Title- Fini

Author- Denise and Adi

E-mail – sky_diver119@yahoo.com, DZ_Crasher@yahoo.com

Category- Angst, Drama

Season- 3ish

Spoilers – Tokra, Legacy, ITLOD, Holiday, Singularity, FIAD, COTG, Emancipation, Learning Curve

Rating- PG-13

Content Warning- Character death (s), {with a title like Fini, what do you expect?}, Language, disturbing imagry (the end of the world is not pretty…and there are no sarcophaguses here)

Summary- The most innocent of things can hold the deadliest of secrets.

Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No
copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Note- Thanks to Adi, it's her plot bunny, it grew to gigantic proportions all on its own. (and it is rather therapeutic to kill everyone ) But consider yourselves warned, this is not a cheery fic. Multiple Kleenex alert here if we did our jobs right. It's set somewhere after Learning Curve. Many thanks to Kate, the fastest beta in the west.

Summary- The most innocent of things can hold the deadliest of secrets.

Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No
copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Note- Thanks to Adi, it's her plot bunny, it grew to gigantic proportions all on its own. (and it is rather therapeutic to kill everyone ) But consider yourselves warned, this is not a cheery fic. Multiple Kleenex alert here if we did our jobs right. It's set somewhere after Learning Curve.

"We've brought things back from all over the galaxy. One of them's finally snapped us in the ass."
~General Hammond, Message in a Bottle




Fini
By Adi and Denise

It was going to be a beautiful sunrise, the start of a gorgeous day. She could just see the sky beginning to change colors. The black and white of night was giving way to the vibrant spectrum of dawn. The grass and leaves, off white in the darkness would change into a brilliant dark green. It was the middle of spring, but the weather was apparently wearing dentures as the night air still had a bit of a bite to it. Once the sun comes up though, it would be a wonderfully warm day; the kind of day that mothers decide a little hooky isn't that bad. Dads would use a sick day and pack the family into the car. They'd go to the beach or a park, have ice cream and chocolate cake. They'd come home happy and tired and would spend the evening on the couch watching TV, laughing at all the sitcoms, even if they aren't funny. Years later when they look back they would see that day as lasting forever.
That is, if they had lived it. That is, if they had been alive. That is, if she wasn't the only person on Earth. It was going to be a beautiful sunrise, her last sunrise.

<><><><><>

'I don't like this. I really don't like this.'

'So you've said, Jacob. To me, to the council, to anyone who would listen. We agree with you. That's why we are disregarding the Tau'ri's orders and flying to their planet.'

'Well they haven't been answering our calls and we can't get the gate to engage.'

'It may just be a technical malfunction, you know.'

'Then they would have sent someone for help.'

'They are prideful, perhaps they thought they could fix it themselves.'

'Selmac, there's something wrong. I can feel it in my bones.'

'Father's intuition?'

'Don't push me, Sel, please, not now. Not until I know my daughter is ok.'

<><><><><>

Ruthlessly, she went over her checklist in her mind, cursing the exhaustion which fogged her brain. She had to get everything done; there was no room for error, no second chances. The gate was sealed, the iris permanently welded inside the event horizon rather than micrometers away. Finishing that had been Sargent Siler's last act. He'd collapsed on the ramp, never to get up.

The transmitter was working, powered by one of her naquadah reactors. She figured it'd broadcast for about a year, maybe a bit longer. Hopefully, by then everyone would know to stay away.

The sky brightened a bit more and she could make out details in the city below. Hovering clouds of smoke…and other things, replaced the smoldering flames of random fires. Even high on the mountain, she could hear the raucous cries of ravens and crows drawn to the unexpected feast. She could hear the intermittent roaring of the big cats of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. She vaguely recalled hearing that someone had opened all the cages, freeing the animals from captivity and certain death. Real live lions, tigers and bears now roamed the land. Pragmatically, she thought it was a good idea. The more they cleaned up, the less the chance of diseases spreading.

Why, she asked herself, why had it happened? It had all started so innocently. A tiny little artifact. A small device brought back from a new world. It had looked so harmless, so benign. It had been non-threatening enough that when the NID had started in on one of their 'send us tech' rants she'd packed it up and shipped it off to Nevada without even studying it. It was a decision she regretted. A decision that cost billions of lives.

The tiny piece hadn't been benign at all. In fact, it was the most deadly thing in the world. This was no mere piece of pottery, no artistic carving. It was a death sentence. One she helped to pronounce upon the world.

The device was a homing beacon, that when activated, triggered the release of hundreds of tiny missiles planted on the moon. Missiles which bombarded the planet, burning up in the atmosphere, releasing their poison thousands of feet up in a way to guarantee planetwide disbursement. It was actually a brilliant plan. The goa'uld hadn't lifted a finger…the Tau'ri had killed themselves.

Who had planted the poison? How long had it been up there? She didn't know. Perhaps it was new; perhaps the bombs had been lying in wait for millennia, waiting for the trigger. Maybe it had been a plot against Ra or Hathor or Seth. No one knew, and now no one was left to care.

The first people fell sick within twenty-four hours and died one to two days later. It hadn't taken that long for panic to take the planet in a stranglehold that it never released.

All across Earth they'd worked on a cure, even coming close once, only to have the virus mutate into another strain, one even more deadly. Two weeks. It had only taken two weeks for the population of earth to decline from billions to…one.

Janet's best guess was that it was the protein in her blood that made her immune. Like with Machello's goa'uld killers, she'd tried to give her protein to others. But it hadn't worked this time. Oh, it had helped for a while; the people who took the serum had a higher resistance. But in the end all it had done was prolong the inevitable. They'd died…every single one of them. One by one they'd fallen, some quietly, others not.

At first they'd tried to treat the bodies with dignity. In the end they'd simply zatted the bodies into non-existence.

That worked for the SGC…the rest of the world was a different story. There were billions of bodies out there, she knew. Billions of innocent people who never knew why they died. Who never knew that she'd killed them.

Despite their best efforts, she knew it had taken less than a week for civilization to collapse. People panicked and chaos reigned. With every official and officer stricken, there had been no National Guard to call out, no police to answer the calls for help. She vaguely recalled hearing reports of looting and total disorder before the local power plants went off line and the world was plunged into its second dark age. One they would never emerge from.

And now it was over. The era of Man had come to an end. Maybe the monkeys would rise next, or maybe the bees or ants. It didn't matter. She wouldn't be here to see it.

She looked at the object in her hands. Its burnished surface glinted in the pale light. Her personal side arm. It actually was a miracle she'd had it with her. She usually kept it at home and used a pistol from the armory. Given the frequency that they'd lost their weapons, she saw no reason to risk her own.

Her dad had bought the gun for her the day she got her first apartment. Growing up in a military family, she'd learned to shoot at an early age and was no stranger to fire arms. He'd given the 9mm Beretta to her as a house-warming gift, telling her to use it if she needed to. She'd taken it to the Gulf with her, a tiny measure of comfort. The scratch on the butt was still there from the time she'd had her near miss with a scud missile. It was her version of Linus' blanket.

She didn't know why she'd brought the weapon to work, some pre-cognitive insight maybe. It was fitting that she'd use this weapon. Was she taking the easy way out? Maybe it was her duty to remain at her post until the end. She'd thought about leaving this death world, but she didn't dare. She had no way of knowing if she was carrying the virus. It was bad enough that she'd killed one planet, she couldn't add another to her list of sins.

She ran her fingers up and down the barrel, the metal cold under her hand. She couldn't do it. She couldn't stay here for the next however many years while she waited to starve or die. She'd thought she could…right up until last week. Last week when she'd killed the last intelligent life form on this planet.

"Major Samantha Carter…the jury finds you guilty of murder. The sentence is…death," she whispered. In the east the sun broke the horizon, the bright flare of light making her tear filled eyes water even more. "I'm sorry." She closed her eyes, squeezing the tears down her cheeks as she raised the gun to her temple. "So sorry."

<><><><><>

'I will never doubt your bones again, Jacob.'

The Tel'tac was shrouded in silence, the kind that follows the delivery of extremely bad news. It usually came before terrible heartbroken cries of newly informed widows or fierce denials of parents who would never again see their children alive.

The silence was broken by the repetition of the message that had caused it in the first place.

"Attention all approaching vessels, this planet is under strict quarantine. It has been contaminated by a lethal airborne virus which is 100% fatal. Repeat, this planet has been contaminated by a virus with a 100% mortality rate. Do not land under any circumstance."

The message was then repeated in Goa'uld by a weak raspy voice.

'Teal'c,' supplied Selmac. 'He sounds unwell.'

'Yes, he does,' agreed Jacob. 'But not Sam, she sounds fine.'

'Jacob . . .'

'Don't even start, Selmac, That's my kid down there, she could be alive.'

'You heard the message, Jacob. 100% mortality rate. There is no one down there.'

'Teal'c would have been the last to have gotten sick. He was dying, Sam sounded well.'

'It's possible she made the recording days ago.'

'I have to try, Selmac. I owe her that much. We both do.'

'Very well, Jacob. Talk to Aldwin, if he agrees we shall descend.'

