‘I can take you anywhere you can remember or anywhere you can imagine,’ explained the “Keeper” eagerly. SG1 listened with varying levels of attention and patience. ‘The devices that enwrap you serve to nourish and stimulate your senses. The devices implanted in your brains channel experience and imagination into and out of your minds.’
‘So we’re trapped?’ Sam’s mind was rapidly attempting to come to terms with their dilemma and find a solution. ‘With our, our brains hooked up like computers to some sort of network?’
‘Yes. And your minds are very valuable to my residents because you enrich and add value to our own.’
Jack was getting beyond frustrated at the whole state of affairs. But Carter was doing her thing, so he just stayed out of the way. Experience had taught him that letting Carter do her thing was generally the quickest way to get them out of a situation.
‘So you’re using our minds – our memories, imaginations, dreams . . . for some sort of programming?’ Sam continued to prod, gradually gaining an understanding of the sophistication of the Keeper’s technology. It really was amazing. To sustain a body for a thousand years was just incredible; never mind the creation of a virtual reality as well.
‘Well, I’m sorry,’ Jack said to the Keeper. ‘With all due respect to you fine folks, I don’t give a damn about “residents”! I just wanna get us out of here!’ His need for action was overcoming his patience.
‘It is I that am sorry,’ answered the Keeper with seeming regret, ‘for I am not able to accommodate your request. But I am sure that you will be able to enjoy the many adventures that you will have here.’
Finally, Jack reached the end of his patience. As he idly poked a “resident,” he decided to take some sort of action and initiate an interrogation of his own.
‘Who made you the warden here, huh?’ Jack demanded.
‘The environment is my design, he explained. ‘I am its creator, its keeper.’
‘So, if your residents leave, you lose control,’ Jack said, with dawning understanding. He paused before turning and speaking to the residents behind him. ‘That man is lying to you, folks. He’s got you imprisoned in your own-’ The Keeper activated the device on his wrist before Jack could continue.
‘Oh, that’s good,’ Jack said bitterly. ‘That’s fair. Send them to where they can’t hear the truth. Good.’
‘I will not allow you to poison their minds,’ replied the Keeper stridently.
‘Um... if you keep us here, you won’t be able to prevent us from interacting with them for very long,’ Daniel commented unsympathetically. ‘I mean, especially if we’re supposed to be new software for them...’ He trailed off.
‘Very well, replied the Keeper. ‘You weren’t wanted here anymore anyway.’ Before SG1 could make a move in response, the Keeper pressed a button on his wrist device and the same transportation mechanism from earlier extended up from the floor around each of them. The image of the New York Museum of Art faded away.
--
Sam awoke with a sleepy feeling of complete satisfaction. Utter bliss swept over her in a wave as she felt the body spooned intimately behind her, close enough to know for sure that THAT was definitely not his side arm. She let out a sleepy giggle and arched her naked body backward into his.
Behind her Jack let out a sleepy groan as his pleasure centres overloaded, mind full of the woman pressed very thoroughly against his front, skin-to-skin. His hand snaked out and brushed against her stomach, beginning to trace tiny patterns against her soft skin.
Sam’s breathy sigh spurred him on as his hand slowly but surely made its way lower and as he reached lower still, Sam let out a moan.
‘Oh, Sir!’
They froze.
Realisation came flooding back. P7J-989. The Keeper transporting them away from the museum. They were Air Force officers and this was, presumably, a simulation. And they had been . . . fraternising.
‘Oh my God,’ Sam muttered. ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ Images of her ruined career flashed before her eyes and she started to struggle against the tightening grip Jack had around her abdomen.
‘Carter!’ Jack barked. ‘Carter!’
Sam merely struggled more. Seeing the need to calm her, Jack rolled them over and grabbed her arms to still her.
Bad idea. Really bad.
Now she was on her back and he was using his weight to hold her down. His . . . interest . . . was still readily apparent.
This position really did feel a lot different without clothes.
On the positive side (Jack tried to tell himself that their current position really was a negative, despite how his body felt), Sam’s rising hysteria had transformed into something much different.
Much different.
Her fast breathing was still there. Her eyes were still dilated. But her breathing was edged with something very different and her eyes contained a glint he’d never seen there before.
Really trying not to think about all that, Jack dropped his head next to hers and spoke calmly into her ear.
‘So Carter,’ he asked conversationally, ‘how do we get ourselves out of this one?’ His breath against her ear caused her body to shiver, which in turn sent a wave of tingles through Jack’s body. He gulped. Loudly.
Sam was silently processing the situation, the wild rush of thoughts she had experienced earlier having slowed somewhat. She was naked in bed. With her commanding officer on top of her, equally naked.
This had never happened before.
But then again they were galactic explorers. Lots of unusual things happened to them on a regular basis.
And this one, now she’d had a chance to process several thoughts floating around in her mind, was certainly one of the better experiences. Nothing that happened right now could affect her career, unless they let it. So she allowed the strict military officer in her to take a back seat and decided to take a little advantage.
Remembering that she had yet to answer his question, she smiled devilishly at the possibilities.
‘Well sir,’ she began calmly with perfect military propriety, hearing a slight whimper in response to her use of his rank in their current position, ‘we don’t necessarily have to get ourselves out of it.’
