, holding up her free hand, rubbing her thumb and first two fingers together in a universal gesture. "Perks, baby, perks. We're going to be taking over this building, and probably most of the southwest pier eventually. She has lots of plans she never thought she'd get through the IOA. We're gonna make Atlantis a money making operation in two galaxies if she has her way."

She stopped and held her hand to a pad on the wall, and the door swooshed open. She led him into the suite, letting go of his hand and twirling in circles like a little girl. "Isn't this great? It was already decorated like this. I'm going to make this my office when I go to work for Sam." Walking over to the windows, she looked out over the city. "She found this building the first week she was in Atlantis, on what she calls one of her walking tours. She fell in love with the suite up on one forty-four, that's her place. She been living there part time for several months."

"I knew she disappeared into the city sometimes. You know I have her STID programmed in my jumper so I can find her if I need to. So I knew she came here. I just didn't know why." He paused, then added. "Are you trying to hide here? If you are, you need to try to mask it better. One of the Ops techs mentioned power usage over here the other night. I bet it got logged."

"I know you have her tagged, she was pissed when you came snooping around the other day. And it doesn't matter now if they know we're here. This building is going to be the headquarters of her operations." She stepped over behind the bar, holding up a bottle. "You want something to drink? I'm gonna make a gin and grapefruit juice."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 06



"I'll take a beer if you got one handy."

"Got a preference?" She asked, as she started pulling different beers from a cooler behind the bar. "Say when."

"When." He laughed, grabbing a Foster's off the bar.

Keller made pitcher of drinks for herself, pouring half a bottle of gin in with a large container of juice. She filled a large glass with ice then topped it off from the pitcher.

"You're not planning on drinking that whole pitcher are you?" Sheppard asked as they moved over and sat on a long, low couch.

"No, but it comes out right almost every time if I do it that way. It takes three or four tries if I just try to make a glassful. So I end up using about the same amounts. I'll just put the rest in the fridge."

"I want to see her." He said softly.

"We'll go up in a little bit, but we nee..."

"No! I want to see her. Now!" he said as he stood up and started for the door.

"John, stop." Keller said. "I'll take you up. What I was going to say was, you have to shower and change first. We want to keep her apartment as clean an environment as we can. She's extremely sensitive to odors, and you have to be clean, and in fresh clothes when we go up. There's a shower just down the hall, and I'll get you something to wear. Come on."

She led him down a short hallway. "The shower is right here, just leave your clothes on the floor, I'll get them taken care of later." She said as they came to an open door. "Make sure you lather up at least twice, and use the brushes and scrub tools, they'll help loosen dead skin. I'll leave the clothes in the room across the hall. I'm gonna go shower too, so I'll see you in a few minutes."

He just nodded at her, stepping into the bathroom, leaving the door open behind him. Stripping down quickly, he turned the shower on full blast, and stepped under the spray. The water was already hot, so he turned slowly under the spray, wetting himself, then stepped back and started soaping up with the goo from the dispenser. Pulling a hand brush off the shelf, he slipped it on and put more soap on it, then spent the next couple of minutes scrubbing himself thoroughly. He rinsed, then repeated the process, then washed his hair twice.

Shutting the water off, he grabbed a towel off the rack and started drying himself. Jennifer stuck her head in the door, grinning at him. Her hair was wet, and she was wearing a short robe. "Take a couple towels into the other room with you, and dry yourself well before you start to dress. And make sure you get between your toes. Toe jam really sets her off."

He took a couple more towels off the shelf and walked across the hall. A set of clothes was folded neatly on the bed, with a pair of cloth slippers sitting on top. He tossed the wet towel to the side, dropped one on the bed, and started drying his upper body with the other. He bent his knees and ran the towel under his balls, cupping them in his hand through the towel and squeezing lightly. Turning, he put one foot up on the bed and dug into the crack of his ass, looking at the towel when he was finished, self-consciously checking for a skidmark.

Dropping the towel on the floor, he grabbed the last one and ran it down one leg, then the other, then sat on the bed. Raising one leg, he rested his foot on his knee, and carefully ran the edge of the towel between his toes. He repeated the process quickly on the other foot, then stood up and pushed the shoes out of the way. Picking up the pants, he shook them out, then lifted the shirt, shaking it out as well. He frowned, and stepped out into the hall.

"Hey, there's no underwear!" he yelled. 

"So go commando," She yelled back. "The rest of us do!"

Sheppard grinned and went back over to the bed. He picked up the pants and stepped into them, tying the drawstring loosely. Scooping up the shirt, he saw that it had an open front, so he drew it on over his shoulders, and came to a screeching halt.

"How do you close this shirt?" he yelled again, sitting down on the bed and pulling on one of the shoes. It looked a couple sizes too big. "And the shoes are too...wait, nevermind." The shoe was shrinking around his foot, and the sole seemed to be thickening at the same time. He was pulling on the other shoe when Keller stepped into the room.

"Do you always whine this much? No underwear, can't figure out the shirt, shoes are the wrong size. The only thing you haven't whined about yet is the pants!"

"Oh, I like them. And these shoes are kewl! They shrunk to fit my feet! That is way kewl!"

"Okay, come're. Lemme fix that shirt for you." She waited as he stood up, then took one of the straps hanging from one side and slid it around his waist, feeding it through a hole in the back. She pulled the other strap around the other way, pulled gently on the one sticking out the back, and tied them in a loose knot. "There, all done." She said brightly, stepping back and looking him up and down. "Not bad, John. You could pass for an Atlantian, no problem."

Sheppard was running his eyes up and down over her at the same time. She was wearing a soft white wraparound dress with a delicate flower print on it. He could see quite clearly that she was naked underneath. She had a pair of dark blue, open toed flats on, and her hair was pulled to one side of her head. He had never seen her look lovelier.

"Wow Doc, You look..."

"Now he notices!" Keller laughed. "Too late bub. Shoulda thought of that before we got all gussied up. But if you're nice later, I just might be nice back." She laughed again, and took his hand. "But right now, we're off to see the Wizard. Or whatever the hell it is she's turning into."

She led him out into the hall, and out of the suite. Sheppard looked both ways down the corridor in confusion. "Hey, wasn't the porter we came in on the other way?"

"Yeah, we don't use them to go between floors." Keller said as she led him around a corner. She pressed a pad on the wall, and a panel slid aside, revealing a standard elevator. "This is one of the few buildings in the city that has these. We're on one thirty-one right now. This elevator won't go below this floor, some of the others will though, for safety reasons. There are some other one of a kind features too, but we can go into that later." She led him inside, and the door closed behind them. "This building has a hundred and forty-five floors, but you need a code to get to anything above one thirty. Our girl has been busy over the last few months. I don't know what she was expecting, but if you pull this building up in the city database, it only shows one hundred and thirty floors." 

She entered a code sequence in a panel on the wall, and the doors opened. 

Interior-Carter's Suite

1240 Hours

They were obviously on another floor. She took his hand and led him down a short hallway, across a large, well appointed living area, and through an arched doorway. 

Suddenly, he was in the room with the window walls.

He froze, his hand clenching unconsciously on Jennifer's.

"It's going to be okay, John."

"No, that's not it. Deja vu, but not." He let go of her hand, and walked over to the windows. Walking down the wall, he stopped when he felt he was in the right place. He turned and looked at Keller. "More like deja vu on acid. I've been here, right here. Well, six inches on the other side of right here. I just didn't know that she lived here." He turned and looked at the huge bed, half again as long and wide as the biggest human bed he'd ever seen. He was turning to say something else to Keller when he saw her.

She was standing quietly to one side of the bed, her hands folded in front of her. She was wearing a long grey gown, and her hair was brushed back away from her face. She smiled when she saw that he'd seen her.

"Hello, John." She said softly, her voice carrying easily across the room. 

He didn't answer, but moved toward her. She met him halfway, holding her hands out to him.

Taking her hands in his, he smiled. "That color suits you. Much better than OD Green."

Her smile faltered, and her chin quivered as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Come here." he said, pulling her toward him. Her arms went around his waist as she buried her face in his shoulder. He put his arms around her, holding her gently as her emotions overwhelmed her.

"Oh, John! I'm so sorry!" She whispered huskily as a flood of tears poured from her.

Sheppard had no idea what to say, so he didn't say anything, for fear of saying the wrong thing. He just held her as they stood in her window room, letting her cry herself out. She went on for several minutes, and he felt like a lifetime of pent-up emotion was pouring from her. 

When he felt her starting to slow down, he leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. "Condition?" He asked softly.

She shuddered, and another paroxysm of tears soaked his shirt. He let her get it out, then pressed his lips to her ear again. "Condition? Respond."

She hugged him tighter, and moved her face over into the center of his chest. "No...nominal." She said softly, then looked up at him, smiling softly.

She stepped back, looking at him steadily, "Oh god, I must look terrible! I always do when I cry."

"You look wonderful! I've only seen you look better one other time."

He took her hand and walked over to the window with her.

"When was that?" She asked him.

"The day you took command here. Rodney and I were talking to you on video conference before you actually came to Atlantis. He thought he was going to get the job. You were wearing a long sleeved black T-shirt tucked into skin tight fatigues. Your hair was longer, and fluffier, well outside AFR-3510, by the way." 

"My hair has always been outside regulations. Why didn't you report me?"

"To who? I reported to you. What was I supposed to say? Col. Carter, my bosses hair is non-regulation length. Oh, nevermind. That's you!"

Carter slid one arm around his waist, hugging him to her. A moment later, she punched him the ribs. "You still could have said something."

"You fixed it. And then you saved us. You were just what we needed, when we needed it." He paused, smiling down at her. "I don't know who fucked up and did that, but I'd like to thank them someday."

Reaching down, she took his hand. "Come on. There's some people I want you to meet." She led him out into the living room, then down the short hallway to the kitchen.

"Have a seat." She said as she let go of his hand and moved to a seat at the head of the table.

"Sit here, John." Jennifer said as she stood up and pulled out the chair at the other end of the table. She moved into the chair next to his on the long side. "Can I get you something to drink? Another beer? We're well stocked."

"I'm fine." He said.

"You know Jennifer already," Sam said. "This is Andi Samuels, my resident brain mechanic," She said waving toward an older woman. "And this is Tammy Ford, my chief nurse."

"Girlfriend." Tammy grinned at him. "She's in denial."

"Ignore her," Sam said, smiling warmly at her.

Sheppard noticed that they were holding hands, and they kept glancing at each other.

"This is my senior staff, John." Carter said lightly. "Susan Arbann, my other nurse is off right now, You can meet her later." She paused and looked at him. "I'd like you to join this group, John. I trust your counsel, and your knowledge of Atlantis, the IOA, and Stargate Command are going to be invaluable in the coming months as we get operations up and running."

She paused, giving him a moment to digest what she'd said. "I don't know who the IOA will put in command of Atlantis, but it won't be a military officer. I'm betting it will be Woolsey."

Sheppard nodded. "I think you're right. Now that the IOA has direct control of the gate, they won't risk putting the military in charge here again. It definitely won't be me even if they did, I'm too much of a loose cannon." He paused. "Leaving the Air Force won't be a hardship. What kind of position did you have in mind for me?"

"I don't want you to leave the Air Force, John. Not for a while at least. As a matter of fact, it's much better if you stay where you are. They won't replace you, at least not for the first three months or so. They'll need the continuity."

Andi stood up, looking around the table. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go do a few things downstairs. Give me a call if you need anything." She held out her hand to Sheppard. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, John. I look forward to working with you."

Sheppard stood and shook her hand, then watched her leave the room before he sat back down.

"Andi's going to be director of marketing once we get things going. She'll be resigning and going on my payroll once we have my package worked out." Carter said. "I want you to stay in place for now because I'm going to request, insist if I have to, that you be my liaison with the IAO. I'm looking at setting up an independent operation, under the jurisdiction of the IOA, to use Woolsey's words, but not under their direct control. They'll balk at first, but once they hear what I have in mind, they'll fall in line. My other bargaining chip is that they won't want to lose access to one of the foremost authorities on Atlantis and ancient technology. The foremost authority actually, but they don't know that yet."

"It sounds like you have them by the short and curlies. It also sounds like you've thought this through." He said. "Can you give me an overview of what you're planning? It sounds like you're going into business for yourself."

"I am. We both know that running this place costs a fortune. Our budget last year was a little over three billion dollars. What I'm going to propose is that we begin commercial exploitation of Atlantis, in both the Pegasus, and Milky Way galaxies. We'll meet some resistance trying to take Pegasus products to Earth at first, but they'll leap at the chance to sell, rather than give away supplies like we've been doing for the last three years. That one change cuts over a billion dollars off the budget, costs are offset by any revenues we take in, reducing the budget."

Jennifer slid a laptop over in front of him. He glanced at it, there was a spreadsheet open on the screen. He went over the numbers quickly, then looked up at Carter again.

"You're right, they'll jump on this in a New York minute. I'm not sure about showing a profit in the third year, it might be closer to five." He paused, glancing at the spreadsheet again. "And these numbers are really optimistic. It looks like they're based on direct gate transport from Earth."

"They are. But before I can say anything else, I need to know if you're onboard." She said.

Sheppard noticed that she squeezed Tammy's hand, making her fingers go white. He grinned and looked away, looking directly at Carter.

"I wouldn't still be sitting here if I wasn't. But you already knew that. But if you need to hear me say it, yes, I want to stay on your team. Satisfied?

"Almost."

Jennifer opened a folder, took out several sheets of paper and slid them over in front of him. She sat a pen on top.

Sheppard looked at them. Both were confidentiality agreements, one printed on IOA letterhead, the other on something called 'Pegasus Enterprises' letterhead. He read them quickly, then picked up the pen, signed the first one, and slid it back over to Jennifer.

"Don't date the second one, we'll have to post date that." She said as she laid the first form in her folder. She took the second one, closed the folder, and stood up. "I'll go copy and file these." She glanced at Carter. "Will you need me to come back?"

Carter shook her head, and Jennifer smiled at Sheppard, and patted him on the shoulder as she went behind him.

"I'm down on forty-two if you want to drop by before you leave, John." She said as she went out.

"Is that offer for something to drink still open?" He asked as he stood up. "Just point, I can get it."

Tammy got up and went over to a cabinet, and took down some glasses. She handed one to him as he came over, then opened a panel and filled one of the others with ice, and sat it in front of Sam. She pulled the refrigerator door open. "Take your pick. There's beer and alcohol in the other fridge, right next to you." She took out two cokes and sat them in front of Sam, then filled her own glass from the tap.

Sheppard filled his glass with ice, grabbed a couple cokes, and sat down across from Tammy. "So what's the deal with you two?" He said as he opened a coke. "Until she got up to show me where everything is, you haven't let go of her hand."

"She..." Carter glanced at Tammy, then looked down at her lap.

"I help keep her...stable." Tammy said, looking at him. "And she finds my presence comforting. I also stimulate her as she needs it. We've discovered that Sam needs to be masturbated to ejaculation several times a day. The process releases hormones and endorphins into her system that allows her to maintain a semblance of control."

"She's my girlfriend," Sam said, looking up at Sheppard. She glanced at Tammy, squeezing her hand gently. "I can't live without her."

Tammy grinned. "Tease." But she squeezed her hand back.

"Thank you." He said, looking at Tammy. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Tell him the rest. We might as well get it out of the way." Carter said.

"What Jennifer said in the briefing was accurate to a point. But we intentionally misled them to ensure that they wouldn't try to get at her and see if they could treat her on Earth. There is no threat of contagion, we fed the consulting groups false information that will stand up when the IOA goes digging into it."

She took a sip of water, and looked at Carter.