'Thank you, Selmac.'

'I am quite fond of her myself, you know.'


<><><><><>

The Tel'tac landed behind her with a rush and roar of displaced air. Panicking, she turned around and fired at the door, hoping whoever was in it would get the hint and stay inside. They had to stay inside. They were safe inside. They wouldn't be safe out here with her.

Why are they here? She wondered. Didn't they get the message? I thought I hooked up the reactor right. Will they die? Will it be my fault?

The door opened, her hopes shattered. The sun had risen, her gun was empty, and she had lost her chance to die without having to deal with the full force of her guilt and pain. Crying out in frustration, exhaustion, but mostly despair, Sam fell to her knees, still clinging to her gun.

<><><><><>

The first thing that hit them as they left the ship was the smell. It traveled on the breeze which entered the Tel'tac when the door swooshed open. Selmac had smelled it before, so had Jacob. Death, and rotting, and more death on top of that. The second was the silence. Maybe not so conspicuous at dawn, but still slightly disturbing, like a buzz that wasn't there.

Jacob told Aldwin to stay inside, if the planet was indeed contaminated there was no need for both of them to die, and ran from the small ship, heedless of the warning shot at his door. The vision he encountered would haunt him for the rest of his life and Selmac for hundreds of years.

Sam was kneeling not ten meters from him, rocking back and forth sobbing so hard he thought she would turn herself inside out. She might not have been dead, she might not have even been ill, but she was not well, not by a long shot. So thin, she looked like a falling leaf would be enough to make her crumble. Eyes rimmed with circles so dark he wondered if she even remembered how to sleep, and she was so pale, just so pale. In that moment he knew he was standing on an empty planet, alive, flourishing, but empty of intelligent life.

"Oh, Sam." At the sound of her name Sam focused her tear stained eyes at her father.

"Get away!" she screamed at him, and when he didn't move she raised her arm and threw her gun at him. He caught it easily. He allowed himself a moment of nostalgia when he recognized it. He couldn't believe she still had it. He remembered how many weapons he had lost during his military career.

'Careful, Jacob,' Selmac warned.

'For pete's sake Sel, she's my kid, she won't hurt me.'

'She shot at you,' the symbiote reminded.

'She's not thinking clearly,' he excused.

'Which is precisely why you should exercise caution. Whatever has transpired here, it has not been pleasant,' the alien warned, recognizing the signs of a person teetering on the edge of the abyss of insanity.

"Sam. Honey. It's dad," Jake said in a quiet voice, trying not to startle her further.

"NO! Go Away!" She screamed, crawling back.

"Sam. Tell me what happened. What are you doing up here? Where are the others?"

She stopped crawling and stared off into the distance. "Others?"

"Colonel O'Neill, Daniel, George. We heard Teal'c's voice on the recording. Is he in the mountain?" Jake asked, edging his way closer.

"Gone," she said simply.

"Where'd they go?"

"They went away. They're all gone and I'm all that's left," she whispered, drawing her legs up and curling herself into a ball.

'If there was an evacuation, they would not have left her behind,' Selmac said.

'They might not have had a choice,' he told Selmac. "Sam." He reached out his hand. "Why don't we go down and check things out?" He was unprepared for the violence of her reaction when she jolted out of her stupor, pulling away from his touch with a scream. Before he could react, she jumped to her feet and ran away from him, towards the ship. "Sam!" He yelled, ready to follow her. There was an electric whine and she collapsed to the ground, her body shuddering in reaction to the Zat. "Aldwin! What the hell are you doing?" he demanded of his companion. "I thought I told you to stay in the ship."

"I did a complete scan of the air, there is no sign of a contagion. It is possible that it is harmless now. I have seen this state of mind before, she would have likely hurt herself," he explained, dropping to his knees by Sam.

Joining him, Jacob had to admit Aldwin was right. He reached out and brushed the tousled and tangled hair off her forehead. "Why don't you take her into the ship? I'll go down and see if I can find any answers in the SGC."

"The contagion has dissipated on the surface, but in the enclosed atmosphere of the SGC, it may still be concentrated enough to be deadly," Aldwin warned.

"Maybe. But we need answers, and we're not going to get any from her in the near future. If I'm not back in an hour, take off. Let the Tok'ra know that the Tau'ri have fallen." Jacob got to his feet as Aldwin did the same, cradling an unconscious Sam in his arms. He watched the Tok'ra carry her into the ship, relieved that she was at least alive.

'This will likely be most unpleasant,' Selmac warned.

'I know, Sel. But I have to know what happened. And there is a chance that the SGC could have some off-world teams who are still alive.'

<><><><><>

Jacob slowly made his way down to the SGC knowing that if it wasn't for his blending with Selmac he couldn't make it in his self-allotted hour. There were still a few systems running on the generator, but those systems didn't include the elevators. Given how long it would take him to climb back up twenty-eight levels, he knew he'd only have a few minutes in the facility.

Prioritizing, he decided to make his way directly to the control room and George's office. He figured that any answers, if there were any, would be there.

Along the way, he wondered vaguely at the lack of bodies. Given the sheer number of corpses up top, he expected the SGC to be a charnel house. Instead, the regulation gray halls were eerily vacant.

The control room was empty; its chairs neatly set in front of silent monitors. It looked as if each computer had been carefully shut down, each piece of equipment sitting in its usual spot, dormant, simply waiting for someone to flip a switch and reanimate it. There was a large box sitting by one of the consoles. It looked to be jury rigged to the communication system.

'That must be what's powering the radio. This is creepier than if it had been a mess,' Jake told Selmac, staring at the stargate. The iris was closed. The metal showed signs of being welded shut, lighter and rougher seams of metal permanently locking the blades into place. 'I doubt there's anything in these computers, Sel. It would take too long to boot up, and I don't know the codes anyway.'

'Perhaps General Hammond's office holds some answers?'

Internally nodding, Jacob left the control room and climbed the stairs wincing at the loud banging sound of his feet. Without the omnipresent hum of machinery and fans, the control room was silent as a tomb.

Steeling himself, he entered George's office. It was just as neat and clean as the rest of the facility. All of the man's knick-knacks and mementos still graced the shelves. His desk was totally clean with the exception of a large sheaf of paper and a lap top computer.

Feeling a bit of an interloper, Jake pushed the chair back and picked up the paper. He scanned the missive, his mind refusing to believe what he read. 'My God, Sel…'

'Jacob.'

'She was right…they're all gone.'

'Jacob.' The man sank down into the chair, his legs giving out from under him.

'They're all dead.' Jake ran his fingers down the list of names…pages and pages of names.

'Jacob, we have to go.'

'How? How could this happen?'

'Jacob. We must go,' the symbiote urged.

'Selmac…'

'Jacob…if we do not leave now we will not have time to reach the surface before Aldwin leaves. Do you want her thinking you're dead as well,' Selmac urged, trying to tamp down her host's grief. She felt it too…but she also knew this was not the time or place for it.

Giving in to the creature's pragmatism, Jake got to his feet. Spying George's briefcase he picked it up, tucking the papers and laptop into it. He knew why the reports had been left where they were, and he almost felt like a grave robber. But these pieces of paper carried the only clues to whatever had murdered a planet.

Zipping the case shut, he took one last glance at the empty office and felt the weight of sadness bearing down on him. "We'll get the bastards, George. You have my word. Payback's a bitch and whoever did this is gonna find that out. You will be avenged, my friend."

He carefully pushed the chair back into the desk and hurriedly made his way out of the office. He couldn't do anything for them now…but maybe he could do something for Sam.

<><><><><>

"Sam." No response. "Sammy." Silence. Jacob leaned his head back on the bulkhead. He hadn't been there when she woken up. But Aldwin said she had screamed. That was the last time she had made noise of any kind.

'She's gone Selmac.'

'No, Jacob, she is simply hiding.'

'I'll kill them! I'll kill every last one of them!'

'Now is not the time for anger. You daughter is hurt, we must help her.'

'How?'

'I have seen this sort of thing before. We cannot do anything until we reach the Tok'ra. I suggest you watch her. Her state of mind could change at any moment, and not for the better.'

'Anything would be better than this.'

'Really, Jacob? And if she tries to destroy herself? Would that be better? If she rips her hair out and tries to claw her eyes from her head? Would that suit you?'

'Oh God, Selmac. Not her. Not Sam.'

'Her world died before her eyes, Jacob. Over the past four years she has had trauma upon trauma. There is only so much the human mind can take.'

Jacob looked at his daughter curled up so tightly in the corner. He couldn't understand how she had made herself so small. He hadn't been able to help her when her mother, his wife, died. How could he help her now?

"Sam?" Silence.

<><><><><>

"She doesn't speak." The two men spoke softly as to not disturb the blond woman sitting on the bed, staring at the wall. Her posture screaming defeat and resignation.

"Do you blame her? She just lost her whole world, literally. She saw everyone she knew, and a whole lot more die a senseless death. I think she's earned the right to be in shock," the older looking man said.

"She does not eat, Jacob, nor drink or sleep voluntarily, she does not cry. It is as if we are simply looking at her body and her beautiful soul is gone." Jacob looked at Martouf. It was no secret that the Tok'ra was attracted to his daughter, but he had not guessed those feelings ran so deep. "She will make herself ill".

