Instant Message
No spoilers. Set anytime before Season 8.
T for mild language since I don't know what words kids know anymore!
Disclaimer – The characters are not mine etc etc but the story is.
Carter - U there?
O'Neill -Have you forgotten how to spell Carter? But yes, I'm here.
Carter - Sir, we're instant messaging (IM'ing). It has it's own language otherwise it would take way to long to chat.
O'Neill - Well it's idiotic. Did you actually need something or are you simply demonstrating your new toy?
Carter - Actually, Sir, I just wanted to know if you were going for lunch soon?
O'Neill - 5 Mins
Carter - K. L8r.
Huh? Jack looked at his computer screen and wondered for the hundredth time, what's wrong with picking up the phone? But No! Carter wanted to install Instant Messaging software on SG-1's computers so they could 'communicate' better. He thought that the whole idea was utterly ludicrous. Kids today, he thought.
On another level of the SGC, Carter sat in her lab staring at her laptop. She wondered if she had made a mistake installing the Instant Messaging software on the teams systems. She had thought that it would make communication easier but so far no one else on the team seemed interested in using it. Huh, she thought, that's what you get for having an old guy, a geek and an alien on you team. She locked her computer, activated the screensaver and headed for the commissary.
Later that week, Jack was in office trying to catch up on his never decreasing stack of paperwork, when his laptop 'dinged' at him. Looking up he saw a box flashing at him asking if he'd accept a message from "Dorothy". Huh? Was this the 'spam' that Carter had warned him about? Was this message from one of those porn sites? Crap!
Jack found himself confused as he could have sworn that the spam/porn issue was to do with e-mail and not this instant messaging thing. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Daniel's office. The ringing on the line was incessant signaling he wasn't there. For once, Jack thought, Daniel decides to go home on time. No point asking T'ealc and he couldn't ask Carter. If he did, it would prove to her that once again he wasn't really listening when she told him about it the first time.
And even if that wasn't the reason, what would he say to her "Er, Hi Carter! I'm wondering if a woman from a porn site is trying to chat to me. How do I know?" Yeah, that would go down real well and send such a good message. Not that there was any reason why it would matter to her other than making her question his character and she must already do that having worked with him for so many years. And why should he care what she thought of him other than he wanted her respect above anyone he had ever met and needed her to see him as someone she could possibly care about.
Enough O'Neill, he yelled inwardly to himself. Calling Carter wasn't an option so time to move on.
To hell with it, he decided. What's the worst thing that could happen? He clicked the "OK" button waiting patiently blinking on his screen. With another 'ding' a new box appeared that simply stated –
To - Jack O'Neill
From – Dorothy
Dorothy - Hello Jack!
This caused further confusion for Jack as he didn't think that spam came personalized with your first name but he figured since he'd already opened the can of worms, he should at least find out what was in it. He looked down at his keyboard and with two fingers typed "Hello Dorothy" and pressed enter. Almost immediately he heard another 'ding' and a new message popped up on his screen.
Dorothy - I have set up a new account and screen name for you. Log out of your instant message account and log back in with the screen name 'Scarecrow' using the password 'Emerald City'. I'll meet you back 'here' at 10pm.
Jack sat staring at his screen with his mouth open. How could this 'spammer' know that Wizard of Oz was one of his favorite movies? What did they want and why did they want him to log on with another screen name? Who were they? He heard another 'ding' causing him to refocus on the screen seeing just one word.
Dorothy - Bye!
Jack closed his mouth and scowled, typing as fast as he could with the same two fingers.
O'Neill -Who are you?
The message that came back was from the message provider stating "Dorothy is no longer logged in".
Damn, Jack said out loud as he slammed down the lid of his laptop. He leant back in his leather chair, threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. Who the hell could it be? Whoever it was had been watching him, right? Or could he be overreacting? Maybe it was just a coincidence that they chose Wizard of Oz as their theme? Nah! After all he had been through he didn't believe in coincidences and as far as he was concerned there were no random events in his life anymore either.
So back to who it could be and why so cryptic. NID? The Trust? Maybourne? That idea brought a smile to his face as the image of Maybourne in a blue gingham dress with white knee high socks, ruby slippers and pig tails came to mind. He quickly shook that off and moved onto the question of what this 'Dorothy' wanted. Information? Was it blackmail?
He leant forward and opened his laptop. Looking up at the wall he noted on the clock that it was already after 8pm. Who could he call to run a trace on the message at this hour even if instant messages were even traceable? Carter. Not that he looked forward to trying to explain his reasoning behind opening the message in the first place to her but he preferred it to asking some techie stranger.
He called her office and just as Daniel's had earlier, it simply rang. He hung up the handset, lifted it again and dialed the gatehouse at the surface of the mountain. The Colonel was quickly informed that Major Carter had already left the base. Jack realized that he didn't trust anyone but Carter to dig into this for him while he knew so little about who was behind it and what they wanted. He quickly checked his e-mail and finding no new messages of consequence he logged out of his instant message and e-mail accounts, logged off the USAF server and shut down his laptop.
Picking it up, he placed the laptop in his bag, he never was one for a briefcase, and started towards the elevator. Lost in thought, he rode to the surface, signed out, got in his car and drove home on autopilot, his mind still pondering what the message from Dorothy could mean.
A/N Hope you like this and it's not too angsty for some of your tastes – should I continue and add some romance?