Previously on Stargate Millennium
The Millennium Expedition has received a new gift: the FF-305 Typhon. However, the expedition discovers the ship abandoned and adrift in the middle of space. They discover that a computer virus has infected and disabled the ship. After a lengthy voyage through the empty void, Wolf Pack and Jennifer Hailey successfully restore systems and restore the crew. However, their woes are not over. Chen confides in Nova that the virus that infected the Typhon appears to be Tok'ra in origin.
-.-
Water. That was the only thing Nova could see. Water. She was standing on water; a shimmering ocean beneath her feet. She was immersed in darkness, blackness in every direction. The only source of light came from the glowing water she stood upon.
There was nothing in any direction, nothing but the same blackness lit up by the same water.
"Hello?!" Nova called out, her voice echoing through the void. She looked around, not sure what to look for. It was then she saw it, a man in the distance. She squinted, not sure who she saw at first. But, after a moment, she recognized him: a man who had become legend, a man whose tale had been taught to every SGC recruit.
"General Hammond!" Nova called out, running toward the man. She knew he wasn't real. The real General Hammond passed years ago. Still, he was the only thing here. The glass-like thunks of her footsteps echoed through the watery plain. The bald man turned around and began walking away. She was running and Hammond was just walking. But, no matter how fast she ran, she could not seem to catch up.
Finally, she gave up. She came to a stop, watching as Hammond continued walking away.
This was Furling telepathy. She was sure of it. But why? They hadn't contacted the Furlings for a while now.
The world around her began to fade to white, the glow of the water filling her vision until she couldn't see anything.
Her eyes fluttered open, jolting awake in her bed.
Correction. Not her bed. Her bunk. She was still on the Typhon for its long voyage home. She tilted her head sideways, looking out at the room. She could see Hailey and Osborn sleeping in bunks across from her and Arcturus was sleeping on the one above. The FF-305's were smaller than the 304's so they didn't have individual bedrooms like the 304's did. They had bunk rooms, mattresses and blankets stuffed into slots in the wall with curtains that could be pulled over, four per room.
Nova slowly slid out of the bunk, reaching up and stretching her arms. She was glad her kick didn't wake up Arcturus. Then again, she heard from Martin that Arcturus was an extremely light sleeper so it was possible she was awoken.
Nova didn't intend to walk through the ship in her sports bra so she quickly put on her black shirt before making her way to the door. She glanced back at the bunks in the wall. It was a well-furnished room, even containing a dresser, a closet, and even a desk and chair. The only source of light came from the nightlight on the dresser. Whoever came up with the idea of putting a nightlight in the sleeping quarters was beyond her but at least it let her see.
She carefully slid open the door only a crack so it wouldn't flood the room with light. She squeezed through the partially opened door before closing it behind her.
It was the ship's night cycle so the crew were all in their bunks. Lights all across the ship were dimmed, though it lacked the eerie glow it had when in battle mode.
Nova found herself wandering aimlessly through the halls of the Typhon. Correction. She found herself walking in circles. The 305 wasn't as big as the 304's so she ended up walking down the same halls and corridors. Desperate for some new location to look at, she decided to make her way down to the cargo hold. It was still stocked with new supplies from Earth so there wasn't much room. But as she made her way past the boxes, she spotted a familiar face.
"Soren," she called out. The fierri looked up at her at the sound of his name.
"Major Nova," he said in his usual unamused tone. "I'm surprised to see you up at this hour."
"Back at ya," Nova replied. "It's still gonna be a while before we reach Millennium so you should rest while you have the chance."
"They have not yet finished restoring the hyperspace program?"
"Not yet. Hailey recommends they do short hyperspace jumps to avoid any glitches in the program until she and Athena can get it working again. General Mercer's given us permission to relax until we get back to Millennium."
"I see. Why are you awake then?"
Nova just shrugged.
"Couldn't sleep," she replied. She shrugged again. "Just needed a change of scenery."
Soren grunted in acknowledgement. Nova looked at the man awkwardly. She heard Soren was not much of a talker but she never realized what they meant.
"So…" she said with a big smile, desperately trying to come up with something to talk about. Soren gave her an unamused stare. "Well, how's the expedition been treating you?"
"My treatment has been reasonable," he said.
"Reasonable? Not 'ok' or 'fun' or…I don't know."
Soren gave another grunt. Nova didn't imagine making small talk with this guy would be this hard. That's when a thought finally occurred to her.
"Steven's not giving you trouble, is he?" she asked.
"Doctor Chen has been courteous," Soren replied. But Nova could see through his statement. She gave an annoyed sigh, brushing back her long dark brownish auburn hair.
"Alright, I'll go talk to him," she said.
"Major Nova," Soren said before she could move. "I assure you that is unnecessary. Doctor Chen is not wrong for his resentment toward me."
"You're part of this expedition now. He should let the past be in the past, not be obsessed over what you once did."
"Professor Nevec may have something to say about that," Soren replied. He gave a sigh, though it sounded more like a snarl. "You do not need to do anything. Doctor Chen simply has a strong sense of justice."
Nova gave a reluctant nod. Even if she couldn't convince Steven Chen to like Soren, she could at least try to get a better understanding of why.
"Well," she said, leaning back against a box. "I guess I'll stay up if you're staying up."
"Go to sleep, Nova," Soren said, walking away. Nova watched as the fierri vanished behind the boxes. So much for making conversation. If Nova knew one thing, it's that if Soren didn't want to be found, you weren't going to find him.
She looked around, half tempted to go through the crates to see what new equipment the SGC brought. But, she knew Soren was right. She should go to sleep.
With nothing else to do, she finally turned around and headed back to her bunk.
STARGATE MILLENNIUM
"If you could pay a thousand dollars and part of your chest becomes a toaster oven, like a little gap where you could put food, would you buy it?"
"Uhh…would this affect me?"
"Hypothetically speaking, so no. Nothing changes about your life. You can do your normal stuff, but you have a spot in your chest to toast stuff."
"Do you I have to clean it?"
"No."
This was the banter between Flight Lieutenant Charles James Martin and Major Jennifer Elizabeth Hailey. They were down in the cargo bay. The solid crates of various sizes made perfect tables and chairs. Corin was not far away, busy reading a book, and Arcturus was in the corner meditating while Hailey and Martin conversed. That was, until Nova came in.
"What the hell are you guys talking about?" she exclaimed, having only heard half the conversation. Immediately, Corin, Charles, and Jennifer broke into laughter. Nova glanced at Arcturus, who was sitting on her knees, her eyes closed and her face serene.