Jacob nodded, even now, days after they had arrived at the Tok'ra base and were given the all clear to come down, she had not told them what happened. How everyone had died, or how she had survived. The look in her eyes frightened them, and the screams which ripped out of her chest at night sent a cold chill through their hearts. Their helplessness frustrated them. All they could do was stay close to her as she waundered the tunnels aimlessly only to return to her room and continue to stare at the wall.

<><><><><>

"I want to be blended again." Both men started at the first intelligible words that had come out Sam's mouth since she had left Earth. Her gaze never strayed from the wall and she had started to gently rock back and forth, comforting herself. Selmac screamed at Jacob to gather his little girl in his arms and whisper to her that it would be all right, that he was there for her, that he would make things better. But Jacob couldn't make things better, and he wasn't about to offer inadequate reassurances to his now only child.

Kneeling down before her, trying unsuccessfully to catch her eye, he took her cold thin hands in his. "Why, Sam? Why would you want to be blended after Jolinar?"

Sam didn't take her hands away from his, didn't stop her rocking, didn't move her eyes away from her spot on the wall. "Worse things than Jolinar have happened to me since then." She said coldly, bitterly, She hated something, Jacob just didn't know what. Life maybe? God? Did she even believe in such a thing now. "I just don't want to . . . " her voice broke and took Jacob's heart right with it. He would not deny this woman anything, nor would Martouf. Nor would any of the Tok'ra. "I just can't be alone anymore." And then the tears finally came, slowly at first, silently, but then racing down her face accompanied by loud choked sobs.

Finally allowing Selmac to control, the symbiote took Samantha in her father's arms and rocked her, and cooed her, and stroked her hair and back. When the woman finally calmed and fell into a fitful sleep, Selmac looked up at a stunned and helpless Martouf.

"Inform the Council of what has just occurred, but tell them to make no plans. Samantha is not in the state of mind to make any life altering decisions."

<><><><><>

"Sam?" She didn't acknowledge him, but he knew she was listening. "Sam honey, we need to talk." Jacob slid down next to her on the floor. She was pointedly ignoring him, still staring at the far wall in rapt fascination. "I found this on George's desk, and it explains a lot. But I…we need to know exactly what happened," he said gently.

"I told you," she whispered. "They're dead."

"I know that. Sam…How did it happen?"

She shook her head. "No. You have the report. I…you don't need me…"

"Kid. You just said you want a symbiote. Just a few months ago you made me promise…you made Selmac promise that we'd let you die before becoming a host again. I need to know what changed."

"I changed my mind. I want to be a host," she said calmly.

Jacob nodded as Selmac came to the front. "Samantha. In recent days you have given us great cause to fear for your mental stability. In good conscience, I cannot commit another life form to share your fate if your mind is indeed damaged. The council is willing to accept you as a host, provided that you can prove to them, and to us, that not only are you willing, but you are suitable."

"No one gave a damn if I was suitable when Jolinar forced her way into me. And just last year, Martouf was more than eager for me to host you, Selmac. Since when have the Tok'ra cared?" She demanded, a tiny burst of anger breaking through her apathy. How dare they? How dare they question her? The colonel hadn't been far wrong when he'd compared the Tok'ra to vultures…eagerly looking forward to hearing that someone was dying so they could re-use the body.

"Since now. Samantha, we care greatly for you and we would welcome you as a host. However, we will not risk the life of one of our own by blending them with a person who has been obviously suicidal." Ruthlessly the symbiote pressed on, ignoring how the human flinched at the word suicidal. "You must convince us that we are not condemning one of our own to an untimely death."

Her sapphire eyes flashing with anger, Sam met Selmac's gaze for the first time in a week. "Fine. What do you want to know?" she asked coldly.

The Tok'ra opened the thick folder. "You wrote here that Daniel died first. How did it happen?"

<*><*><*><*><*>

"Janet." Sam weaved her way through the maze of cots and beds, intent upon the petite brunette standing in the corner. She had never seen the infirmary this full before. All the beds were occupied and now the sick were lying upon standard issue cots, air mattresses, and pallets on the floor. The major knew that the gym and the large storeroom on level 23 had also been converted to impromptu infirmaries,
staffed by every nurse and medic that Janet could get her hands on. Originally, she knew the doctor had wanted to use the isolation rooms like she had years ago during the outbreak of the virus from the Land of Light, but that plan had been abandoned simply because there were not enough trained medical personnel to go around.

Since it had taken them several hours to determine that the virus was airborne…containing it was impossible. The ventilation system had literally contaminated each and every room of the facility before they even knew they were breathing in a deadly contagion. "How is he?" she asked quietly, coming to a halt at her friend's side.

"Sam…hi," the woman replied distractedly. Sam looked at her and felt a pang of concern. Janet looked horrible. Sam couldn't recall ever seeing her friend so pale. Her hair was mussed and tangled, a definitely non-regulation mixture of bits of it still tied back and the rest hanging around her face in lank strands. Her eyes were sunken and the circles under them looked as dark as camouflage grease paint.

She'd discarded her uniform days before and was now clad in wrinkled and stained scrubs. Sam knew her fastidious friend would be disgusted to be wearing such dirty clothes, but she really had no choice. There was no one healthy enough to do the laundry and the supply of clean clothes had run out days ago. "He's…" She trailed off and Sam looked at her sharply.

"Janet?"

The doctor sighed heavily. "His O2 sats are down to 70. Both lungs are now operating at less than 25 percent. He's…" She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Nothing's working, Sam. The virus is slowly eating him alive. His liver is failing and his renal functions are non-existent. It's…. it's like the virus liquefies his lungs. The cells break down into a liquid, which makes it hard to breathe. He tries to cough it up, which damages more cells…he's literally drowning internally."

"Well, you said something about antibiotics…or one of those tubes to suck the fluid out," Sam said, grasping at treatment methods the doctor had suggested in a briefing days before.

"I've tried that. It doesn't work." She took her friend's arm. "Sam, maybe you should go tell him goodbye…while he's still conscious enough to know."

"Janet, NO! There has to be a way. We have all this stuff."

"Sam."

A weak raspy voice broke the argument. Turning from the doctor, Sam turned her attention to the frail figure on the bed. He'd lost weight in the past few days. Every one seemed to. Before it attacked the organs, the virus seemed to incubate in the victim's muscles, decimating them to gain strength and to weaken the host enough that when they finally did show symptoms…they didn't have the strength to fight the illness. She'd heard reports of people on the surface falling ill and dying within hours.

"Daniel, hi." She took his flaccid hand in hers, alarmed at how cold it was. She sandwiched it between her own in an attempt to warm it.

"Sorry," he gasped breathing in large gulps.

"Hey. What do you have to be sorry about?"

"Should…have…caught it."

"You did catch it."

"No…trans…lation. Ignored it…not…important. My…fault."

"None of that. I missed it too. I sent it off to Nevada," she said referring to the Pandora's box the goa'uld had left for them. A tiny statue they'd brought back from a planet. No one had thought much about it then. It was just a little statue of an unknown god sitting amongst a mother lode of zats and staff weapons they'd stumbled upon.

The colonel had been ecstatic. They'd actually been able to bring back some tech, something to keep the NID off their backs. Ignoring the niggling thoughts that maybe it'd been too easy; they'd packed up their spoils and returned to Earth.

The statue had sat, unnoticed and unnoted in Daniel's office for months. None of them had any idea what it was, not until it was too late.

"No." He weakly tightened his fingers around hers.

"Daniel. Let's not worry about whose fault it is. You just concentrate on getting better, ok? You'll get better and we'll fix this and it'll all be ok," she said, trying to stop the tears welling up in her eyes.

He shook his head. "Tell Jack…always were friends, Teal'c….not his fault. I…I'll miss…" A sudden spate of coughing wracked his frame causing his drained body to jerk spasmodically.

"Daniel!" Sam yelled, feeling his hand clench on hers. "Daniel…" Hearing the rumble of fluid she reached out to roll him to his side so he wouldn't choke. His body spasmed and a gush of bright blood cascaded from his open mouth. "Oh my God…Daniel…" Her friend gave one last cough and suddenly went still, his fingers tightening over hers once more, then relaxing into limp, boneless digits. "Daniel…" she choked out, her hand caressing his still face. "I'm so sorry…" she whispered, tears streaming unheeded down her face. "So sorry."

<*><*><*><*><*>

"He died first…Janet said maybe it was his allergies…that they made him vulnerable," Sam said in a quiet, calm voice. It chilled Jacob worse than if she'd sobbed out the story. "I…I wish he could have been buried on Abydos but…the general had quarantined the base."

"Yes. We tried to dial Earth, but could not connect," Selmac prodded.

Sam nodded. "Siler…we moved the iris closer to the event horizon. We didn't want anyone coming to Earth and catching it. He died there…on the ramp. I didn't even know he was sick. They all started to die after that, one by one. We wanted to bury thembut…we couldn't get to the surface," she related, again staring off at the far wall. Her fingers worried the ragged edge of her borrowed clothing, endlessly folding and re-folding the material.

