Confirming Carter Bk. 02 Daedalus Ch. 06

"You can't miss what you don't know about. We didn't warn you about this threat." Samuels said. "When she was sleeping at the table, was that when she seemed confused about things?"

"Yeah. She called me Robert yesterday, then caught herself. That was right after one of those naps." He said. "She acted normal a few minutes later."

"Jennifer, would you quit poking me? Let me up. I feel fine." Tammy said.

"Let her up, Jenn." Samuels said. "I think the episode has passed."

"Why do you think that?" Keller asked as she helped Tammy sit up, but she made her stay on the bed.

"Ronin said that she's been sleeping at the table in the kitchen, then acting confused when she wakes up, but it passes after a few minutes." Samuels said. "She called you Jessica upstairs, and didn't know Ronin, now she knows your name, and he said she recognized him in the elevator."

"I haven't been sleeping at the table. I work in the kitchen alot, because I like it in there." Tammy said.

Sam came over and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I was so scared, Tammy. I couldn't wake you up, so I hit the alarm, and then Andi and Jenn came in, and we brought you down here."

She turned and looked at Keller over her shoulder. "Show us what's going on. And where is Susan with that machine? I want to know what's happening to her."

"She just called in, she had to go over to the north pier to get one. She's on the way back now. Five minutes, then we can get started." Keller said.

Carter nodded. "Then show us what you have."

Samuels pulled the video feed up on the monitor on the wall and showed them the episodes that they had found. Then she brought up the telemetry. Tammy gasped as she watched the readouts flatline, then recover, again and again.

"Look at the timestamps. Most of the events are happening when you'd normally sleep, just like we think was happening to Sam." Samuels said. "But there have been a few events, at least six, during the day, and they match up to when you collapse at the table."

"As luck would have it, you were alone, no one had eyes on the video feed, and the alarms on your bracelet weren't turned on. It was just bad luck that we missed it. I'm sorry."

"Like you said Andi, it wasn't anyone's fault, things just fell through the cracks. We know now, so let's see what we can do to help her." Carter said.

Susan came in with the teaching machine, and Keller turned to Carter. "I need lessons on the scanner, and we need to get more people trained on it. So you need to get more people trained on the teacher, or let me know when you can do it."

She turned to Susan. "Run our scanner while we do this, we just need head shots."

Susan nodded and pulled the scanner over, and helped Tammy lay back down on the table.

"Andi, get the scans for the last three weeks, we need to do a stare and compare, that's how Tammy spotted the change in Sam." Keller said, moving over to stand next to the teaching machine. "We're missing something, and we need to find it."

"Send them to me, I'll train them on both. Do it in the morning." Carter told her as she brought up the teaching machine. She handed Keller a headset, and when she had it seated, hit the control button.

"Thirty seconds..." She said after moment. She looked at Keller, watching her closely. "Ten seconds...you're done."

Jennifer opened her eyes and shook her head. "Wow. That was weird. There were all these colors, then...I can't describe it."

Keller waited for Susan to finish with the scan, then moved the ancient machine closer, and positioned the arm over Tammy's head. She tapped on the panel, then looked up as an image appeared over the machine. She went through several views, rotating and turning it as she did.

"No merging like we saw with Sam." She said. She switched to another view, then expanded the image. "I think I got something here."

"Me too." Samuels said as she put a series of images on the monitor. "There's new tissue growth, just like with Sam. But it started before these events began, It looks like it's been happening for eight or nine days."

"Mostly in the frontal and parietal lobes?" Keller asked. "That's where I'm seeing activity. I've got activity in the brain stem too. I think that's why she's coding."

"So we know what's happening." Carter said. "Now what are we going to do about it?"

"The same thing we did with you, Sam." Tammy said as she pushed the scanner's arm out of the way and sat up. "We wait, watch, and see what happens next."

"I wasn't done with that." Keller said.

"I am." Tammy said as she slid off the table. "Andi, what's the frequency on these events? Are they increasing, decreasing, or steady?"

"Decreasing. You had one last night, and two so far today." Samuels said. You had two the night before, then four before that, and three during the day Tuesday, three yesterday."

"Then all we can do is monitor and wait for the next one." Tammy said and she went over and put her arms around Sam. "I'm okay, Sam. It's going to be alright, we just need to let it happen."

Carter nodded, hugging her tighter.

"How much smarter am I, Andi." Tammy asked, looking at her over Sam's shoulder.