‘What?’ Jack asked confusedly. ‘From where I am, there is most certainly a need to get ourselves out of this.’ As the realisation of her calmed state sunk in, Jack realised belatedly that he was still crushing her to the mattress and so moved to roll off her. He was unprepared for her movement.
As he rolled onto his back next her, Sam used her reflexes to roll with him and straddle him before he could react. Jack’s eyes bulged with surprise, amongst other things.
‘Carter?’ Jack asked, sounding slightly strangled.
‘Well, sir,’ Sam continued as if nothing had happened, ‘this is a simulation.’
‘Yes Carter,’ Jack replied, seeming slightly concerned about her mental state, ‘it is.’
‘In that case sir, we’re not really here.’
Jack’s clouded mind was slowly catching up with her train of thought, though not enough to comprehend her true meaning just yet. He was eager for her to continue explaining her thought processes and replied, ‘well yes, I suppose so.’
Sam suddenly seemed distracted. ‘Where are we anyway?’ She asked curiously, looking around the rustic timbered room that they were in.
‘Uh,’ Jack replied, slightly disappointed by her distraction. He cleared his throat sightly, ‘my cabin in Minnesota. Master bedroom.’
‘Huh,’ Sam replied thoughtfully. ‘It’s nice.’
‘Thanks,’ Jack answered. ‘There’s some really great fishing up here. I come when I can.’ This whole situation was beginning to hold a Twilight Zone-type feel. ‘We’re not really here?’ He prompted, hoping to get this conversation back to something concrete.
‘No sir,’ Sam straightened where she was perched, causing Jack to groan out loud. She hid a smile. ‘We’re actually still in those chairs. None of this has any meaning in the real world.’
‘Oh,’ Jack said thoughtfully. ‘Oh!’ He repeated as her train of thought finally sunk in. A smug grin began forming on his face and he filed away his sudden insight into the definite naughty streak in his captain for later perusal. Much later. ‘So,’ he continued, waggling his eyebrows. ‘Wanna go fishing?’
Sam’s brow creased in thought. ‘Not really sir,’ she said with the appearance of seriousness.
Suddenly she bent down and bit the tip of his nose.
That was hot. Really hot.
‘I’d prefer to try my kind of fishing first, if you don’t mind sir.’
As her lips and teeth and hands set to work, Jack flipped them over again and considered that this was a type of fishing that he could most definitely get into.
--
SG1 sat around the table in the SGC’s briefing room, for real this time. The Gamekeeper’s residents were all free and eager to begin rebuilding their civilisation. As the briefing drew to a close the discussion turned to their second separation within the game, which had occurred before the simulation of the SGC.
‘Teal’c and I ended up on a dig in Egypt,’ Daniel explained, ‘it was great. We found some fantastic Goa’uld hieroglyphs that showed some vital weaknesses within their race.’ He laughed self-consciously. ‘Took me a while to figure out it was another simulation, to tell the truth. Guess it was something I wanted so badly that I didn’t want to accept that it wasn’t real.’ He shook his head. ‘But where did you guys end up?’
Jack cleared his throat slightly. ‘Fishing,’ he replied succinctly. ‘Ended up in my cabin in Minnesota and spent the entire time fishing. Never had an experience like it. It was fantastic. We tried all different positions,’ he added devilishly, watching Sam colour slightly, ‘all around the lake. Caught some great fish.’
‘Seriously?’ Daniel asked. ‘Fishing?’
‘Oh yeah, Danny-boy. Fishing. We’ll have to go there for real one day,’ he added, ‘to celebrate when we defeat the Goa’uld.’ He was looking at Sam as he spoke.
‘Whatever you say Jack,’ Daniel replied bemusedly. ‘Well, I guess it was your fantasy. Sam has the marker from Jolinar to prevent access to her mind, so I suppose the Gamekeeper was forced to take something from yours.’
‘Guess so Danny,’ Jack replied. ‘A little bit of quality fishing with the right person really is my idea of heaven.’
Across the table, Sam hid her smile.
Story Notes: Season: 2
Spoilers: The Gamekeeper
Genre: Romance, SJ. No angst!
Warnings: Fluff and some of those vaguely adult themeish things I occasionally write. Though this one has an ever-so-slightly higher rating than my other fics, I would still rate it as a T.
Disclaimer: I don’t own it. Never have, never will.
Notes: I was watching the Gamekeeper during one of my 'Summer SG1-a-thons' a while ago and I was wondering what would have happened if Jack and Sam were paired together in a simulation. And as I never plan my writing, it got a little warped from my original intentions, and this is the result.
The opening dialogue is taken from the transcript of the episode. I tried to keep it brief, excluding everything but the most necessary parts, but it still got away from me a bit. It’s in the right order, but lots of dialogue was cut out.
Spoilers: The Gamekeeper
Genre: Romance, SJ. No angst!
Warnings: Fluff and some of those vaguely adult themeish things I occasionally write. Though this one has an ever-so-slightly higher rating than my other fics, I would still rate it as a T.
Disclaimer: I don’t own it. Never have, never will.
Notes: I was watching the Gamekeeper during one of my 'Summer SG1-a-thons' a while ago and I was wondering what would have happened if Jack and Sam were paired together in a simulation. And as I never plan my writing, it got a little warped from my original intentions, and this is the result.
The opening dialogue is taken from the transcript of the episode. I tried to keep it brief, excluding everything but the most necessary parts, but it still got away from me a bit. It’s in the right order, but lots of dialogue was cut out.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]