"Hey, Terra," Corin greeted as she took a seat.
"Is this that stupid game you and Dannick started?" Nova asked, taking a seat beside Corin.
"It's not stupid. It's just something we do for kicks and giggles."
"Well, why would he spend money to buy a toaster when there are toasters in the mess halls on Millennium?" Corin asked.
"I meant if we were still back on Earth." She didn't know the conversion between the US and Australian dollar but she couldn't imagine it would be that much.
"Here's a question, how the bloody hell do you turn it on?" Martin asked. "Where's the "on" button?"
"Why does it matter?" Hailey asked with a shrug.
"Hell yeah, it matters," Nova said. "Imagine if you're with your boyfriend and he tries putting his hand on your chest and gets burned cuz you accidentally turned it on."
"Yeah, leave it to the Major to make it weird," Martin exclaimed.
"How's that weird?!" Nova called out defensively.
"I think your boyfriend would be safe considering the size of your bust would completely cover it."
"Might even be more dangerous to you," Corin added.
"Oh no, ma knockers are burning!" Charles mocked in a high pitched voice.
"What happens if you wake up in the middle of the night because your blankets are on fire because you accidentally turned your toaster on while you were sleeping."
"No, it'll only turn on if you will it to," Hailey clarified. "No heat, no fires, nothing. Just pretend it's like the Tardis. It won't affect your life. Would you do it?" Martin put his hand to his chin in thought.
"Really?" Nova questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Why would you want to have a toaster in your chest?"
"Probably so I wouldn't have the inconvenience of buying a toaster," Martin said. Immediately the room erupted in response. Hailey could even see a smile spread across the meditating Samanya Arcturus's face at the banter.
"You think it's that inconvenient to buy a toaster?" Nova exclaimed.
"How many toasters do you go through?" Corin called out.
"I don't know," Charles Martin said with a shrug. "I've actually never bought a toaster." This statement did not surprise Hailey. Martin did come from a really wealthy family.
"It's not about-" Hailey began to say when Corin cut her off.
"So clearly you have no inconvenience!" he cried out. "You have not been inconvenienced by buying a toaster!"
"Look, I've never bought a toaster but I do have one," Martin clarified. "My parents bought it for me."
"So Why Would You Spend A Thousand Dollars?!" Chen's voice suddenly called out from the hall. Hailey could only assume he was walking by when he heard the conversation and decided to chime in.
"Because at some point, Steven, I would've had to buy a toaster!" Martin called back.
"It's Not Going To Cost A Thousand Dollars!"
"Steven, stop shouting!" Nova ordered. "If you want to talk, then get in here like a normal person."
Chen's grumbling could be heard as he walked in.
"God, you people are loud," he groaned.
"What, were you snogging Doc out in the hall?" Martin remarked with a mischievous grin.
Chen immediately shot Martin an unappreciative glare.
"One, we broke up back in college, jackass" he said stiffly. "Two, she's in the med-bay looking over notes about the vortrix."
Nova shuddered at the mention of them.
"You're really that scared of those things?" Corin asked.
"Those things don't just eat you," Nova pointed out. "They absorb you." Nova shuddered at the thought.
"Yeah, I'll concede that," Chen said. "I talked to Kara about vortrices. Getting killed by them is not a good way to go."
"Yeah, but-" Hailey had begun to say when voices out in the hallway caught their attention. Someone, or rather a pair of someones, was approaching the doorway. Right outside the door, Hailey could hear one of the two people say "catch you around" before a set of footsteps vanished into the distance.
The person outside the hangar finally entered.
And Hailey's eyes widened in surprise.
"Grogan!" she called out. Hailey leapt off her box and skipped around everyone around her. It seemed Carl Grogan was equally surprised by Hailey's presence.
Hailey practically leapt into Grogan's arms as they embraced each other.
"Hailey," he said. "Long time. I didn't know you were with the team."
"Yeah, I was invited to come."
Nova cleared her throat, catching Hailey's attention.
"Oh, guys," Hailey said, remembering her friends were there. "This is Carl Grogan. SG-1 brought me in to train him a few years back."
"So this is your team?" Grogan asked. "So this would be the Dusk Riders?"
"Uh…no," Nova said. "We're Wolf Pack."
"Ah, Wolf Pack," he corrected, stuttering a little at the name. "She's told me a lot about you guys."
"And when you say 'a lot'," Chen remarked. "You mean she hasn't told you crap."
Grogan opened his mouth to speak, but Hailey could tell he didn't know what to say.
"Wait a minute," Martin said. "Did you say 'Grogan'? I think I heard of you before."
"Really?" Grogan asked, clearly excited that his name was getting around.
"Yeah. You're the bloke who always gets shot."
And just as quickly as it appeared, Grogan's excitement disappeared. Hailey snickered, trying to hold back her laughter. She remembered Carl's reputation even in training.
"Listen…" he said, holding his finger out as if to give a lecture. But he paused.
"I'm listening?" Martin said when Grogan didn't say anything.
"Alright, Charles," Corin spoke up, clearly enjoying himself.
"Anyways," Grogan said, trying to change the topic. "The Captain says we're approaching Millennium and wants to see if any of you are interested in seeing the view."
The room broke out into agreement at the prospect of seeing their arrival at Millennium.
"C'mon, Sam" Martin called. The blonde warrior gave a smile as she stood up and followed everyone out.
"Hey, Hailey," Grogan said. "When we touch down, you wanna catch up?"
Hailey was about to say yes. Grogan was a friend. The last time she saw him was when the Furlings helped them gate to Earth. But as she opened her mouth, a familiar face flashed before her eyes.
"We'll see," she stuttered. "I think I still have a report to finish."
Just as the words left her mouth, she suddenly could not help but question them. Maybe she should reconsider.
"Anyways," she said. "Wanna see the landing?"
-.-
Chen could sense Nova's discomfort even before they made it to the bridge. She was clearly trying to hide it but he could tell her mind was still on the virus that infected Typhon.
"Terra," he hissed as they made it to the bridge. Nova snapped out of her trance, glancing at him to see what he wanted.
"I'm fine," she said dismissively.
Chen could say nothing but 'hmm' at that response. If Nova wanted to stay silent, there was nothing he could do. He could only hope she wasn't planning on doing something without informing them.
Chen looked around as they stepped on the domed bridge, all the technicians working at their stations. Even Athena was working at one.
Chen glared at Athena suspiciously. He didn't care if the SGC trusted her. He didn't. And even if she did have a change of heart, there was far more that she had to answer for.
