O'NEILL* & SAM* IN THE BASEMENT

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The plant really was huge. Spread out on two levels plus a mezzanine, ground and a basement. Each level was separated by a series of thin tubular two-part metal staircases. There were no windows. There was no view to the outside. But the place was big enough and openly spacious enough to disguise the over all fact that the plant was nothing more than metal tomb, sufficient to sustain Harlan and the team, SG-1*.

Although the size of The SGC (with alls its levels, as well as those extra levels you weren't going to find listed as a commuter's option in the lift) beat this place hands down, both places had similarities, with all the concrete and metal. And that underground, submerged, subterranean feel that took some getting used to. And the lighting. At least The SGC was bright, well lit and pleasant. And homely. He really missed the place. He missed being home.

One thing the Colonel* thought a little odd about the plant, considering it was built by such a technologically advanced race, there were no lifts to be found anywhere. He didn't mind so much, he just found it odd.

O'Neill* reckoned you could fit The SGC's level 28 into the Altairian plant about twenty times over. Teal'c* reckoned it was more like twenty four times over.

O'Neill* took a deliberate mile long hike to the basement. From the mezzanine he could hear the muffled sounds of a motor bike being raced and spun the length and breadth of the basement. It sounded like Carter* was really flooring it. By the time he got to the ground floor the muffle had rolled into a roar and as he made his way down the stairs to the basement he was immersed in grating and throttling.

Delighted to see him, Carter* zoomed in on the staircase, popped the engine off and stood her bike up. She sat down on the step immediately below the one O'Neill* had parked himself down upon.

"Carter* I'm not altogether sure I like the idea of you zipping about down here in the basement, on your own."

"What is it to loud for you Sir or to fast maybe?" Major Carter* was grinning at him, egging him on. "Would you like a go Sir?"

"I don't think so Carter*, I've seen the way the back wheel wobbles."

"That's called a wheelie Sir. If you like I could teach you how to do it."

"I don't think so Carter*. No time. I've got fish to catch."

Carter* couldn't help shaking her head and laughing. "You do realise Sir, you need water for that."

"Oh yes I realise that Carter*. In fact first Daniel* and now you have become expert on how to fish, unyet every time I ask either one of you to come fish with me you both refuse."

"Well that's fishing experts for you Sir."

O'Neill* laughed. Major Carter* always knew which buttons to press with him.

"Daniel* and Teal'c* said hi."

She smiled to herself and whispered "hi".

"Look Carter*, have you considered the fumes you're breathing in down here. The ceilings low and theres very little ventilation."

"Well actually Sir I have been paying a lot of attention to that recently and I have come up with an idea."

"Okay lets have it."

"What I was thinking is that I might be able to charge the bike with naquadah."

"Charge it?"

"Yes Sir, power the bike. Build a naquadah battery."

"So when you say charge it, would that be like charging a claymore Carter*?"

"Um, not really Sir."

"Okay here we go, yeah Daniel* mentioned this already. Do you think its safe."

"Absolutely Sir, absolutely. Safe and fast."

"Yeah Carter* I got that bit, very very fast right."

"Yes Sir, very fast." Major Carter* had a big sweet cheesy grin spread across her face.

"A real power bike hey."

"I hope so Sir."

"I don't like you working down here on your own. Its at times like this that I miss not having Siler around, he was your tinker buddy on these little projects wasn't he?"

Carter's* voice became dry and rasp. She breathed in heavily through her mouth. "I try my best not to think about those things Colonel*."

"What time are you and Daniel* taking off tomorrow?"

Since the team had been resurrected (re-resurrected), a part from the scouting missions to find a new Home-World and the visits to The SGC Beta Site to set up their secret storage base, the team (SG-1*) had not be inclined to take on any other missions.

They were effectively 'Off Duty'.

Retired as Colonel O'Neill* constantly bragged.

Temporarily retired, as Major Carter* would have it.

Daniel* saw it as down time.

And Teal'c* was adamant that they would resume their duties just as soon as O'Neill* deemed them fit and able.

"We've arranged to get there before sunrise. Its crucial to observed both the lunar and solar cycles."

"Excellent. No surprises then."

"Well if the temperatures fall to extreme measures on either cusp, we'll have to scrap the planet without further recon. If they come within the acceptable limits you and Teal'c* will have to join us to conduct a full survey"

"Check in with me before you leave."

"Yes Sir."

"Are you coming up? Have you had enough?"

"Well Sir I thought I'd stay down a bit longer and do a tune up."

"Okay then, I'll be with Teal'c* fishing on upper quad four, Daniels* up there with us this afternoon. Come up when you've finished, don't leave it to long. Ta ta." With a springy step the Colonel* pivoted and made to skip up the stairs.

"Sir before you go."

O'Neill* turned at Carter* with a wide questioning and caring smile.

"What?"

"Just for the record Sir, I don't breath, or don't need to." Major Carter* felt a twinge of pain as she saw shock and sadness in the Colonels* face.

It wasn't a revelation, its just another something that had recently, for the sake of sanity, been lodged in the farther most reaches of their minds. Certain realisations were needed to be taken only in the most minuscule amounts, there was no hurry, after all they did have all the time in the world.

"Damn it Carter* it gets you every time."

"I know Sir. Me to. Does it still bother you?"

"I don't know, I really don't know. Its hard." He beset the air with the sweeping languid motion of his arm. "While I'm happy and completely relieved to see that we're all managing to cope here in.." He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Here in.. ..'Brigadoon'.. ..I can't wait until we move. I can see a future, in the distance, for all of us, but right now Carter* I just don't know. How about you?"

"When I look at you and Teal'c* and Daniel* I see my friends. My best friends. My team mates. My family. That will never change."

"It's the same for me."

"I think it's the same for all of us Sir."

"How long do you think we're looking at?"

"You mean when will it finally sink in that we're not us?"

"That's it. When do you think we'll catch on to the fact that we're robots?"

"Its difficult to say Sir. Theres no way of knowing. Maybe never."

"May be."

"You know even after all this time Harlan still doesn't consider himself to be a robot."

"I know. To be truthful Carter*, kidding aside, I don't think of him as a robot either."

"You see Sir, technically we're unique, we're not like robots. We are, all things not being equal, 'Us'."

"Come again."

"Well Sir, although for the most part our bodies are synthetic, superbly synthetic, our minds are entirely organic."

"So?"

"We're growing."

"Getting older?"

"Mentally we're exactly the same as ourselves in SGC. Our minds are maturing."

"We're getting smarter?"

"Well apart from our superior neurological enhancements, not necessarily. It just means the difficulty in accepting that we're.."

"Machines."

"That we're.. ..machines, lies in the fact that mentally we're not."

"Gotcha."

"Colonel O'Neill*? Colonel O'Neill*?"

"Gotta go."

"You should talk to him."

"I know and I will. Just not at this hot second. I'm fishing Carter*. I'm retired remember."

"Well I suppose we all are for now, but we've still got to finalise our moving prep."

"Well right now I've got to move back up to the fourth quadrant. Tell Harlan I'll see him at debrief."

"Gotcha."

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© Richard Dean Anderson all rights reserved June 2006