"What happened to the bodies?"

She quirked her head and smiled a little. "Zat, zat, zat," she said, holding her hand out like a mock gun. "One, two, three, and they're all gone." Her face fell. "Except for the blood." She turned and met his gaze. "They'd bleed all over the floor and…the body would go away but the blood wouldn't."

"We saw no blood stains Samantha."

"Oh, I cleaned it up. I…you always made me clean up my messes. I got it all…I made sure of that. I looked in each room and cleaned it up. I…but not outside. I couldn't clean up the outside. There was so much…so much blood." She stopped working the cloth and rubbed her hands together. "It got on me. I…He didn't blame me you know?"

"Who?"

"The colonel. I…we tried…it's all Jolinar's fault."

"How is that?"

"This." She held up her arm. "She did this to me. She changed me. That's why I didn't die. We thought it was the naquadah, but it wasn't."

"The protein marker you carry."

She nodded. "Everyone who fought to not be a host…everyone who thought I was bad because I had been…it would have saved them. I tried to give it to them. Janet drew blood…not enough. I…she wouldn't take enough. But we tried. Just like before. But it didn't work. They still died…just slower. The colonel, General Hammond, Janet… they all took it. We thought it'd work but…"

"How did Colonel O'Neill die, Samantha?" Selmac broke into her ramblings.

"Who?"

"Jack. How did Jack die?"


<*><*><*><*><*>


"We have a problem, sir," Jack said, striding into Hammond's office. Like the rest of them, his exhaustion was etched on his face. His BDU's were creased and showed definite signs of having been slept in. The camouflage pattern didn't quite hide the stains of dirt and blood decorating the heavy material. Even his face was smudged. The water purification system had gone off line days before and what little bottled water they had was strictly rationed for drinking only. And even that would not last too much longer.

"What, Colonel?" Hammond looked up at his second, his broad face also creased with exhaustion and sorrow.

"Apparently some of the civilian population thinks we're all snug and happy in here. The guards at the front gate just called, they're under attack," Jack reported.

"The doors at the surface were built to withstand a nuclear attack, Colonel. They can take care of a few rioters."

"They could, sir…if someone hadn't have disabled the door," Jack said. "Sir, I think it's safe to say the secret of the stargate really doesn't matter right now, but we can't turn this base into the front lines of a warzone."

Hammond leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his grubby face. "We'll just seal it off."

"And do what? Turn this base into a crypt?" Jack exploded.

"No, Colonel, we'll try to hang on as long as we can. There's still a chance the Asgard could answer our plea. And if Major Carter and Doctor Fraiser are right and the answer is in the protein marker, we just need to hang on long enough for them to find a cure."

"There is no cure," Jack said coldly.

"Colonel, we don't know that. Doctor Fraiser was confident…"

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, tossing it on Hammond's desk. The OD green fabric was stained dark in places. "It doesn't work," Jack said.

"Jack?" Hammond asked sadly.

"It's not as fast as the others, but…there is no cure. Maybe it's a combination of naquadah and the protein…maybe it's something else we've come across over the years, but…whatever it is that's making Carter immune…that part's not catching. Sir, regardless of defending secrets, this base is likely that last safe haven. We should at least let the dying die peacefully not ripped apart by some mob."

George sighed heavily. "Very well, Colonel. Take whomever you need. Do whatever you have to to secure this base, up to and including sealing the mountain," he ordered gravely, knowing full well he was giving the man his last orders…ever.

With a solemn nod, Jack came to attention and saluted the man sharply. "It was an honor, General."

General Hammond stood up and returned the salute. "Likewise, Colonel." He held out his hand, which Jack took. "Good luck."

Jack left the room; barely sparing a glance at Sam who was walking down the corridor. "Sir?" she called.

"Later, Carter," he tossed over his shoulder as he made his way to the elevator.

Dismissing her CO's odd behavior, Sam knocked on the general's door. "Sir?"

"Come in, Major." She entered and stared at the man. He had an expression on his face that she'd never seen before. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir, I…General, where was the colonel going?" She asked abruptly, abandoning her mission. Something was wrong here, very wrong.

Hammond opened his mouth, then closed it as he changed his mind. She deserved the truth. "We've just got word that the surface is under attack. The colonel has gone up to secure the perimeter."

"But…"

"Major…Sam…it doesn't work," he said gravely.

"General?" Sam asked, her heart stopping.

"There is no cure. The colonel has gone up top to secure the facility…for however long we have left."

Sam stared at her leader as his words sank in. It hadn't worked. They were all dying. A riot. The colonel was sick and he was going off to stop a riot. They were going to seal the mountain…Oh my God….Cassie!

Without even asking for permission, she turned and ran from the office, not caring about the protocol she'd just breached. She burst through the stairwell door and ran up the cement stairs, adrenaline giving her strength. Exiting at Level 21, she ran down the corridor, trying to avoid the gathered personnel. Seeing her friend across the hall, she skidded to a halt, nearly knocking a lieutenant to the ground. "Janet…we have to go."

"Sam? What's wrong?" The doctor asked.

"The…the colonel. They're going to seal the mountain…Cassie," She gasped out, breathing heavily from her run.

"WHAT?" Janet dropped her chart and stared at the blond.

"The general gave the order. They're sealing the mountain. We have to get Cassie."

Janet stared helplessly around her. People lined the halls, some sitting, some lying on the floor. "Sam…I can't, I can't leave…"

"Go." A voice interrupted her. They turned to see Doctor Warner stepping out of the infirmary. He bent over and picked up the chart Janet had dropped. "We can take care of things here. Go to your daughter," he instructed.

"No. But your wife…" Janet protested.

He shook his head. "I can't help her now. You go be with Cassie," he urged. "And you better take weapons," he said to Sam. "Jenny told me things were getting violent out there."

With a grateful nod, the pair turned and picked their way back to the stairwell. It was easy enough to get weapons and they made their way to the surface, each carrying a rifle and sidearm and wearing a flak jacket.

Moving slowly, Sam exited at the surface, her ears picking up the distinctive sounds of weapons fire. Motioning for Janet to stay close, she approached the sand bag shrouded 'front lines' of the base. The colonel had chosen to make his stand just inside the mouth of the tunnel, thus meaning that his men only had to guard a relatively small area.

"What the hell are you doing up here?" he demanded as Sam and Janet approached. Sam could see no real signs of battle save a few spent rounds and the faint lingering smell of gunpowder.

"We need to get Cassie before you seal the mountain, sir," Sam said.

"Carter, do you have any idea what it's like out there?"

"Yes, sir. I think I do. Which is why we have these." She held up her P-90.

Jack's face softened and he stepped close, motioning for her to step away from Janet. "Carter," he said quietly. "Chances are she's already gone. You'll be risking your lives for nothing."

Sam shot Janet a look. "Maybe so, sir. But…if she's not, I can't let her die alone. I wouldn't before and I won't now," Sam insisted, her face set. She was more than prepared to deliberately disobey his orders. And he knew it.

"You have three hours," he said. "Doc's place is a thirty minute trip across town…you should be able to get there and back in an hour and a half."

Sam smiled and laid her hand on his arm. "Thank you, sir." She grabbed Janet's arm and headed towards one of the armored personnel vehicles that were parked at the gate.

"Carter!" She turned back. "0800 on the nose, Major," he warned.

"Yes, sir," she snapped him a salute. They climbed into the vehicle and started down the road.


<*><*><*><*><*>

"Rioters at the gate, he went to guard the base. He was dead when I got back." She rubbed her hands over her face. Rubbed so hard Selmac had to take hold of her hands, she didn't even seem to notice.

"Got back from where?" The more questions they asked the more they worried about her. Her speech was fragmented, disjointed, she wouldn't volunteer any information, but so far she had answered all their questions without much of a fight.

"Had to put Cassie to bed." Sam started shaking. Shaking so hard she had to hold on to the wall so as not to fall over.

"Sam?" She was staring wide eyed at a distant point on the wall, her mouth slightly open in horror only she could see, and her fingernails dug into the crystal as though she was afraid she would fall. There would be no more questions today. "All right, Sam." Jacob gently pulled his daughter away from the wall and led her to the bed. "Time to sleep."

<*><*><*><*><*>

The streets were hard to navigate, and Sam's P-90 came in handy more than once as they made their way across town. Janet sat silently next to her. None of the radio stations were broadcasting anything other than the emergency broadcast message, so they drove in silence.

Janet practically jumped out of the car and ran into the house before Sam even completely stopped the vehicle. A flat hopeless cry of despair reached the blonde's ears before she made it to the door, and she knew, and something inside her shattered into a million pieces.

By the time she got inside, Janet was sitting against the couch, a red stain next to her, and the cold body of her daughter lying behind her. Sam approached slowly, silently praying she was wrong. That the stain was juice, that Cassie was alive and well and just sleeping.

Her eyes were open. That was pretty much all she could remember. She had been dead for so long, they couldn't close her eyes. Janet coughed, not even bothering to cover her mouth.

