“Little Boy' was easy to detonate. In fact, that was the problem. It was almost too easy and it came as a surprise to her that Qetesh had risked transporting it aboard her ship instead of her encampment by the Stargate. Its instability was another detail tat Cam had obviously neglected to mention to the Goa'uld, but one which now worked in their favor.
“We're reading you, Cam,” she replied, “I'm going to have two of the 'Little Boy' models beamed someplace safe where I can arm them, then we'll beam you to safety.” Turning to the General, she said, “Sir, focus on signals of only uranium-235. The 'Fat Man' models used plutonium but 'Little Boy' only utilized U-235.”
“Sam, if I suddenly vanish before the explosion,” Cam replied, “Ra and Qetesh will know the Asgard are involved and that they're up to something. You're going to have to wait until the armed bombs are aboard both ships before you beam me anywhere.”
The General exchanged a look with her. “That's going to make things kinda tight, Mitchell.”
“No choice, sir,” Cam replied, effectively putting an end to the discussion.
He was right, of course, but given how unstable these nukes were, it was a huge risk, Sam knew, albeit a necessary one. “Sir, to distinguish actual bombs from stored uranium, we need individual units that contain masses of fifty-six and one half pounds, plus eighty-four and one half pounds, separated only be a few feet.”
“Why separated?” Daniel asked.
“Because that's how the bombs function. By bringing two sub-critical masses of U-235 together, you get atomic fission.”
“Got nine,” O'Neill said. “Two at Wright, the four at White Sands and...crap. Make that three. One's moving at around a hundred and fifty miles an hour, and accelerating. Army must be playing musical chairs with the things. There's another picking up speed from Forth Worth.”
“An, can you beam two of the U-235 units...” Sam thought for a moment. She needed somewhere safe to work, but she also needed to remain in contact with Cam. The Goa'uld generally remained in geosynchronous orbit above the Stargate, which meant that anywhere in the US would do. “I'm not entirely certain that they can be transported without detonating them so don't beam them aboard the jumper. We need someplace well away from civilization.”
An adjusted the settings, and then met her eyes. “Yes.”
She was about to ask whether 'yes' was simply a response to her question, when the General said. “Looks like you've got your nukes, Carter.”
Turning to the HUD, she saw two distinct U-235 signatures not far from the original test sight at Alamogordo.
“These units contain an extremely volatile isotope,” An remarked. “Such weapons would have dire consequences for the environment in which it is used. I believe the half-life for depletion is in the order of seven hundred and fourteen million years. This location is near an already contaminated site.”
“No kidding,” O'Neill muttered, putting the jumper into a descent over New Mexico.
“Sam?” Cam called. “Qetesh will be back here every five goddammed minutes, bugging me to hurry up, and I need to at least look like I know what I'm doing.”
“Start disassembling the tail fin and explain to her that the trigger mechanism is inside. It won't interfere with the bomb itself. Assuming the bombs we've acquired are designed to use cordite triggers, it shouldn't take me more than ten minutes or so to arm each of them.”
“Okay, I'll keep the radio on; just don't call me.”
During the jumper's descent, Bennett, who must have caught on to what was going on, said, “I appreciate all that you folks are doing to help us, but I don't understand why.”
“We're all fighting the same enemy, Commander,” Daniel said, diplomatically ducking the question.
“We are not at war with the Goa'uld,” An objected.
“No,” Daniel agreed, “but you needed our help in fighting the Replicators, and—”
“We're the Fifth Race,” Jack interrupted.
Sam glanced at An, who was staring at the General intently. Another green food cube materialized from someplace and An wordlessly place it into his mouth.
Preoccupied with reviewing the trigger mechanism of the uranium A-bombs, she barely heard the conversation between Teal'c, Bennett, Daniel and An, until the jumper landed.
“Okay, Colonel, you're on,” O'Neill said.
Leaving her laptop balanced on the control panel, Sam stood and followed the others outside, stopping on the way to collect a screwdriver, C-4 and some detonators.
The bombs, each painted black, sat side by side in wheeled, reinforced metal cradles.
“They're...bulky,” Daniel said, stepping out beside her.
“Ten feet long.” Sam walked around behind the tailfin of one, to the access plate on the left side, and immediately began unscrewing. “And twenty eight inches in diameter. Antiquated, and not exactly a huge blast at about fifteen kilotons, but enough to blow Ra's ship.”
“Not huge? Colonel, I've seen the photos from Hiroshima and Nagasaki....” Bennett paused and stared at her. “Did you really blow up a sun?”
She winced and glanced at O'Neill who was giving her an odd look. “Scopolamine, sir. I was a little out of it there, for a while.” Then she added in a business-like manner, before he could say anything about it, “Sir, arming this could be dangerous. I would recommend leaving me here and taking the jumper well outside—”
“The faster you arm them, Sam, the sooner we can all get out of here.” Daniel was peering at the radar assembly on the nose.
