Confirming Carter Bk. 03 Changes Ch. 07

"We moved David to our quarters this morning, Sam. So we just need to go downstairs to see him." Jennifer said. "He's almost completely healed, and should be ready to go home in a few days."

"That's what I'd like to talk to him about." Carter said, looking at Sheppard. "We've put him in an incredibly awkward position. I mean, how the hell is he going to explain where he got an artificial heart?"

"Oh, there's a masking system that will disguise it well enough to fool an MRI." Jennifer told her. "As long as they don't cut him open, he can just tell them that he had a transplant. I already made up a set of fake records for him to take home with him."

Sam nodded, then turned to Boris and Angelo.

"Take Jacob over to the residence and put him down for a nap. Call the guard station, and have them send someone up to sit with him, then you two go to sleep. Do you understand me?"

"Yes mistress." Boris said, turning toward the door.

"You got it, boss." Angelo grinned as he turned to follow.

"I hate him already." Sam muttered as she watched them leave the room.

"You think you hate him now." Tammy laughed, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "Just wait till I get done with him."

Interior-John Sheppard's Quarters, North Tower

1015 Hours

David Sheppard was lounging on a couch watching a movie when they entered the suite. He was dressed in a pair of loose Atlantian style slacks, a soft pull over shirt, and a pair of slippers.

He started to get up when he saw Sam and Tammy, but Sam waved him down.

"Don't get up, David, you look comfortable." Sam said, smiling at him. "We just came down to see how you're doing."

"If you want the truth, I feel better than I have in months, if not years." He smiled as he sat up on the couch. "My chest still hurts a little when I move, but that's getting better every day. Jennifer tells me that I'll be well enough to go home in a few days."

"That's good to hear." Tammy said. "You're probably looking forward to that."

"Not as much as you'd think." He said, shaking his head. "I've been spending the last few days talking to John, something we haven't been able to do for a while. Now that he can actually talk to me about his life again, I'm remembering that I used to like him."

"Do you think you'd like to stay here with us for a while, until you decide that you're ready to go home?" Sam asked. "It wouldn't be a hardship, and you probably have contingency plans in place in the event of death or illness. I'd say a heart attack qualifies."

"We're thinking a little more long term than that, colonel." John said as he and Jennifer sat on the couch next to David.

"I see." Sam said. She leaned back on the couch as she looked over at them. "I don't have a problem with you staying David, you're more than welcome. But what about your family, your company?"

"Well, my family is sitting right here. And I doubt if any of my ex-wives will mind." He laughed, "As far as the company is concerned, it was my fathers, I've just run it for the last few years. John got out early, and I think I'm about done with it too."

"In that case, we're going to have to come up with something for you to do." She said. "We don't have much use for freeloaders."

"I was thinking that he could work with Pharris, getting Anchorage up to speed." John said. "The reports I'm seeing show that they're already behind schedule, and it gets worse every day."

"Or he could work with Daniel on his education department." Jennifer said. "He's off world most of the time on some mission or other, and nothing is getting done there. And Vala is so lonely without him. She..."

"Then there's Sandy's intelligence services, or one of the three new departments we just split off from Andi's foreign ministry..." Tammy said.

"Enough already!" Sam laughed. "I get the point. We need help everywhere."

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." She said after a moment. "David, you're going to take a few weeks off, if you're anything like your brother, you're a workaholic, and have to have a gun held to your head to take any time off at all."

"One of my ex-wives actually did that." He smiled.

"Good for her." Sam grinned. "In the meantime, you can hang around with me and Tammy..."

"Oh god, Sam. I don't know if that's really a good..." Jennifer said.

"If you'll let me finish, I was going to say, he can also spend some time with the court and senior staff." Sam said, glaring at her.

"That way, he can get to know them and the city at the same time. And keep in mind, that while we're all used to the ancient gizmos and doohickeys around here, he's got quite an adjustment to make."

"I can see why they put you in charge, colonel." David laughed. "You look at the whole problem, think it through, then start throwing out solutions."

"You can call me Sam, David. At least until we put you on payroll." She said. "Not that we actually pay any of these people yet, we're still trying to come up with a financial system."

Interior-Kitchen

1230 Hours

The comm chirped and Sam looked at Andi as she got up to answer it.

"Can we get a clapper or something like that, or sit the damn thing on the table? It's really inconvenient mounted on the wall like that."