Athena noticed his glare and simply smirked. It was just a look but Chen could feel himself boiling over. It was the type of smirk as if to scoff at his frustration since she knew there was nothing he could do.
Chen just grumbled and look forward. They were approaching Millennium. The least he could do is appreciate the sight.
The bridge was in the center of the Typhon so there were no view ports. Instead, they looked upon an array of screens. One by one they all came on until the front wall was filled with a large image of the space in front of them.
This was the first time any of them had arrived at Millennium onboard a starship so this was the first time any of them saw the outside of the nebula.
"Blimey," Kara said as she arrived at the bridge. Chen knew Nebulas didn't glow. But the nebula Millennium was in was artificially made with the purpose of glowing and providing light for the station within.
If heaven existed, this is what it would look like. The nebula looked like glowing clouds. Millennium was a city floating atop golden glowing clouds. And watching the clouds grow before consuming them, it felt like they were going through the golden gates.
The screens were filled by the golden vapor, the ship rattling from the turbulence.
"Is it always this rocky?" Captain Connors asked.
"We've never flown through the nebula before," Hailey explained. "The turbulence is from the subspace field that is uses to destabilize hyperspace windows."
"She means that the nebula won't let hyperspace windows open inside of it," Chen translated. "Apparently it doesn't like being flown through either."
"Damage report?" Connors ordered.
"Negligible damage," Athena reported.
"Captain," a helmsman reported. "We're clearing the nebula."
Everyone's eyes were locked at the front to the ship. The golden mist that filled their screens soon parted. And there it was: the city in the golden clouds.
It was strange looking at Millennium from the outside. From a distance, it almost looked like a blooming silver four-petal flower, cities on each of the petal as well as the center.
"Open a channel," Connors ordered. A helmsman pressed a button before nodding to the officer. "Millennium. This is Captain Connors of the Typhon requesting permission to dock."
Chen held his breath. Knowing his luck, there was probably some crazy alien incursion taking place. But, he let out a quiet sigh of relief when he heard Donovan's voice.
"Typhon, you have permission to dock. You will be landing in the Grand Plaza. Sending coordinates."
Connor looked at Athena, who gave a returning nod.
"Copy that, Millennium," Connors said. "We will be touching down soon."
-.-
When Typhon touched down, the entire plaza was soon bustling with activity. The Grand Plaza was essentially a massive park that was identical to any park found on a planet. There were a few patches of grass neatly arranged around the plaza all circling a massive obelisk at its center. The thing was, the plaza was on the 'underside' of central city. Atlantis was built on a single plane since it was intended to spend time on planets, affected by gravity pulling in a single direction. But Millennium was built to stay in space. That meant crazier geometries, such as building a park on what would be the underside of a city.
Without the endless horizon of golden buildings, there was more than enough room for Typhon to land.
As the ramp lowered, Nova was greeted by what looked like a crowd of people. Doctors, scientists, soldiers, they were all eager to welcome the ship. This was their first contact with Earth since they were given a chance to visit it.
"Alright," a voice boomed across the plaza. Everyone looked behind them, Mercer standing at the back of the crowd. "There will be enough time to catch up later. For now, I need maintenance crews to unload and catalogue all the supplies."
The way he spoke…
Mercer was like a grandfather to the entire expedition. He rarely ever got angry. He was always smiling.
But Nova knew the truth. And seeing that strange dichotomy now churned her stomach. It was eerie how well this killing machine could pass himself off like an everyday person.
She couldn't let this bother her. She had task to do.
Still, while Mercer walked up to talk to Captain Connors, the old man's glance at her sent chills down her spine. It was almost like he knew she was looking at him.
-.-
Hailey gaped for a moment, not sure what to say. Was there anything to say?
No. There was one exclamation that would be appropriate for this.
"What the hell?!"
Hailey was in the infirmary, staring at two of the hospital beds being occupied by Umar and Dannick, McFree standing in the corner with his arm in a sling. When she left for Typhon, only Umar was in the infirmary. Now her whole team was.
"Surprise," Umar remarked, with a dramatic wave of his hands.
"Just…how?"
Hailey's hand was practically floating in front of her face as she tried to stop herself from facepalming.
"They didn't tell you about this when you came back?" Dannick asked.
"Killer interdimensional cyborg?" Hailey exclaimed. "Do we even live in a sane universe anymore?"
The three remaining members of the Dusk Riders exchanged glances before sharing a single answer.
"No."
"It stopped being sane when we started traversing to other galaxies through portals of water," Umar said. "Look on the bright side, Major. You are permitted take time for yourself until we're out."
-.-
Nova knew Chen told her not to do anything stupid, but she didn't have a choice. She had to know. It had been an entire day since they got back to Millennium. Charles needed an extra day's rest and everyone else was given the day off. But Nova couldn't take the day off. She had something to do.
Usually she would only go to General Mercer's office when summoned.
Not this time.
She pressed the button and the doors slid open, letting her step inside. The moment she was in, she pressed the button and the door closed behind her.
Her heart was in her throat. Every muscle was stiff as stone. This was a bad idea. But it was the only thing she could think off.
General Mercer was hard at work, writing something down. The circular office had a small window that gave him a clear view of the gate room. Nova walked over to that window, reached over, and slowly pulled the curtains shut.
"Major," Mercer said. "May I ask what you're doing."
Nova looked at Mercer. It was only now that he stopped writing. He gave a pause before setting down his pen and looking up, folding his hands in front of him on his desk.
She had made it this far. She might as well follow through.
There was a click as Nova reached into her back pocket and drew out a nine-millimeter, aiming it at the General.
"General," Nova said in a shaky voice. "I think you have explaining to do."
Mercer stared at Nova. It was chilling just how calm the old man was even when there was a gun pointed at his face. The General slowly rose from his chair, more annoyed than anything else.
"Stay back!" Nova ordered. "I'm not underestimating what you can do. You can't disarm me at that distance." Mercer obeyed and remained behind his desk.
"True," he said calmly. "I can't disarm you at that distance. And it is wise for you to not underestimate my abilities. But perhaps you are underestimating my authority."
Nova stared at Mercer in confusion. She looked at his eyes, trying to figure out what the old man was thinking. Then, they twitched. No. Twitch was the wrong word. They had been looking right at her. Then they moved to look at something behind her.
"Kill her," Mercer ordered. Panic flooded Nova's body. She knew Tok'ra assassins were probably watching Am-heh and Mercer but she didn't think they'd obey him like that.