"I talked to her yesterday," she said when she finally caught her breath. It was the end, Sam could tell by now, the coughing, the lethargic movements. Those who lived longer seemed to die quicker. There were no more lingering deaths like Daniel. Just a few hours of coughs and weakness and that was that. "I didn't even know she was sick."

"Janet, what are we going to do?" The woman looked at Sam, her eyes dead, her body getting there.

"I'm going to sleep," she said softly. "I'm tired, so I'm going to go to sleep. I'm sorry I couldn't find a cure Sam. You're not mad at me are you?" Sam just shook her head, preparing to accept another death on her hands.

"I'm not mad, Janet. Go to sleep now. It's ok. You've worked very hard, you can rest now." Janet coughed again, her body heaving with the effort. She added more blood to the congealed red pool in front of the couch and then she died. After a few moments, Sam reached over and closed her friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Janet. So sorry."

<><><><><><>

It took her several hours to dig a hole big enough for the two of them. It wasn't as deep as an official grave, but it would do. Janet went in first. Sam had brushed her hair, it looked neat, prim, perfect. The small woman was light in her arms, and the girl even lighter, but Sam was tired so it still took her an hour to carry the bodies from the living room to the back yard.

She lay them down gently, Janet first, then Cassandra. She wrapped the mother's arms around her daughter's and then, except for Cassie's wide-open eyes, they looked like they were taking a nap. So that's what allowed herself to believe. They were taking a nap outside because it was such a beautiful day. And she was covering them up with dirt so they wouldn't be cold, or as a trick. Yeah a prank, and won't they be surprised when they wake up covered in earth. She was so involved in her fantasy that she didn't notice that with every handful of dirt she shoveled over her friend's bodies that something inside her disappeared. Or if she did, she pretended not to, because frankly, it just didn't matter.

<*><*><*><*><*>

She woke up in silence, soul-searing sorrow washing over her like a wave then receding into relief. It was just a dream, no one was dead, and she hadn't killed the whole world with her stupid mistake. She'd tell Daniel, he loved interpreting dreams. He'd never tell her what it meant, just how different it would be if she had been raised in a long gone civilization. Then he'd get that glint in his blue eyes, blue like the crystal in front of her, and he'd . . . blue crystal. The Tok'ra. She closed her eyes tight as the peace vanished like a cool summer breeze on a frightfully hot day. Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead . . . the word filled her mind screaming at her. Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead.

She whimpered and got out of bed; there would be no more sleep for her anytime soon.

<*><*><*><*><*>

The next thing she was aware of was the sound of birds. That was one good thing about the virus, she guessed. It was apparently engineered to effect humans only. Every animal seemed immune. That would make the greenies happy she thought, mankind was now the ultimate endangered species. Or more accurately, the newest extinct species.

Rubbing her hand across her sleep encrusted eyes; she pushed herself up, staring at her surroundings. Where was she? Janet. Janet's backyard. She picked up a handful of loose dirt and let it run through her fingers. That's right. They were asleep, they were together. The grass would grow. Janet had such a lovely yard. Such a peaceful place. They'd had such fun here, she, Janet and Cassie. She never realized how special her friend was until now. Janet had never let her insecurities rule her life. Anyone else would have been jealous of Sam's bond with the girl, would have tried to keep her away. But Janet hadn't done that. She'd welcomed Sam's presence and her help. She hadn't feared their bond, but cherished it, allowed it to grow. Maybe she knew Cassie was likely the closest thing to a child Sam would ever have. Maybe she hadn't had any motives. There were days when this house, this yard, were a warm, welcoming place. Not like her own little house, this place was a home. It wasn't like the mountain. The mountain. They were going to seal the mountain.

Suddenly frantic, she tore at her sleeve digging for her watch. She was too late. She'd missed her deadline by hours. No, she thought. Would he have sealed all the entrances? There were escape tunnels. No one gets left behind. Maybe he'd held the back door open for her.

Getting to her feet, she stumbled towards the back of the house, barely remembering to snatch up her P-90. She staggered through the building, her eyes skittering over the blood stains, the rumpled rugs. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered but getting back. She had to get back.

Walking through the front door, she stopped short. A half dozen people surrounded her hum vee. Raising her rifle, she fired a shot into the air. "Back off!" she warned.

Instead of being intimidated, the men turned and started towards her. Recognizing the thug mentality and seeing the tell tale smears of blood on their faces, she opened fire. The men fell in a hail of bullets, the reports shattering the calm of the morning.

Her hands shaking from a combination of adrenaline and exhaustion, she stepped over the dead, climbing into the hum-vee and driving off.

Ignoring traffic laws, she sped through the empty streets intent only upon her goal.

Reaching the mountain, she screeched to a halt, her eyes scanning the tunnel entrance for the colonel and his men. It hadn't been sealed. "Colonel!" she yelled as she got out of the vehicle.

She could see signs of a battle. Civilian bodies lay upon the ground; each of them riddled with gunshot wounds. The rioters must have returned after she and Janet had left, likely encouraged by the approaching darkness. "Colonel!" she yelled again, this time startling a raven that was feeding on one of the corpses.

She'd seen a lot of scavengers, both on her way to and from Janet's house. Flocks of ravens and vultures filled the streets, even some bald eagles lured from the safety of the wilderness by the overwhelming stench of death. The air in the city literally hummed with the buzz of billions of flies, gorging themselves on the rich bounty. She'd even seen a few cats and dogs, likely family pets, used to humans for their sustenance, now using their former masters for survival. It really was a dog eat dog world.

Slowly approaching the tunnel that was partly shrouded by sandbags and barricades, she stepped over her first military casualty. Ferretti. She knelt down and closed his vacant eyes. She should have known he'd be up here. He and the colonel shared a bond like no other, being the last survivors of the Abydos mission.

She stepped over more bodies, some she recognized, others unknown to her. When the SGC first started she'd literally known each and every person. Now they'd grown so large she often found herself working with strangers. Sargent Johnson, Lieutenant Barber, Major Coburn, Griff…she ticked off the names as she stepped over the men.

Her eyes settled on a solitary figure wearing an all too familiar baseball cap. "Oh Colonel," she whispered, approaching the still figure. He'd waited for her. He hadn't sealed her out.

She knelt beside him, the gaping hole in his chest telling her all she needed to know. Laying her hand gently on his cheek, she remembered their first meeting. Thank goodness things had gotten better from there. He was the best CO she'd ever had. Allowing her the freedom to do what she needed, but knowing when to rein her in and keep her from really screwing stuff up. He'd trusted her implicitly, often putting his life and the lives of others in her hands based solely upon her ideas. From the first time he'd stared at her cleavage in that stupid dress to the last time he'd brought her coffee at 0200, he'd been a rock, a grounding force that often pushed her to her limits, but was always there to catch her should she fall.

She slid her hand down to his neck and pulled out his dog tags, snapping the chain to release one of them. "It was an honor serving with you, sir," she whispered as the tag came loose. She reached into her pocket and pulled out another necklace. Janet's dog tags that she'd taken off the woman before she buried her. With steady fingers, she threaded the bit of metal onto the chain.

Looking down, she saw the detonator clutched in his slack hands. Setting the chain aside, she picked it up. 04:45 it read. Making her decision, she deactivated the timer. She could always re-start it. Sticking the device into her pocket, she quickly removed the dog tags from the rest of the dead. Her task done, she picked up a zat that was lying on the ground and efficiently disposed of all the bodies, military and civilian. Leaving them here would only draw the scavengers closer.

<*><*><*><*><*>

"Sam?" She rarely answered to her name anymore. "Sammy, remember what we were talking about yesterday?"

"Jack." When he had left she was sleeping peacefully on the bed, when he had returned she was back on the floor. He had given her some food which she had pushed away. Just the thought of eating made her stomach cramp.

"That's right. Can you tell me what happened next?"

"Started to clean up."

<*><*><*><*><*>

Her task finished, she descended into the mountain, stopping on each level to dispose of the dead. Before she disintegrated a body, she stripped it of its tags, adding each one to her chain.

By the time she reached Level 11, her grim jewelry was nearly too heavy to carry, the chain almost filled to capacity. The power supply on her zat was also drained. She'd have to come back for the rest. But first she had to report in.

She climbed down to Level 28, bypassing the levels in between. As she approached Level 27, she could hear the distinctive snap whine of a zat. Had the base been breached?

As she got closer and closer to the control room, the sound got louder. Zat, Zat, Zat. Three shots in a row. She came around the corner to see General Hammond shoot Sargent Davis once, twice, thrice, the man vanishing in a burst of blue energy. She stopped and raised her hands as the man aimed his weapon at her. He frowned, then lowered his weapon. "You're AWOL," he growled, walking past her.

"Yes, sir," Sam said, following him up the stairs to his office.

"How did you get in? Colonel O'Neill should have sealed the entrance," he said, setting down his zat and sitting in his chair.

Sam drew the heavy chain of tags out of her pocket. "He…he's gone, sir." She laid the strand on his blotter. They're all gone. How many are left alive down here?" she asked.