“Hope you're quick on the draw,” O'Neill said to An, who was staring at the weapons with undisguised repugnance. Then General's comment elicited a spate of blinking.
Sam smiled at An. “He means you'll have to be quick getting Colonel Mitchell off Qetesh's ship once we beam the bombs aboard.”
“I will transport your Colonel Mitchell from the ship moments prior to sending the weapons. The Goa'uld will not have sufficient time to react.”
Sam nodded and turned back to the bombs. Packing in the C-4 in lieu of a cordite trigger wasn't going to be a problem. It was the dismantling of several safety mechanisms that, combined, prevented an electrical circuit from completing before the bomb reached an altitude of sixteen hundred feet. Removing those safety mechanisms was what concerned her most. On the plus side, this was not alien technology, and there were no booby-traps to negotiate.
Just 1947 atomic bomb technology with flimsy, hairpin triggers.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
The radio came to life just as Carter finished packing the C-4 into the chamber of the first bomb. Jack had full confidence in her ability to hotwire the nukes, nevertheless the instability of these damn things was making him sweat in some very uncomfortable places. And it was taking her considerably longer than anticipated.
“Jack,” Daniel called from inside the jumper. “Cam's back on the air.”
“Tell him two minutes, max,” Sam said, tightening some-thing on the side of the device with rather more force than Jack thought necessary for something she'd kept reminding them was incredibly delicate.
He headed inside to speak with the First Prime who, in another time, had been an outstanding US Air Force officer—and still would be, once they got back to 1908.
“Ra's back on board his ship,” Daniel told Jack as he slid into the jumper's pilot seat.
“What's your status, Mitchell?” Jack asked.
“Ra was injured recovering the DHD. Apparently the Russians put up quite a fight. Can't say I didn't warn him, but he's still pissed.”
As it had been in almost every communication they'd had with him, Mitchell's voice was flat and unemotional. Given that Vala's kids were involved, and based on what Mitchell had told them—or not told them—in the Met, Jack had a fair idea why Cam, First Prime to Qetesh, would prefer not coming out of this alive.
“He doesn't want to waste time in a sarcophagus in the middle of an invasion,” Mitchell continued. “He's decided to take his new
host now.”
“So the timing's moved up.” Crap. Of course it had.
“More than you know. I'm having the bomb placed in a chest which, as far as Ra's concerned, is full of gifts that Qetesh acquired in DC. Then I'm escorting the bomb and Serapsis to Ra's ship. Sort of a goodwill gesture to prove her loyalty. Serapsis is dressing for the occasion as we speak.”
“Carter says we can beam an armed nuke to Ra's ship in about two minutes.”
The radio was quiet for a moment, and then, “You still tracking my implant signal?”
Jack glanced at the HUD. “Affirmative.”
“Damn, the batteries on those things must be good,” Mitchell said, offering a rare glimpse of the man that Jack remembered. “Serapsis will be here any second. Beam the first nuke into the engine room of Qetesh's ship six minutes after we arrive on Ra's ship. Get Sam to set it for immediate detonation.”
“Are you sure?”
“Ra's in a hurry but it'll still take Serapsis a few minutes to get from the ring room to his chamber. I won't be allowed out of the ring room during that time, which is when I've been ordered to detonate this nuke. If Ra's ship doesn't blow within five minutes of our arrival, Qetesh will assume she's screwed and take off. Gotta go.”
“In ordering Colonel Mitchell to sacrifice himself,” Teal'c said, following Jack outside, “Qetesh intends to blame the Tau'ri for the death of Ra and her First Prime.”
“Sir, first bomb is ready to go. I've set the timer. Teal'c can you standby?” Carter moved across to the second device.
“When Qetesh's ship is destroyed, Ra's First Prime will assume they are under attack from the Tau'ri, and order an immediate jump to hyperspace,” Teal'c added, taking his place by the weapon.
Of course he would. “Carter? How long before that second bomb is ready?”
She was unscrewing the access plate. “Fifteen minutes, General.”
“You got eight.”
Her eyes rounded, but she knew better than to comment.
Daniel was bouncing around like a nervous cat. “By replacing Cam with Ra's First Prime and adding the surviving Royal Guards to her own, Qetesh ensures immediate loyalty from the rest of Ra's Jaffa.”
“Not if we can help it.” Jack turned and went back inside the jumper. “An, of buddy, you ready to deliver the pizza?”
The Asgard blinked at him, which Jack took to mean yes.
On the HUD, Cam's signal had jumped and appeared on the screen in the same proximity as the signal denoting Ra's ship. Besides Jack, Daniel stood restlessly for several tense, silent minutes. Even Bennett, who had earlier been plying them with an endless stream of questions, had picked up on the tension if not the entire reason for it, and sat in a passenger chair with his eyes fixed to the HUD.
“Aren't you supposed to be helping Carter?” Jack asked him.
“The Colonel said she can do it faster without me.”
The hooks in Jack's gut dug in deeper with the passing minutes.