"You could start wearing your comm, that would solve the problem." Andi said, her hand hovering over the comm.

"Never mind, Tammy doesn't mind getting up to answer it." Sam laughed.

"Samuels." Andi said as she keyed the comm.

"Yes ma'am, Dr McKay and Miss Fran are here. Would you like us to send them up?"

"That's fine, we're expecting them."

"Right on time too. I was expecting her to be late." Sam said to herself.

The elevator doors opened, and Sam stood up as Fran and Rodney came into the room. She had changed into a shiny royal blue wraparound blouse, and a loose black knee length skirt with high heeled leather sandals. Rodney had on a pale blue button down shirt, brown slacks, and brown leather crocs.

Fran stepped over, taking Sam's hands and looking her up and down.

"Thank you for having us over, Samantha." She said, turning her from side to side, not releasing her hands. "You know, I meant to say something earlier. That outfit does wonders for you, but I took the liberty of bringing something I thought you might like better, I can show it to you later."

"Why don't you show me now, Fran? Don't keep me in suspense." Sam laughed.

Fran nodded and turned to McKay.

"Rodney, why don't you talk to your friends, Samantha and I will be right back." She told him.

McKay nodded, and took a seat at the table.

"Sam." Tammy said, starting to get up, but Sam waved her down, tapping her ear.

"Give us a few minutes everyone, we'll be right back."

As they stepped out of the kitchen, Fran picked up a bag near the elevator, and walked down the hall and across the living room with Sam.

As they entered the bedroom, Fran said, "Tammy isn't the jealous type is she? I don't think she likes you being alone with me."

"She doesn't, but it's not because she's jealous. It's because we don't trust you or Rodney yet."

"I can understand that, given your history with him." Fran said, then smiled at the look on Sam's face. "Your working history dear, I know there was never anything else between you. You think he's a jerk."

She pulled a pair of tall brown boots from the bag, then laid a pair of cream colored riding pants and a broad collared white shirt with full, flowing sleeves on the bed.

"You're an autumn, so the cream you picked worked for you, but you need something to accent it. We also need to bring some attention to those legs, and that tight little ass. Your tits speak for themselves, but the rest needs some help."

"So he made you a fashion consultant too?" Sam laughed as she unbuttoned her vest.

"Not intentionally, but he does recognize his limitations, so we added subroutines for men's and ladies dressers." Fran said. "I dress him as well."

"I noticed." Sam said as she opened her pants and pushed them down, kicking them off her feet. "I don't think I've ever seen him look that good in clothes before." She said, taking the shirt Fran held out to her.

She slipped it on, and buttoned it quickly, then stepped into the pants when Fran handed them too her. Sitting on the bed, she pulled the boots on and zipped them up, then tucked the shirt in and buttoned the pants.

"Not bad." She said, bending her knees, then twisting from side to side. "I still have full range of movement."

She looked over at Fran and smiled, then said, "Tammy, come in here babe, you gotta see this." She picked her vest up off the bed, and was slipping it on when Tammy stepped into the room.

"Bra'tac called you a warrior queen, so I guess pirate queen works just as well." She laughed. "And I gotta admit, you look seriously hot. Those pants do wonders for your ass."

"If you want a change of pace, wear a bright colored blouse, don't try an earth tone, it will make you look drab. Go with the white for daily wear."

She turned and looked at Tammy.

"Now for you, this whole butch thing you have going on works, so don't mess with it. But put a dark blouse under the vest, blue, green or red is fine...go with your mood. Add a pair of four inch heels, slick the hair back, and you're done."

"Could I wear something shiny like you're wearing? Or should I stick to natural fibers?" Tammy asked, standing up on her toes in front of the mirror.

"Shiny would make that outfit stand out. Sam needs to stay away from them though, with her coloring, they'll make her look gaudy."

"Thank you, Fran. This has been fun. But was there something else you wanted to talk to us about?" Sam said, moving over to stand next to Tammy in front of the mirror.

"Yes." Fran said, coming over behind them. "We want you to know that there's more to me than meets the eye, but less than you suspect. We want to stay in Atlantis, and intend on making you want to keep us here."

"I like the way you put that, Fran." Sam said, turning around and taking her hands. "Don't expect me to be Rodney's best friend, but I'll give you both a chance. You turned out better than I expected, and appear to be a good influence on him. But you still have to prove yourselves, everyone does."

