STARGATE REGENESIS : PILOT EPISODE
Act 1:
The kawoosh of the Stargate leapt forth into the large room in an explosion of silvery matter then retreated back into what appeared to be a shimmering vertical pool of water. After a few short moments where everyone and everything had stood still, from the pool emerged two men dressed in beige Battle-Uniform. The looks on their faces were as though they had just exited the largest, scariest and fastest rollercoaster ride ever devised by man. The two men looked around their new surroundings for a while before looking back at each other, smiling: "That was awesome!" they said in unison.
"Captain Turner, Captain Wood, welcome to Eboras." The voice over the tannoy was silky-smooth, a light-pitched welcoming feminine Irish one. Something about the familiar accent made the whole notion feel normal yet the out-of-this-world trip through the Stargate they had just experienced plus the basic fact that they knew they were on another planet reminded them that this was anything but. Captains Turner and Wood looked up to where the voice had travelled from and said in unison once more; "Thank you!"
A familiar, gruff American male voice then enquired over the tannoy; "Officer Kennedy, lovely to speak to you again. I trust they have arrived safe and sound?" It didn't sound nearly as appealing as the one the two Soldiers had heard moments before.
"Sure they have General, and thanks." The female voice replied.
"Excellent! I believe that's almost the last of them, sorry about the delay. I hope they don't cause you too much trouble." The conversation flowed as though the two had spoken many times before.
"I'm sure they won't, General."
"OK then. I guess you fine people can soon get started. We will contact you once again soon the last of the soldiers are prepped and ready to go. Godspeed. I'll look forward to hearing those mission reports from Eboras very soon. SGC out." With that, the Stargate and the vertical pool of water dissipated into nothingness and the room fell into silence, save for the noise of the Engineers going about their business and Technicians tapping away on their keyboards.
One of the men, Captain Brandon Turner - a lean, well-built soldier - looked toward his left and began pacing slowly in that direction and said; "So here we are then mate, what d'you reckon?"
The other man, Jason Wood - tall and athletic of average build - didn't move but still had the look of wonder and amazement on his face as he looked around the room, replied; "I reckon you owe me £100."
Captain Turner laughed and said; "Yeah I guess I do…" He turned back round to face his fellow soldier and added; "…but I'm not paying up until I actually see something Alien right?!"
"Well, what about him?" Captain Wood pointed beyond Captain Turner's shoulder to a rather odd-looking elderly gentleman in a jump-suit poking at a cabinet full of switches with a screwdriver in the corner of the room. Captain Turner took a look at the man, looked back and sniggered under his breath.
They had just arrived on Eboras from a somewhere called Stargate Command, or the SGC as the American voice over the tannoy referred to it. This was a secret, underground facility hidden away under a Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado where the two Captains had spent the last few days. Only yesterday, they had met with a host of suited Political types from several different nations who apparently were representatives of a Political group known as the International Oversight Advisory who were overseeing something they called the Stargate Program. Their representatives were the condescending, patronizing types, generally the type who made soldiers like Captains Turner and Wood question why in the world they took orders from this kind of over-privileged sponges. They had been told they had been chosen to take part in something amazing, an opportunity to visit countless worlds or something close to that effect, words which almost made Captain Turner get up and walk straight back home. However, something about representing the United Kingdom in the great, continuing exploration of the Galaxy made him decide to hear them out, albeit with the greatest degree of scepticism.
Once the suits had finished their spiel, the Captains were shown to their guest quarters before being gifted a grand tour of the SGC by a Major General of the US Air Force, which was an absolute honour to them both. The General had showed them several admittedly impressive things, including the blueprints and several digital slides of something they could only describe as 'that kick-ass ship off Star Trek' and a sleek, deadly-looking Fighter Jet which made them both wish they'd joined the Royal Air Force instead of the Army. The following day - today - began with them enduring a God-awful meal in the SGC commissary which again made Captain Turner question his desire to take part in whatever this was, before the General invited them for a full briefing on what they'd been selected for and why. As it turned out, they were among a select group of soldiers from the British Army and Royal Air Force respectively, personally chosen to participate in the United Kingdom's own Stargate Program located off-world on a planet called Eboras. The suits from the day before were comprised of delegates from five of the most powerful Nations across the globe - including the UK. The IOA, as the good General referred to them (and Captain Turner noted well the disgust in his voice as he uttered the name…) had wanted all participating Nations with knowledge of the Stargate to be actively involved in the Program so as to prove their worth and commitment to their continuing participation in it. They, and the soldiers who had been briefed before them, were selected because they were the men & women who displayed the most exemplary and noteworthy performances during their service and would be the best example of the military that the UK could put forth to the Galaxy as representatives. By now, they'd had their attentions held firmly and the two Captains had a distinct sense of self-pride and honour about them, and understandably so. Throughout the rest of the briefing they could not stop smiling - the tributes they'd just heard said about them, and from a US General too, filled them with more pride and a sense of importance than any of their previous promotions had ever had.