She whipped around, raising her pistol and aiming it at the thing behind her.
But there was one problem.
There was nothing there.
"Shit," she muttered. She had been tricked. She whipped back around but it was too late. It was barely a second. But a second was all Mercer needed. She could see the gleam of a sword blade raised to her throat. He had gone over the desk and closed the distance. She didn't even manage to aim the pistol, her gun aimed awkwardly at the wall.
They stood there for a moment, not sure what she should do.
"If you kill me, I think I can still get off a few rounds," Nova said, trying to think of some trump card she could hold. "Everyone in the control room will hear the gunshots."
"Then what?" Mercer asked. "You are in my office with a gun. I need only tell them that you came into my office and tried to shoot me."
Nova's eyes widened in fear. She really had no edge, no advantage to hold against this man.
"Wolf Pack," she said. "They know I came here. They'll know the truth."
Nova could feel Mercer's eyes examining her, taking in every detail of her expression.
"No, they don't," the old man said. "Major Nova, if they did know what you were doing, you should not have told me as it only lets me know to silence them as soon as possible. They would have told you this. In fact, they would discourage you from coming into my office with a gun to threaten me." Nova could not help but let out a scared whimper at just how easily he read her.
"Poor, poor, Terra Nova," Mercer mocked. No, not Mercer; Am-heh mocked. She knew a Goa'uld could deepen the voice of their host, but she has never heard a voice slowly transition like that, each word getting deeper and more distorted until becoming the Goa'uld voice. Regardless, it was Am-heh's demonic voice that was coming through now. "Despite your insecurities, you are actually a good leader so long as you have feedback to fall upon. But without it, you are a child that fails to think through their actions."
Nova felt the blade pressed harder against her neck. Suddenly, it lowered. Nova eased up slightly, looking up, not sure what this meant. Her relief was short lived. Am-heh raised his left hand, a triangular ring glowing like a flame was it was raised in front of her face. And just like that, her world went to black.
-.-
Color slowly seeped into the blackness. Slowly, reality came fading back. She let out a groan. Her mind was a fog. It felt like she had fallen asleep or something.
Looking around, she expected for her to be restrained or something. But she wasn't. She was sitting in the middle of a lavish hall, floating chandeliers above her, white marble-like material making up the walls and columns, a red carpet running down the floor.
She was in a pocket dimension that held the governor's mansion that Mercer could access through a hidden door in the back of his office. Nova remembered Mercer showing this to her once.
She was sitting in a very comfortable chair. It looked like it was made of dark wood with red cushions padding the seat and backrest.
She looked at the table in front of her. Her pistol was laying on it.
Nova didn't dare try to take the gun. Instead, she looked around. Mercer was on the other side of the table. An array of screens created an illusion of an outside world with a lavish garden. Mercer stared at those screens, his back to Nova.
Terra Nova considered trying to take the pistol. It was only the two of them. And, from the looks of it, he had nothing but a sword to defend himself with. He was that confident he could take her on.
And the thing was, she believed he could.
"Why am I here?" Nova asked. There was no point in fighting so she might as well try talking.
"Because you won't learn your lesson if you're dead, soldier," Mercer answered, his voice back to normal. He didn't turn around but held out a stack of papers to the side for her to see. "So, I guess I should assume that your mission report was not entirely accurate?"
Nova didn't answer. She didn't know what to answer at this point. She didn't know what was going to happen to her. Was this end of her career? Forget that. Was this the end of her life?
"Perhaps I should be clearer," Mercer said, finally turning around and gently placing the papers on the table. "You would not have felt the need to come and threaten me in my office unless you had a reason. Your report says you did not now the origin of the virus. This is the lie. You know the origin of the virus, and you have come to me for answers. Am I close to the truth?"
Close? Nova had to scoff at that word. He was spot on. Still, she could not say anything. She was being read like an open book. She was afraid what anything she said would reveal.
Then, the unexpected happened.
Mercer leaned forward across the table, leaned until his mouth was right next to her ear.
"Would you like to know the truth?" he asked.
Nova could not help but gasp at this question. He had to be mocking her. No way he would tell her the truth. She looked at Mercer as he took a step back.
"You're lying," she said. "Why should I believe you? When I first came here, you told me the Millennium Expedition was just a social experiment."
"I don't recall lying," Mercer said calmly. "I told you the truth. The Millennium Expedition is a social experiment conducted to form a team with the capabilities of SG-1. You are the one who took this as the entire truth."
"Then what is the entire truth?"
Mercer smiled at this question. He raised his arm and pointed behind her. Nova had been scared stiff. She hadn't even turned around since waking up. Doing it now, she saw a door behind her. She slowly rose to her feet and hobbled over to the door. She paused, still hesitant to open it. She glanced behind her, watching Mercer walk around the table to join her. He gave a nodded, giving her permission to open it. She took a breath as she turned the nob on the giant dark wood door. She slowly pushed it inward.
She didn't know what she was expecting but this wasn't it. Her eyes fell upon a long table, dozens of people seated around it. Her eyes first fell upon the people in suits. She didn't recognize most of their faces but she did recognize a few people, people who belonged to the IOA. The next thing her eyes fell upon were the people not in suits. They were in a different uniform, a uniform worn by the Tok'ra.
"This, Major Nova, is the entire truth."
-.-
Nova stepped into the room as Mercer closed the door behind him, not sure what to think. There was no doubt about it now. It was a Tok'ra virus.
"How…" she stuttered. "Why?"
Finally, one of the IOA members spoke.
"Major Nova," he said. "Look, you don't understand-"
"You're damn right I don't!" She scoffed at the sight. "Look at you! The SGC's saved the planet how many times? And you react by forming this! What is this?!" Then she looked at the Tok'ra seated at the table. "Then you!" she exclaimed. "Earth's worked side by side with the Tok'ra against the Goa'uld, the replicators, and the Ori! We were supposed to be allies! How could you?!"
"Major Nova," a Tok'ra interrupted. "You are correct, the Tau'ri have proven themselves invaluable allies and we have fought many battles together. But the Tau'ri have also gathered an assortment of some of the universe's most advanced technology. Even before this technology, they have shown both ignorance and lack of responsibility."
"You've been saying this from the beginning and we still kicked the collective asses of the Goa'uld. Hell, the Tok'ra have been going on about how Earth isn't ready. What will it take to prove we're ready?"
"Major Nova," another IOA member said calmly. "Regardless of the SGCs history, you must question the wisdom of collecting so many powerful pieces of technology under one umbrella with minimal oversight."