“Don't beam me out!” Cam's voice came over the radio, followed immediately by several staff blasts before the transmission was cut off.
Crap. “Teal'c!” Jack yelled.
“I am ready, O'Neill,” Teal'c replied.
A reassuring light streamed in from outside the jumper. The first bomb was away, and instinctively, all of them except An went outside to look up. The ten-second wait took a whole lot longer. The night—when had it become night?—was silent, only a sprinkling of stars breaking up the darkness.
“How long was the fuse on that thing, T?” Jack wondered.
“It was a timer, sir, not a fuse,” Carter replied, her face still buried in the second device.
“Don't split hairs, Colonel.”
“Ten sec—”
Before she could finish, the night was extinguished by a massive ball of light exploding silently above them. It always gave Jack a warm fuzzy feeling to think they'd destroyed another one of those parasitic monsters, but he couldn't bring himself to relax yet. There was one more to go.
“Wow!” Daniel said, staring up at the sky.
“Indeed, Daniel Jackson,” Teal'c agreed. “It appears from here much like the destruction of the Death Star.”
“Six times he made me see that movie,” Jack muttered to no one in particular.
“Dear God!” Bennett breathed in awe. “Did we do that?”
“Some of it,” Carter said, screwing something in place. “The naquadah would have enhanced it considerably.”
“How long do you think it will take Ra's crew to notice that his daughter has just been vaporized?” Daniel asked.
“Colonel O'Neill,” An called from within the jumper. “The second Ha'tak is powering up its sub-light engines.”
“Right about now.”
“Cam—” Daniel began, but Jack cut him off.
“I know. Carter!” Jack went back inside.
“Still have to disconnect the last fail-safe, sir,” she called after him.
“The Ha'tak is now opening a hyperspace window,” An informed them.
He could see that, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it.
“We have to send the second bomb,” Daniel said. “Before Ra leaves.”
“And who's gonna detonate it?” Jack demanded, meeting his gaze. He knew Carter would volunteer, but he still had a couple of seconds to play with.
Outside, the fireworks from Qetesh's ship were raining down in the night sky.
“Ready!” Sam announced, running inside the jumper.
“Wait!” Jack ordered An, relieved that at least one thing was going their way.
“Sir, if Ra gets away—”
“Mitchell's still on board.”
“Thirty seconds to hyperspace drive,” An announced in standard Asgard monotone.
“Teal'c, set it for two seconds on my mark!” Jack called.
“Twenty six seconds. Shall I extract Colonel Mitchell?”
Mitchell was dead either way, and if they were gonna be stuck in 1947, Jack'd sooner it be without Ra. “Give him another couple of seconds.”
“Jack! Ra's ship's picking up speed—”
“Now! Send the bomb now!” he ordered An, as the blip that was Mitchell disappeared from Ra's ship, presumably ringed down to New York. No guarantee of that because from the jumper's current location on the ground, the HUD was limited to line-of-sight.
A few tense moments later and another, much more distant explosion lit the night. Bennett, mouth agape in wonder, went outside the jumper to better see.
“That should make for some cool meteorites,” Jack remarked, hoping he sounded a lot more relaxed than he felt right now. Mitchell's ringing out of Ra's ship did not necessarily mean he'd be able to recover the hand DHD without a fight, but at least he'd have the satisfaction of seeing Ra dead.
Or would he? Vala, Serapsis, and Seshat were also dead, and Jack was almost certain there was a whole other story there that Mitchell would never talk about.
“Makes the Pegasids look scanty,” Daniel said quietly. “Vala would probably have liked that.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
“Someone order a handheld time travel device and portable DHD?”
It had taken only a few minutes to reach sufficient height to locate Cam's beacon and beam him aboard. Now, as he stood there in the cramped cockpit of the jumper, he was holding the same device that Daniel had seen on the back of the elderly Cassie's hand, some undefined time in the future. While Commander Bennett instinctively jerked back from the armored, and very bloodied apparition, Daniel grinned.
Teal'c, also smiling broadly, somehow managed a bow. “You have done well, Colonel Mitchell.”
“Couldn't have done it without you.” He nodded gratefully at all of them. “Seriously.”
Still with her laptop balanced on her knees, Sam looked up at Cam apologetically. “On Ra's ship—”
“I told you not to beam me out, Sam, remember?”
“Yeah, but...” A brief smi
le crossed her face. “I'm glad you're safe.”
“Ra's First Prime had the damned thing on him when he ringed aboard Ra's ship,” Cam said, handing the hand DHD to Sam. “Lost the radio when I was trying to get if off him. Once I took care of that, I figured ringing down out would save us all a lot of time and grief.” The smile on his face was at complete odds with the pain in his eyes. “You could probably use the New York Stargate to go back in time, but the DHD hasn't been set up there, yet, so there'll be no interference with the signal if you want to use the Antarctic 'gate instead.”
Stargate - SG-1 - 09 - Roswell Page 33