"Are you okay, Sam? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine." She said as she stood up and got a spoon from a drawer, then took a carton of ice cream from the freezer. "I was crying earlier, and I think my blood sugar is down a little. Let's see what this does, okay?" She sat down and opened the ice cream, digging out a spoonful.

"Okay, but you tell me if you don't feel better."

Carter nodded.

Tammy turned back to Sheppard. "All the rest about the exposure to korathis, the effect it's had on her, that's all true. The fact that we've managed to discover ways to manage it for her so quickly is a miracle. But this is a permanent condition, it has affected her DNA and her brain, and there is no possibility of a cure." She paused, giving him a moment. "Do you have any questions before I go on?

"No, you give a good briefing." He took a sip from his drink. "Is there more, or can we talk about what's coming at us?"

"He said us...told you he would." Carter grinned at Tammy. "But can we take this downstairs? I want to show John his new suite. Or let him pick one."

"Suite? That sounds interesting." He said. "But I want to hear more. About everything."

"You will, but we've been sitting for a while now, and my butt is getting numb."

They got up, taking their drinks. Tammy carried Sam's, she was carrying her ice cream.

They went down to forty-three, and Sam configured the pad and had him put his hand on it. When the door opened, they stepped inside.

"Jennifer passed on this one, she took a eurotrash suite down on forty-two. I think this one is nicer. There's another one open on forty-two if you don't like this." Tammy said.

"This is fine," Sheppard said as he walked over and sat on a long, low couch. "Is this one of the perks of working for you?"

Carter took a seat opposite him on another couch. Tammy stretched out on the couch, laying on her side, her head in Sam's lap. 

"Yeah." Sam said. "We'll work out a compensation package when you transition over, but I'm going to want access to you while you fill the liaison spot."

"This is going to take some getting used too. I haven't had it this cushy since I moved out of my father's house." He said, then stretched out, laying his head on the armrest. "You know, you two look good together. Natural." He looked over at Tammy. "You want to continue your briefing?"




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 06



Tammy smiled at him. "If we don't stimulate her periodically, and the frequency varies, depending on hormone and endorphin levels, she lapses into a childlike state. Her sexual aggressiveness ramps up, and she will hit on anyone available. She also either wanders off to masturbate, or just does it wherever she happens to be. When in that condition, she has no control over herself. She's masturbated herself to the point of cardiac arrest once. We embellished a little for the meeting."

She looked up at Carter, then back at Sheppard and continued. "Hormones appear to have the most significant effect. She just had her period, and we only had to give her a fix once a day while that lasted. I haven't figured out what part the endorphins play yet, but she needs a minimum amount in her bloodstream."

"There's also a physical effect if both levels drop below a certain threshold, but I haven't figured out what that threshold is yet, because I didn't get a blood sample following the first event, and it's only happened once since, shortly after her period ended. We got sloppy, and let our guard down."

She looked up at Carter. "We're not going to let that happen again. I promise."

"I know," Sam said, stroking her hair. She looked over at Sheppard. "My girl has masters degrees in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from Harvard, and a PhD in Pharmacology from Johns Hopkins. She figured most of this out by herself. She's also a highly qualified nurse."

"When the levels drop below the threshold, she starts to go into shock." Tammy went on. "The first time it happened we thought it was just her blood sugar, but quickly determined that it was something else. We did a quick review of the days events, and saw that there appeared to be a time constraint, she had to experience orgasm within a narrow window. That's when we discovered that stimulating her to the point of ejaculation brought her hormone and endorphin levels high enough where she could function almost normally. And the higher the levels, the longer she can go between sessions."

She looked up at Carter again. "That about does it for me. I have to pee, I'll be right back." She got up and walked across the room, disappearing through an arched doorway.

"Do you have any questions, John?" Sam asked, laying out on the couch, then pulling her knees up, hugging them to her chest.

"Are you two a...serious thing?"

She nodded. "Yes, we just see..."

He held up his hand, stopping her. "I don't care. She looks like she's good for you. And it's about time you settled down with someone that has a chance of making you happy. You should give her that chance." He sat up and took a sip from his drink. "I've seen how unhappy you've been, but I didn't think it was my place to say anything. I wish I had now."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to do. I'm actually glad this happened, it makes this easier. I'm going to get to stay in Atlantis, and still be productive."

"So you were planning on doing the same thing Elizabeth was, disappear into the Pegasus galaxy?"

Her eyes went wide with surprise. "How did you..."

"We talked about it, and I helped her set up her escape plan. The IOA was breathing down her neck, and she wasn't going to be able to hold them off much longer." He sighed, and ran his hand over his face. "If she hadn't been injured, then captured and killed by the Replicators, we were going to fake her death, and relocate her to another planet."

"Oh my god! She never said...We talked about it, when I came to Atlantis that first time, with Cam and Daniel. She told me what she was planning, and I offered to help, but she never said who else was involved."

"So were you planning on relocating, or hunkering down in this building and hiding out? From what Jennifer said, you've already made some modifications to the buildings systems, and to the cities database." He took another sip of his drink. "You missed taking it off the power grid. When I came back the other night, one of the Ops techs mentioned seeing power usage over here."

She nodded. "Actually, I didn't miss it, not completely. I had it set up so that the floors I was using didn't show any usage, but I had started moving Andi, Jenn and Tammy into the lower floors. Bet it freaked them out, seeing power usage, and not being able to nail it down. They probably passed it off as a phantom, since the database shows this building as only being a hundred and thirty floors." 

Tammy came strolling back, and sat on the floor next to Sam. She reached back and grabbed her hand, pulling it down and holding it in both of hers. She smiled at Sheppard. "You're handling this very well. Me-n-her, I mean."

"I just told her I thought it was a good thing. You two look good together." He said, smiling back. "I hope you can make it work. She deserves to be happy."

He looked up at Carter. "I'd like to hear more about how you plan on getting around the shipping problems from Earth. They're not going to want to use the ZPM just to ship materials to Pegasus for sale, and going by ship is almost three weeks each way. Prohibitively expensive." He paused, then added. "I guess we could set up another Midway station, the gate bridge is still basically in place, it just needs the joining gates."

"I was planning on doing just that. Rebuilding the intergalactic gate bridge, I mean. But only as a backup. I have an easier solution."

"What's that?"

"Just recharge the ZPM's."

"Do WHAT?" He said, sitting bolt upright, staring at her wide eyed.

"Yup, I've been playing with Rodney's Space Time Matter Bridge research, and I also pulled everything I could find on anything similar anyone else had been doing. I've been shooting stuff back and forth with his sister Jeannie too. A little over a month ago, I figured out how to make the bridge jump from reality to reality, only staying in each one for a few micro seconds, then moving on to the next. That was actually the easy part. Getting it to maintain a constant flow of energy back to us while jumping around was trickier. I still have to do a live test, but it's worked fine in over three hundred simulations using a variety of test conditions."

"Why would you keep something like that to you..." He began, then stopped. His face clouded up with anger. "You were gonna use it as what, a bargaining chip?"

She nodded. "Yeah, something like that. And I'm not going to give them the research either, or tell them how I do it." 

"But we could have used that to defend ourselves against the Wraith!" He shouted. "And they could use a fresh ZPM to power the chair in Antarctica. Good god, Colonel! How could you be so heartless?"

"I wasn't being heartless, John. I was being practical." She said evenly. "Like I said, I figured it out a little over a month ago. You know what would have happened if I had said anything. McKay would have hemmed and hawed, and insisted that he have time to go over the research, then the IOA would have demanded that they be allowed to review the material as well. Then they would have drug their heels because of what happened the last time. So they'd still be fucking around, and you'd be exactly where you are now, while I'm ready to do a live test right now if I want."

She grinned at him as she added, "And do I have to remind you that Rodney almost killed you, and destroyed three quarters of a solar system playing with that vacuum point energy device, because he just knew he was smarter than everyone else? He depleted the ZPM last time he played with his STM bridge, instead of charging it. The man is the smartest idiot I know."

She took her hand back from Tammy. "Do you have any ice cream in your suite?" She asked her.

Tammy shook her head. "I took it all upstairs, sorry."

"Stock up, chocolate ripple and french vanilla. Get some hot fudge and whipped cream too. You know, more sundae stuff." She said as she stood up. "I need some upstairs too. I think I went through close to a gallon today."

She started walking for the door. "Come on, let's go back upstairs. If I don't have any up there, one of you is going to have to go down to the mess or commissary and get me some." 

They caught up to her as she was stepping into the elevator. 

No one spoke on the short ride up, and Sam went right to the freezer. "Shit! I took the last one." She turned to Tammy. "Would you go get some for me? John can stay with me, or you can call Jenn or Andi."

Tammy glanced at John. "I'll call Jenn, and wait till she gets here." 

She glanced at Sheppard. "It's not that I don't tru..."

"I understand, it's not a problem. Really."

"...trust you, but its not fair to you, and I won't put her jeopardy again."

She stepped into the next room, and was back a moment later. "She'll be here in a minute." She said. She turned to Carter. "Will you show me some of that stuff you were talking about? I've heard about some of it, and it sounds like fun. I'd like to learn more about it. We talked about it the other day, but didn't really get in to it."

"Probably not a bad idea anyway." Carter said, nodding. "We teach each other our disciplines, then we'll each know what the other is talking about!"

They both laughed, and Sheppard looked back and forth between them, a look of confusion on his face. 

"Anybody home?" Jennifer called from the hall. 

"We're in the kitchen, Jenn." Tammy said.

"I found this in my freezer," She said as she stepped into the kitchen, holding up a quart of ice cream. She was still wearing her white print dress. "I forgot that I got it earlier. I was getting cravings watching Sam eat it earlier, so I got a couple quarts for me."

"Gimme, gimme, gimme." Carter said, stepping over and grabbing it out of her hand. She ripped the lid off and dropped it on the floor, and stuck her face in it, licking at it as she walked over to the table. She picked up a spoon as she sat down. Wiping her mouth off on her sleeve, she stuck her spoon in, dug out a big spoonful, and shoveled it into her mouth.

"Oh no, girlfriend! You are NOT doing that shit!" Tammy said, bending down and picking up the lid of the container and sitting it on the table. She went over and took the ice cream out of her hand, and slid it down the table out of her reach. "Get up! You have to change your gown! And you just put that on." She pulled Sam to her feet and pulled her out of the kitchen. 

Sheppard and Keller could hear Tammy berating her all the way down the hall.

"Hi." Jennifer said, and she gave John a small wave.

He grinned at here. "Is it like that alot around here?"

"Not usually. But she can get pretty feisty when her levels drop. We have to keep an eye on her blood sugar too, she gets bitchy if..."

"I do not!" Carter yelled from the bedroom.

Keller stepped over to the door. "Tammy!" She yelled. "Make her put her ear plugs in! And why isn't she wearing them anyway?"

"Sorry about that." Jennifer grinned at John.

"She could really hear you from her bedroom? How far is that?"

"A hundred and fifty-three feet." Carter yelled.

Jennifer sat down and typed something on the laptop, then turned it so Sheppard could see. 

He grinned and nodded, then walked over to the fridge, got another coke and returned to his seat. He opened it, took a sip, and turned to her.

"We went down to the next floor, and picked out a suite for me. Tammy said you passed on it. Why? It's a nice place."

"It was a little too masculine for me. I really didn't like any of the ones I saw on either of the next two floors down. There's two suites on each of those. Then it goes to four, then six each as you go down. You saw my little one on thirty-one. My other one is three times that size. I'll show it to you later if you like."

"Jezzus! The one you brought me up to is five times the size of my quarters! And the one I was just in is even bigger?" A shit eating grin slid across his face. "Too kewl. I think I'm going like working here!"

"You didn't look around?"

"No. I liked the room I walked into, and told them that it was fine."

"Damn. Not as picky about real estate as you are about clothes, are you?" She laughed. "Mine has ten rooms, and I think Andi's has twelve. This place takes up the whole floor. There's only seven rooms, but they're all huge."

They spent the next few minutes talking about the suites in the building. Jennifer did most of the talking. Sheppard didn't really mind, it gave him time to review and digest what he's already heard.

Carter and Tammy came back into the room about twenty minutes later. Sam was wearing a dark grey gown now. She stepped over in front of Sheppard. "I'm sorry, John. What I did was extremely rude. I didn't realize that I was going into my crazy time. I'll be better now, we've taken care of the problem."

"I got blood samples," Tammy said to Keller. "That's what took us so long. She went all whiney on me when I tried to get the before samples, and I had to get physical with her." She remembered Sheppard, and colored slightly as she glanced at him. "I'll process everything later, and send you the results." She continued as she walked around the table. She sat down and clasped her hands in front of her on the table.

"You said that you could do a live test any time you want." Sheppard said. "What does that mean?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know too." Tammy said.

"Well, I'd have to get one, but I could try charging up a ZPM right now if I wanted to. I didn't see any reason to hurry. I wanted to run more simulations. Then this came up. But I have a couple of hundred sims running right now, and I've already had this building running off the power output from the bridge. It's running off of it right now. So it might actually be a good idea to go live on the ZPM's in the next day or so."

"Where would you do something like that?" Sheppard asked. "Rodney had the containment chamber tied into three floors of equipment and computers in the central tower, and all that was tied into the ZPM."

"And where would you get a ZPM?" Tammy asked. "I know it runs the city, but I don't really know what it is. Don't you have to plug it in somewhere?"

"It's a Zero Point Module, or a vacuum energy device. It's really just a fancy battery. I've got one in my office, bottom desk drawer, it's depleted at the moment. There's another one in my foot locker in my quarters. I have access to others. And there's a receptacle for them in subbasement three." Carter said. She looked at Sheppard. "I'd appreciate it if you waited to say anything to anyone. We've only explored, what, fifteen, maybe twenty percent of Atlantis?"

"That sounds about right." He said. "With everything else that's been going on, first with the Wraith, then the Replicators, exploring the city was a low priority item." He paused, then looked up at her. "Wait a minute. Where did you get ZPM's, depleted or otherwise?"

"From you." She grinned.

"From me? I don't remem..."

"Apparently no one else did either. I don't recall the specific mission details, but your team discovered a cache of ancient equipment and materials the first year you were here. Among them, were thirty depleted Zero Point Modules. When I found the receptacle downstairs, I went looking for them. They were buried under a pile of junk in a storeroom near Zelenka's lab. So I took them. I figured that after three years, no one was going to miss them."

"As far as how, like I said, I've been going over the research, and I just refined it a little bit. My STM Bridge device is smaller than this table, and my containment chamber is the size of a washing machine. It only took me a little over a week to build them both, working on my own. They're already in place downstairs."

"So that's what you've been doing here." Sheppard said quietly

"Yeah." She turned to Jennifer. "As soon as we get things settled with the IOA, I'm going to want my STID disabled or removed. In the meantime, I've already setup a blocking field. You know where to find me John, but no one else needs to be able to right now."

"You know, if you give the IAO a fully charged ZPM, and tell them that you can get them more, or charge the ones they have..." Jennifer said slowly. "They'll tear this city apart looking for them. And you."

"Already thought about that, and I'll get to it in a minute." She said. "Like we were talking about John, we've explored very little of the city, mostly the central tower and the area around it. This is the main building for this pier, it's central tower if you will. I haven't checked, but I'm betting that the main buildings on the other two piers are set up with a receptacle for a ZPM too. It just makes sense. Redundancy. Why put all your power in one place, you want to have a backup somewhere. Right?"

Sheppard nodded.

"So I'm thinking, with a ZPM on all three outer piers, that takes the strain off the mains in the central tower, especially when you're using the stardrive. Make sense so far?"

They all nodded.