"You will lead by example." The General, Hank Landry had said. "You will be representing your Great Country to the highest order. You are the Greatest at what you do, and I'm sure you'll do yourselves and your superiors extremely proud. I cannot wait to read your mission reports." With that, they were dismissed and told to get ready for 'Gate Travel'. Gate Travel? What the hell was Gate Travel? Amazingly enough, no-one, not the suits nor even the General had told them exactly how they were going to get to this Eboras place. Sure enough, when they got their first look at the Gate, their reactions were just like everyone else's who had seen the 'Gate for the first time - pure astonishment. Watching the look on people's faces and their reaction to the Stargate kawoosh as the event horizon formed and then retracted just never got old for General Landry and he let out a little chuckle as the two British soldiers in the Gate Room ducked out of the way of the splash that leapt forth into the Room. He tapped the button to the tannoy that would release his voice into the room before him and gave the 'Go' to the soldiers.
"Are we supposed to walk into that or something?" Captain Turner enquired under his breath to his fellow soldier.
"I bloody hope not!" Captain Wood replied. He looked back at General Landry who simply shooed them on while Captain Turner looked to the USAF soldiers who lined the back wall with an appealing shrug of his shoulders.
"I think we are you know, Jase." Captain Turner said as he turned back around after failing to get a response from the soldiers at the back wall…who reminded him a little of the Guards outside Buckingham Palace who were never allowed to talk
"Errrm…yeah I think so too. Sod it, let's go." Captain Wood said as he walked up the ramp. Captain Turner followed quickly behind. At the Point of No Return, they both paused to hold their breath in front of the Stargate and to ready themselves before they presumably stepped through.
"So you reckon they've told us everything then?" Captain Turner enquired, not taking his eyes off the fluctuating glow of sub-space in front of him, "I mean you know what these Yanks are like…"
"Probably not…" Captain Wood replied, who again did not move an inch; "…but I'm sure we're about to see something amazing!"
"That sounds like a line from a crap movie, Jase." Captain Turner said plainly, looking at the Stargate. He turned and smiled; "The bet still on?"
"Sure, why not?"
"OK then I suppose this is it." Captain Turner said. He turned and smiled back at the Control Room with a quick salute back to General Landry, looked back toward Captain Wood with a nod and they both stepped into the water.
The odd-looking, elderly jumpsuit guy had finished jabbing at the cabinet of switches and had just left the large room. Captain Turner felt for a moment a sense of guilt at mocking him and hoped he hadn't overheard what they'd been saying.
"Right…so what now?" Captain Wood enquired.
"I dunno Jase." Captain Turner replied; "I guess we wait 'til someone tells us what to do." His attention now also piqued by the fact they'd just a moment ago been deep under a mountain in the middle of the USA, now they were…somewhere else entirely. As if on cue, that divine Irish voice flowed gracefully through the tannoy once more to answer the question. "If you'd like to exit the doors to your right, I'd be happy to show you to the briefing room. General Etherington is looking forward to meeting you."
"OK," said Captain Wood. His question apparently had been answered; "I guess that's what we're doing."
"Etherington, you heard of him?" enquired Captain Turner.
"No, but Etherington sounds posh. Reckon he's just like all the other Generals."
"What, stuffy? Arrogant? Head up their own A-"
"Yeah that's exactly what I mean Bran…" Captain Wood cut him off; "…he can probably hear you, you know." They both remembered how Captain Wood's earlier question was answered as soon as he'd asked it and wondered if this place had any sort-of Big-Brother style sensory equipment hooked up everywhere.
"Aah, he'll be a Pussycat Jase. Let's go." and with that, Captain Brandon Turner and Captain Jason Wood exited through the doors to their right.