"Minimal oversight?" Nova repeated. "Remind me, what does the O stand for again?" Nova knew that there was no profession in her tone. If actually reminded her of her snobby younger self. If Mercer wasn't so forgiving, she could be tried for insubordination for her level of disrespect. But she didn't care. She didn't know what to think about what was unfolding before her. The SGC and everyone involved were heroes and here were a bunch of ungrateful asses pouting about them not having enough control.
"When was the last time the SGC ever submitted to the whims of the IOA?"
"We'd listen if you weren't a bunch of ignorant bureaucrats fighting for power!"
"Enough," Mercer said calmly. He didn't yell, there wasn't even a hint of anger in his voice. It was loud enough to be heard by everyone, but it wasn't a thunderous order. Yet, it split the air like an axe. Immediately, the room silenced upon his command. No one spoke up for several minutes. Finally, one of the Tok'ra broke the silence.
"Major," he said. "Tell me, how many ha'tak can a single 304 can destroy?"
Nova paused, confused about the question. Finally, she understood.
"So that's what it is?" she asked in even more disbelief than before. "You're afraid of us? Why?"
"We've made why perfectly clear. The Goa'uld, the replicators, the Ori, the Wraith, your enemies fall before you like dominos despite all odds. And now you have inherited some of the most advanced technology in the universe. If Earth ever misuses its newfound gifts, we will likely fall just as easily. Perhaps the Ror'char should be counting their blessings that the Tau'ri cannot commit enough resources to this galaxy."
"But we haven't done anything that would warrant that fear from the Tok'ra."
"If you ever did, we would not be here discussing it. And it isn't just the Tok'ra. Many feel the same."
Those words echoed in Terra's mind. She was so stunned she could barely form a sentence.
"What? How many other races are involved in this?" The silence around the table was all she needed. "You're kidding…"
"Major," a Tok'ra member said, but Nova wasn't interested in listening.
"No! Earth saved Milky Way! More than a couple times too! And now you're telling me all our alien allies fear us for that?"
"Major Nova, your government and its leaders are based on a cycle of election. What is to say that your next leader won't be malevolent? Or one of your leaders in the future? Humans live very short lives after all." Nova knew what he was saying but she didn't believe him. How could she? The very organization that saved the galaxy was now the target of their former allies.
"Everything we've done is purely a precautionary measure. No hostile actions were taken against the Tau'ri," a third Tok'ra from the back of the room said.
"Really? What do you call the virus then?"
"That was a preemptive measure. It was not intended to be activated unless the Tau'ri took hostile action. Clearly, there was an error in the program. And it was made to disable the ship, not destroy it."
Nova looked around. She didn't know what to say. She was so stunned she didn't even know if she could form a sentence.
"What about you?" she asked, looking at the men and women in suits. She couldn't wrap her head around why the IOA of all organizations would hinder Earth.
"Major Nova," a bald member spoke up. "Our alien allies have a fear of Earth. But if you get down to it, what they fear is the SGC. It is the SGC that is responsible for most of Earth's actions in the galaxy. It is the SGC that possesses all the alien tech. It's the SGC that commands most of the 304's."
"Even if the SGC doesn't go rogue, an organization that powerful still needs oversight," another IOA man said. "All we're doing is making sure someone else held accountable for what happens."
"Or get in the way of the SGC actually getting its job done, like you always do," Nova snapped. "Didn't you cut ties with Woolsey because he stopped listening to you guys?"
"Major, we admit our reputation is tarnished but that does not remove the need for oversight. The very foundation of the US government is based on checks and balances, the belief that no one body holds absolute power. Well who balances the SGC? We assure you we will reform our operations but this is necessary."
"How is this necessary? You have oversight."
"Oversight is useless if you can't enforce it. The moment we pull SGC funding you can threaten to blow us all from orbit and there's not a thing we can do about it."
"The same can be said about your hyperspace missiles," Ver'rak added. "Should we stand in the way of something, you can threaten our destruction." Nova looked at him in confusion. She looked around, partially expecting an explanation. But, it seemed like the IOA were just as confused as she was.
No.
They looked less confused and more alarmed.
"We'll talk about that later," Harrow said. "For now…" They all turned their attention back to Nova.
Nova looked around. Every person who has worked in the SGC was a hero, and now these suited bureaucrats were trying to find a way to control them from their cushy little chairs without ever seeing what was out there.
Finally, her eyes fell upon Mercer, the one man who seemed to bridge the gap, SGC and yet working with the IOA.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Nova asked in exasperation. "I've kept your secret, followed your orders in spite of it."
"I'm just wondering," Mercer said, his eyes closed as if he was deep in thought. "You're confident that the SGC and Earth doesn't need these precautions. I wonder if the Quinterans ever felt the same."
And just like that, Nova's confidence left her body. She could see Nyrah Krampus's face in the back of her mind. Her run in with Krampus and the Quinterans was the closest she ever came to losing the people she cared about.
She didn't know how long she was staring at the table. Finally, she realized the conversation had died.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"We are seeking allies," an IOA member explained. "The SGC has done good work. But we need to provide oversight. And we need ways of enforcing that oversight."
Nova hung her head. This had to all still be nonsense. Nothing but power hungry politicians, right?
The memory of Krampus coming so close to killing her friends flashed in her mind again.
"Major," Mercer spoke up. "You've been through a lot. I wish for you to think about our offer. You are now dismissed."
Nova walked to the door, still trying to process what was happening.
"General," she spoke up, pausing at the door. "I have one question. What would I be doing if I agreed to this?"
One of the IOA members opened their mouth to speak, but Mercer immediately put up a hand to quiet him.
"We would simply ask you to help us carry out a few missions, even keep an eye on key individuals and report to us. Nothing more. And nothing immoral."
Nova didn't like how cryptic Mercer was being.
"And if I was to refuse your offer?"
"Major," Mercer said irritably. "I believe I agreed to one question."
Nova gave a sigh. She got the truth at least. Then why did it feel like her mission just ended in failure?
There was a click as she closed the door behind her.
-.-
There was a sense of unity and cohesion while Nova was in the room. But with her gone, the room descended into bickering and chaos.
"I assure you, Mister Harrow, the virus was nothing more than a preemptive measure."
"Can I ask how many ships you decided to put viruses on?"
"We have been placing these viruses on all but three. The Daedalus and Odyssey were constructed before we were able to plant the virus, and we chose to not plant one on the George Hammond out of respect."
"We formed this coalition for the sake of oversight but the virus is too much!"