"Now, back to your last question Jennifer. Let them come. They won't be able to get at me. I'm gonna have a shield."

She sat back, smiling smugly while all three of them threw questions at her. She let them burn themselves out, then continued.

"I have control of the systems in this building. This suite belonged to either an administrator, or a senior engineer, somebody big in city operations. I have direct access into all the systems on the southwest pier, and one of them is a shield." She looked around the table. "I'm thinking that in flight, the three subsidiary shields interlocked, and provided protection for the entire city. The main shield could be run at reduced power to cover just the central section if needed, and tie into the other three, or ramped up and extended if it looked like one of the outer shields might fail. I may be wrong, but that's how I'd do it."

"Sonofabich. You might just be able to get away with it." Sheppard said softly.

"Even if I can't put charge in a ZPM, if I pulled the shield in to the base of the tower like you did when you moved the city here, I could hold them off forever on the power I'm pulling in through the STM bridge."

"But I'm getting way ahead of myself. Jenn already told you that this building, and eventually the southwest pier, is going to be the headquarters of my operations. What I'm going to get out of this is being able to stay here in Atlantis, and living comfortably here in my tower. Throw in the satisfaction of doing what I love, figuring out how shit works, and I'll be one happy camper."

"I'm not going to need money as long as I stay here, except to pay senior staff and buy supplies. I'm going to make the IOA provide transportation, logistics and manual labor. And somewhere along the line, some whiz kid is going to ask themselves, 'if we're doing the leg work, what do we need her for?'"

She grinned again. "That's where the research arm comes in. I'm going to suck every bit of research out of Atlantis that I can and get it under my direct control, keeping the really fun stuff for myself and a select team. So when they try to take the exploitation division away from me, I'll cut off the flow of information, along with the related functions, and make them come begging. That'll only work once or twice, but by then, I'll have come up with some other way to hold them off."

Sheppard got up and came around the table. He stopped beside her chair, dropping to one knee. "My queen," he said, bowing his head, "I offer my sword and my fealty in your service."

Carter laughed, reaching down and tapping him lightly with her spoon on either shoulder. She lifted his chin and smiled at him. "I'm going to hold you to that, Sir John."

He nodded as he stood up, taking her hand. He reached over and took Tammy's hand, and drew them together. "A queen needs her consort." He said quietly, holding them together until their fingers began twining together on their own. He released them and walked over to the door.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 06



"I have to get back, people are probably looking for me." He smiled down at Jennifer. "Can you show me how to get out of here? I'll call you later. I'd like to come back and talk more."

He followed her out into the hall, and Sam heard the elevator door open and close.

"I wonder which one of us he wants to talk to." She said, smiling at Tammy.

"I'm wondering if she's going to let him get out of here without doinking her." Tammy grinned.

Interior-Dr. Keller's Suite

1400 Hours

"I left my uniform in your bathroom." Sheppard said as they walked down the hall. "I should go change, I can't go back to work dressed like this."

Jennifer nodded, and led him into the elevator. "I brought your clothes up to my place, and cleaned them. We can stop by and get them, and I can show you around if you want."

The doors opened, and she led him down the hall, and palmed the pad to open the door. 

"Nice," He said as he looked around. "This suits you. And you were right, that other place was too masculine for you."

"Your clothes are in the bedroom, you can change in there." She said as she led him down the hall. "Did Sam and Tammy fill you in, or did you want to, I don't know, maybe pump me for information?"

Sheppard laughed, taking her hand and pulling her to him. His arms slid around her waist and he held her to him as he smiled down at her. 

"I don't think that's the kind of pumping you have in mind, Jennifer." He said as his hands moved lightly over her back. "And you don't have to be so unsubtle. I'm interested. If you want, I can come back later and pump and probe you till you give me all your secrets."

"You'd have to probe me for quite a while to get all of my secrets." She said, pressing her body against him. "Maybe even, I don't know, two or three times? You'll definitely have to put everything you have into it."

She glanced down, then grinned up at him. "And it feels like you have quite a bit to put into it."

"You are so bad!" He laughed, stepping back and walking toward her bedroom. "You're going to send me back to work like..."

"You don't have to go right back."

"Actually I do." He said, reaching behind his back and untying the knot holding his shirt closed. "I left right after the meeting, without telling anyone where I was going, and I can guarantee that Landry is screaming for me." He slipped the shirt off, then kicked off his shoes. He hesitated before untying the drawstring on his pants.

"And I like to take a girl to dinner, maybe a little dancing, before we get intimate." He said as he stepped back over to her. He leaned down and kissed her lightly. 

Jennifer nodded. "That sounds nice. Would you like to have dinner here later? We could dance and..."

"And I can probe you for that information you're so eager to give me? I'd like that. I'll have to call you and let you know when, it may be late, depending on how hot tempers are running."

He let her go and spun her around, and swatted her on the bottom as he pushed her toward the door. "But right now, I have to get dressed, and I'd like to keep a few secrets of my own for just a little while longer if you don't mind."

"Okay," She laughed. "You win. I'll take you to the porter when you're ready."

Interior-Kitchen

1500 Hours

"Andi! Just the girl I want to see." Keller said as she walked into the kitchen. She had changed into scrubs, but was glowing as she sat down at the table.

"Did you get laid?" Tammy asked. "You look like it, and you changed your clothes."

"Not yet, he wants to, but we have to go on a date first. I put on the scrubs because I have to go over to the Infirmary in a little while." 

"I could have told you that about him." Carter said. "And they say chivalry is dead. Sir John is a true knight every respect."

"Yeah. Well, I just hope he knows how to handle his sword." Jennifer laughed, then turned to Samuels. "I need a favor. Can you whip me a nice little dinner for two, something I can heat up easy? Nothing heavy, just something light and romantic?"

"I don't know Jenn." Samuels said, standing up and going over to the fridge. She got a coke out, and closed the door. "You guys have been pretty hard on me this week, and I already cooked you dinner once."

"Aw, come on Andi, please?" Keller whined. "You cook alot better than I do! And you know that if I get a little lovin', I'll be alot easier to get along with."

"She's got a point there." Tammy said. "Maybe if she gets a little, she'll leave us alone."

"No she won't." Andi laughed as she got a glass and filled it with ice. "We'll just have to listen to her crowing about how much she's getting." She said as she sat down and opened her coke. "No, I want to know what's in it for me."

"I..."

"A signing bonus." Sam said. "Dinner gets her laid, you get a signing bonus."

"Deal. I'll cook her dinner, but she's gonna have to get herself laid." Andi laughed. She turned to Keller. "What are you going to wear?"

"He liked what I had on this morning." Jennifer told her. "And I have another dress like that, a blue one. I figured I'd do my hair the same way." She shook her head. "You should have seen the way he looked at me earlier. That's why I went ahead and said something to him when we went to get his clothes. He's never looked at me like that before."

"Yeah he has, he just thought you were interested in someone else, so he didn't say anything." Tammy told her. "He checks you out all the time."

"Really?" Jennifer asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Well, now that we have Jennifer's booty call taken care of, I'd like you all to take a look at what I worked up for the department, and the compensation package." Carter said as Tammy slid a folder in front of each of them. "The first page is a brief outline of the how I envision the department being organized, staffed and run. I'm suggesting that it be setup as a wholly owned subsidiary of the IOA, with this building as its headquarters, and the southwest pier its base of operations."

"I thought you wanted this building to be part of your compensation package." Andi said as she looked over the outline. "You seemed so excited about living here. You love this place."

"I do, Andi. I really do." Carter said lightly. "But as I got to thinking about it, I realized that they might not go for that. I think I'm just going to let them put me up in the lifestyle I'm becoming accustomed to. As long as I perform, of course. They're just more likely to go for option two."

"That doesn't leave you, or us," Andi said, looking around the table. "That sense of security we talked about before. You're giving them control, and that means power over us. I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling here, Sam."

"Andi, it will take at least two years to get things cranked up to a level where anyone at the IOA would even begin to think about kicking us out, and taking over themselves." Tammy said. "Even if someone brings up the idea before that, cooler heads will tell them to sit back, and let us finish the heavy lifting. Sam and I have talked about this, and we're pretty sure that we have between three and five years before we have to worry about being booted out on our asses. And by that time, you'll be a millionaire, if not a billionaire, several times over. You can retire to Earth and live comfortably for the rest of your life if you want."

"And what if I want to stay with my friends? What do I do then Tammy?"

"Then you come with us, and help us run the business."

"There's other decent real estate in the Pegasus galaxy, Andi." Sam said. She turned and looked at Tammy. "You said it the other morning. Family doesn't have to ask."

Tammy nodded, and Sam looked back at Andi and Jennifer.

"We won't always be staying in Atlantis, which is why I'm willing to give up control of the company. There are other ancient outposts and cities out there. I know of at least one city that can be had, and I'm sure that the local population would welcome us. They already feel indebted to Atlantis, well, to some expedition members actually. And if we offered them a chance to be part of something, I think they'd jump at the chance."

"I haven't been there, but I know the city you're talking about." Keller said. "John and Rodney talk about it all the time. It has a feudal society, and there was a family that was bred for the ancient gene, and they ruled over the locals." She looked over at Sam. "We need to get started on that now though, The last report I saw said that since their ZPM was depleted, the ruling family was losing control. If we wait too long, things may fall apart completely."

"I didn't know about that. I must have missed those reports, or else I would have arranged for aid of some kind." Sam said as she sat back in her chair. "That puts a different light on things."

"It will be early next week before the IOA puts anyone in charge." Andi said. "So that means Sheppard is in command until they do. And as commander, he has some discretionary power. You're already talking to him about being your liaison with the IOA, and bringing him in as what, head of security, or head of the military arm?" She looked across the table at Sam. "You've thought about that, even if you haven't mentioned it to anyone else yet. And you know you're going to need one when you try to split off from the IOA."

Carter glanced at Tammy and Jennifer, then nodded at Andi, signaling her to continue.

"So we get him to send them humanitarian aid, but not through the ruling family. We establish relations with the local villagers, that's going to be our workforce, so those are the hearts and minds we'll need to win."

"We'll need a presence there. Someone to negotiate for us." Carter said, beginning to smile.

"Yes, we will. And you need Tammy and Jennifer here more than you need me. And to be honest, I'm more qualified to do this than either of them is. This is my stock in trade."

"Are you volunteering to be our emissary to these people, Andi?"

"Your emissary, Sam." Andi said. "I know we're casual about it, but you're in charge here. Sheppard offered you his sword and his fealty earlier, allow me to do the same, in my own fashion. I hope you'll excuse me if I don't kneel." She grinned and looked around the table. "So now you have a knight, a consort, a jester, and an ambassador at large. Not a bad start on a court if I say so myself."

They all laughed, until Jennifer stopped suddenly.

"Hey!" She said looking at Andi. "Are you saying I'm..."

"Yes, she is Jennifer, and I couldn't think of a better one. Except maybe McKay." Tammy grinned.

"I decree here and now, that that name shall not be mentioned in my presence. He will henceforth be known as The Fool. Is that clear?" Sam said sternly, then smiled as she looked around the table. "I mean, what's the point of being a queen of you can't have your own way, right?"

She looked back at the folder in front of her. "We need to go over the compensation package. Or should I say, packages, because I took the liberty of outlining salary and benefits for the senior staff. I thought it might be a good idea, since none of you officially work for me yet."

"The upfront pay doesn't really mean anything, that's going to be walking around money. Look down at paragraph four, where it talks about patent and distribution rights." She looked over at Samuels. "There's your power right there, Andi. Every idea, discovery, or invention that came out of me over the last fifteen years went to the United States government. Not anymore. I'm freelance now, and we're going to reap the benefits of our efforts, not just the credit."

"But look over the numbers, and tell me if they look comparable to something that someone in the civilian market would make. I know The Fool makes three hundred kay, and Zelenka makes just over two, so I put the numbers in that ballpark. Senior positions get six weeks vacation regardless of time of service, as well as medical, lodging and meals. Do you see anything else we need to add?"

"I don't, it looks like you covered everything. You have items listed that I never would have thought of." Keller said.

"The numbers are fine with me. I'm getting a raise." Andi said offhandedly. "And when you add in the benefit package, we're way past the comparable government pogue. It looks good to me."

"Tammy?" Sam asked.

"I don't care about the money." She said softly. "I'm going to resign as soon as you get your deal. If that's okay with you."

"You should rea..." Andi began.

Tammy looked at Sam, rubbing her thumb lightly across the back of her fingers. 

"Are you going to love me, stay with me, take care of me, and let me do the same for you?"

"Yes, always."

"I now pronounce you..." Jennifer said solemnly. She looked at them for a moment. "Well, don't just sit there! Kiss her for god's sake!"

"We really gotta get her laid." Tammy said as she leaned toward Carter.

"Shut up." Sam said as their lips met.

Interior-Subbasement Three

1720 Hours

Carter fit the ZPM into the receptacle, pushing down on it gently. A moment later, it started dropping by itself, and at the last second, turned and sank below the lip of the receptacle with an audible click. 

Tammy, Andi and Jennifer were standing back out of her way as she moved around. She had announced that she wanted to do a live test after they had finalized the department outline, and the compensation package. She'd had Jennifer type it up, reviewed it to ensure everything they had discussed was included, then told her to send it off.

"I don't know if it's supposed to do that. The ones over in the Central Tower don't." She said as she moved over to a console and touched a series of controls. 

She glanced at her laptop, then paused for a moment, glancing back and forth between the laptop, the console, and the ZPM. She made an adjustment on the console, looked at her laptop, then stepped over and looked down at the ZPM.

She was grinning as she looked up at them. The ZPM was beginning to glow.

"Sonofabich!" Jennifer breathed. "You did it. You really fucking did it."

"Not yet, I haven't." Carter said as she stepped back over to the console. She looked at her laptop, nodding as she scrolled through the data on the screen. She moved the laptop off to one side, and checked several panels on the console. She made an adjustment on one of them. "It looks likes it's going to take about three hours at this rate. Don't ask me why, I thought it would be faster than that."

"Sam?" Tammy said as she stepped closer. "It's glowing brighter now, and I think it's starting to hum." She reached out toward the ZPM. "Can I touch it?"

"That's probably not a good idea, Tammy." Carter said as she glanced at the console. "But it's charging faster now. It's at eleven percent."

"Is anyone else getting warm?" Andi said, looking around the room. "I feel like I'm burning up." 

"Um, I'm getting hot, but I don't think heat has anything to do with it." Jennifer said as she untied the drawstring on her scrubs and jammed her hand down the front. "Shit! I'm sopping wet! I'm surprised that I haven't soaked through my pants!"

Tammy looked at Sam, raising her eyebrows. Sam shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. 

"I feel fine." Carter said, looking back down at her laptop.

"I'm sorry," Jennifer said as she headed for the door. "But I have to get out of here. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"Forty percent."

Tammy looked over at Andi. Andi grinned at her and shook her head.

"I feel warm, like a hot flash. Is my skin flushed?" She asked.

"No, you look fine, Andi. Your cheeks are a little pink, but that's all." Tammy said as she looked at her. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Fifty-eight percent."

"Sam, you still not feeling anything?" Tammy asked.

"Good to go. We're almost there." Carter said, intent on her instruments.

The hum was noticeable now, and the ZPM was bathing the room in an eerie orange glow. They watched it grow steadily brighter.

"Eighty."

A moment later, the hum began to die down, and the glow from the ZPM began to fade. Suddenly, it rotated in the receptacle, and popped up, so the top third was poking out.

"Sequence complete. What was that, six, maybe seven minutes?" Carter said as she came around the console and pulled the ZPM from the receptacle.

