The tape revealed nothing of use. In fact, it had revealed nothing also for the past six times Jack and Carter had been looking at it. Carter massaged her neck wearily and proceeded to rewind the elevator's surveillance tapes once more. The shooter aimed his gun again, the flash refracted inside the elevator's walls like lightening. Her friend slumped down to the floor once more-
"Damn it!" Jack said, thumping his fist down on the table to punctuate it. Carter jumped, but just set her jaw and continued on with her viewing. "Carter, you're still not going to see anything on that tape!"
But at least I am doing something, thought Carter as she sighed to herself. However, Carter didn't felt like they were doing much. Daniel had not regained consciousness. At least Teal'c is guarding Daniel, Carter thought, we're sitting on our hands here. Carter was viewing what was obviously a useless piece of tape, while listening to her commanding officer pace back and forth. She refrained herself from snapping at him to stop pacing. Carter could understand Jack's concern, more than the colonel would care to admit to himself. She knew Jack was worried about Daniel, more than the concern for breach of security as he so claimed to be worried about. Carter wondered how much the colonel was willing to admit that he was worried. Glancing back at Jack, the pacing he was absorbed into revealed just how worried he was.
"Daniel is going to be okay." Carter repeated what he had told them back at the infirmary, more to convince her than to Jack.
"I know, Carter." Jack looked annoyed as if Carter had broken some taboo by saying that. "Daniel may be a geek, but he's gotten to be a tough geek."
Carter smiled briefly. To her relief, Jack stopped pacing and plopped himself down on a chair. He glared at the computer screen that was behind her, like as if he was daring the computer to suddenly come up with a clue.
"How do you look for one man in a facility of hundreds?" Jack muttered, his eyes glued at the paused frame of the shooter in the elevator. "Especially if you don't even know what he looks like."
"General Hammond is having the staff checking the whereabouts of everyone when the incident had occurred." Carter couldn't bring herself to say when Daniel was shot.
Jack winced as if he realized Carter's deliberate choice of words. "That takes time, Carter. Unless," he cocked an eyebrow at the captain, "you have some computer up your sleeve that can speed up the process."
"I'll see what I can macgyver for you, sir." Carter grinned wanly. She looked at the computer screen with the frozen screen shot. Her grin faded into a grimace, not really eager to view the tape again.
"It's like a bad movie, isn't it Carter?" Jack murmured in complete understanding. His eyes were glued to the back of her blond head. "Bad enough once, but twice?"
"And after the sixth, you feel like you want to throw up." Carter sighed as she leaned over to release the VCR's hold on the screen. Her reflection on the glass showed her the shadows under her eyes, the weary lines lightly tracing her face, and the increasing slump of her shoulders. Carter could also see Jack's reflection behind her, his eyes still averted away from the screen.
My reflection, Carter ruefully thought as she massaged out the cricks from her neck, probably looks better than I did.
My reflection. Carter's hands stopped its soothing movement as Carter stared back at the faint reflection staring wide eye back at her. My reflection.
"Carter?" Jack inquired, noting the captain suddenly sitting up straighter, her back stiff with excitement.
"God, I must be really tired." Carter said in a stunned voice. "My reflection, of course."
Jack turned his head sharply back to the screen. He didn't see anything. The screen was frozen again at the time of firing. The gunpowder flash was stark white against the metallic walls of the elevator. Metallic, Jack sat up in his seat, too.
Carter, sensing Jack was catching on, couldn't stop her words from flooding out of her as she continued. "My god, the walls could refract light, why not reflect? Colonel. Jack. The cameras might not have gotten a clear view of the shooter, but-"
"The walls might." Jack finished the sentence for her. His grim mood lightened a little and he clapped Carter's shoulders. "Guess I didn't need that computer after all. Got my own walking and talking version here. Didn't even need Windows something or other to work it."
"98, sir." Carter corrected automatically, before even realizing she had opened her mouth. She grinned, leaning forward to eject the tape out. Grasping the rectangular object, she knew where she could go to get the tape checked out. "We still need a computer, sir. The labs have those RX-347s for digitizing the probe's images for detail retraction. If I-"
"Go." Jack gave her a gentle push. Carter grinned down at him and left the room in a hurry.
Jack listened to her boots stomp away from the room he was in, until it faded away. He sighed, wondering if that was going to be enough. If we find him, I want first rights at him. Maybe even a couple of lefts at him, too. The colonel got up, stretching out, and decided to do something besides moping around.
Teal'c glanced over at Daniel, out of the corner of his eye. The scientist was still in bed, still unconscious since he was brought in here. Teal'c wondered if Daniel was in any pain. Fraiser told him that the surgery was a success, all the bullets out without any major damage to the organs. Yes, there was massive blood loss, but a transfusion fixed that.
The Jaafa didn't understand her complex Earth terms. He repeated his question again to her. Fraiser paused before shaking her head.