* * * * *

Jennifer was laughing and Rodney was saying, "That's not how it happened!" as John told David about the weapon they had found on Doranda that destroyed the solar system.

"It was only three quarters of the solar system!" McKay told David when he was finished. "I mean, the star was still there. Sam blew up a star once, before she came to Atlantis."

"Yes, I did, Rodney. I took an asteroid right through the Earth once too." She said lightly as she walked into the kitchen. "But I did both to save the lives of my team, not because I was trying to prove that I was right."

"Still, you blew up a star, and I just blew up a bunch of planets that were already dead. Not even in the same league." He replied.

"Do you see what I have to deal with?" She said to Fran. "Think you can do anything about that?"

"Strictly speaking, he is correct, the events do not even compare. But I do see what you mean."

"Did I hear you right? You took an asteroid through the Earth?" David asked. "Forget why, how would you do something like that?"

"I opened a hyperspace window on a Goa'uld cargo ship just before the asteroid crossed the zero barrier, and we went through the planet, and appeared on the other side." She said. "It was actually pretty kewl. I let O'Neill tell you about it. It's one of his favorite stories."

"I love listening to Jack tell stories." Tammy laughed. "He's got this deadpan delivery, and no matter how dire the circumstances, he acts like it's no big deal."

"That's how he acted while most of them were happening. While we were approaching the planet, I was waiting till the last moment before I engaged the hyperdrive, and Jack was looking out the window saying, 'Carter, I can see my house!" Sam said. "I only saw him get upset a few times the whole time I worked with him. He's one of the reasons I'm sitting here."

John turned and grinned at David. "You've heard of people living on the edge? Welcome to off the edge." He laughed.

"Way off the edge." McKay said.

"Yeah, sometimes we look back and go, 'Hey, wasn't there an edge around here somewhere?" Sam said.

"Yes, danger is our middle name." McKay said, puffing himself up.

"I thought your middle name was Rodney...Meredith." Sheppard laughed.

"His name is Meredith McKay? Like the actress from Petticoat Junction?" Tammy laughed.

"That was Meredith McCray, and I thought we weren't going to bring that up anymore?" McKay whined as John and Jennifer laughed.

"But while we're on the subject, Rodney." Sam said, still trying not to laugh. "Do you think we could talk Jeannie into coming to Atlantis? To stay I mean? She was a big help with my STM research, and I really like her."

"You might be able to talk her into it, but I doubt if Caleb would be interested." Rodney said. "He has family and his job at the university, and Jeannie would never leave him, they're seriously in love."

"We'd probably have to send a ship, even if you did talk them into it." Tammy said. "After the way Hayes reacted to me pressing him on making the gate public, then us waltzing out with Rodney as we left, I'm pretty sure Landry's ass is in a sling as it is."

"Do you think they'll fire him?"

"Fire who, Landry?" McKay asked. "They can't do that! I'll go back and tell them he..."

"NO!" Fran said harshly, gripping his arm. "You can't go back, you have to stay here with me. If you go, they won't...you...they."

She shook her head, then stood up, pulling him to his feet and pulled him from the room. A moment later, they heard the elevator.

"Wow, she's pissed." Jennifer said.

"That wasn't anger, Jennifer." David said. "That was fear."

"It was a little more than that, David." Andi said, looking steadily at Sam. "She was out of her mind with terror. How is that possible?"

Interior-Dr. McKay's Quarters, North Tower

1305 Hours

"Where is she, Rodney?" Sam asked when the door opened.

"In the bedroom." He said leading them across the room.

He sat down on the side of the bed, taking Fran's hand. "She was talking the whole way over here, and she got less and less coherent the longer she talked. I was leading her in here, and she collapsed. I got her up on the bed and was about to call you when the doorbell rang."

"You did the right thing, Rodney." She told him. "Where's your laptop? We need to access her systems, and see what's going on with her."

"It's in my office, through the door and down the hall on the right." He said. "It's under..."

"Go get it, it'll be faster." When he started to object, she said, "I'll stay with her, Rodney. I want her to come back as much as you do."

He looked at her, then nodded, and walked quickly out of the room.

Sam leaned down, prying up one of her eyelids. The pupil responded, contracting sharply, so she released it.