"Closer to ten I think. It sat for almost four minutes before anything happened." Tammy said. 

"Still not bad. I was worried when it just sat, but then when it started to glow..." Carter said. "It worked. But now I don't have anywhere to test it. This console says its full, but I'd really like to put it in another receptacle to see if that one reads it the same way."

"Like switching a battery between two flashlights?" Andi asked

"Yeah, something like that."

"So why don't we just go over to one of the towers on another pier and try it there?" Tammy said. "Kill two birds with one stone. Verify the charge, and confirm your theory at the same time."

Carter and Samuels looked at each other, then at Tammy.

"Pick one. North, or East?

Tammy picked up the bag they'd brought the ZPM down in and held it open. "East." She said. "I know the porter symbols for that side of the city."

"Don't you just love her?" Carter grinned. "She just full of all kinds of pleasant little surprises!"

Interior-Dr. Keller's Suite

1755 Hours

"Keller to Sheppard."

"Go ahead, Jenn."

"Um, are you going to be able to get free...soon?"

"I was going to call you in a few minutes. I'd like to go by my quarters and change, and then I was going to call you to come get me." He said.

"I've got clothes you can wear, and you can shower here if you want." She said breathlessly.

"Okay," He laughed. "I'm in my office. Do you want to come over?"

"How about if I meet you at the porter in two minutes?" 

"Two minutes. I'll be there." He grinned as he closed the channel.

He left his office and walked through the Ops Center, and stopped to talk to one of the techs.

"I'm going to be tied up for most of the evening." He told the tech. "Would you call Maj. Lorne, and let him know that he needs to cover for me? I'll be on comms, but I'd prefer not to get any calls unless it can't be helped, okay?"

"Yessir, I'll pass it along right now." The tech told him. "Have a nice night, Colonel."

"Thanks, I think I'm going to." Sheppard grinned as he jogged down the stairs.

The porter door opened as he reached the bottom step, but no one came out. A moment later, he saw Jennifer stick her head out and pull it right back in.

As he got closer to the porter, he could see her fingers holding the doors open, and he leaned around, sticking his head inside.

"Hi." He grinned.

Jennifer jumped, then grinned sheepishly at him as he stepped into the porter. Her hair was wet, and she was wearing a short, sheer robe that stuck to her skin where she hadn't dried completely. "Hi. Oh god, I am soooooo glad it's you." She said in a rush. "I was scared to death that someone else would walk in first!" She turned around and tapped in the symbols for Carter's building. When the doors opened, they were on Keller's floor.

Taking his hand, she led him quickly down the hall and into her suite. As soon as the doors closed, she stepped into his arms, turning her face up for a kiss. He met her halfway, and gasped as she slipped her tongue into his mouth, kissing him hungrily. 

She ground her body against his as they kissed, then pulled away, taking a step back.

"Do...do you mind if we eat...after?" She said huskily, her hands toying with the belt on her robe. "Someth...I need you John. Please?"

"Open it." He said softly, his eyes running up and down over her.

She smiled, and pulled the ties loose slowly, letting them fall to the sides. The robe parted, and he could see the inner slopes of her small, pert breasts, the gentle swell of her stomach, and the close cropped bush of her pubes.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 06



Sheppard felt himself hardening immediately, but he stood still, waiting to see what she would do.

Jennifer stepped closer, taking his hand and guiding it between her legs. John groaned as he felt her warm wetness, and his arm slid around her as he spun her around and pressed her against the wall. He pressed his lips hungrily to hers as his fingers slipped back and forth between the fur fringed lips of her pussy, his other hand pushing the robe aside, then cupping her breast, his fingers stroking across the rigid nipple.

He broke the kiss, and moved his mouth down, nuzzling and nipping at her neck. He pushed the robe off her shoulders as he dropped further down, bringing both his hands up to cup her breasts, making her whine at the loss of his fingers between her legs.

Jennifer wrapped her fingers in his hair as his lips closed around one stiff nipple, and she threw her head back, banging it against the wall. He looked up at her, and dropped to his knees in front of her, his tongue dragging across her soft skin. 

She whimpered as he brushed his lips back and forth over her pubes, then gasped as he lifted one leg, draping it over his shoulder as he pressed his mouth against her mons.

"Oh god, yes!" She moaned as she felt his tongue slip between the fleshy folds of her pussy, and begin to lick eagerly. His tongue flashed all around, darting up inside her one moment, flicking over her clit the next, then dragging up the length of her slit, lapping up the spicy juices dripping from her. He settled his lips around her clit, sucking on it gently as his tongue slapped at it teasingly.

Jennifer moaned as she started to cum, and held his face tight against her, humping her pussy frantically against his mouth. She shook and shivered as her orgasm swelled over her, then went limp against the wall. She pulled his face from between her legs and smiled down at him.

"Please. I ne...need you in me." She panted.

He nodded. "Bed?" he asked.

"Oh god yes." She groaned, leaning on him as he stood up.

"Where is the bed, I meant." He laughed.

"Do...down the hall."

John scooped her up in his arms and moved quickly down the hall. He turned his back and pushed the door open. He spun around and took a step toward the bed, then tossed her onto it, making her squeal. Kneeling, he unlaced one boot and pulled it off, then quickly did the other. He stood up and pulled his blouse out of his pants, then pulled it over his head and dropped it on the floor.

Jennifer had rolled over and was up on her elbows, watching him as he opened his belt and unbuttoned the fly of his pants.

"Come closer." She whispered. "I want to see."

He took a step forward, then another, stopping when he was just inches from the end of the bed. Jennifer's eyes were glazed over as she looked up at him.

"I want to feel you in me so bad, John. I've wanted it for so long..."

He pushed his pants and shorts down, kicking them off over his feet. His cock sprang up, bouncing in front of her face.

"Ohhhhhh, it's so big." She moaned as she reached out and wrapped her fingers around it. "I...I've never seen one this..."

Sheppard pushed her hand aside and climbed up on the bed, grabbing her leg and pulling her around, guiding her up so she was straddling him.

"Get on top, it'll be easier for you." He grunted. He reached down, holding his stiff prick upright, and pulled on her asscheek with the other, urging her to mount him.

Jennifer reached between her legs and wrapped her fingers around the thick shaft, then rubbed the swollen knob slowly up and down her sopping wet pussy slit. She settled the tip against the tight opening, and pressed down slowly, throwing her head back as she felt it bull it's way inside her.

Leaning forward, she planted her hands on his chest as she started working her hips up and down, taking in more of him, until finally, she felt the crisp hairs at the base of his cock brushing the insides of her thighs. She could feel the head of his cock throbbing deep inside her as she laid out on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So good," She purred as she wiggled her hips slowly, just letting the thick shaft press against a different part of her every time she moved.

There was a soft beep, followed by a series of three soft beeps. There was a pause, then the pattern repeated itself.

"Is that you?" he asked.

She nodded, but just looked at the comm unit on the nightstand. The unit beeped again.

"I'm sorry." she said as she reached over and picked it up. 

She tapped the button, and said, "I'm busy."

"She did it. She got one of the ZPM's charged. We're going over to the east pier to check it." Tammy said.

"That's wonderful. I'm happy for you. Can I call you back?"

"Is he any good?"

"Mmmm hmmmm."

"How big is it?"

"Ummmm."

"Tiny, huh?"

"No."

"Bigger than a babies arm?"

"A little."

"Oooooh, I'm jealous. Leave your mike on. I wanna listen."

"I can't do tha..." She stopped, looked up at Sheppard and smiled. "Okay. I'll call you later."

She pulled the headset off and tossed it onto the headboard. She smiled at him as she slid her arms under him, then rolled to the side, so he was on top of her.

"Fuck me, John. I need it so bad. Please?"

He smiled down at her as he started moving his hips slowly.

Exterior-East Pier

1820 Hours

Tammy waved Sam over as she was talking to Jennifer.

"..sten." she was saying, then Tammy leaned close, and pressed her ear to hers, and she heard Jennifer say, "I can't do tha...Okay. I'll call you later." There was a rustling noise, then, "Fuck me, John. I need it so bad. Please?" She heard a man grunting, and a woman gasping and groaning.

Carter pulled her head away, reached up, and plucked the comm from Tammy's ear.

"Hey!"

"Let her have her fun. She can tell you all about it later." She smiled.

"Okay." Tammy grinned. She looked at the building they were standing in front of. "We're gonna need a flashlight. Even if we go in during the day, we're going to need a light. There's no power in this building."

They went into the building and crossed the lobby. Normally, lights would have come on as they entered. They turned and went back out, standing on the patio.

"You're right. Let's go home and come back tomorrow." Carter said. "We'll bring a light, and..."

"Someone's coming." Andi said as she pulled them into the shadows.

They watched as three marines went by, no more than twenty feet away. The marines were shining flashlights about at random, and one of the beams brushed right over them, but the marines didn't stop. They stood quietly until the marines were out of sight, then made their way quickly to the building they had ported into. 

Tammy held the door open as Andi and Sam came in behind her, and was tapping the symbols on the panel when a voice shouted, "Halt, Don't move." The porter doors closed, then opened almost immediately.

Tammy grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her from the porter. They ran out of the building, and went into the adjoining one. They went into the porter, and Tammy tapped in some symbols. When the doors opened, she waved them out, then tapped on the panel again, and jumped out before the doors closed.

They ran out the doors on the side of the building onto a narrow lane. Samuels looked up, and saw tower fifty-eight looming over them. In less than a minute, they were through the doors, and getting onto an elevator. The elevator stopped on thirty-one, and they got out. Sam stopped and looked at Tammy.

"Why did we run?" She asked. "We didn't do anything."

Tammy looked at Andi before she answered. "You resigned today, and you're supposedly under quarantine because you have a this contagious condition. And in case you forgot, we've got a ZPM we're not supposed to have with us."

"Oh yeah," Sam said. "Forgot about that."

Tammy handed Andi the bag and pushed Sam up against the wall.

"Look at me, Sam. Right here," She said pointing at the tip of her nose.

"What?" Carter said, trying to focus, but not able to.

"She's toast, and she's fading fast. We need to get home." Tammy said to Andi as she pulled Sam's arm around her neck, then bent down and slipped her arm under her knees, picking her up easily.

She ran down the hall and turned as she stepped passed the elevator. Andi came up behind her, hit the pad, and the doors swished open. They stepped in, and Andi tapped in her code. As the doors closed, Tammy said, "Check her eyes."

Andi opened Sam's eyes, turning her head to face her. "Glassy and dilated. What do you think it is? And what tipped you off?"

The elevator doors opened and Tammy stepped off, heading for small bedroom. "Call Jennifer, if she doesn't answer in thirty seconds, hit the alarm."

Interior-Bedroom

1845 Hours

Sheppard was laying on top of Jennifer, his weight resting on his forearms to keep it off of her when the alarm went off.

"Get off me...Please, John." She said as she struggled to get out from under him. She looked over at the nightstand, then remembered that she had thrown her comm up onto the headboard. She reached up and felt for it, but couldn't find it. 

Sheppard rolled off and got up on his knees on the bed. Jennifer was already on her feet moving toward the door. She stopped and threw him his clothes. "Follow me." She said over her shoulder as she ran down the hall into the living room.

"I'm on." She said as she hit the comm unit.

"Sam's down. We were over on the east pier, we just missed getting caught by some marines patrolling over there." Andi said. "We got into the building, and Sam was out of it. Wait one. What?" Then silence.

"Tammy say she wants the ancient scanner. She says you'll know which one it is." Andi said. "It's the thing Sam scanned her hand with."

"I know the one." Jennifer said. "We're on the way."

"Come on." She said to Sheppard. She noticed that he had his pants on and buttoned, but was barefoot and carrying his shirt. She ran toward the door and he followed as she went to the elevator and tapped out the code for thirty-one. Sheppard was digging his comm out of his pocket as the doors opened, and she put her hand in his chest. "Wait here, and hold the door."

She was back moments later, pushing a machine with a large articulated arm on it. He stepped back as she pushed it into the elevator, and tapped in her code.

"Did I hear that woman say they were over on the east pier?" Sheppard asked her.

"Andi," She said. "Yeah, they wanted to look at something."

He tapped his comm. "Lorne, this is Sheppard. Stand down your alert. Copy?"

He listened for a moment. "I've got it covered Lorne. Log it as a drill, and stand down. I'll explain later. In person. In private."

Interior-Bedroom

1850 Hours

The elevator doors opened as he closed the channel, and Jennifer pushed the machine out, then stepped to the side. "In there." She pointed.

He threw his shirt over the machine and pushed it into the room she pointed at. Jennifer stepped over to the couch, grabbed a gown and pulled it over her head, and followed as she was getting her arms in the sleeves.

Tammy looked up at her as she came in the room. "Sorry." She said as she moved the machine next to the bed, tossing Sheppard's shirt on the floor. She extended the arm, positioning it over Carter's head, then stepped around and started tapping on the control panel. 

"You know how to operate that thing?" Sheppard asked.

"No." Tammy said as she ran her finger over the panel, then scrolled through several screens, and ran her finger over the screen again. She pressed a button next to the panel, and a new screen came up. She started tapping on symbols on the new screen, then pushed another button, and slid her finger up over a pad on the side.

A shape appeared over the center of the machine, hovering just above it. It was a head and shoulders, but the image was almost ghost like. Tammy pressed the button next to the panel, then tapped on it several times, scrolling through several screens, then stopped and looked over at Andi.

"I need a pen and a pad of paper." She said, then went back to tapping through the screens.

"You can read ancient." Sheppard said, moving closer to her.

"Yes. Back up, or move to the side. You're in the way there." She said.

"Are you reading the manual?"

"No, the help files. We haven't found the manual yet." She looked back at him over her shoulder. "You can ask questions. I'll tell you if you need to stop."

"When did you learn it."

"Yesterday."

Andi came back in and held out a pad and a pen, and Tammy took them. She started scratching out symbols on it. She scrolled back through the screens, jotting down new sets of symbols, then held the pad out to John. 

"Hold this where I can see it. Over there." She said, pointing at the end of the machine.

He moved where she wanted, and held the pad up in front of her. She tapped on a series of symbols, glanced up, then went through several screens, and entered another string of symbols. She pressed a button above the panel, then ran her finger slowly over the pad again.

The shape on the machine solidified, wavered, then the firmed up. She left the settings as they were, and held her hand out for the tablet.

"Anybody got her vitals?" She asked as she took the pad and started going through the help screens again. 

"Blood pressure is up, one sixty-eight over ninety, heart and respiration are fine, and steady." Jennifer said. "You getting close?"

Tammy looked up at her and shook her head. "I...I need lessons, Jenn."

"No! You're not do..."

"Andi, it might save her life." Jennifer said quietly. She looked over at Tammy. "Do it."

Tammy sat the pad down and walked out of the room. Jennifer and Andi went to the other end of the room and appeared to be in a heated discussion. Sheppard stepped over to the doorway and looked into the living room. 

Tammy was standing next to another ancient machine, her hands moving quickly over the controls. She stopped, touched several buttons, then moved both hands over the panel and pressed another button. She reached over and picked up a headset off of a hanger, and got it settled on her head. She pressed another button, stood still for a few moments, then took the headset off and came back into the bedroom.

She went right to the scanner and started tapping out commands on the screen, and as she did, the shape on the machine became clear, and layers started disappearing as she went through each command.

"Jennifer." John said, waving her over when she looked at him.

Keller and Samuels stepped over as Tammy cleared the controls, and entered a new string of commands. The head and shoulders disappeared, and were replaced by a three dimensional brain and spinal cord. Tammy zoomed in on the brain, and rotated it slowly.

