Opportunity Tempts

by PaBurke

*** Summary *** Another person that the Stargate people didn't recruit.

*** Spoilers *** Season 8 SG1, Season three of NUMB3RS.

*** Disclaimer *** I'm playing with someone else's toys. No Copyright infringement intended. No money made. Hopefully everyone will treat this like a plug for two of my favorite shows.

*** Warning *** none

*** Distribution *** Wormhole Crossings, CalSci Library

"Dr. Fleinhart?" Larry looked up from his messy desk to see a blonde woman in a sharp business suit standing in the doorway. His first impression was that she reminded him of Megan; strong, confident, and ready to kick butt if necessary. This was no student. "Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Samantha Carter. May I have a moment of your time?"

Larry waved a hand to indicate the nearest cleared chair. "By all means, enter."

She smiled, entered, closed the door behind her and meandered toward the chair, browsing all the chalkboard equations as she went. She stopped at one detailing ten-dimension super-gravitational theory and smiled softly.

"If I may ask," Larry ventured. "What is your doctorate in?"

She threw a smile over her shoulder. "Astrophysics."

Larry combed through his mental library of articles published by various people through the years. IDr. Samantha Carter? Dr. S Carter? Something was missing. Oh. Major S Carter USAF. /ISheI had several impressive articles out in the community that had been well received. Rumor also said that she had a textbook written that only a few people ever had the privilege to read./I He decided to test his theory. "Major Carter?"

She smiled again. "It's Colonel now."

"Of course. What can I help you with, Colonel?"

"I was wondering how you enjoyed your time with NASA last year."

Larry reminisced. "It was… it still is too wonderful for words. It probably was the high-light of my life, most definitely my career." Then Larry remembered a few days of very hush-hush comings and goings. "I was surprised by the number of unscheduled visitors."

Carter nodded, did her own reminiscing and murmured, "Unscheduled events."

"Am I finally going to be informed about those days?"

"You'd have to sign some non-disclosure forms."

"More?" Larry was aghast. It seemed that he had signed his life away for those few days of cosmic bliss.

"Only one more," Carter tempted. "Of course you'd be signing a job acceptance concurrently."

Larry considered it for a moment. "My time in the shuttle was… wonderful is too bland a term. I have responsibilities here, on Earth, to my students and to this school."

"And to the FBI," Carter added.

"On occasion."

"So… no?"

"I must regretfully decline at this juncture. I am now just recovering from the experience."

Carter looked like she understood as she returned her attention to the chalkboard. "Some of us never come down."

"So I've heard."

She picked up a piece of chalk and scribbled for a few moments. Then she took a business card out of her pocket and shoved it into the wood frame. "If you ever change your mind, Dr. Fleinhart, please give us a call." She walked out of his office as suddenly as she had arrived, leaving Larry to sit and stare at her equations in wonder. He'd have to get Charlie or a couple others to double-check the work, but on the surface, it was 'elegant.' He'd love to have a chance to read to rumored textbook by Dr. Carter. It promised to be fascinating.

Larry sighed. He wasn't ready to embark on another adventure so soon since the last one. He did leave the business card attached to the chalkboard though; it was a temptation to consider.

*