Chapter six

Jack looked up at the hands of the clock in the control room. The clock read 4:35. Jack blinked, and looked again. 4:35. The hands didn't move.

"Damn it. Who forgot to change the batteries in the clock?" Jack said through his teeth. He got one of the stools to climb up and reach the dusty reminder that no one had been up there in a very long time. Everyone just looked at him, as he climbed down, blew the dust off of the clock, and made a complete mess all over the front consoles.

"Colonel, we haven't used that clock in about four years, sir. There's uh... a digital one right here in the front control panel." Davis pointed to the desk in front of him. "It's only been four minutes since the last time that you checked sir."

"Easy Davis. I know what time it is. And I know what time I looked at my watch last and in fact it has been ..." he checked his watch. "...Four...five....six. SIX minutes, since the last time I checked, thank you very much." Jack walked the wall clock over to the Sergeant. "Here Davis. Unglue your butt from that seat for a little bit, and go find some batteries for this clock. That's an order." Jack started to walk back up to General Hammond's office.

"Um... sir? Do I have to actually get up to find the batteries?"

The Colonel turned a slightly amused, but curious look at the Sergeant. "Why ? Don't you want to get up for a break?"

"It's not that sir. I have batteries right here beside the desk." Sure enough, Davis opened a drawer under, and to the side of his console. Jack bent over to take a peek.

"Wow. And I thought Carter was bad. What else do you have in there? Hey, can I have one of those Twinkies?"

"Here sir. So I don't have to get up for the batteries?" He motioned for the Colonel to bend down, so that he could whisper to him. Jack did as motioned. "It's not that I don't want to get up sir. It's just that I have gotten this chair so that it's just perfect, and when I get up, everyone else comes and sits on it, and raises it up, and twists it around. I come in ten minutes early every day just so that I can adjust it perfectly. I have even trained my bladder so that I can sit here for almost five and a half hours straight. I give one of the other control sergeants a key to this desk drawer so that he can get whatever he wants, when he watches my chair for me during my lunch/bathroom break." Jack stood up, took the outstretched Twinkie without another word, but a raised eyebrow instead. He couldn't wait to tell Teal'c. Of course he now owed Daniel another ten bucks.

He and Daniel had bet on whether or not Davis actually did get up to use the bathroom. Jack lost. He should remember not to bet Daniel about anything. Jack just shook his head and turned to walk away. As he did, he glanced back when he heard Davis tell the airman beside him to hang the clock back on the wall. The airman did as ordered.

"Unbelievable." Jack whispered to himself as he headed up the stairs. Just as he was about to knock on the General's door, it opened, and out walked Hammond. Jack didn't react fast enough, and the two men collided with a small grunt from them both.

"Hey General, how are...things?" Jack managed, as he took a few steps backwards.

"Jack, we just talked a half an hour ago. The situation has not changed in the thirty minutes since we talked last. We do however have another problem. While you were upstairs getting chow, the Tok'ra relayed a message to us."

"What kind of message sir?"

"The 'We need your help' kind of message. They have two spies inside one of Baal's smaller armies on

P4Y-009. Or should I say...had...two spies. We don't know much else, but apparently we've become quite the popular topic of discussion among the Goa'uld. One spy was captured by Baal and tortured. Baal was asking questions about Earth. You in particular Colonel. The Tok'ra are sending Jacob to brief us further about a rescue mission. They believe the spy is still alive, as the other one did manage to escape in a cargo ship and get back to the Tok'ra base."

"Aww General. Why do we have to bail their smarmy butts out of another jam? Especially without Carter and Daniel and Teal'c here?"

"Call them in Colonel. It's only 08:40. I'm sure that Dr. Jackson is still trying to catch up on his sleep from the last time that you called him."

Jack looked at Hammond with amazement. "With all due respect sir, how do you know I called him at all?"

"Jack, I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. I know you Colonel; I know how you operate. I also know that when one member of your team is in trouble, especially one in particular, you panic. Maybe it's not open, shown all over your face panic, but it's there. You pace, you eat, you pester the other members of your team, you pester me, and you play with everything."

"..But sir, I don't pl.." Jack couldn't stammer out the rest of what he was going to say. He knew the General was right. It still didn't make him feel any better.

"Yes, I have had to sign the repair cost requests from Major carter after you have been to her lab on one of your 'worry sprees'. You DO play with everything. And as far as the Tok'ra are concerned, We help them this time, and they'll help us next time. And all I can say about Major Carter is that she will probably be here soon. We just have to tell Jacob that she had to leave the base for a while, but that she should return shortly. Go call Dr. Jackson and Teal'c, and tell them I owe them another day off, but they are going to have to take a rain check for today. Oh and you might want to change, the inspection's over now."

The General walked past Jack and down the steps to the control room. Jack made his way back to his office. He sat down behind his very bare desk, and picked up the phone to call Daniel and Teal'c. What everyone on the base failed to realize, was that despite vicious rumors of an incredibly crowded, messy, overflowing pile of work on his desk, it was actually very clean. It was his in-box that was overflowing and messy. In fact, it was an in-crate on the floor behind his desk. His out box was as empty as his desk. As the phone was ringing, he looked down at his tie. Which now had, in addition to the hollandaise spot, a whole lot of dust from climbing up on the cabinet to get down the clock. It wasn't just his tie though; it was the whole front of his uniform. He had been too distracted by Hammond's psychic powers to notice.

After three rings, Daniel picked up the phone. He was much more awake then the last time Jack had called.

"Hello?"

"Daniel, it's me. General Hammond told me to..."

"Jack if you tell me we have to come in there for something, I am not going to be happy. We just started playing this really cool racing game. Teal'c got the play station working, and I made breakfast and everything. Jack? I'm not going to be happy am I?"

"Hammond said to tell you that he owes you another day off, but that he needs you and Teal'c to come in to the base right away."

"Did he say what for?" Daniel knew better than to ask any questions regarding work, from his house, as his phone line may be monitored, but he always did it anyway.

"Yes, he did."

"Did What?"

"Say what for."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Jesus Jack why does Hammond need us to come in there today!?"

"You don't have to yell."

"I couldn't help it."

"I know."

"Jaaaack."

"All I can say is that Jacob is coming to town for a very important meeting with the General."

"Did you ever find Sam?"

"Not yet."

"Well what's Jacob going to say when he gets here, and there's no Sam?"

"See that's exactly what I said. Hammond thinks she'll turn up pretty soon."

"Yeah, me too. Okay, Teal'c and I are on our way. I knew we should have gone to Vegas or something for the day. It's only a four hour drive or so from here, we could have made it by .."

"Daniel?"

"Yes Jack?"

"See you when you get here, I am hanging up now."

"Bye Jack."

"Yup, bye."

The Colonel got up from his desk and headed to the locker room to change his clothes. He was feeling a little better because at least he would have Daniel and Teal'c here to worry about Carter with him. He was feeling better until he looked at his watch and realized that another twenty-five minutes had passed. 09:05. He didn't know what time Jacob was expected, but Jack hoped that he would get delayed long enough for Carter to get here.