"Everyone look. Speak up if you see anything." She said as the image rotated slowly in front of them. "No exterior damage. Anyone?"

"Show me what's happening in there. Come on..." Tammy muttered as she worked the controls.

She entered a new set of commands, and the image wavered, and solidified again. This time, they were looking at an interior view, almost a wireframe. Tammy started rotating it slowly, and it had gone less than a quarter turn when Sheppard said, "Stop! Rotate back to the left slowly. Stop! What's that?" He asked pointing into the image. His finger went through it, making it waver, but he pulled it back, pointing into the split between the hemispheres. "That black line, is that suppose to be there"

Tammy zoomed in where he had pointed, and made an adjustment.

"He's right. There's new tissue in the median plane, right above the corpus callosum." Tammy said. She zoomed in again, rotating the image, but the view they were looking at didn't tell them anything. Tammy adjusted the controls, and the brain changed, the two hemispheres turning a transparent green, and the corpus callosum under them a pale blue.

"Oh shit." Andi said softly as Tammy rotated the image.

Tammy stepped away from the machine and knelt next to Carter. She took her hand and leaned close. "Can you hear me Sam? Squeeze my hand if you can." She smiled as she saw Carter's fingers move, and felt them grip hers. "Good girl. you're still with me, and I'm not going to let you go anywhere, okay?" Carter squeezed her fingers again.

"You're reconfiguring again, Sam. I don't know why, but I know where. I don't know how long it's going to take, but I'm going to stay with you."

Sheppard moved around to the other side of the bed and knelt beside it, he took her other hand in both of his. He looked up at her face, and saw a small smile on her lips.

"Tammy." He said quietly, nodding at her head. "She's smiling." He said softly.

He reached down and ran his hand lightly over her foot, then wrapped his hand around it and squeezed it lightly. He looked back at her face, and saw her eyelids fluttering.

"Is anyone watching this?" He asked.

"Yeah, keep it up." Tammy said as she reached down and massaged Sam's other foot. 

Carter's eyelids fluttered again as they massaged her hands and feet.

"Tammy, get back on your machine." Sheppard said softly. "Jennifer, come take her place."

Tammy started to object, but he smiled and nodded at her, and she stood up, letting Jennifer kneel beside the bed. Tammy went over to the machine and looked at the image. 

"Now what?" She asked.

"Jennifer, get up on the bed with her, and press your body against her. Make sure your feet touch hers. Stretch if you have too. I'll do the same over here."

They climbed up on the bed and pressed themselves against her from either side.

"You caused a ruckus over on the East pier tonight." He whispered in her ear. He thought he saw her eyes move under her eyelids. He looked over at Jennifer and mouthed, 'you too', and moved his lips next to her ear again. "Lorne threw a fit when I told him to stand down and log it as an exercise. That's gonna cost you a bottle of very expensive bourbon."

"John made love to me tonight, Sam. But you don't have to give Andi that bonus. We never got to her dinner."

"Andi?" Tammy said. "Come look. You two keep doing whatever it is you're doing."

Sam made a noise, her lips barely moving. "g...ggddd."

"Was he good? Oh god yes!" Jennifer laughed. "And he..." She leaned closer, whispering directly into Carter's ear.

"John?" Andi said, and he looked up at her. She made a motion with her thumb and four fingers, mimicking a mouth, and nodded her head toward Sam.

"You had half the base on full alert you know." He said lightly. "But I didn't know it because Jennifer..." He leaned close to her other ear and spoke just as softly as Jennifer was. 

Tammy and Andi were looking at the display as John and Jennifer talked to Sam. 

"What's that?" Andi asked, pointing at an area in the center of the growth.

Tammy zoomed in, and rotated the image toward them. 

"It looks like a hole."

"Wu...die." Sam said.

John kept whispering to her, and Tammy could see that he was smiling as he whispered to her. She glanced down, then started laughing, but got herself under control quickly. John looked up at her and shook his head, then went back to whispering to her.

"It's getting bigger."

"No, look at the ends, they're changing too." Tammy said. "I...I don't think they're merging, Andi. It looks like they're exchanging, or transferring tissue." She looked at Andi. "Would you go into the...no, I'll do it."

Tammy stepped back and ran out of the room, and was back a few moments later. She opened a door on the side of the machine and plugged in a small module, then tapped out a series of commands on the panel. A blue light came on, and Tammy looked at the module, and saw a yellow band growing on the end of it.





Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 07



Day Seven

Interior-Kitchen

0750 Hours

There were five of them around the table now, Carter was at her usual place at the head of the table, Tammy in her place beside her. Andi was across from her, while Sheppard was at the foot of the table, with Jennifer just down from him.

They had eaten breakfast, and were reviewing the events of the night before.

Tammy raised her head suddenly, her eyes wide. She gripped Sam's hand so tightly that she cried out.

"Oowwww! Tammy, wha..." Carter said, trying to pull her hand away.

"Tammy? Are you al..." Jennifer asked as she stood up, moving toward her. 

Samuels was on her feet too, but Tammy looked around, then shook her head.

"The bridge. It's radiation or some kind of energy leaking from the fucking bridge!"

"What are you talking about, Tammy?" Andi asked.

"Turn around, Tammy. Let me look at you." Keller said, turning her head and raising an eyelid with her fingers.

Tammy pushed her away, and looked around at them.

"Something from her bridge is affecting her. Both times she's had a major incident, when her brain started to reconfigure, she had been playing with that fucking bridge."

She looked at Carter. "Think about it. The first time, when you lost your speech and grew new brain cells, we had been down there the night before. Then last night, we were in the power room, just down the hall, Andi and Jenn were affected while the ZPM was charging."

"That does sound like the most likely cause." Andi said. "I just got flushed, like I was having a hot flash, but Jennifer got arou...She reacted too. Just differently."

Sheppard looked at Keller, and she grinned sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Um, can you do that again?" He said, then reached in his pocket and pulled out his comm. He put it on as he stood up, "Go on Sheppard." He said as he stepped out into the hall.

Jennifer blushed furiously, looking to see if Sheppard could hear, then burst out laughing. "Oh my god!" She giggled. "I almost raped him when we got back to my place." She turned to Andi, laying her hand over hers. "We ate a late dinner, but it was delicious. Thank you."

"How many times?" Tammy asked.

"Once, before we came up here," Jennifer said, blushing as she looked down at the table. "Then four more times after we ate. It just wouldn't go down!"

"Wow, I'm impressed." Tammy said with a smile. She looked over at Andi, but she was tapping at her tablet, and didn't look up.

"You might be right." Carter said. "I was feeling lightheaded, and my fingers and toes were going numb while it charged up. I..."

"Andi, Jennifer, can I have the room please?" Tammy said in an even voice, looking at Sam.

She waited till they had stepped from the room before she spoke. She just looked at Carter for a moment. Sam refused to meet her eyes.

"You lied to me. I asked you twice, and you said you were fine both times." She said slowly.

Carter didn't answer, but slid her hand over toward her.

"I'm sorry." she said softly after a moment. "I didn't think it was anything, and we had to..."

"No, That's not what we're talking about. I would have let you finish, I know that it was important to do that test." Tammy said. She took her hand and squeezed her fingers gently.

"You can't do that, Sam. You have to be honest with me. I know that I'm going to have to let you do things that will put you...us, in danger. I can accept that." She paused, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at her. "But I have to know what's going on, everything, no matter how small, so we can be ready in case something happens later. Do you understand that?"

Carter nodded, and she looked up a Tammy. "I won't do it again. I promise." She said, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes dropped back to the table, and flicked over toward their joined hands. "Do...do you sti..."

"Of course I do." Tammy smiled, squeezing her had again. "Do we need a minute, or can I call Jenn and Andi back?"

"Let's talk to them. They need to know too." She said. "I'm really sorry, Tammy."

"It's okay. We're good." Tammy looked toward the door. "Andi, Jenn? You want to come back in?" she called.

They came back in and sat down, and they started to pick up where they had left off.

Sheppard stepped back into the room and looked at Carter. "I have to go over to my office. A coded databurst came in for me. I'll be back as soon as I can." He looked over at Keller. "Walk me out?" He said, holding his hand out to her.

They walked to the porter, and he stopped in front of the doors. "I had a great time." He said as he took her in his arms. "I'd like to come back, maybe take the rest of the weekend off. Once you're sure she's going to be okay, I mean."

"I'd like that." Jennifer whispered, laying her head on his chest.

He tipped her head up, and kissed her again, then stepped back, into the porter. The doors closed in front of him.

Jennifer walked back into the kitchen, and saw Carter grinning at her. "So he wants to spend the weekend, huh?"

Jennifer nodded, grinning back at her.

Interior-SGC, Earth

0800 Hours

"I have a databurst to send to Atlantis, Walter." Landry said lightly. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to Sgt. Harriman. "Dial the gate please."

"Yessir." Harriman said as he started typing at his keyboard. "We have a scheduled dial up at sixteen hundred, sir."

"It's critical that they get this as soon as possible, Walter." Landry said. He looked up as the vortex burst from the gate, and the event horizon established.

"Is the databurst in the system, sir?" Harriman asked, turning to his laptop and bringing up the message screen.

"No, it's on this." Landry said as he plugged a flash drive into the laptop. "Send it from there."

"If I send it from that flash drive sir, there won't be any record of it in the database." Harriman said, glancing at the general out of the corner of his eye. "I'm not supposed to do that."

"This is classified, Walter. Do it on my authority." Landry said casually. He watched as Harriman opened a message window, typed in 'priority databurst' in the subject, then 'see attached' in the message box. He found the file on the drive, and added it, then hit send. 

A moment later Harriman said, "Atlantis confirms they received the databurst sir."

Landry pulled the flash drive from the slot and stood up.

"Thank you, Walter." Landry said as he walked to the door. He stopped and looked back. "Walter?"

"Yessir?" Harriman asked as he turned around.

"Why didn't you say chevron locked as they did it?" Landry asked him.

"It was just you and me sir..."

"I like it when you do that, Walter." Landry grinned. "So keep it up."

"Yessir." Harriman said, trying not to smile.

Landry went back to his office. He had already disconnected the network cable from his laptop, so he felt safe enough doing what he did next. He plugged the drive into his laptop, and did a low level format on it. When it was finished, he copied pictures of his daughter and his dog onto it. He repeated the process several times, then copied the pictures onto the drive again, and took it out of the slot. Opening his desk drawer, he put it in the tray next to the three identical ones he had there.

Interior-Ops Center

0815 Hours

"Send that databurst to my terminal." Sheppard said as walked toward his office.

"Yessir." The duty tech replied as he leaned over his console and began typing.

Sheppard went into his office, brought up his terminal and opened the databurst. He took a code book from his desk drawer, checked the calendar, and ran his finger down the list of codes. He typed one into his keyboard, and a video window opened.

"Col Sheppard, I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday arranging the meeting with Col. Carter." Gen Landry began. "As we discussed, you will be in command of the expedition until the IOA appoints a new commander. They haven't given me any indication of who that might be, and I don't want to speculate."

Sheppard stopped the recording and started it over. Landry was doing something with his hands, and Sheppard wanted to get a second look in case he was missing something. He muted the audio, and just watched for a moment, then restarted it again as he picked up a pen. He started writing down numbers and letters as he watched Landry move his hands around on the desk. When Landry closed his fist and laid the other hand over it, he closed the video window, opened the databurst again, and input the code he had written down.

A new window opened, showing Landry again, standing in front of a camera, this time in his quarters.

"They're gonna fuck her John. I've been given orders to reroute a ship to Atlantis. I'm sending the Daedalus. From its present position at the edge of the Milky Way galaxy, it will be there in nine days. When it arrives, Caldwell will either have orders in hand, or be ordered on arrival to try to beam her out of the city. The IOA knows she's up to something, and they're afraid of her." 

He paused, looking down, then back up at the camera. "This is wrong, John. Never in all my years of service have I been ordered to kidnap a member of my own command. One that we should be supporting at that. Carter is still one of us, and by god, we can't let this happen." Landry paused again, then continued. "I can't give you the orders, John. But you know what needs to be done, and you're in the best position to do it. We'll help as best we can from this end. I'm attaching a list of personnel you for you to review, you probably have a few to add to it."

Landry smiled and reached toward the camera. "Good luck, John. And give Sam my regards."

The video ended.

Sheppard pulled up the attached file, glanced at the list, then printed three copies. He deleted the file, then copied the databurst onto a flash drive, and deleted it from his terminal. 

He tapped his comm. "Jennifer? I need a ride." He said.

"I'll be right there." She said.

He closed the channel, then went out to the Ops center. He told the duty tech to call Maj. Lorne and tell him to cover things until he contacted him, then jogged down the steps to the porter.

Interior-Kitchen

0840 Hours

They were watching the video for the second time. Sheppard was standing behind Keller, his hands resting on her shoulders. He looked over at Carter as the video ended.

"None of my officers or NCO's are on that list. And I trust Landry. He took a big risk sending us that message." Sheppard said. "There's a couple names I'm surprised to see on his list, and I added a couple already."

"I can't believe they'd actually do something like that." Jennifer said quietly. "To one of their own."

"I'm not surprised." Carter said, looking around the table, then grinned at them. "I just didn't think they'd have the balls." She looked over at Keller. "And I'm not one of their own, Jenn. I...we, are the tools those carpetbaggers use as they stumble along, fighting with each other for the biggest piece of the pie."

"So what are we going to do?" Tammy asked.

Carter glanced over at Sheppard, and he nodded. 

"We don't have any choice." he said, squeezing Jennifer's shoulders gently. "We have to take the city, or at least try to. I'll need to read Lorne in, we can't do it without him. I don't need to worry about the junior officers or NCO's. If they see us working together, they'll follow." He looked back at Carter. "This is going to put you back in command. Are you up to that?"

Carter looked at Tammy, and she nodded.

"You're going to have problems, but we'll deal with them as they arise." Jennifer said as Carter looked over at her. 

She looked over at Samuels.

"We all know that you're up for the job. The question is, do you want to do it?" She said lightly. "This is all you, Sam. If you don't, we can load this place up with supplies, throw the shield up, and laugh at them."

Carter looked at her, then nodded. "I've been asked to do things I knew were wrong, for reasons I knew were wrong, and I did them, because I believed it served the greater good." She paused, looking around the table. "What they've been doing with this city is stupid, and what they're about to do is wrong, so we have to stand up, and say enough."

"I wasn't going to screw them, everyone was going to benefit." She said as she shook her head, then looked around the table again. "I'll do my best by you, and everyone else under the influence of this city. Let's get to work."

Interior-Ops Center

0930 Hours

"Colonel?" Lorne said as he knocked lightly on Sheppard's door.

"Come in, Lorne. Close the door." Sheppard said. 

Lorne closed the door behind him and stepped over in front of the desk.

"If this is about last night, sir." Lorne said, "You don't have to explain, really."

Sheppard shook his head, looking up at Lorne.

"Evan," Sheppard said softly as he opened his desk drawer and took out his Glock, sitting it on the desk between them. "When I get done, you're either going to slide that back over to me, or use it on me." He leaned back and looked up at Lorne.

"Then I think I'm going to need to sit down for this, sir." Lorne said, pulling a chair over.

Sheppard nodded, and Lorne sat down, waiting patiently for him to begin.

"You know Col. Carter resigned her command and her commission yesterday." He began.

"Yes sir. I was sorry to hear that." Lorne said.

"It was because of a medical problem, one which I'm happy to say, was exaggerated for the IOA's benefit." Sheppard continued. "I've spoken to the colonel, I just came from there as a matter of fact, and she's fine. Better than she was actually."