"Too much? The Tau'ri possess some of the most advanced technology in the universe. A single Horizon weapon can wipe out half a planet."
"I do not understand what the issue is," another Tok'ra said. "From what I understand, you had intended on planting identical viruses in your fleet for similar reasons. You feared an alien incursion will cause the crew to become dangerous and wished for a failsafe."
"Yes, but we would be the ones controlling the virus," a man at the front said.
"Ver'ack," another IOA member. "Are there any other preemptive measures we should know about?"
Ver'ack fell silent for a moment as if to contemplate the answer.
"None," he finally said. "The virus was the only action taken."
"You'll pardon me if we're skeptical," the first IOA member said. "The Tok'ra have established a legacy of secrecy."
"Secrecy?" Ver'ack scoffed. "What of the Tau'ri? May I ask when you intended to tell us about your hyperspace missile program?"
"How did you know about the hyperspace missile program?"
"That is not an issue."
"Oh, I would disagree."
"Ver'ack, Harrow," Mercer said. Immediately, the two stopped arguing. In fact, the whole room calmed down again, everyone sitting down and straightening their uniforms. "We will deal with the situation another time. For now, we have other matters to discuss. How was the virus activated?"
Another Tok'ra stood up, a beautiful young blonde with medium length but straight hair.
"Because the Tau'ri have begun hybridizing their computers with Asgard technology, I modified our existing virus so it would be compatible with the new system," she explained. "The Typhon has more Asgard technology integrated into it than any 304. I believe it is possible the new system caused the issue."
"How can the hybrid systems trigger the virus?" an IOA member asked.
"The viruses that were implanted can only be activated with three 128-bit signals input in a very specific order. If the sequence is not properly triggered in five consecutive attempts, the virus deletes itself. This was to prevent outside influences from starting up the virus themselves."
"It is as we said," a male Tok'ra next to the woman spoke up. "These viruses were made to be preemptive measures. We took extra precautions to ensure they are not triggered inadvertently."
"It is possible that the program that would identify the signals was not properly integrated into the Asgard systems," the female Tok'ra continued explaining. "As a result, an outside signal was misinterpreted as the trigger signal."
"Is it possible that a Tok'ra secretly activated the virus?" an IOA man across the room asked.
"You accuse one of our own of treachery?" another Tok'ra exclaimed, offended by this. Ver'ack immediately silenced him with a hand wave.
"We will investigate the possibility of the virus being activated remotely," he said. "However, I can assure you that its activation was not an order from the Tok'ra Council."
"We can confirm that this is an isolated event," another IOA member said. "We have used the communication stones to get in touch with Earth. None of the other ships have encountered any problem."
"What have the crew of the Typhon been told?" Ver'ack asked.
"They have not been told anything so far. If we put out a cover up story now, it will seem suspicious. For now, we're saying we're investigating the origin of the virus."
"What about Athena?" Ver'ack asked.
"Leave her to me," Mercer said, his eyes flashing as Am-heh took control.
"Right…" Harrow said slowly, clearly disturbed by the Goa'uld. "Speaking of you, what were you thinking bringing in Nova like that?"
"We can use Nova, and I believe she would be the easiest to sway to our cause," Am-heh said. "All SGC, Atlantis, and Millennium personnel undergo regular psychological evaluation. Her profile indicates a strong desire to do the right thing, but a lack of decisiveness as well as self-doubt. We can use this."
"You'll forgive me if I doubt your motivations," Ver'ack said.
"And you always will," Am-heh replied. "You will always doubt my intentions, you cannot question my results. Now if you don't mind, I have an announcement to make to the expedition.
-.-
Nova shifted uncomfortably. Just a few hours ago, she discovered the truth about the Millennium Expedition. And now she and the other department heads were called in for a meeting as if nothing had happened. They had all gathered in the conference room, some sitting around the U-shaped table but most standing. She could see Chen, Hailey, Osborn, and Umar in the crowd.
Nova could not help but wonder if Mercer got to Chen too.
Unlikely.
She didn't even know why Mercer would tell her all this to begin with. Still, she knew that telling everyone was the worst way to keep a secret.
It was then Nova noticed something else. She could see Arcturus and Soren in the crowd as well. She even recognized the two Eloran pilots they got a while back. Even Corin was here. All the aliens that had joined their expedition were here too. But why?
The room fell silent as the doors to Mercer's office opened. The old man stepped out, his arms folded behind his back, a warm smile on his face.
"Well, it seems that everyone is here," he said. He fell silent for a bit, organizing a stack of folders in front of him. Finally, he cleared his throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced. "As you all are aware, the FF-305 Typhon has recently arrived at Millennium. With the arrival of the ship, we will now proceed to the second phase of the Expedition. For too long, our expeditionary force has been labeled a piracy due to a lack of affiliation to any official government. However, we could not make a move to reject this without making enemies. With the security brought by the Typhon, we will now declare ourselves to the galaxy as an independent nation."
Nova looked at Mercer in surprise. This was certainly not what she expected. Even in the Pegasus galaxy, Atlantis was just recognized as Atlantis. It wasn't seen as a nation of any sort. Granted, the wraith had destroyed any semblance of advanced civilization, but it still seemed strange to her that they were calling themselves a nation.
"General," a woman across the room said. "What exactly would this mean?"
"So far, Millennium and the people residing in it have been seen as its own entity. We were labeled pirates due to a lack of attachment to any government or nation. However, I believe it is time we change this label." Mercer turned to look at Corin. "Professor Nevec, I would like to work you to see what can be done to officially change our standing in this galaxy. I believe it is also time we made contact with the different nations this galaxy has to offer. Sir Arcturus, Mister Stavig, you two will be assigned as personal bodyguards to myself or any ambassadors we send to make contact."
"Understood," Arcturus replied. Soren didn't really answer, just giving a grunt of acknowledgement.
"Helmsman Níoh," Mercer continued. One of the Eloran pilots stepped forward. "We will likely be coming across races the Elorans have encountered in the past. You and your co-pilot will help establish relations with these races. Speaking of which, Níoh, Torador, Nevec, are there any races or nations you advise we try to begin relations with?"
"Gundara is a small nation state we've encountered before," Níoh said. "They have a bit of a pirate problem, but I think it's a good first start."
"Nyganda Huran might also work," Corin spoke up. "It's the icthyan home planet. They're usually open to alliances. Though, interacting with them might be a problem."
"Why's that?" a nearby man asked.