He gave her a sharp look, then leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk. "You, Teal'c, and me," he reported, picking up the dog tags. The stressed chain broke and bits of metal clattered to the desktop, a few falling onto the floor. With a heavy sigh, the older man pulled his desk drawer open and pushed the tags into it. Sam could hear them clatter against others in the drawer. Hundreds, he had to have hundreds of them in there.

"General, what are we going to do?" she asked, sitting in one of the chairs.

He ignored her for a second, intent upon putting all the tags into his drawer. She saw him pause, reading the names. He held one of them up. "Doctor Fraiser?" he asked. Silently she shook her head. He put it with the others. "I spent all last night on this phone." He pointed at the red phone. "There's no one left. As far as I can tell Major, you and Teal'c are the only survivors."

"But, sir…"

"Sam, you two are the only survivors," he insisted a defeated look on his face. "I am hereby turning command of this facility over to you. You and Teal'c…do what you think is right. I'm not ordering you to stay here. You and he can leave; there are plenty of uninhabited planets out there. Or not leave. My last orders to you are simple. Live or die…however you choose. Your fate is your own." He reached into another of the drawers and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here are all the codes and passwords. This is your facility, Major. Do with it as you wish."

She took the paper from him, her heart breaking at the finality in his words. "General?"

"It's not your fault, Major. None of this is," he said suddenly.

Sam shook her head. "Sir, I sent the artifact off. I didn't even look at it. I…"

"You were following orders. Orders I gave you. The ultimate responsibility rests solely on me."

"No. General…I should have…"

"Life is full of should have's…they don't change a single thing. I am taking full responsibility for this incident…and it says so in my report."

"No, sir…"

A sudden fit of coughing seized him and she watched in horror as he doubled over, blood trickling from between his fingers. Instead of abating, the coughing grew worse, forcing him from the chair and to the floor. Jumping to her feet, she hurried around the desk, reaching out to comfort the man. The coughing stopped and he lay there, gasping for breath. "Please…" he whispered.

She stood up and picked up his zat. She knelt beside him and placed a gentle kiss on his head. "It was an honor, sir, " she whispered. Standing back she pressed the trigger once…twice…thrice.

She stood there and stared at the void, the place where he'd lain. He was gone. It was as if he'd never existed. Not a trace of him remained save a bloodstain on the floor. She let the zat fall from nerveless fingers. Teal'c. She had to find Teal'c.

She turned, struggling to see through the tears in her eyes. She made her way out of the office, more from memory than anything else. The briefing room was dark, the only illumination the emergency lighting spilling from the gate room and the lamp on General Hammond's desk. The generators were running low. She'd noticed that before she'd left.

She stared out the large glass window at the Stargate, standing silent in the gateroom. It had been her dream, her ultimate fantasy to go through it. That device had brought her her greatest dreams…and her biggest sorrows.

She'd seen the wonders of alien worlds. Things that people only dreamed of. She'd been so thrilled, so proud to be here. The second she'd stood on that ramp, ready to leave earth for the first time, she knew she'd never work anywhere else. Nothing anyone could do could take this from her. She'd beg, plead, pull strings, anything to stay here.

And now she'd give anything to take it all back. What if? What if Daniel hadn't figured out how to open it? What if she hadn't found that statue and brought it back? What if she hadn't ignored the colonel's orders and not gotten blended with Jolinar? What if the Nox had just let them die? What if she'd just ignored the little statue and sent the NID something, anything else? So many 'what if's'. So many places and ways it could have all been avoided. So many decisions…so many lost opportunities. So many lives. Lives she'd snuffed out. She'd once called the Stargate humanity's greatest endeavor…it was really humanity's greatest folly.

It didn't matter what the general said, she knew the truth. The ultimate responsibility rested solely with her. She'd killed a planet. Was there even a word for what she'd done? In a way, she should be glad everyone else was gone. They'd come and get her if they weren't. They'd lock her up and throw away the key.

She heard a sound behind her and her heart stopped. Oh God. They'd come. They were going to come and get her and lock her away. Suddenly terrified, she spun and raced across the room, giving the dark figure a shove. He had just reached the top of the darkened stairs and fell backwards, his hands flying out in a desperate bid to stop his descent. She fell to her knees as she heard him tumble down the stairs, the metal grating clanging with each impact.

She could hear him grunt and then a sudden outcry. That voice. She knew that voice. Oh my God. She stumbled down the stairs, nearly tripping in her haste to reach the bottom.

In the faint light from the computer screens, she could see him. Teal'c. He was lying awkwardly at the base of the stairs and she was forced to step over him before kneeling at his side. "Teal'c. Oh my God. I'm so sorry. Are you all right?"

"No," he gasped out.

"Just a minute. I'll get a flashlight." She left him and made her way over to a small cabinet where they kept emergency supplies. Finding a flashlight, she snapped it on. "Oh God," she whispered as the light played over him. He was lying at the base of the steps his head at an impossible angle. "Teal'c." She knelt back beside him.

"My neck is broken," he said calmly.

"Yeah."

"I can not feel the rest of my body."

"Junior…Junior will fix it."

He closed his eyes. "Perhaps. General Hammond?"

"He's…gone."

"It is as well. I carried out his last order. No one remains alive within this facility."

"What? What do you mean?"

"General Hammond ordered my to deliver coup de grace to everyone in this complex and then to dispose of the corpses. I have just completed that task."

"That doesn't make any sense. We could have found something…maybe the Asgard know something…"

"Major Carter…there is no cure to this disease. Euthanasia is a mercy. They will not die alone. They will not suffer. They died with dignity," he said softly.

"We need to get you off this floor. I don't know how long it will take Junior to fix you." Sam looked at the massive body of her friend. It was difficult to move Teal'c when there were several able-bodied corpsmen around. By herself, it would be nearly impossible.

"We have something to do first."

"What?"

"We must warn our allies not to come down here. We can not risk another race contracting this virus and spreading it."

"The gate's closed. No one can come."

"They will come in ships. Eventually the Tok'ra will question our silence. There are teams off world who will contact our allies and seek assistance. We must warn them not to approach."

"How? We have no power. The generator's nearly gone, I don't think there's a power plant within 100 miles that's still operational. We have no way to get a signal out."

"You have your Naquadah reactor. Will it not generate sufficient power for a radio transmission?"

"Aah…sure I guess."

"Perhaps you should bring one here and use it to power the radio. I can record message in Goa'uld and you one in your language. We can then protect other planets from our fate," he suggested.

"Why don't I get you somewhere more comfortable first? Then I'll work on the radio."

"Major Carter…do not concern yourself with my welfare. Either my symbiote will repair the damage or it will not. The warning cannot wait. Even now, it is possible that rescuers could be approaching this planet. Go. Get the reactor. I shall…wait here," he said, meeting her eyes.

With a nod and what she hoped was a comforting hand on his head, she got up and left him. Using the flashlight, she carefully made her way to her lab. The reactor was right where she'd left it, sitting on the edge of the bench where she'd put it just a week before. A week. How much had changed in a week. Unbidden the lyrics to a song popped into her head. 'It's the end of the world as we know it.' She started to laugh at the absurdity of it all. 'It's the end of the world as we know it.' Sure was. Ragnarok as the Cimmerians would say. Armageddon…without Bruce Willis to save the day. The Second Coming…had she missed that part? Surely if that had happened she'd have heard about it?

Sliding to the floor, she thought of all the legends she'd heard. The Second Coming…wasn't there supposed to be a white buffalo somewhere? Had there been signs? Had there been warnings that she'd missed? Aah well…that's what she got for not paying attention. What had Teal'c called it…Tel'ak. Dead world. The Tau'ri were now Tel'ak.

Everyone was gone and she was in charge. That told you the sorry state of the world if she was the boss. When the president called she'd have to answer the …the president was dead too. So were the vice-president and their staffs. Holy cow, the US now had its first woman president. Too bad there was no one else around to care. Teal'c couldn't be president, he wasn't native born…Teal'c. She had to get back to Teal'c. How could she have forgotten?

Pushing herself to her feet, she reached out and picked up the reactor. General Hammond had entrusted her with the care of this facility. She had to make sure no one else died.

The reactor was heavier than she'd remembered and she ended up dragging it down the stairs and through the halls back to the control room. She pulled it up the short flight of steps, falling to the floor when she over balanced. "Teal'c?" She crawled over to her teammate still lying where he'd fallen.

"Major Carter." He slowly opened his eyes.

"How are you doing?"

"I must meditate to increase the chances of the symbiote repairing the damage," he whispered.

"OK. You meditate. I have the reactor." He closed his eyes in response and she lingered a moment, then turned and dragged the reactor back to the console. It wasn't easy to hook the power supply into the machine using only a flashlight. Several times she had to stop and rest for a moment when her eyes got tired and her fingers clumsy. A couple of hours later, she made the last connection and sighed in relief as the console hummed into life. She'd done it.

Pulling herself out from under the console, she made her way over to Teal'c who was still meditating. "Teal'c." She put a hand on his shoulder, then cursing herself, moved it to the side of his head. "Teal'c?" He sluggishly opened his eyes. "I did it. It works," she said proudly.

"We must record the message," his voice was harsh and rasping.