He paused, gathering his thoughts. "She proposed that she be given her own department, independent of Atlantis, for research and exploitation, and let me tell you, she has some good ideas. She wants to do things that we could never do the way things are setup now."

"I knew there were projects she wanted to start, but could never seem to get off the ground." Lorne said.

"Well, they gave her the impression that they were going to agree to her proposal, but I got a private message from Gen. Landry this morning." Sheppard told him. "They're going to say no, but string her along, and then they're going to try to come get her."

He turned the monitor so Lorne could see it, and played the video.

"Those bastards! What are we going..." Lorne said, his face reddening with anger.

Sheppard held his hand up and leaned forward. "I'm going to stop them, Evan. But I need your help. The only way we can do it, is to take the city, and lock it down so they can't get at her." He looked at Lorne, then down at the gun. "It's time to make a choice, Evan."

"Put the gun away colonel." Lorne said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

Sheppard slid a sheet of paper across the desk. "We'll talk more in a little while, and I'll fill you in completely then. But I have to go back over and talk to Col. Carter first. For now, I want these people assembled in the gateroom at fourteen hundred. Save McKay for last. Don't move on anyone until thirteen-thirty, and just bring them, no equipment, no personal items."

"Yessir. We'll be ready." Lorne said as he stood up and turned for the door.

"Evan." Sheppard said, holding out his hand as Lorne looked at him. "You understand what we're doing don't you?" He said as Lorne took his hand.

"Yessir. We're doing the right thing." Lorne said.

Sheppard nodded. "I think so too."

Interior-Bedroom

1010 Hours

"Shut up and lay down." Carter said as she pushed Tammy down on the bed. "You're the only one that didn't react to that damn machine last night, and I want to A, make sure you're all right, and B, see if we can figure out why."

She looked over at Keller. "Tie her down, knock her out, I don't care. I want her scanned from head to toe, and checked against current scans." She looked down at her. "I'm not sending her back in there unless I know she's going to be okay. Do both of you understand that?"

"Yes ma'am." Keller said as she moved the scanner into position over Tammy.

"If you ma'am me again, I'm going to find a dungeon and put you in it." Carter muttered as she walked out of the room.

"She's scared." Tammy said as she stretched out on the bed, closing her eyes and trying to relax.

Keller shook her head. "No, she's psyching herself up. She does that when she knows an op is going to be tough." She touched the controls on the scanner, then stepped back and watched it travel slowly down its track. "When we get into it, everyone will be looking to her, and she'll be directing traffic and talking to people like she was at Sunday tea."

"You haven't spent as much time with her as I have, Tammy. There's a lot to Samantha Carter you haven't seen yet." Jennifer said as she adjusted a control. "She's dependent on us right now, that's a big part of what's scaring her, she's not used to needing other people like she has to right now. But when we need her, she'll be there, standing tall, ready to take on all comers."

"I know, I was in the control room when we landed the city here, before she took over." Tammy said. "Lots of people were scared, and she was talking to Sheppard on comms. The two of them sounded like they were talking about a round of golf."

She looked up at Keller. "I think An..."

"I know, I tested it. Viagra." Keller said. "I'm gonna have to talk to her about that."

"Don't forget to thank her. Four times?" Tammy grinned.

"Five...if you include the first one. And let me tell you, he really knows how to swing his sword. He's got a little dagger he's pretty good with too!"

"Bigger than a babies arm...lucky you."

"Not really." Jennifer said, leaning closer. "I'm was sore this morning, but after we got going, it was better."

"This morning too? What is he, part goat?"

"Must be...Okay, you're done. Let me move the scanner out of the way before you sit up."

Tammy sat up, and they went over and sat at the bank of laptops. Jennifer pulled up the scan data on her laptop, and hit a control key. The image popped up on all three machines, and Keller centered the head on her screen.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, a little more activity in the parietal and temporal lobes than could be called normal, but I'm betting that's from the teaching machine. There's no new growth, or change in cell density. You're just using what you have more efficiently."

"Hormone levels are up, are you due to start your period soon?" Keller asked.

"Probably tomorrow." Tammy nodded

"Well, I don't see anything on this scan to be worried about. You're well within the norms, You look like the picture of health, Tammy.

"Okay, let's go tell her."

They walked into Carter's office, and she looked up at them from behind the desk.

"I heard." She said, letting them see the earplug hanging from her ear. "Let me see your headset." She added, holding out her hand.

Jennifer took the headset off and handed it too her. Carter looked up at her as she put it on.

"Six times in twelve hours?" She asked Keller, waggling her eyebrows.

She tapped the comm, and looked back at her keyboard.

"Carter to Sheppard." She said.

"Go on Sheppard."

"How are we looking, John?"

"Lorne's onboard, I'm filling him in now. I think you found your man at arms. We have teams set to round everyone up and have them in the gateroom just before fourteen hundred." He said.

"Good. I need you to go over to the mainland for me, John, and pick up a few things. Ready to copy?"

"Go ahead."

She gave him a list of coordinates, general descriptions of the areas, and told him how to find what he would be looking for. 

"Next item. Access code, you need one. Yours is sirjohnsirjohn." She paused. "That's right, just put sirjohn in twice, and it will get you where you want to go."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 07



"He got me where I wanted to go the first time he put it in." Keller muttered, making Tammy giggle.

"Call Jennifer when you get back, and she can give you the symbol combo for the building. Good. See you then." She tapped the comm off, and tossed the headset back to Keller.

"You are a bad, bad girl, Jennifer Keller." Carter grinned. She glanced over at Tammy. "Andi was right, but it's not as bad as having her hounding us."

Interior-Kitchen

1050 Hours

They found Samuels sitting in the kitchen, a laptop open in front of her as she tapped notes into her tablet.

"Has anyone seen her in the last few days when she wasn't typing something into that thing?" Carter asked as she opened the fridge and took out a couple cokes.

"Not me," Tammy said as she walked behind her, then went over and got three glasses out of the cabinet. She filled one with ice and handed it to Carter, sat one on the counter for Keller, and filled hers from the tap.

Jennifer walked up behind Samuels and laid her chin on her shoulder. "Thanks, Andi." She said. Then her hands came up and squeezed her tits, making her jump. "Don't do it again."

"What are you working on, Andi?" Carter asked as she opened a coke, pouring it down the side of the glass.

"What are you doing?" Tammy asked her.

"Huh? I'm pouring a coke, why?"

"You never do it like that."

"Well, Sheppard does it like this, and it doesn't fizz up as much. I thought I'd try it."

"If you two are done." She said, looking up at them. "I'm working on a diplomacy list."

"Really. Who have you got so far?"

"P34J439 is first on the list, but we really need to get someone to ask them what they call themselves. Then I've got the Athosians, Travelers, Genii, and the Wraith, in that order. I figured I'd hit the majors first."

"Add the Jaffa to that list. And send an assistant if you're serious about reaching out to the Genii and the Wraith." Carter said. "I'd hate to lose you."

"I figured we'd start with the Athosians and P34J439. Teyla and her people have contact with most of the planets in the local sector, so they can help us with marketing, and recruiting manpower, which we're going to need a lot of."

"I think we still need to look at trying to get that second city, no matter what happens here." She looked at Carter. "And I think we need to do that sooner, rather than later. We need to get someone in there to check the place out, and see what works, and what needs to be repaired."

"I agree." Carter said. "But tell me what you're thinking."

"Production, manufacturing, and worst case scenario, refuge." Samuels said as she glanced down at her tablet. "I can't remember who was talking about it, but someone mentioned that less than twenty percent of Atlantis has been explored, and most of that was in the central section."

"That was me and Sheppard." Carter said. "You've been reviewing the videos from in here."

Samuels nodded, glanced down at her tablet and changed screens, then continued.

"So we need to get people out looking at the buildings on the other piers. There's probably production facilities, workshops, storage areas. The Atlantian's didn't import everything, they couldn't. They had to produce some basic consumables on site. And if it's here on Atlantis, it's probably going to be in the other city too. And I think we should call it Anchorage. I always liked that name, and it's going to fit."

When no one said anything, she looked up and saw them all staring at her.

"What? You don't like the name? Or did you think all this stuff just popped out of thin air?" She laughed. "They made all these gadgets, gizmos and doohickeys somewhere. And they didn't do it in the labs, at least, not on a mass production basis."

"So we might not need to import stuff from Earth." Tammy said. "We can scan, copy, or reverse engineer whatever we want."

Andi nodded.

"We're having a meeting in the auditorium at sixteen hundred. I'm going to tell everyone what's happening, and offer those that want to leave a chance to." Carter said. "Once we know what we have left, you get with the department heads, and have them assign teams to go out into the city, starting tomorrow morning. Everything not directly related to defense or operating the city stops. This just jumped to the top of the get it done list."

She looked back and forth between Andi and Tammy. "You two block out some time in the next few days, don't plan on it being before Monday, but I want you to sit down, and put your heads together, and bring me a list of ideas. Get drunk, thumped up, whatever it takes. But you work well together, you feed each other ideas. I want them in front of me."

She turned and looked at Keller. "Jenn, what do I need to worry about from your department? You're three nurses down, you can have one back now. If things get hairy, you can pull the other one. Tammy stays with me. Where are you on supplies, patients, anything pressing?"

"Two patients this morning, no one that needs to be evacuated. A broken arm and a recovering appendicitis that can be released. We just took in fresh supplies two days ago, so we're good on blood and medicines." Keller told her. She looked down at her tablet, scrolled through several screens and looked up. "I've got a physicians assistant due to rotate out in two weeks, so we can probably count him as being gone."

"If you're talking about Art, he wanted to stay." Tammy said. "He tried to re-up, but the IAO told him that they preferred to get another MD in here to replace him. He showed me the letter."

"He didn't tell me that." Keller said. "He just told me that his contract was up, and that he was going to be going home in a few weeks. Now that I think about it, he didn't seem real thrilled with the prospect, like most people are."

"That's because he's afraid of you. He sees you as this little dynamo that works miracles. I think he has a crush on you too. And he doesn't have any family on Earth, so there's not much to go back too."

"One of you can talk to him after the meeting. Just feel him out, don't try to talk him out of it if he wants to go." Carter said. 

She stood up and stretched. "I think I'm going to go lay down for a little while." She looked around at them as they looked up at her. "I feel fine, but I think this is probably going to be a long day, and I just want to make sure I'm rested up for it."

She smiled as she looked down at Tammy. "I don't think it would hurt to charge my batteries a little either. You wanna come play?"

Interior-Office

1250 Hours

"There's a ZPM in place in the Central Tower already, and we have one charged up here." Carter said as she looked across at Tammy. "I think that's enough for now. I'm not sure if it's worth the risk to try to charge more up right now."

"Well, you said you can work the controls, and monitor the receptacle from here as we charge them, so that means we don't have to put you at risk." Tammy said as she looked up from her terminal. "We only need four more, and I can load them, make sure they start to charge, then step out of the room till you tell me it's safe. That should take less than an hour, all told."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Carter asked. "What if one of them overloads, and I can't stop it?"

"Then you tell me, and I go in and shut it down from the console, or disable the receptacle." Tammy said as she stood up and stepped over to the desk. She put her hands on the desk, and leaned toward her. "Don't do this, Sam. Don't start making up reasons not to do what you know needs to done, because you're afraid someone might get hurt."

"I'm afraid it's you that's going to get hurt."

"Hurt worse than having them take you from me, then not knowing where you are, and not being able to find you?" Tammy shook her head. "No, That's a nightmare I won't live through when I can prevent it. I wasn't affected last night, you saw the scan. So I'm the best choice to do this."

"I've studied the controls for the console, so I'll know what to do if something does go wrong. Which it won't." She moved around the side of the desk and held her arms out. "Now give me a kiss, I have to get going if we're going to be ready."

Sam stood up, stepping into Tammy's arms, wrapping hers around her. "You come back to me." She whispered, then pulled back, looking into her eyes. "I love you." She said as she kissed.

"I love you." Tammy said as she kissed her again. "We're going to be fine, Sam. You'll see."

Interior-Subbasement Three

1340 Hours

"We're done, Sam." Tammy said as the ZPM popped up in the receptacle. "That's the last one." 

"Good. Push it back down, gently, don't force it. It should drop on it's own once you get it seated."

"It's in." Tammy told her. "I'm heading for the east pier. I hope they're all on the same floors, or we may not make fourteen hundred."

"Go to the north first." Carter said as she scrolled through the cities power screens. "There's a squad of marines over there, and they already found the receptacle. They'll escort you down to it. We should know where the one on the east side is before you're done."

"Copy that. I'm on my way." Tammy said, scooping up her bag and jogging down the hall toward the porter.

Interior-McKay's Lab

1355 Hours

"Dr. McKay?" Lorne said as he stepped into the room.

"Yes, what is it?" McKay said, not looking up from his laptop.

"You're needed in the gateroom."

"What?" McKay asked, turning around on his stool. "Why didn't they cal..." He stopped when he saw Lorne, and the four marines standing behind him. "What is this? Does Sheppard know..." He tapped his comm, but before he could speak, Lorne stepped over and plucked it off his ear.

"My orders are you escort you to the gateroom, sir." Lorne said evenly. He motioned to toward the door. "After you."

McKay looked at the marines, back at Lorne, then back at the marines. He started to say something, but apparently thought better of it, and accompanied them out into the hall, then down to the porter.

Interior-Gateroom, Atlantis

1405 Hours

"Sheppard!" McKay called when he saw him standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the Ops Center. "What's going on? And why is the gate open. I was just about to call you, I'm getting weird power readings from all over the city, like there's ZPM's just popping up all over the place."

"I know, Rodney." Sheppard said. "We got an emergency message from the SGC with instructions to send people back to Earth. The others have already gone through, you're the last one."

"What? No, no, no, no, no. I can't go back to Earth." McKay said, backing away, and looking around. "I have to figure out what's going on, where these power readings are coming from. And when are we coming back, I have to pack. I can't just to go Earth like this. What abou..."

"Lorne." Sheppard said quietly.

At Maj. Lorne's signal, two marine's stepped forward and grabbed McKay's arms, leading him toward the gate. He started to struggle, but they tightened their grip, and he gave up, realizing that fighting them was useless. He let them lead him to the gate.

"Rodney." Sheppard called, not moving from his place at the foot of the stairs.

The marines stopped, just short of the event horizon, and McKay turned to look at him.

"Tell Gen. Landry, message received, operation completed. Next contact eighteen hundred hours." He nodded at the marines, turned, and walked away.

"What?" McKay asked as one of the marines spun him around, and pushing him into the event horizon.

Interior-Gateroom, SGC Earth

1405 Hours

"Dr. McKay, welcome back to Earth." Landry said as he stepped up the ramp toward him.

"What's going on, general? Sheppard said that they had been told to return people to earth, and said to tell you, 'message received, operation completed. Next contact eighteen hundred hours', and..."

"Take Dr. McKay and put him with the others." Landry said as he turned and walked back down the ramp. "Keep them together. No one talks to them until I know more about what's going on." He walked through the blast doors, and disappeared down the corridor. 

Interior-Kitchen

1420 Hours

"We need to do this in three groups. I've been working on a script..." Andi said, looking around the table. She slid a small stack of papers into the center of the table. "We need to do the military first, but in two groups. Officers and NCO's, then the enlisted."

She looked over at Sheppard. "You need to impress on the officers and NCO's, that once they join us, they are becoming mercenaries. Then tell them that they will be the command group for the Atlantis Defense Force that will be established once we know that we've been successful in seceding from the IOA. And use the word seceding. Let them know that we're establishing an independent state here."

"Mercenaries? They're not going to like that. We'll lose half of them, if not more." He said, shaking his head.