"I don't know if you're any smarter, but it looks there's eighteen percent more active neurons in the frontal, and nine percent in the parietal lobe. There's definitely more going on in there."

"I'm still smarter than you." Tammy told Sam softly as she stepped back. "Can I go upstairs? It's cold in here."

Interior-Kitchen

1840 Hours

"Still nothing from Daedalus?" Tammy asked as they sat a they kitchen table. She was eating rocky road out of the carton, and held a spoonful out to Sam. "Want a bite? You haven't eaten anything. And we skipped lunch."

Carter shook her head. "Aren't you worried about this?" She asked.

"Not really, and there's nothing I can do about it anyway, so why freak out?" Tammy said lightly. She leaned closer, a big smile on her face. "I had fun with you this morning. I'm gonna have to be bitchy more often. You licked my butt! You nasty!"

"You did it to me first! There's where I got the idea." Carter laughed.

"Um...can I tell you something?" Tammy said, looking down and digging her spoon around in her ice cream.

"Besides how much you liked getting spanked?" Carter asked her, reaching over and dipping her own spoon in the carton.

"How? Noooooo, there's no way you could know that!" Tammy said as she looked up, her eyes wide.

"It was written all over your face." Sam laughed. "You liked me domming you, didn't you? When I was on top of you, asking you if you loved me, you wouldn't answer cuz you wanted me to push you."

"Not as a steady diet, but damn! That whole thing was fun!" Tammy laughed. "I thought we were just gonna cuddle after we made out in the bedroom, then BAM! You're dragging me all over the freekin' house!"

"I actually carried you a couple times."

"I know! And you licked my butt! You stuck your ton..."

"Oh for god's sake! Shut up! I don't want to hear that!" Jennifer said as she came into the room.

"Hi Jenn!" Tammy said. "You got anything new? Am I gonna stay dead one of these times?

"Don't you even joke about that." Sam said softly.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Tammy said. "Hey Jenn, did I tell that Sam stuck her tongue up my butt?"

"No, but I heard you the first time you said it. So did Ronin, O'Neill, and Bra'tac." Keller said as she sat her tablet on the table. "I'm going to get them something to drink. O'Neill damn near fell over laughing, but I don't think Bra'tac knows what it means."

"Did they bring Geraan?" Tammy asked, getting to her feet, heading toward the door.

"Yeah, he's running all over the place. As usual." Keller said, shaking her head in disgust. "I'm never having children, that kid is a terror!"

"Geraan! Where is my mighty warrior?" Tammy shouted as she ran into the living room.

Bra'tac pointed to the door of their bedroom, then watched her run into the room. His eyebrows raising when they heard a scream, followed by peals of laughter.

O'Neill went over and stuck his head in the door, then grinned at them. "You gotta see this." He said as he turned back to watch.

Carter joined them at the door, and saw Tammy holding the boy by a wrist and an ankle, spinning around in circles, then lifting him and throwing him across the room to land laughing on the bed. Geraan leapt to his feet, shouting, "Again!" then jumping off the bed and running back over to her.

"She is feeling better?" Bra'tac asked. "We were told she was ill. Gravely ill."

"The kid was pretty shook up." O'Neill told her, going over to the couch. "He moped around most of the afternoon. He really likes her."

"There's a problem, and we've identified it, but it looks like we're on the backside of it." Carter told them as they sat down. "Her brain is reconfiguring, adding new cells and neurons. Our warning systems failed, and we didn't know that it had been going on, and we're hoping that she's coming to the end of it."

"I thought you weren't contagious?" O'Neill said. "Or did that change."

"No, I'm not contagious. We...we did this intentionally. I exposed her. We did transfusions so she could come with me." Carter said quietly. "We both wanted it."

"This is truly an act of love." Bra'tac said.

"It's truly an act of lunacy, is what it is." O'Neill said. "No one is sure that you're going to survive this, and you do this to her? What th..." He stopped in mid-rant.

"I'm sorry. I just jumped way over the line, and I apologize." He said after a moment. "I should just keep my mouth shut."

"It's okay, Jack." Tammy said as she walked over to the couch. "Here, hold this." She said, throwing a squealing Geraan onto the couch between them. She went over and sat on the couch next to Sam.

Geraan slid off the couch and ran around the table. He looked up at Sam, and when she nodded, he climbed up on the couch, and sat quietly between them.

"Why doesn't he do that with us?" O'Neill asked Bra'tac.