"She appears fine physically." She said to Tammy. "I hope she didn't fry her neural network."

"Tell her he's not going." Tammy said. "Tel..."

Fran's eyes popped open and her mouth moved. Her body jerked several times, then she was still again.

"What's going on in there?" McKay yelled. "What are you doing to her?"

He ran into the room, dropping his laptop as he pushed Tammy out of the way. He tried to push Sam out of the way, trying to get to Fran, but she jammed her elbow into his ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

She leaned over Fran as Rodney fell to the floor. "Take care of Rodney, Tammy." She said, leaning closer to Fran.

"He's fine, he's up on his knees already." Tammy said, looking at his laptop. "But there was a spike on her..."

"I know." Sam said. "Here comes another one."

"Rodney is staying here with you, Fran." She said softly. "I won't let him go, do you understand me?"

"Got it. Not as big as the first one." Tammy said. She reached down and helped McKay to his feet.

"Go get up on the bed, and tell her you're not leaving her." She said quietly. "Tell her you love her, ask her to come back to you...just talk to her, Rodney."

He nodded, glancing at Sam as he climbed up on the bed.

"Sorry." She said as he took Fran in his arms, rocking her gently as he spoke softly in her ear.

"I love you Fran, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He said. "Please come back to me. I don't know wh..."

Fran jerked again, then sat up suddenly, knocking McKay onto his back. She looked around, and when she saw him looking up at her, she turned and fell onto him, burying her face in his shoulder, her body shaking as she clung to him feverishly.

"Is she crying?" Tammy whispered from behind Sam.

Carter nodded, backing away from the bed slowly, pushing Tammy along with her. She turned and they stepped out of the room.

"Let's give them a couple minutes." Sam said. "But if...

"Let me get his laptop." Tammy said. "I want to see..."

"Leave it." Sam said softly, blocking her with her arm. "If she comes out of that room alone, be ready to fight."

"That won't be necessary, Samantha." Fran said as they appeared in the doorway. "However, your assistance running a system diagnostic would be appreciated. Can we go over to your lab?"

"Are you okay, Rodney?" Sam asked him. "She didn't hurt you?"

"What? No, I'm fine." He said. "She'd never..."

"Not intentionally, I know that much." She said. "I just had to be sure."

She gathered herself, then looked at McKay.

"Rodney, put your arm around her, in case you have to support her. Tammy, walk behind them. You know where the shutdown switches are, at the base of her neck and back, and one behind her left knee. If she does anything you don't like, hit one of them." She said as she backed toward the door, then hit the pad to open it.

"What are you doing, Sam. She..."

"Do as she says, Rodney." Fran said, as they walked toward the door. "She only wants to protect you."

Interior-Robotics Lab, Central Tower

1345 Hours

Fran was laid out on one of the tables in their lab. Her shirt was open, and her breasts had been removed, and two thick cables were plugged into sockets in her chest cavity.

Sam and Tammy were huddled around a terminal across the room, while Rodney watched what they were doing on another one on a bench nearby.

"I think that's the problem, right there." Sam said, pointing at a section of code.

"What did you find?" Rodney asked.

"Fran said that her personality was Dominatrix three twenty-six, with elements of researcher two fourteen, and manager one oh nine, along with some attributes of people you liked." Sam said.

"Yes, we added the researcher and manager so she could assist me with my work." He said. "The other attributes were added later, after we had configured the primary the way we wanted it."

"Well, it appears that manager one oh nine brought its own bonding protocol along, and its been working overtime. She's showing the equivalent of several years worth of interaction in less than three days. The system should have shut down, and stopped accepting input long before it reach to this level, but with two conflicting subroutines working, it didn't know what to do, and got stuck in a loop, so it just kept repeating the instructions, over and over."

"Can we fix it?" He asked, holding Fran's hand and looking down at her. "We should be able to disable, or remove manager one oh nine, and..."

"The bonding protocol is a separate, discreet subroutine. It's not tied to the individual personality elements, so that wouldn't do it."

"What if we cut off the input to the bonding protocol, so it doesn't accept any new inputs from any of the personality elements?"

"I doubt if the system will let us do that." Sam said, scrolling down the screen. "That would effectively be disabling a basic safeguard. And even if it did, she'd still be walking around with a hair trigger, and anything could set her off. We just don't know how she would react next..."