"No, they'll recognize that you're being honest with them, and that will make them more likely to stay. You know these men, John. But I know men as a group." Samuels said. "Most of them plan on being career military. That kind of man wants to serve, to be part of something bigger than himself, that he can make a contribution to."

"Why the Atlantis Defense Force?" Carter asked "You picked that name for a reason."

"Busted again. I gave it alot of thought before I settle on that. I chose it because it makes us sound like the little guy, defending our home against the big bad IOA.

Carter nodded. "Go on."

"I made up a video presentation to show at all three meetings, made up of excerpts of Jennifer's meeting with the IOA. I included clips of Jennifer outlining Sam's request for an independent department, Woolsey saying he didn't see a problem with it, then Sam's exchange with him on details on the department and a compensation package. Both of his responses clearly indicate a willingness on the part of the IOA to agree to what sounds like a reasonable request."

She played the video she had made up on her laptop.

"The fact that Woolsey comes across as a weaselly snake oil salesman works to our advantage." She said as she stopped it.

There was laughter and heads nodding around the table

"Then we play Landry's message to John."

She hit play, and let Landry's message play through, watching their reactions. She hit stop when it finished.

"All of you knew what was coming. But each of you showed anger again by the end of Landry's message. We can expect a similar, if not greater reaction from each group we show it to when they see it cold."

"What was Maj. Lorne's reaction when you showed him Landry's message?" She asked John.

"He was angry, and asked what we were going to do."

"We. No hesitation? The first thing he asked is what are WE going to do?"

Sheppard nodded.

"And when you asked him to join our mutiny?"

"I didn't put it that way. I gave him the list of people to round up, and as he was leaving, I asked him if he understood what we were doing. He said, 'The right thing'."

"The right thing. Again, we can expect the same reaction from most of the people that see this video." She stopped and looked around the table. "Before anyone says it. Yes, we're manipulating peoples emotions. It can't be helped. But we're going to offset that by giving them accurate information. We'll make the full video and transcript of Jennifer's meeting available, and tell them upfront that we lied to the IOA about Sam's condition. But for the moment, we have to let this video do our work for us."

"Would it not be better to simply proceed as normal, as though nothing out of the ordinary has occurred?" Teyla asked. "Among my people, all are expected to follow as our leaders decide. They are after all, wiser. This is why they lead."

"I'll take this Andi." Carter said. "Your people are working for the common good, or against a common enemy, Teyla. Would you say the same thing if your people were talking about uprising against your leaders?"

Teyla shook her head.

"That's what we're doing. I thought you understood that."

"Yes, but you are much loved among the people of Atlantis, as is Col. Sheppard and Dr. Weir before you. Your people speak fondly of you, and it has hurt them deeply to hear that you have fallen ill, and will no longer lead them. Many have feelings of distrust for the IOA, and fear that their new leader will not care for them as well as you."

"That's why we're going to talk to them Teyla." Andi said. "We want them to know that Sam is alright, and that she will be resuming her command. Continuing to lead them as she has before."

Teyla nodded.

"But we're asking them to rise up against the IOA, which means that those that decide to stay, may never be able to return home, or see their families again. We're placing a terrible burden on them, and we have to give them a choice, to return home, or stay and help make Atlantis what we all think it can be."

"Jennifer has told me of your plans, and I appreciate what you wish to do for the people of this galaxy." She turned and looked at Carter. "You know that you will always have my support, and the support of my people. We will stand with you, and bring in others to stand as well. You need not fear, we will prevail."

Carter nodded, unable to speak for a moment.

"Sam?" Tammy said quietly.

Carter waved her off. "Thank you Teyla. The support of your people was never in doubt. And the love I feel for you...We're going to make Atlantis something we can all be proud of, and want to call home. We just need to give our people a chance to make their own choices." 

She looked over at Samuels. "Anything else Andi?"

"I just need approval on the script, then you need to rehearse it few times." She held up her hand as Carter started to speak. "No Sam, not just read it, rehearse it. It only takes about twenty minutes, so you'll have time to run through it at least twice."

She looked over at Tammy. "I want her in a gown, light grey, pale green or blue, cream would be perfect. Not white. I want her looking saintly and pure, not angelic. Brush her hair back from her face, no make-up. No shoes either, but I doubt if anyone will notice that."

She turned to Sheppard, sliding a sheet of paper across the table too him. "Read through that. Stick as close to it as you can. Walk through it at least once before you go in and talk to your men. This has to sound like it's coming from you. You can improvise, but only to substitute your own language."

"I'm not much of an actor, doc." Sheppard said.

"Bullshit, you do it all the time. You're just using someone else's words this time." She wrote something quickly on the bottom of a pad, tore it off and folded it several times, then slid it over to him. "Put that in your pocket. Don't look at it till you're done."

She looked at her watch. "Your first meeting is in thirteen minutes. You need to be done with both, and with us at the auditorium by thirteen-fifty. Fifty-five at the latest. You need to get going."

"Jennifer, walk him out will you?"

Sheppard and Keller stood up and left the room. Carter looked at Andi for a moment, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Why did you do that?" She asked.

There was a long silence before she answered.

"He has to know that his woman has faith in him, that she believes in what he's doing." Samuels said, looking down at the table. For the first time since they had begun the meeting, they were seeing her look uncomfortable. "I didn't like doing that. But I didn't have any choice." She said quietly.

She looked up, glancing around the table. "He already knows that his leader and his peers support and believe in him. But she's key in this. Three days ago, it wouldn't have mattered. Now, she gives us an edge."

She was shaking her head as she let it drop into her hands. "God, I hate myself sometimes." She muttered.




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 07



Interior-Central Tower

1520 Hours

"Attention all Atlantis personnel. Please assemble in the auditorium at sixteen hundred hours. All Atlantis personnel. Assemble in the auditorium at sixteen hundred hours."

The announcement was repeated every ten minutes for the next half hour.

Interior-Corridor, Central Tower

1550 Hours

"Ronin!" Carter said as she stepped from the porter. She stepped over too him and hugged him, making him stiffen at the unexpected greeting. He put his arms around her awkwardly, patting her lightly on the back, looking around, a look of discomfort on his face.

Carter released him, stepping back and looking up at him. She turned and looked at Tammy. 

"Don't you think he'd look better with short hair?" She said, turning him slightly so she could see his back. "Those dreadlocks just make him look so...wild. I guess some women like it, but..."

"I know Amelia would like to see him lose them. That scraggly beard too." She looked up at him. "She thinks he's hot, but the hair turns her off." She smiled up at him. "Hi, I'm Tammy Ford." She said, holding out her hand.

"I know," he grunted. "You're a nurse. You stitched me up a couple times." He paused. "Who's Amelia?"

Tammy looked around, then turned him and pointed at a young woman standing just outside the auditorium doors. "That's her." She said. As she did, Amelia Banks glanced over, then looked away quickly, moving into the auditorium. "See what I mean?"

"She thinks I'm hot?" He asked, looking after her.

"Mmmm hmmm. You clean up your act a little bit, and I think you might have a chance with her." Tammy said. "She's your kind of girl too. I bet she could kick your ass, or come close."

"Really." He said slowly.

"If we're through giving Ronin dating tips, I think we should get started." Sheppard said as he walked up. He turned and looked at Ronin. "I like your hair. Makes you look scary."

He turned to Carter. "Two officers, both lieutenants, one NCO, eleven enlisted. One of the lieutenants wants some more time to think about it, and may change his mind." He said quietly. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "Samuels prediction. That woman scares me."

She nodded, opened the note and looked at it. Two lieutenants, one NCO, thirteen enlisted, was written on it. She wadded it up and handed him back to him. "Me too, I'm glad she's on our side."

Ronin looked over at Tammy, and gave her a small smile when she made a scissors motion with her fingers.

"Let's go." Carter said, moving toward the auditorium. "It's showtime folks!"

Interior-Auditorium

1600 Hours

Carter made her way down they aisle to the front of the room. A table had been setup, with a single chair behind it. Samuels was standing behind the table, and clipped a microphone to the collar of her gown, then took her hand and steadied her as she stepped up onto it, then onto the table.

She stood looking out over the room. Every civilian member of the expedition was present, and the room was crowded, people lined the rear and side walls, and some were seated on the floor in front.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, people around the room began to stand and applaud. In seconds, everyone was on their feet, clapping, shouting and cheering, filling the room with a deafening din.

Carter looked down at Samuels, who made a palms down gesture, signaling her to let them continue. She stood quietly, looking around, smiling as she picked out people in the crowd.

They went on for several minutes, then Samuels stepped out into the center aisle, her hands raised in the air. "Ladies and gentlemen! Please, take your seats." She had to repeat it several times as she moved up and down the aisle. They sat again, settling down as they waited for her to speak.

"Thank you." Carter said, her voice coming from speakers around the room. "I honestly wasn't expecting that." Another round of applause and a wave of laughter filled the room. She continued when it died down. "I hope you feel the same way when I'm finished."

"You've been told that I resigned my command, and my commission because of a health condition that rendered me unfit for duty. This was true as far as it went." She began, then launched into a brief review of what had happened. "My medical team has determined, that while my current condition is not treatable, it is manageable, making it possible for me to function normally. And resume my duties if I choose to."

"Yesterday, Dr. Keller represented me in a meeting with the SGC and the IOA, where she reviewed my condition with them. She also tendered my resignations." She paused, then continued. "I have to tell you, that Dr. Keller misrepresented the severity of my condition to the IOA at my request. By the time she met with them, we knew that my condition is manageable, and that I could competently perform my duties as expedition commander." 

The assembled crowd began whispering among themselves, and she continued, speaking over them.

"We presented a proposal to establish a new department here in Atlantis, to be headed by me, independent of, but under the jurisdiction of the IOA. The purpose of this new department was to be research and exploitation, specifically, on methods to improve the quality of life for the people of the Pegasus galaxy, and to establish trade between the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies. Neither of which has been possible under the IOA to date."

She turned, and a screen dropped from the ceiling. A moment later, Samuels' video began playing on it.

"As you can see, The IOA was receptive to my proposal, even after they had been given an exaggerated worst case scenario of my current status. Granted, they didn't have complete details on what I had in mind."

"We did, however, forward a detailed outline for the department, along with a summary of salary and benefits requirements for senior staff. They must not have liked what they read. Because earlier this morning, Col. Sheppard received this."

She turned toward the screen again, and the Landry message began to play.

There were gasps, then angry shouts as it played. 

She stood looking at the screen after it ended, then turned and looked out over the crowd.

"As you can see. The IOA has decided that I am a threat to them. I'm going to call that a self fulfilling prophecy. Col. Sheppard and I, working in conjunction with a small group of senior staff, have decided to take Gen. Landry's advice. Effective immediately, I am returning to duty as commander of the Atlantis expedition." 

A cheer went up, and she had to wait a moment before she could continue.

"I'm not finished. I'm not only taking command, I intend to take full control of Atlantis, no longer bowing to the whims of the IOA. Atlantis will be run as an independent state, with me as it's titular head for the foreseeable future."

There was a stunned silence, then the noise of people talking and whispering grew again.

"Col. Sheppard has already spoken to the military. With a few exceptions, they have decided to join us, so we will be able to defend Atlantis, and our away teams as we continue to send them out. I have also taken steps toward that goal, by placing ZPM's in all six of the cities power modules."

"I thought the city only used three ZPM's. The ones in the central tower." A voice near the front said.

Carter looked at Samuels. Andi shook her head, and shrugged her shoulders.

"That's what we thought initially, because most of the city has never been explored. I recently discovered another power room in one of the towers on an outlying pier. We have since verified that there are power centers in the main tower of each of the other two piers. And each of those uses a single ZPM."

She paused, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Those main towers also control the systems of the outlying piers. Including their shields, which I activated before I came down for this meeting."

"As I said, I plan on running Atlantis as an independent state. To do that, I need your help, so I am inviting those of you that wish to remain with us, to go to your quarters when we're finished, and remain there until we call for you."

She paused looking around the room. "Please consider your decisions carefully. Those of you that decide to leave, will not be able to return. We would welcome you home if you did, but we doubt if the IOA will allow it. This is going to be a one way trip for you."

"You have until eighteen hundred hours to make your decisions and assemble in the gateroom with your possessions. I'm sorry, but you will only be able to take what you can carry."

"Those of you that decide to stay with us need to know that success is by no means a foregone conclusion. And I have nothing to offer you but more hard work, a place to live, and the sense of accomplishment we'll get as we work toward our goals, just as we have in the past. This time though, we're going to make a difference. We have allies among the peoples of the Pegasus galaxy, who will support us, and work with us. So we won't be alone. But we have enemies too, some that we eventually hope to make our friends, some that will never be. And now we're looking at making one of our own people."

"Once we know how many of our expedition will be returning home, and have departed for Earth, The rest of us will meet again, here, in the auditorium. At that time, I will review the current status of the city, our short term needs and goals, and assign teams for each."

"Thank you all for your hard work and support while I've been here. I will remember you all fondly. No matter what you decide, I wish you the best, and hope you find the happiness you deserve."

She jumped down from the table, and moved into the crowd, shaking hands and hugging people as they came up to her. It took them almost ten minutes to get her out of the auditorium, because she wanted to talk to everyone that approached her. They finally cleared a space around her, and Ronin led the way toward the door.

"You went off script, but it worked. Good job." Samuels said

"You did that, the applause, didn't you?" Carter asked Samuels as they exited the auditorium.

"No, my plants were in the back, and along the west wall. Those people did that on their own." Samuels said. "Teyla had it nailed. You are much loved among your people. My queen."

"Stop that. We're not turning this into a monarchy."

"We'll see."

Interior-Kitchen

1640 Hours

Tammy sat Sam's drink down in front of her as she sat down.

"Drink that, you look a little pale, and I want you to lay down for a few minutes, just to relax."

"Yes mother."

"Good girl." Tammy said as she sat down next to her.

"What's wrong with you?" Ronin asked. "You look fine."

"Andi turned her into a sex fiend." Jennifer said lightly.

"Really." He said, his eyes narrowing.

"Back off, big guy." Tammy said. "This ones mine."

"I thought so." He nodded. "You look good together." 

He stood up and walked over to the door. "How do I get out of here?"

"Where are you going?" Carter asked.

"I need to unpack and get cleaned up. You don't need me here, but I'll be ready when you do."

"Thank you, Ronin." She said, smiling at him. 

Ronin looked at Tammy, then turned and walked out the door.

"I'll be right back." Tammy said, as she stood up and followed him.

"Ronin." Tammy said as she caught up with him. She led him over to the porter, and stood in the door as he tapped in the symbols for the porter closest to his quarters. "Don't cut your hair. Come back tomorrow, Sheppard can bring you over. I'll help you with it if you want."

He nodded. "I like her too." She heard him say as the doors closed.

"How many are we going to lose?" Sam asked Andi as Tammy came back into the room and took her seat again. 

"At least two hundred. Mostly the ones with families and kids on Earth. More than half of the department heads, not because they have families but because they'll feel threatened. Of the rest, the younger ones will stay, so will most of the over fifties." 

She tapped on her tablet, scrolling down through her notes.

"Kiss most of the PhD's goodbye, you lost them when you went off script and said you had nothing to offer them but hard work, they didn't hear anything beyond that. The unskilled labor will stay because they like it here. The work is easy, and they have a better quality of life than they can afford anywhere on earth."

"Most of my nurses will stay. I'll probably lose one doctor, but the PA we were going to lose will probably stay, so we break even there." Jennifer said. 

"The PhD's are no big loss, present company excluded." She said, smiling at Tammy. "The mid-level people are the ones that actually get the work done. We lost at least five good people in the first group we sent out. Too bad they were moles and spies."