"Because we do not rule, nor do we exhaust him as Lady Tammy does." Bra'tac smiled, nodding his thanks to her.

"He can stay with us, if you guys need a break." Tammy said, hugging the boy to her. She looked over at Carter. "Is that okay, Sam? I can use some company. Ronin's not much of a talker."

"I would love to have Geraan stay with us." Sam smiled. "If Master Bra'tac approves of course."

Geraan looked at Bra'tac, who nodded. "I cannot think of better hands to put him in. But is Lady..."

"She's fine Master Bra'tac." Keller said as she came in with a tray. "And we have our warning system in place now, so no harm will come to him. Actually, having him here may help her."

"Then it's settled. He stays here. What do you think of that Ger...Sonofabich. Look at that." O'Neill said, unable to believe his eyes.

Geraan had his head in Tammy's lap, sound asleep. Sam scooted down on the couch and lifted his feet into her lap.

"You just have to have the touch, Jack." She said lightly. "Was this just a social visit? Or did you have something for us?"

"Oh, sorry. Daedalus checked in about an hour ago, just before they jumped into hyperspace They jumped early, so should be back in an hour or so." O'Neill told her. "Caldwell said they cruised back and forth over and around that cluster for almost three hours, and got within a hundred meters of a dozen hives. The crazy bastard sat right on top of the Primary's hive for fifteen minutes, and got a complete scan of it. They hung around for another hour after that, doing scans on the perimeter, and there was no sign that anyone noticed them."

"Jezzus, I don't know if I'm gonna kiss him or kill him when he gets back." Carter said. "I told him to be careful! I said, 'Don't take any unnecessary risks'. You were there, Jack. You heard me."

"I know, but we weren't in his shoes either." O'Neil told her. "I remember Hammond telling us the same thing, but we had better intel once we were on the ground. Old Caldwell isn't going to risk his crew, I'm pretty sure he felt safe before he started getting stupid."

"Are any of them shielded? Or are they counting on numbers and the dart shield."

"They're sitting there wide open, Sam, like they don't have a care in the world. And Zelenka says Apollo is good to go, he says he got the kinks worked out." O'Neill laughed. "It was all I could do to keep Sheppard from loading up and going chasing after Daedalus."

"You should have let him." Tammy said, stroking Geraan's hair gently. "Then we'd be welcoming them home as champions, not sweating it out again, wondering what's going to happen when we do send them."

Interior-Kitchen

2005 Hours

"Col. Carter? Daedalus just came out of hyperspace, they're checking in." Chuck told her from the Ops Center.

"Can you patch me through, Chuck? And stay on. You'll need to do something for me."

"Yes, maam." There was pause, then. "You're on."

"Steven?"

"Yes, Colonel. Mission completed, I'll be down shortly to give you my report." Caldwell said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"That's fine, Steven. Would you put Maj. Marks on please?"

"Ma'am?"

"Just put Maj. Marks on, Steven."

"Marks." Came a voice a moment later.

"Major, this is Col. Carter. I'd like you to beam Col Caldwell to his quarters. Now. Ops will give you the coordinates. Oh, and tell him to stand up first. We can't have our returning hero land on his ass in his living room."

"Yes, Ma'am." Marks laughed. "Wait one."

She switched channels. "Teyla? He's on the way. Have fun." She said.

"Thank you, Samantha. Do not expect him early tomorrow." Teyla said. "I will call you."

She was grinning as she switched back, and Marks was speaking. "Package is away, ma'am. Upright and squawking."

"Good, and thank you major. He won't be squawking long." Carter laughed. "Now would you be kind enough to bring my ship down, and put her on the east pier. And give the crew my love, and share my heartfelt thanks for their safe return. You've all done well today."

Interior-Col. Caldwell's Suite, North Tower

2010 Hours

The glare of an Asgard beam flared and faded, and Caldwell looked around. He was standing in his living room. The lights were dimmed, and candles filled the room with a warm glow.

"Welcome home, Steven." Teyla said softly from behind him.

He turned around and gasped when he saw her.

She was wearing a diaphanous green gown that hugged every curve. Her small breasts stood out sharply, the nipples almost poking through the tissue thin gown. The lush growth between her legs shone with pearly droplets of her juices.

"Among my people, it is customary for wives and mistresses to welcome warriors returning home from battle." She said, kneeling down and unlacing his boots, slipping one off, then the other. She stood, her fingers toying with the tab of his jumpsuits zipper. "Alas, I am neither. Merely a lover." She pulled at the zipper, dragging it down slowly.