"The icthyan's spend most of their lives in the water. So, about 80 percent of their civilization is underwater. The Atria is where the leaders of their largest kingdoms meet and that's in the middle of an ocean. Also, they can pronounce our language, but we can't pronounce theirs, especially underwater."
"We will resolve that at another time," Mercer said. "What of the Damacans?"
"General," Arcturus spoke up. "The Damacans hold the potential of being powerful allies, however they are extremely paranoid of outsiders. They also have quite a few enemies."
"Then we will deal with them another time," Mercer concluded. "The two nations you have listed will suffice for now. Ladies and gentlemen, for now I want you to focus on maximizing the output of your respective departments. We have much to accomplish."
-.-
Nova still had a few hours before she was back on duty. Then she would have to help prepare to try to establish relations with other civilizations. But that left her with time to herself. And the first place she went to was the Sanctum.
This was supposed to be a meeting place for all four races. More than that, Nova remembered the Furlings were using Millennium to keep an eye on the expedition.
"You said you'd keep an eye on us!" she yelled into the nothing. "The least you could do is give me a little help."
Nova remembered when she first met the Furlings, they flat out told her the reason the Alliance did not interfere was because of the possibility of them going rogue. And she told the Furlings to give them a chance. She was so confident back then…so ignorant.
She looked at the pedestal in the center of the room, no longer sure what to believe. She wanted to organize her thoughts but she didn't even know where to begin with that.
The SGC and its personnel were heroes. O'Neill, Carter, they were all heroes. And the IOA had a long history of getting in their way.
The Quinterans were once heroes and look at what they were now.
There is no way the SGC would go down that route.
How could she say there was no way? Did she really forget what happened last time she was sure she was in the right?
"Damn it," she cursed her breath. "C'mon! How are we supposed to be the Fifth Race if we don't even know what to do?!"
She clenched her fists in frustration. She couldn't do this alone.
-.-
"Gah! Damn!"
Hailey shook her hand in pain. She had slipped up again and touched the exposed part of the wire.
Hailey looked at the domed-shape device. It was a bronze dome with four stubby 'legs' that held it slightly elevated.
Hailey has seen manipulation of kinetic energy twice now. The Goa'uld ribbon device shoved people away. The Makhai had something that pulled people in. Hailey now wanted to try her hand at making her own version.
But, she seemed to be forgetting every safety precaution possible.
Hailey rushed over to the sink in the corner of the lab, running water over her hands.
That was the third stupid mistake she made in a single hour. She had been rinsing her hands for a while before she heard someone clear their throat behind her.
Hailey whipped around, her hands still dripping with water.
"Geez, Isaac," she huffed, turning off the water. "I told you not to sneak up on me while I'm in the lab."
"I didn't…" he said. "I was singing from down the hall. You ever notice there is a lot of good reverberation there. We should gather a band or something. Hey, maybe you can be our groupie."
"I'll pass," Hailey said, heading back to the kinetic manipulator as Isaac let out a high-pitched opera cry and listened to it reverb through the lab. But he stopped as Hailey approached her machine.
"Uh…shouldn't you dry your hands before you work with the dangerous high voltage electronics?"
Hailey paused when she heard McFree say that, looking down at her dripping hands.
"Damn it," she muttered. She nearly made another mistake. She headed back to the sink and yanked out a strip of paper towel, wiping her hands.
When she turned back around, McFree was standing next to her work bench. But his goofy grin and child-like expression was gone. His face had softened.
"Is this about Grogan?" McFree asked.
"How do you know about that?" Hailey demanded. It was only after she asked she realized she may have come off a bit more hostile than she intended.
"Ran into the dude by the mess hall," McFree stated. "I'm surprised you two aren't catching up."
Hailey turned back toward her personal project.
"Couldn't," she said. "Too much work to do."
McFee glanced at the desk which contained her pet project. Not a project issued by Mercer, but something she was working on the side.
"Grogan reminds you of him, doesn't he," Isaac asked.
"Well, I did help train both of them," Hailey said. She figured there wasn't any reason to continue playing dumb. McFree walked up beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"We all know you and Elliot had a thing," McFree said. "But you can't keep running away from this."
Hailey looked away, not entirely satisfied. Can't keep running? Watch her.
It was strange. She was fine when she confronted death. But hearing someone dear to her died unsettled her.
"Look, I can only stop being an overgrown child for so long so I'm just going to say it," McFree said. "When you get emotional you can get a bit…bitchy. But we don't see you any less in spite of it. If something bothers you, you can let us know. No one's gonna judge you."
Hailey paused, nodding her head. Elliot's face flashed through her head again. It still stung thinking about him.
"Anyways," McFree said, stepping back and dramatically stretching. "I have a Viking opera to put together. You do whatever you want."
With that, McFree skipped out the door.
Hailey looked at the project on her table. McFree was right. She couldn't keep running.
She walked over to the table, beginning to power down her machines. Maybe talking to Grogan will help her with Elliot. She picked up her tablet, ready to shut it down as well.
That's when she saw it.
"Message from Nova," Hailey read. "What does she want?"
-.-
Chen stepped into the tram station, looking out across the empty chamber. It was a vast room that seemed to stretch forever, columns scattered about, holding up the ceiling. There were benches near the back wall for citizens to wait for the tram, empty holo-cases lining the walls that once held advertisements. Between how large and empty it was and the dim lights that barely illuminated the room, the place felt dead. It was obvious that this was meant to be a place where hundreds of people would take the tram to cross from the central city to the city arms. Now, it was just left abandoned.
Chen stepped up to the chasm in the center of the room, the lane where the tram would the travel. He looked into either tunnel, what little light fading into an endless maw of black.
Chen stepped back. He knew that there was nothing lingering in those tunnels. The last thing he needed was to psyche himself out by imagining what they could have missed that was waiting in the endless maze in the black abyss.
There was a gentle hum as the tram came down the tracks, a line of vaguely egg-shaped silver cars. A cloud of sparkling blue powder seemed to warp around the train, distorting the air around it. As the tram slowed to a stop, the glowing particles faded away. The doors opened with a quiet hiss.
Chen stepped onboard, looking around to make sure he wasn't followed. The inside of the tram was much brighter, all the lights lining the ceiling illuminating the tram car.
The train let out a low hum as the doors closed. And in a flash, everything outside the window vanished into a blur as the tram took off down the tunnel.
There were chairs lining the sides but there were no bars or straps to hold onto. Trains on earth needed those so people standing wouldn't fall over. But the Alliance had inertial dampeners on their trams. They may have been traveling faster than a bullet, but Chen didn't feel a thing.
