In The Genes

Chapter 2

"Dr Weir, I was wondering how long before my Uncle gets here?" I asked, following Dr Weir out of the lab.

"Sarah, don't worry. I've already told him that you're here and from what he said he can't wait to see you again." Dr Weir stated, turning around to look at me.

Sighing, I gave her a small smile before making my way back towards the chair room.

It had been six years since I had last seen my Uncle Jack; I had sent him letters letting him know that I was safe and that I'm keeping up with my studies. I had left him a note when I had ran away saying that I couldn't stay with him any longer I needed to get out and live my own life instead of not really living it at all.

I smiled to myself as I remembered Jack finally taking me with him to work after living with him for two years. I had just turned sixteen and had kept bugging Jack to tell me what it was that he did for a living; I knew he was in the military but he never told me what it actually was that he did.

Walking back into the chair room I watched as McKay tried to get Beckett into the chair again.

"This device has survived for millions of years intact. It will survive you. Now sit down, close your eyes and concentrate."

Beckett sent a filthy look to the back of McKay's head but sat down anyway and closed his eyes. After concentrating for what seemed like ten minutes but was only a few seconds, Beckett opened his eyes and looked over at McKay.

"I think I feel something; it could be lunch related." Beckett mutters, making me cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

"Shut up and concentrate." McKay grumbled before turning back around to his tablet.

Sending McKay another filthy look, Beckett closed his eyes and concentrated again. After several seconds the lights on the back of the Chair came on and the Chair reclined. Beckett opened his eyes in a panic; meanwhile the drone that Peter Grodin was working on lit up.

Walking over to where Grodin was working, I watched with wide eyes as he snatched his hands back in panic. Suddenly, the drone shot off out of the room and into another, smashing through some equipment that exploded and sent people flying.

I watched along with Beckett, Grodin and McKay as the drone shoots around the room, smashing more of the equipment before for finally going up the elevator shaft.

"What did I do?" I heard Beckett quietly breath out, before running over to the radio to notify any inbound aircraft.

"All inbound craft, we have a rogue drone that can seek a target on its own. Land immediately and shut down your engines. This is not a drill!! I repeat, we have a rogue drone that can seek a target on its own. Land immediately and shut down your engines. This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill!!!!" I urgently announced.

Catching sight of Elizabeth, I put the radio back down on the table before making my way over to her and following her back into the chair room.

Beckett still sitting in the chair looks up at the both of us plaintively as we walk back into the room.

"I told you I was the wrong person." He exclaimed.

"That doesn't matter now. Just do something." McKay shouted back at him.

"Guys, calm down!!!" I yelled at them before turning to Carson.

"Carson, concentrate on shutting that drone down before it hurts anyone!"

Beckett sat with his eyes screwed tightly shut, continued to concentrate while the others and I anxiously watched him.

Suddenly he let out a gasp as he opened his eyes.

"I think I did it."

"Major Sheppard is reporting the drone appears to have been incapacitated." Lieutenant Aiden Ford reports, running over to Doctor Weir. Weir and I sigh in relief. I hear Beckett, who is still sitting in the Chair, do the same.

"General O'Neill's helicopter is unharmed and on its way again. Seven minutes out." Aiden finished.

"Thank god." I sighed, leaning on my knees trying to calm my heart rate down.

-[-]-

I followed Elizabeth and Daniel up to meet the chopper. It touched down a few yards from the base's entry, the dead drone lying on the snow. I watched with some measure of amusement as the pilot disembarked and gave it one of the most scathing glares I'd ever seen a man give. And I was Jack O'Neill's niece. I knew scathing glares.

The man himself rounded the chopper, head bowed to avoid the still turning blades. The moment my uncle was in my sight, nothing else quite mattered. Six years was a very long time; letters and phone calls, and the occasional picture, didn't do anything to wash away the nostalgia I felt seeing him in person.

It was like I was a kid again, back when he was my whole world. Time could change many things, but not the way I looked at Uncle Jack. His eyes scanned the line of people waiting to greet him and I could actually pinpoint the moment he saw me. His stride faltered, his eyes widened, and a smile like the sun broke over his face.

"General O'Neill!" Elizabeth greeted him with handshake. He returned it, his attention diverted momentarily by everyone else who was gathered to greet him. Procedure and rank were the important things out here; family ties were secondary. Didn't stop him from hurrying along the introductions until we were all ready to go back inside, and he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Squirt," he greeted, grinning as I rolled my eyes.

"Six years, and that's all you can say?" I asked, jokingly. "You think you'll ever stop calling me that?"

Jack pretended to think for half a second before he snorted. "Nah. You're still a damn Squirt to me... Squirt."

Despite myself, I started laughing. "Whatever you say, old man," I teased, and he pulled me into a tight hug when nobody could see. Six years melted away and I hugged him back, the moment ending far too soon for my tastes. Jack's attention was needed further in the base. I was reminded- again- that he wasn't here just to see me. He was here to inspect Antarctica, to look over our work, and to sign off on the attempt to find Atlantis.

At the thought, I began to smile. "You're gonna love this," I said, and lead the way down the hall to the labs.