"Doctor Jackson is sedated, Teal'c. We gave him painkillers. He's not feeling any physical pain."
Physical pain was not what Teal'c was concerned with. He knew the scientist was sensitive. In the past, as a royal First Prime to Apophis, Teal'c was taught to believe people like Daniel were weak, useless, and unpredictable. They think too much, hardly fight and most unwilling to believe in the self appointed gods. When Teal'c joined them, he discovered that this was what they called humanity. It was what finally drove Ra out. The human side of a person- willing to sacrifice, to risk, to care. What is he thinking right now? Teal'c wondered if his friend was frighten right now. Does he know that he is protected right now? Teal'c remembered the look of confusion on Daniel's face as Teal'c carried him to the infirmary. Daniel couldn't understand why this was done to him. Teal'c couldn't understand.
"Has he waken up at all, Teal'c." Jack murmured, approaching the bed with a bit of hesitation.
"Daniel Jackson has not awaken."
Jack cocked his head slightly as the tone. "Are you okay?"
"I was not injured. Daniel Jackson was." Teal'c eyed the sleeping face, wondering if the Egyptologist was aware of their presence.
"No. I mean, are you okay?" Jack sat on a seat next to him.
"I do not understand what has happened here." Teal'c admitted. "I would have expected an attack on me perhaps, because I was the Traitor."
Jack grimly nodded, not liking the way Teal'c called himself that. It almost sounded like a shield of shame in the way he said it. If Teal'c hadn't turned against his master Apophis, they would not be here today.
"Daniel Jackson is a scribe. A...scientist?" Jack nodded at the correct pronunciation. "Why did the enemy decided that Daniel Jackson was a threat?"
"I don't know, Teal'c." Jack reluctantly admitted. "That's the frustrating part of this mess. The why, that is."
"We will find them." Teal'c made it sound almost like a question.
"Yes, we will."
Carter sighed as she waited for the computer to extrapolate a model image on the screen. The pixels of the blown up reflection they had found were slowly developing. Ten million dollars in equipment and I can't get a decent picture taken, Carter ruefully thought. She winced; realizing that was something Jack would say. I have been hanging around the colonel too long, Carter moaned I'm getting his weird sense of humor, too.
The technicians apologetically told Carter that it would take a few minutes for the picture to develop. Carter nodded, with every full intention to wait it out. There was nothing else she could do at this point. It felt like a repeat performance. I really hate waiting, Carter thought as she got herself settled down on a seat.
The voice was displeased. The human named Gary pursed his lips as he calculated the risk. Two guards were posted on the outside of the infirmary. Rumor was that Teal'c was inside, guarding the scientist. Impossible to get in and improbable on getting out.
Time is essential, Gary. We can not wait too long and risk discovery.
Gary frowned as he tried to remember the guards' names. They were in the same unit as he, but their faces drew no instant names. It's not important. No, Gary decided, it wasn't important. We will have to take care of him later. Use the time wisely.
Next target. Gary eyed the hallways, which he vaguely recalled led to the labs. He had heard the technicians talked of the woman Carter. She was on the road of discovering the identity of the shooter. Yes, Carter. She would have to be next.
She was tainted, the voice hissed. Touched by the To'kra and access to the memories the traitor race left behind when it died to save Carter's life. She could betray us as well.
So Carter it shall be, Gary decided. He turned and walked by the guarded infirmary, giving the right nods to the guards as if casually walking by. As he rounded the deserted corner, his eyes began to glow again. He knew no longer of Gary, but of only a mission.
Carter could betray us as well.
Carter stretched as she tried to get the kinks out. The screen was almost done. The small spot of light on the elevator wall, that they focused on, just behind the shooter's profile, was coming into clearer shades of gray. Carter could see the reflection define shapes now. She leaned closer to the screen, as if she believed the action would speed up the process. An outline of a cap was appearing out of the pixel mist. She sees the profile of an angular jaw next. Something else, on the face was beginning to form...
"May I be of some assistance, Captain Carter?"
Startled, Carter pried her eyes away from the screen to see a young soldier standing before her. His cap shadowed his eyes, the fluorescent lights of the lab was behind him. It gave him an eerie glow around the edges. Carter, your imagination is running wild, Carter scolded herself as she smiled.
"Not unless you can speed up a CRAY computer and increase resolution for me, lieutenant." Carter winced. More and more, she was beginning to suspect that Jack's wry humor was rubbing off on her.
The computer beeped, signaling the completion of its task. Carter eagerly turned around to see when the soldier abruptly leaned over her and shut the computer off.
"Hey- what are you doing?" Carter started to say when she stopped. A chill went down her spine when she saw the man turned around and got a better look at his eyes.
"To'kra cheeta no logrua nee." The soldier grabbed her firmly by the arms, pinning her to her chair. "Nee chakra Guada qi."
Guada! Carter recognized the word for some reason but didn't have the indulgence to think about it because right then and there- all hell broke loose.
© 1998 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa’uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.