"Two hundred out of six hundred and thirty. And we won't know what skills we need to replace for two hours." Carter said. "Or where we're going to get them."

"It's going to be more than two hundred. And I think we need to make the offer again in a few days. That will be another twenty or thirty."

"Why do it again?" Sheppard asked.

"People are going to change their minds, regret that they stayed. We don't want them." Samuels said. "Better to be rid of them before they can stir up unrest."

"And I have an answer to where you're going to get your skills." She said, looking at Tammy.

"You want to use the teaching machine. I thought you didn't think that was safe?" Tammy said.

"I said I wanted to wait until we knew more about it, and saw that you weren't negatively affected." Andi said. "You appear to be fine. Your scan results show no abnormal activity, or modification to your brain chemistry or tissue. I'm starting to think that it's safe to use." She paused, looking down at her tablet. "On anyone with the ancient gene."

"And on other people?"

"We don't know. So we'll have to test it. I do..."

"No." Carter said. "I'm sorry Andi, but I need you. I can't afford to have your brains scrambled if it doesn't work. We can ask for a volunteer later, or talk to Teyla, and get one of her people. Not her, at least to start." 

"You were willing to risk Tammy's life, but no..."

"The machines were designed to work on the ancients. That means the ancient gene. She has it. The risk was minimal, and given that she had already been accidentally scanned by a different machine, with no ill effects, I saw the risk as acceptable."

"Okay, I'll buy that." Andi said. "We won't need the manpower for a little while since we're going to scale back operations and do an inspection of the city. I'd like to add a mapping operation to that. We might as well mark where everything is while we're out looking around."

"But I still want to use the teaching machine. The more people we have that understand ancient, the better off we'll be. That would make it easier to identify and tag equipment, plus keep people from getting hurt as they move around in those buildings. Make it voluntary, and offer it to the people that have the ancient gene."

"That's the kind of idea I can use." Carter said. She looked over at Sheppard. "Did you get that list of names from who I told you to get it from?" She asked.

"He's gone, colonel." Sheppard laughed. "Can we just use his name when we have too? But yes, I have the names. Thirty-seven people never got the gene therapy."

"Let's hope most of them stay, and we can offer them that too." Andi said. "Wait a minute." She said looking over at Sheppard. "Have your guys been tested for the gene?"

He nodded. "All of them have it. That's one of the selection criteria for assignment to Atlantis."

"How many do you have left? How close were my numbers?" Samuels asked.

"You were off by two, on the high side. We're losing eleven enlisted." He looked down at his tablet, did a quick tally and looked up at her. "Nine officers, twenty-six NCO's, and four hundred thirty-four enlisted. That's four hundred and seventy all told."

He looked back at his tablet, tapped on the screen a few times, and looked up again. "I just mailed you and the colonel a skills list. More than half my guys have some kind of degree, all of them have at least a year of college. There's probably fifty masters degrees in this group."

"So we just replaced alot of the skills we're losing without leaving this table." 

"John could be a member of Mensa if he wanted. He passed the test." Jennifer said, looking at him. "Teyla told me."

"Where is Teyla? She came over with us." Carter said. "Where did she go?"

"She's out on the couch in the living room. I think she fell asleep" Tammy said as she stood up. She moved behind Sam and pulled her chair away from the table. "Come on, you. I want you to lay down for a few minutes before we go down to the gateroom to say goodbye, then do that second meeting."

"You're going to say goodbye to them?" Samuels asked.

"Of course, they're friends, and they're just doing what they think is best for themselves. We can't fault them for that." Carter said. "It's just the decent thing to do."

Interior-Gateroom, Atlantis

1745 Hours

She moved among them, shaking hands, saying a few words, or getting a hug. Tammy and Jennifer stood off to the side watching. Several people gathered up their belongings, and went back to their quarters, but she didn't say anything.

"Colonel Carter?" The Ops tech called down from the balcony. "It's time."

"Thank you, Chuck." She said, moving back to stand next to Tammy and Jennifer. She slipped her arm around Tammy's waist, and laid her head on her shoulder.

She could hear the tech talking to Sheppard, then the gate started to dial. Moments later, the vortex burst forth, then receded.

"The iris is open on the other end. It's safe to proceed." Chuck called down from his station.

People began moving forward, and Carter waved at the ones that looked back. It took almost two minutes for them all to go through.

Exterior-North Pier

1800 Hours

"The gate is open, colonel. Channel open, now!" The Ops tech said.

Sheppard pointed at Lorne and nodded.

"Stargate Command! This is Lorne! We are under attack, open the iris for emergency evacuation of wounded!" He yelled as he fired his P-90 into the air. 

"Understood, Atlantis. We are opening the iris." There was a pause. "Iris is open, Atlantis."

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronin were spread out around Lorne firing various weapons, and throwing small charges of C4 into the air.

"Start sending them through." Sheppard said as he pulled off a burst with a P-90, then popped off half a dozen rounds with his Glock.

Several minutes later, the Ops tech came on. "They're all through colonel."

"Shut it down." Sheppard said, moving his hand in a slashing motion in front of his throat, signaling the others to cease fire.

"Col. Sheppard? We got a databurst from the SGC while we were moving people through. It's a big one sir."

"Copy." Sheppard said. "Put it on a flash drive, or a tablet. I'll come get it in a little while."

"Yessir."

Interior-Central Tower

1815 Hours

"Attention all Atlantis personnel. Please assemble in the auditorium immediately. All Atlantis personnel. Assemble in the auditorium immediately."

Interior-Auditorium

1830 Hours

"Thank you for coming." She said, then paused, looking around the room with a bright smile on her face. "And thank you for staying." She had a microphone on again, and spoke to them in a comforting voice.

There was a brief round of applause, and people looked around, smiling at their friends.

"I need the military to move to the front of the room, we already have your numbers. Everyone else, please form up by departments. If the department head is missing, I need the next senior member to take attendance. There are pads and pens on tables around the room. Please make a list of all remaining personnel, and bring it forward when you're done."




Confirming Carter Bk. 01 Ch. 07



They got the first sheets in a couple of minutes, and had them all in less than ten. 

Samuels tallied them up quickly, and looked up at Carter.

"I count four hundred sixty-two civilians, so we only lost a hundred and seventy-seven. Three department heads out of eight are missing." Andi said. "We did better than I expected."

"We have our numbers. Feel free to move around." She turned to the soldiers and marines behind her. "You too guys, feel free to mix. I'm going to end the segregation between the military and civilians, and we'll be integrating everyone into different types of units."

"We have four hundred and seventy military, four hundred sixty-two civilians, plus me and my gang of ne'er-do-wells."

That brought a laugh from the crowd.

"That's the last time you'll be referred to like that. From now on, we're Atlantian's. And there are nine hundred and thirty-eight of us."

A marine started clapping as he walked by her, then a med tech in scrubs picked it up, and in moments, they were all applauding, smiling and slapping each other on the back.

She took her microphone off and moved through the crowd. stopping to talk to small groups, then moving on. Tammy stood off to the side, watching her progress, but staying out of the way.

"She really knows how to work a room." Samuels said to Sheppard. "She's got them right in the palm of her hand."

"Give it a rest, doc." Sheppard said. "She's happy to see these people, and she wants them to know it. This is real. Let her enjoy it."

She was smiling broadly as she stepped away from a group of marines. She saw Tammy and waved her over. She had put her microphone back on, and she took Tammy's hand as she turned toward the crowd.

"We're going to put a hold on all but critical research until further notice. I'll get with department heads later, and they'll let you know who is affected. Beginning tomorrow morning we'll be dispatching teams to go out into the city, beginning with the outer piers, to inspect and map the areas we haven't explored yet."

"We're looking for something specific, so I'm going to let Andi Samuels tell you what that is, and how you're going to find it."

She took off her microphone and handed it Andi as she walked over. She led Tammy over to a chair and sat down. 

"I feel good. I think we might just pull this off." She said.

"You look like you're having a good time. That's nice to see." Tammy said, squeezing her hand.

"What we're going to be looking for, is production, manufacturing, and storage facilities on the outer piers. I wish I could tell you what the equipment is going to look like, but I don't have a clue about that. But we do have a way to make it easier for you to identify them. Guys?"

Two marines wheeled a pair of ancient machines up behind her. She stepped to the side so everyone could get a look at them. She picked up a headset from one of them and held it in her hand as she spoke.

"These are ancient teaching machines. Tammy Ford, Col. Carter's nurse, has used one of them several times. Once to learn ancient language, another time to learn how to use another ancient machine." 

She paused, looking around to see what kind of reaction that got. People were looking at Tammy, but no one appeared surprised or upset by the news.

"In order to make identifying the ancient equipment easier, we're asking for volun..."

She stepped back, as a rush of people surged toward her, crowding around the machines.

Carter laughed and stood up, then went over, plucking the microphone off of Andi's collar. She put it back on her own, and waved them back.

"Back it up people, back it up...we'll get to everyone." She said grinning broadly. "My, my. No one volunteers that fast when Dr. McKay asks for test subjects!"

The crowd burst out laughing, and a voice from the back of the room shouted, "Yeah, but she looks like she knows what's she's doing!" Which brought another wave of laughter.

"Okay, you got me on that one," She smiled. "We need to limit this to people that have the ancient gene. We haven't tested it on anyone else, and I'm not going to risk any of you until I have more time to study this thing, and see if it's safe to use on people without the gene."

She held out her hand, and Andi gave her the headset. She held it over her head. "The machine uses this headset to transmit energy into your brain that excites the neurons, making them receptive to new information, which it then transmits in another waveform. For the ancient language, the process takes about forty seconds."

A man stood up near the middle of the room. "I'm Dave Brewster, ma'am, astrobiology. How do you know all that? Have you used the machine?"

She looked at him for a moment, then grinned. "Good questions, Dave. No, I haven't had the machine used on me, my staff won't let me. But I have operated it. I learned ancient the hard way. I used a book that Daniel Jackson gave me, and I've been with the SGC for eleven years. You pick up alot along the way."

She looked over and waved for Tammy to join her. 

"To answer the other part of your question. I read the manual. I know that's a strange concept for you guys, but us girls like to do that!"

Every woman in the room laughed, whooping and hollering as they applauded. Carter took off the mike and gave it to Tammy.

"Like Sa...like the colonel said, the process takes about forty seconds." She said as she clipped the mike to her collar. "There is very little physical sensation. I noticed a slight tingling and warming on my scalp, and after about fifteen seconds, saw flashes of color from the corners of my eyes. That lasted, maybe ten seconds or so. Following that, I began to see images, but not visually. These were mental images, like you get when you think of a favorite place, or the face of a friend. I wasn't able to get any one of them clearly in my mind before the process ended."

"When Col. Carter said the process was completed, I turned and spoke in ancient to her and Dr. Keller. Since neither of them speak ancient, I wrote it on a pad and showed it to the colonel. She translated for Dr. Keller."

"What did you say?" a voice called out.

"She said I have a big ass!" Carter said as she walked over and took the mike from her.

"We can do three people at a time on each machine, so we'll do you in groups of six. As you get done, say something to Tammy. Keep it brief, pleasant, and clean please."

She looked over at Sheppard. "John, we'll do your guys on my machine, department heads, send me one of yours at a time over here to Tammy's machine. I want to keep this leveled out across the current structure."

Sheppard stood up and walked over to a group of soldiers. "Show me hands." He said. Every hand in the group went up. He grinned and nodded, then walked down the line tapping on the first eight shoulders he came to. "Line up."

He went over and took his place at the head of the line. Carter looked up at him. "You sure?"

He nodded. "Can't ask them to do it if I won't." He said.

"Don't even ask." Tammy told her, putting the headsets on the first three people in her line.

Carter handed him and two soldiers the headsets. "Put these on." She said as she started working the controls. "Ready?" She asked. All three nodded. She started the machine, counted down, then held out her hand for the headsets.

"Did you really say she had a big ass?" Sheppard asked Tammy in ancient.

"No." Tammy laughed.

"Sorry, maam." the soldier behind him said in ancient. "He asked my question."

"John, Stay up here, you can do the testing over there." Tammy said. "We'll get more done that way.

They went through almost a hundred people in a little over an hour. There had been six people that machine had failed to work on. Carter called a break, and waved for everyone to sit. She looked around the room.

"I'm getting hungry." She said. "I'm sorry we disrupted everyone's dinner plans, but Col. Sheppard was kind enough to break into stores and brought us all MRE's. Soft drinks and water are in the coolers by the doors. Let's have our first meal together as a group. How does that sound?"

At Sheppard's signal, sheets were pulled from tables along the outside of the room, and coolers were wheeled in from outside. As people headed for the tables, she spoke again.

"Would my cooks stand up please?" She said, looking around the room. Several men stood up near the middle of the room. "Louie! You stayed! Thank god!" She said, getting a laugh. "Tammy here is a great cook, but I really miss your SOS...I'm sorry, creamed chipped beef on toast. Will you make it for me tomorrow? I promise I'll come down."

"You got it, boss." Louie yelled, getting a cheer of his own.

"Good. Now everyone dig in, find someone to sit with, and get to know each other." she said as she went over and sat down next to Jennifer. 

"We're off to a good start, Jenn." She said. "I need this day to end well. It just has to."

Interior-Kitchen

2210 Hours

"Thoughts?" Carter asked, as she looked around the table. "How did we do? Anyone not satisfied with what we got done today?"

She looked over at Samuels.

"What?" Samuels said. "I'm walking on air right now. The only thing that could make this day better would be getting laid!"

"You have my permission to entertain guests. Feel free, when we're done here of course." Carter said. She looked down the table at Sheppard.

"You have something. Good or bad?" She asked.

"It can wait till morning. If we start on it, we'll be up all night." he said. "It's a mixed bag."

"Teyla?" 

She just shook her head.

"Would you like to stay over Teyla? We have room, there's another bed in the..."

"Thank you, no. Jennifer has asked me to spend the night with her and John, and I have already accepted." She smiled at Sam. "And I believe that Tammy wishes to be alone with you." She stood up and looked around the table. "Andi, I believe Sgt. Wilkins would be most pleased to hear from you..."

"Can't you keep your mouth shut about anything?" Andi laughed, shaking her finger at Jennifer.

"I'm doing breakfast in the mess hall in the morning. Sleep in, and be here at eight." Carter told them as she kissed them all good night at the porter. 

Interior-Bedroom

2230 Hours

"I'm going to take a shower." 

Tammy pulled her gown off over her head and laid it on the bed. She pulled Sam over to her, and skinned the gown up off her, and tossed it on top of her own. 

"Come join me. Then we can come back, and make love all night long."

"What if I don't want to wait?" Sam asked as they walked toward the bathroom. "And I want to do it in the shower?"

"Then I guess I'll just have to let you, won't I?"

Interior-Bedroom

0140 Hours

"I want you to come with me." Sam said. Her head was resting against Tammy's back as they lay together in their bed.

"Where?" Tammy asked.

"On...on my...journey."

"I will, I promise."

"No...I want you to come with me. I want to share it with you."

"What are you thinking?"

"We have the same blood type."

Tammy was silent for several minutes. "We'll do it in the morning, before anyone comes in."

"Do you think it will work?"

"I hope so."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Now go to sleep, we'll need to get up early."

Sam kissed her shoulder blade, then snuggled in, and a few moments later, was breathing deeply as she fell asleep.

"Thank you." Tammy whispered, pulling Sam's arm tighter around her. She closed her eyes, smiling as she drifted off into sleep.

(-)

That's all for Book One. Book Two, Daedalus, will be posted shortly.