"You are not merely, anything, Ambassador." Caldwell said, looking down at her. "And it would not befit a woman of your position to be anyone's mistress."

"This is true." She said as she pulled the zipper all the way down, then pushed the jumpsuit off his shoulders, easing it down his body. "I also believe that you must seek the permission of your queen to take a wife. The commander of her navy may be required to marry for political purposes. Such unions are common."

"Such a union would not suit you. There is nothing common about you."

Caldwell stepped out of the jumpsuit puddled at his feet. He flinched when she scraped her nails across his stomach, catching the top of his briefs with her fingers and tugging them down. She eased them over his hips, letting them fall to his feet, and he stepped out of them as well.

"You are pleased to see me?" She said with a sly smile, looking down as her hand wrapped around the jutting shaft of his cock. "I had feared that perhaps after so long a mission, you would be fatigued. It appears I may have been wrong."

"Your beauty rejuvenated me." He told her, his voice catching in his throat as her hand stroked slowly up and down. His eyes never left her face, mesmerized by her playful expression. "As it always has."

"Flatterer." She smiled, laying her head against his chest. She inhaled, taking in his scent, then looked up at him. "Will I suffice? In place of the wife and mistress you lack? Your deeds today require reward. I have asked your queen if I may serve you in her stead, and she has consented."

"Suffice? Yes." He said, bending suddenly, scooping her up in his arms. "Serve me? No. You will always lay with me as my equal." he said as he carried her into the bedroom. Laying her gently on the bed, he started pushing the gown up over her legs, but stopped when he saw her frown. Smiling up at her, he climbed up over her and grasped the wispy material of her gown in his fingers and jerked, tearing it from her.

The front of the gown came away in his hand, and he leaned down, gripping her arms, pinning them to the bed as his mouth came down on her breast. Teyla gasped, arching up at him, her legs opening and wrapping themselves around him, pulling him toward her.

"No." He whispered as he moved down over her body, his tongue leaving a wet trail on her soft olive skin. "A warrior deserves a feast, does he not?" He smiled up at her. He pushed her legs apart as he moved his head between them, kissing the insides of her thighs, then inhaling her heady aroma as he pressed his face into the lush growth covering her loins. His tongue pressed between the lust swollen lips, making her moan.

"Oh yes, my lord." She moaned, her hands dropping to the back of his head as she arched her hips up at him. "You may feast to your hearts content. And when you are sated, we will find other diversions to amuse you."

Caldwell grunted, mashing his face into the sopping wet crease of her cunt, sucking hungrily. His tongue lashed and laved up and down over the dew coated lips, lapping up her spicy nectar. He ate her like a starving man at a banquet table, forcing her legs wider apart, his mouth opening and clamping around her fur fringed mound, trying to take all of her in at once.

Teyla writhed under his oral assault, her head rocking back and forth. She gasped and panted for air as his tongue dance over her clit, then just as quickly moved away. She pulled at his head, trying to guide him back, but his tongue darted up inside her, lapping up her spendings from the source.

She grunted, humping up at him, trying to force more of his tongue inside her, then whined when he withdrew, taking the puffy lips of her pussy between his, sucking on them tenderly.

"Please my lord! Do not tease me!" She groaned

"I am not teasing you woman, I am pleasing myself." He grunted roughly, nipping at her tender flesh with his teeth.

"Ohhhhhh! Yes, my lord!" She squealed as he pressed his lips to her clit, sucking it into his mouth. He chewed at the stiff little nubbin with his lips, then dragged his tongue up the length of her drooling pussy slit, returning to her clit, nipping at it gently with his teeth.

Sliding his hands under her squirming asscheeks, he rolled suddenly, bringing her over on top of him, straddling his face. "Feed me." He grunted into her loins, then pulled on the tight cheeks of her ass, plastering her pussy over his mouth.

"Yes, master!" She panted, getting up on her knees over him, keeping her juicing pussy planted firmly on his mouth. She supported herself with one hand, and reached between her legs with the other, spreading the lips of her pussy with her fingers, then stroking her clit eagerly. "Y...you seek nectar, my lord?" She asked breathily, her fingers flashing frantically over the throbbing bud of her clit.

His stiff tongue stabbing up inside her gave her all the answer she needed, and she threw back her head and cried out as her orgasm swelled over her. Her hips jerked, and she ground her spasming cunt down onto his face as warm juices flowed from her, filling his mouth, and soaking his face.