"I think I can get you up to the microphone…"

"No. Do you have a recording device?" She nodded and got up, finding a small tape recorder and returning with it. She held it in front of his mouth and he spoke the warning. She listened, recognizing a few of the words. She should have known more. She should have made Daniel teach her more Goa'uld rather than relying on him to always be there to translate. He stopped, signaling he was finished and she turned off the recorder.

She set it aside and turned back to him. "Let me go find a gurney…"

"No. Record your message and start to broadcast."

"Teal'c, we need to take care of you."

"There is no need."

"Look, I know Junior does a great job, but fixing a broken neck will take some time…"

"My symbiote can not repair the damage," he said quietly.

"What! No. Junior can fix it. Junior always fixes it."

"Not this time. Before I leave this world I wish to know it is safeguarded. I must know that no other world will suffer the same fate as Earth."

"Teal'c…"

"DO IT!" he ordered with uncustomary gruffness. Startled, she did as he ordered, first playing his recording into the computer's memory, then recording one of her own. She typed a few commands and set the radio to broadcast an unending loop.

Finished, she turned off the monitor to save power and turned back to her friend. "There. Satisfied?"

"Indeed."

"Good. Now you can stop with all this dying crap. The stairs are going to be hard, but I think I can get you into one of the rooms on level twenty-seven."

"Major Carter…"

"Maybe if I go up to the infirmary and get a back board. That'll slide right up the stairs…"

"Major Carter…"

"If I only had another reactor we could power one of the elevators for a bit…"

"Samantha," he said, breaking off her rambling.

"Yeah?" She knelt by his side.

"Dal Shaka Mel," he whispered.

"NO. You will not shaka on me," she insisted.

"Dal Shaka Mel," he whispered again then he went still.

"No. NO! NO!" She screamed, pulling him towards her. She bent over and tilted his head back, ignoring the sickening creaks and cracking in his neck. Breathing deep, she breathed into his mouth, seeing his chest rise out of the corner of her eye. See…it was working. He was wrong. When he didn't respond, she breathed again, this time harder. She scooted over and placed her hands on his chest, leaning into the compressions with all her body weight. She breathed again, then pushed in on his chest again and again until she was too exhausted to continue.

Still he didn't move. She knelt over him and watched in fascination as drops of water splashed onto his chest. Was it raining? Where was the water coming from? She stared then something caught her eye.

Turning her head, she saw his T-shirt move. As she watched, the fabric bucked and trembled. With a sibilant hiss she saw the symbiote he carried worm its way out from under his shirt. It crawled back across his chest, trailing slime behind it. The creature reared up, its small fins spread wide. In the darkness of the room, its eyes glowed an angry red. She watched almost hypnotized as it swayed from side to side honing in on her. It was looking straight at her, its quadra-fanged jaw open wide. It wanted her. She could see the longing in its eyes. It wanted to have her. It expected her to take it, shelter it, and give it her body to use.

How dare it? How dare it expect her to care for it when it let Teal'c die? It lunged for her and she struck out with a speed she didn't know she possessed.

She grabbed the creature, using both hands to hold it securely. "You bastard," she whispered. "You let him die. You could have saved him. YOU LET HIM DIE!" She screamed as the snake wriggled and hissed in protest. Filled with a rage she'd never experienced before, she smashed the symbiote into the floor, stunning it. She took it by the tail and swung it again, and again, and again. Each strike left a small blue streak of blood on the gray concrete floor. She could hear the creature's delicate bones break and crumble and still she swung. Tiny pieces of it broke off and flew across the room, some splatting against the glass and sliding to the floor with an otherworldly squeal and still she swung.

With each impact she whispered a name, remembered a face. With each blow she struck out against the nameless foe who had killed her planet until she could swing no more. Her hand came into harsh contact with the floor and she recoiled in pain, staring her abused palm.

All she was holding was a tiny fragment of the creature, a few inches of its tail. She'd killed it. The last sentient creature save herself on this planet and she'd murdered it.

Feeling a wave of revulsion she threw the gory bit away from her and stared at the room. It was covered in blood; she was covered in blood. Blue gore streaked her body like some horrific war paint. Murderer…she was a murderer. She'd literally murdered every last intelligent life form on Earth. Except her.

<*><*><*><*><*>

Sam's monotone recital trailed off and she sat on the ledge, calmly staring at the far wall. "Maybe I don't deserve a symbiote?" she whispered.

"Why do you think that?" Selmac asked, sitting beside her.

"I killed him."

"Teal'c's symbiote would have sought you as a host."

"I had control of him. I could have sustained him. We've done it before."

"You would have kept him as a…pet?"

"Selmac, Junior wasn't a gold fish or something. He was sentient. He…he was you thousands of years ago. I didn't even try to…restrain him. I killed him in cold blood."

"You've killed symbiotes before. What makes this one different?"

"He…"

Way to go, Junior

It must have filtered the oxygen from the water and used it to sustain Teal'c

My symbiote makes me immune to Hathor's wiles


"He was part of us, of SG-1. He…he saved us, saved Earth so many times. It's ironic, our ace in the hole was really the enemy in our midst."

"Life is often ironic," Selmac said, laying her arm across Sam's shoulders. She relaxed into the embrace. "I shall speak with the Council. Even if they deny your request, you are welcome among the Tok'ra. We do however feel that you would benefit from some time away."

Sam pulled herself from Selmac's arms and looked into her father's eyes. "What?"

"Sam, I agree with Selmac on this. You need some time, time to deal with this, to get your head together."

"No. Dad, I…"

"Kid," he interrupted. "When was the last time you ate? Or slept through the night?"

"I'll be fine if I just have something to do," She protested.

"You mean an excuse to bury yourself in your work so you can just ignore this? It won't work, not this time."

"Dad…"

"Sam, I've been there. You're wound too tight. You need to take some time, relax, and grieve. You need to find your center again. Even if the Council will allow you to be blended, I won't."

"That's not fair."

"Yes, it is. Hon, trust me. It's hard enough to share your head with a total stranger, but it'll be almost impossible to be blended with someone else if you're arguing all the time. You are taking the next month off. And no arguments. Now, do you know a friendly planet or would you like Selmac to pick one out for you?"


<><><><><>


Thirty-four days later, Jacob exited the Stargate, stumbling a bit in the dark.
'I have heard of such planets in the universe, but have never known one to be occupied,' Selmac said.

'Sam said something about them having a unique atmosphere. Something that keeps both light and dark sides temperate.'

'Did she also tell you how to find the city?'

'You were there,' Jacob reminded. 'Or were you day dreaming again?'

'I do not day dream.'

'Oh yeah? Then what's with the sudden fascination with big fins?'

'Jacob!'

'Oh come on, Sel. Admit it. Size does matter.'

'I am not going to justify that with a response.'

'Sore loser.'

'Human.'

'Snake.'

The good natured bantering faded as the pair made their way through the darkened forest towards the open fields and the terminator between light and dark. Selmac knew the reason for her host's sudden flare of gallows humor. She shared more of his feelings than he realized and she knew exactly how trepidacious he was about seeing his daughter for the first time in over a month. There had been times in the past several weeks when she'd almost had to restrain him from coming to visit Samantha.

When Sam had picked out the planet, Jacob had at first balked. The father in him would have preferred her on a world under Tok'ra control, where someone he knew could keep an eye on her.

But she'd insisted upon going to the Land of Light. She said she felt comfortable there. Selmac just hoped the woman had found some peace in the last month.

Unaware of his symbiote's musings, Jacob made his way to the city. As he approached it, he was again struck by the serenity of the planet. At first he'd feared that she was clinging to the past, but the friendly and welcoming attitude of Tupelo and his people soon put his mind at ease.

The leader had been honestly distressed, nearly dropping the grandson he'd been playing with on his lap when Jacob had told him of Earth's demise.

In an incredibly unselfish gesture, he had immediately offered sanctuary to any survivors.

'They did change things for the better,' Selmac said after hearing the whole story of the curing of the Touched.

'I know. But they could have done so much more. I know strategically they weren't the best actions, but Earth has killed more goa'uld in the past four years than we have in millennia.'

'Yes. And the current state of galactic chaos is making things most difficult.'

'Face it, Sel. If they weren't stirring up trouble, we'd still be quietly gathering Intel rather than doing something. They made us get off our asses for once.'

'Yes. And look at what it got them,' she quipped back.

Ignoring his symbiote, Jacob approached the house. It was a medium-sized single story structure made of stone. It reminded Jacob vaguely of the tiny bungalows the Air Force has the nerve to call base housing. "Sam? Drey'auc?" he called, pushing the ajar door open wider. Hearing a gleeful whoop, he instead headed towards the back of the house. Drey'auc's home was on the outskirts of town and adjacent to a large field.

He could see three figures playing in the tall grass. One was Ry'ac. Even without the dark coloring, Jacob would recognize the boy. He had his father's proud bearing. A dark haired woman he remembered as Melosha was cheering on her young son as he was chased in circles by Ry'ac.

Slightly alarmed, he scanned the area and breathed a sigh of relief when he spied the blonde figure sitting on a rock, watching the trio play. Even from this distance he could see that the past month had done his daughter a world of good. The gaunt, traumatized creature he'd brought from Earth was gone. Looking at her now, he found it hard to believe all she'd been through.