"Steve?"
Chen's hands flew up to his face, fists clenched and at the ready.
He relaxed when he noticed Corin sitting in a chair, waving at him.
"Jesus Christ, Corin," Chen heaved a sigh. "You scared the crap out of me."
"Sorry," Corin chuckled. Chen walked to the back of the tram, plopping in a seat across from Corin. Chen took another moment to look around, making sure there weren't any other surprises on the tram.
"It's just me," Corin reassured. "Got on a few stations back."
"And here I thought you snuck in behind me," Chen snarked. "So, you know what Terra's calling us for?"
Corin just shrugged.
"Whatever it is, it must be bad if she wants us to meet outside the city…well, outside central city."
"It's the only part of the city we know for a fact isn't being monitored," Chen explained.
"About that, why couldn't we just use an ark?"
"There's a good chance the ark's are being monitored so they'll know if we ark outside of central city. Plus, Wong's team's running some tests on the tram system so there won't be anything out of the ordinary."
Corin gave an annoyed sigh and kicked back, putting his hands behind his head and leaning against the window.
"So, it's back, huh?" Corin remarked. "That conspiracy we found…it's bigger than we thought."
"What makes you say that?" Chen grunted. He knew Nova may not be the best secret keeper, but she probably didn't reveal the details to anyone. Still, he didn't know who he can tell or how much so, for the moment, he had to play ignorant.
"Let's see. We're meeting outside the central city, trying to avoid anyone following us, and worried that the arks are being monitored. And she was pretty jumpy on the Typhon."
"You think Terra's afraid what happened to the Typhon has something to do with the conspiracy?" Chen suggested.
"Well, either that or she thinks we have a spy."
Chen wanted to have a reply, but he didn't know what to say. Anything he did say could giveaway what he knew. So, he felt the best thing to do was to stay silent.
"We're here," he said, watching as the blur around the train slowed until the station came into view. The doors slid open and the two got out, Chen taking a moment to look around to make sure they were alone.
"She said to meet her in the food court," Corin recited, looking around. "So…this way…" he said, pointing down a glass tunnel. Chen didn't argue. He never got a good opportunity to explore Millennium's arms so he would probably get lost.
Chen followed Corin into the glass tunnel, stepping out of the shadows of the dim boarding platform and into the light. Millennium was going through the day cycle to the artificial nebula around the space-borne city was glowing.
As they passed under the glass-like material, Chen looked up to appreciate the new surroundings. Millennium was not built on a single plane. Four massive arms had been built around the central city like four massive walls, each 'wall' holding a city on its surface. To look out across central city meant looking down upon a city and to look up meant looking out into the nebula. But on the arms, things had changed. They were on an arm now. The massive round plate that held central city now lay to one side. The rectangular arms that held the other three cities lay above and on either side of them.
"Kind of a shame," Corin remarked, seizing Chen's attention. He saw Corin looking at the ground. Chen looked down to see what he was looking at, but all he saw was what looked like a dull blue marble-like floor.
"I don't get it," Chen said.
"Stories say the Asgard could make bridges of light," Corin explained, tapping his foot on the floor. "Back during the Alliance, these floors would be covered in solid light and we could stand on it and it would carry us."
Chen had to admit the idea sounded cool. It actually made him more frustrated at whatever this was. They were supposed to be exploring Millennium, uncovering the wonders of the Alliance of Four Great Races. Instead, they now had to deal with whatever this was.
They continued through the tunnel, emerging in a massive atrium of sorts, kiosks lining the domed room with a few halls leading away.
"Where to now?" Chen asked, he and Corin looking around. It was then they spotted a familiar face standing at one of the doors behind the kiosk.
"Arcturus?" Chen and Corin both said in surprise. The warrior woman was back in her civilian clothes, a white dress shirt and blue skirt.
They hesitated for a moment, not sure what this meant. They had expected someone else from their team or maybe even Hailey. But Arcturus wasn't tied to Wolf Pack nor the Dusk Riders.
She stepped forward, composed and formal even between missions.
"Major Nova's this way," she said, gesturing toward the door she stood beside. Corin and Steven exchanged glances. So did this mean she was in on this too? Either way, their only choice was to follow. The two followed the knight through the door, the light coming through the skylight in the center of the atrium overshadowed as they went into the hall.
It was a tight corridor, clearly meant for one person. They made a sharp left, the hall leading to a brightly lit room. They were inside the kiosk, behind the counter. With the shutters closed, it was a tightly enclosed room. Light shone through a hole in the ceiling onto what probably would have been a countertop back when this city was habited. They were in a type of kitchen, aqua-maroon walls around them, what looked like stoves along the wall, and chairs all around the center countertop.
"Looks like the party started without us," Corin remarked, looking at the people around the table. Nova, Martin, and Hailey all sat at chairs around the counter, looking up at the new arrivals.
"Terra," Chen said solemnly. He was the one who discovered the virus's true origin. Judging from Nova's expression, it was time to come clean.
-.-
A/N: Hey guys. Here is the new story. I hope you enjoy. I want to hank taleanaomi for helping me with this. Please enjoy and tell me what you think.
It's almost strange the direction this series has taken. When I first started it, I didn't have a direction. It just supposed to be a random stargate adventure with unconnected story lines. But, new ideas popped into my head and wanted to explore them and I wanted things from previous stories to carry over such as consequences for one's actions.
And yes, thinknig about when I started the series does make me think about plenty of dumb mistakes. I should have probably turned this into one giant story instead of several 3 chapter ones. Not having a direction before may have resulted in inconsistencies and convenient patches through the series. The fierri were indeed inspired by the Sontarans but that's not the dumb part. The dumb part was the reason I did it was because I had made a crappy youtube trailer when this first started and I had a clip of a Sontaran in it so I felt I now needed to include a Sontaran-esque race just to say the crappy trailer was accurate. Yea, I know it's stupid. I'll probably change that in the future since the fierri's appearance is the only Sontaran-esque thing about them. Another regret is that I never truly dove into the culture of the alien races met.
The fierri were actually the only doctor who inspired race. The antenok were inspired by FEAR replica heavy armor. The vormians were actually inspired when I was watching a show on the Discovery channel about a rat infestation in an apartment building. I'm not much of a trekkie so when someone compared them to tribble, I had to google it to find out what that is. Reading the description I was like: "These guys aren't just like tribble. They are tribble short of their physical appearance."
Anyways, I went on a tangent. Please tell me what you think and enjoy.