"She looks well." Jacob turned to see Drey'auc standing by him. "But her dreams still haunt her."

"Drey'auc. How are you?"

"We are well, thank you."

Jacob turned his attention back at the quartet. "Thank you for letting her stay here."

"It was our pleasure. She and her friends helped Teal'c save Ry'ac's life. I was saddened to hear that Earth had fallen."

"As were we all," Jacob replied. Her sentiment was much the same as he'd heard from Kasuf when he'd traveled to Abydos to inform the man of his son-in-law's passing. Rumors of Earth's demise were running rampant, various goa'uld torn between claiming responsibility and denying all evolvement.

"How did he die?" she asked abruptly.

"What?"

"She won't tell me and I don't want to push her. How did my husband die? Surely his primta would have afforded him some protection from the disease?"

"It did. He survived the outbreak."

"Then how…"

"It was an accident," he said. "His symbiote could not repair the damage." Jacob glossed over Sam's involvement in Teal'c's death. Knowing the truth would do nothing but cause both of them more pain.

"That happens," she said. "Some primta will nearly kill themselves to save their jaffa while others seek new jaffa upon the slightest injuries. Jacob…Selmac, I wish to ask a favor of you." She turned and looked him in the eyes.

"Of course. How may we assist you?" Selmac said.

"Ry'ac." She turned and glanced at the boy. "My son's primta will reach maturity in a few years. Now that we are outcasts…"

"When his primta reaches maturity it will either leave him or take him as a host."

"Yes," Drey'auc confirmed sadly.

"I can make no promises. Sometimes symbiotes are easy to find, other times most difficult. But we will make every effort to find Ry'ac another symbiote. We will of course want possession of the mature goa'uld."

"You wish to gain access to its secrets,"

"Yes."

"It is a child of Apophis."

"And with Apophis rising in power what that goa'uld knows could be invaluable," Selmac said, really thinking about the wealth of knowledge the innocent boy was carrying around in his belly. As a child of Apophis, Ry'ac's symbiote would contain the genetic knowledge of the system lord, and all that came before him. Such knowledge would be most beneficial to the Tok'ra.

"Teal'c gave it to him."

"Teal'c?"

"Ry'ac was dying. Teal'c gave Ry'ac his own symbiote to save his life. I think my husband would be most pleased to know he may have delivered the demise of Apophis into the hands of the Tok'ra," she said. "I will talk to Ry'ac. When his time is near we will contact you. Even if you can not find him a new primta, he will die content with delivering his father's gift."

They stood there; watching for a few moments until Melosha noticed their presence and pointed it out to her companions. She called out to the others and Sam hurried forward, taking a moment to help Melosha with her son.

"Dad." Sam embraced him tightly.

"Hey, kiddo." He hugged her back, relieved to feel a bit more flesh on her bones.

"I thought you would be here a few days ago," she chided gently.

"You know how work is," he excused not wanting to tell her the truth, not quite yet.

"Jacob, Selmac. Hello," Melosha greeted, her son on her hip.

"Melosha. And hello, Liander." Jake reached out and tousled the boy's brown hair.

"Will you be staying long? My father would love to have you for evening meal?"

"Thank you, but we cannot, " Selmac said. "We merely came to speak with Samantha."

"As you wish. However, should you change your mind, you are always welcome at my father's table."

"Thank you." Melosha left as Drey'auc gathered her son close.

"You are welcome at our table as well, " she invited.

"Thank you Drey'auc, Ry'ac. I just need to speak with Sam, then we have to get back." With a nod she walked away, leaving Sam and Jacob alone in the clearing.

"Dad? What's up?"

He pulled her towards a large rock and bade her to sit. Joining her he paused for a second then nodded as Selmac took over. "Two of our operatives were recently rescued from Cronos. They had been held for several days and not treated well. Asha says Kaber and Renlo will survive; however, Linra is not doing well. The chances are good that Atalaya will need a new host soon. Samantha, do you still wish to become a host?" Sam didn't respond, staring at her hands lying in her lap."Sam?" Jacob asked concerned.

"So soon?"

"Soon? A month ago you were mad at me because we didn't have a symbiote. Have you changed your mind?"

"I…"

"Kid. You don't have to do this. You can stay here. Drey'auc likes having you around. Tupelo adores you. You've done a lot in the past four years. No one, absolutely no one, would blame you if you stayed here, retired."

She raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Retired?"

"And there's the kids to consider."

"Kids?"

"Teal'c's son…Daniel's son."

"Liander?"

"Ah come on. Don't tell me you can't see it. His hair, those killer blue eyes. I've seen Melosha's husband. That's not his kid," Jacob insisted.

"He's as curious and smart as his dad," she agreed with a sigh. Liander had been a pleasant surprise when she'd first arrived. True, the SGC did have diplomatic relations with Tupelo, and they knew that Melosha had had a son, but no one thought that the boy's biological father had been anyone but Melosha's husband.

"You could stay here, help with the kids, maybe…have a couple of your own," he suggested.

"Dad!" she protested, her cheeks blushing.

He laughed, backing off. "Ok. I guess what I'm saying is you've given four years of your life to this, not to mention all the work you did before the gate opened. Earth is gone, but you can start over here, or on another planet. There's no rule saying you have to keep fighting until it kills you."

"Dad, you…Selmac's been at this for millennia…"

"Exactly. We've been fighting the goa'uld for centuries. And it may take centuries more. And …don't take this wrong, you've done some great things, but…"

"The fight existed before I started and will continue on just fine without me," she finished.

"Yeah." He put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, kissing her gently on the top of her head. "Linra may still recover. And if she doesn't, we can find Atalaya another host." He stood up. "I have to get back. I'll warn the sentries, if you decide to come they'll contact me. If not…that's fine too. You just…you do what YOU want to do. That's what's important to me," he said earnestly.

She nodded and stood up, giving him a hug. "I…I just need to think a bit."

"Well, you know where we are." After another quick hug, he turned and left. Sam sat back down, deep in thought.

<><><><><>

When the sentinels informed him of her arrival, Jacob felt a ball of lead suddenly appear in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't afraid of her decision, whether it was to live her out life alone or join the Tok'ra, but rather her reasons for it.

She would have to live with the memories for the rest of her life anyway. Her choice was how she would live that life. If she chose the path of revenge she would never move past the grief and anger that simmered within her. If she went out in a crusade of vengeance she would die, but if they tried to keep her from going, her own emotions would kill her anyway. It was a lose/lose situation and yet he would not, could not, blame her for going down that road.

The desert was silent except for the haunted sound of the wind blowing across the dunes. The sun was low on the horizon, paining the dunes in dramatic shadows.

Jacob stood behind his daughter, waiting for her to speak, to turn, to react in some way to his presence.

"I want to go home," she said. "I want to curl up on the couch and watch bad movies until I fall asleep. I want to wake up to the phone ringing and General Hammond on the line, telling me I'm needed back at the mountain, or Daniel rambling on about his latest translation, or Colonel O'Neill . . . Jack, asking me to go fishing with him just to hear me say no. I want to take Teal'c to the movies and watch him eat three boxes of milk duds and force me to explain the movie to him. Mostly, I just want to wake up from this nightmare once and for all." She turned to him then, and he resisted the urge to reach out to her. It was not what she needed at that moment. "But isn't not a dream, is it? And home, whatever it was to begin with, is gone." She walked forward and he crushed her to his chest and she linked her arms behind his back and held on for dear life as grief, finally good clean healthy grief, flowed from within her like the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

In her father's arms on an alien desert planet, Sam started to mourn her friends' lives, instead of the death of a planet. And when she was done she felt calm, clean and pleasantly hollow. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs and feeling her body for the first time in weeks.

Jacob kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, but didn't let her go, and for that she was grateful.

"All the teams that had been trapped off world managed to get to the Alpha site. There were some injuries, but we sent someone with a healing device to help them out." Sam nodded her thanks. "From what I hear, the place is in complete chaos. Civilian scientists, military personnel . . . no one knows exactly what they're supposed to be doing. Lots of conflicts and confusion with little resolutions." Sam sniffed. "They could probably use some help, you know. Someone who's both a scientist and a soldier. Just to bridge the gaps.

Sam laughed, surprised at how easily it came to her. "Subtle, Dad," she said, then sighed. "You're right, though. If nothing else I owe them to at least try and help. And I owe it to Ry'ac and Liander. Maybe they can grow up in a nicer universe." This time Jacob nodded in response. "I still want to be blended though. I was the only person alive on the planet . . . I never want to be that alone again."

Jacob smiled and allowed Selmac control. "The Tok'ra are proud and honored to have you, Samantha." They crossed the dunes to the transport rings. Just as they reached the site, Sam paused and looked at the sky. It was sunset, the western horizon just starting to darken as the sun prepared to make its flamboyant exit. The day was done. Her last day alone. The next time she saw this sun, she'd have a symbiote in her head.

Whatever they did, however long they were together, she knew she'd never be alone again.

~Fin~