STARGATE SG-1

"To Protect And To Serve"

By J. B. Tilton

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Rating: K

Disclaimer: "Stargate SG1" and all related characters and events are the property of MGM, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

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When SG-7 returns from a mission with a strange metallic object, SG-1 is called in to investigate it. What they discover could present a threat to Earth and could well destroy the planet.

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ONE

"We have confirmation, sir," said the Lieutenant in the control room. "It is SG-7."

"Open the iris," ordered General Hammond.

The iris protecting the Stargate opened to show what appeared to be a wall of water. It was the normal view of the Stargate when it was active. The personnel in the control room had become very accustomed to the scene.

Major Jason Withers, commander of SG-7, was the first to appear through the gate. Behind him came two more of his team pushing a cart with a huge block of metal on it. The block was eight feet long, four feet wide, and four feet deep. It was a dark gray in color. Behind the cart came the final two members of the SG-7 team.

"We'll assemble in the conference room in ten minutes," said General Hammond. "Everyone have whatever you have ready then. Move that . . . whatever it is into lab three for analysis."

Ten minutes later, General Hammond, SG-1, and Major Withers were in the conference room. Daniel Jackson had a stack of papers in front of him on the table. Major Samantha Carter had a similar stack of papers in front of her.

"Okay, people," began General Hammond, "what do we have so far?"

"I guess I'll start," said Jason. "About two weeks ago my team was sent to PX4275, a world we had just discovered. When we got there, we found the world decimated. Nothing was left, not even weeds or insects. Everywhere we looked, we saw the same thing. It looked like the entire planet had been destroyed from some form of aerial bombardment."

"Our subsequent surveys of the planet have confirmed this," said Daniel. "The planet appears to have been destroyed by extremely heavy bombardment from a Gould mother ship. As far as we went, it was the same thing. Nothing alive remains on that planet."

"That would be consistent with the Goa'Uld," interjected Teal'c. "If the inhabitants of the planet resisted, they would have been wiped out. The Goa'Uld would have rendered the planet uninhabitable."

"Yes," said Daniel. "From everything I can find by the records brought back by SG-7, this took place some three thousand years ago."

"Ancient history," interrupted Colonel Jack O'Neill. "We've seen the Gould do the same thing in other places. Hell, they tried to do it to Earth."

"Yes, Colonel," said Hammond, "but that metal thing that was brought back by SG-7 might just give us something we can use against the Gould."

"That is doubtful," said Teal'c.

"I agree with Teal'c, sir," said Withers. "Scientifically, these people, whoever they were, were far more advanced than we are right now. As for military might, the few remains of weapons we've found indicate they were even less advanced than we are. I'd put their military capabilities at somewhere equivalent to ours during World War I. Whatever weaponry they might have had would be inferior to ours and probably of no use against the Goa'Uld."

"So, what is this metal thing you've found, Major?" asked Hammond.

"We have no idea, sir," said Withers. "All of our attempts to analyze it on the planet were ineffectual. We couldn't even scratch it. Whatever it's made of it seems to be damn near indestructible."

"We have equipment in the lab that will identify it," said Hammond. "I know not everyone agreed with my decision to bring this thing back." He glanced over at Jack. Jack didn't say a word. "But this metal is even stronger than the metal the Stargate is made out of. With any luck we can reverse engineer it and find out how to duplicate it. It will go a long way in our war with the Gould."

"General," said Sam, "even if we can somehow figure out how to duplicate it, it could be years before we are able to do it."

"I know," said Hammond, "but this has the highest priority in the Pentagon. The President himself authorized this. The decision has been made. Now, we have to follow orders."

Suddenly an airman carrying an M-16 entered the room.

"I'm sorry about the intrusion, sir," said the airman, addressing the General, "but Dr. Lebowski would like to see you in lab three immediately. He says something is happening with the . . . the . . . thing."

Everyone in the room stood up and immediately followed the airmen out of the room. They went immediately to lab three where several other guards stood ready outside the room.

"Dr. Lebowski, what's going on?" demanded Hammond of a short, bald man wearing some very thick glasses.

"Well, sir," said Lebowski, "I tried to x-ray it but the x-rays wouldn't penetrate it. I've never seen anything even remotely similar to it. I'd say it's almost as if the metal has been . . . ."

"Doctor, please," interrupted Hammond. "You said something was going on with it."

"Oh, yes, sir," said Lebowski. "Well, after I couldn't x-ray it, I tried to slice off a piece for analysis. I used a laser drill, but it would even scratch it. So, I decided to send a low voltage current through it. That's when it happened."

"When what happened?" demanded Jack. His patience was wearing thin.

"It began to heat up," said Lebowski. "All by itself. When it was brought in, it was about sixty-nine degrees Fahrenheit. Now it's . . ., " he looked over at a dial on a machine, "ninety eight-point six. Exactly human temperature. It's been holding steady at that point for the last seven minutes."

"What does that mean?" asked Sam.

"What it means," said Lebowski, "is . . . I have no idea. But the instruments are going crazy. The readings we're getting are astounding. It seems that the metal is designed to react in a specific way. I mean, if I subject it to other stimuli, there's no telling what will happen. Maybe if I subject it to . . . "

"Doctor," said Hammond, "is it doing anything else?"

"Anything else?" repeated Lebowski. "That's amazing in itself. I don't know of any metal on Earth that reacts that way."

"Sir," said one of the guards, "that thing is doing something."

Everyone watched as the metal block changed from a dark gray to a dark blue color. The heat it had been radiating since the people had come into the room ceased.

Suddenly a thin line appeared around the block about two feet from the top. As they watched, the top of the block opened as if it was a lid to a box. Once the "lid" was open, the block returned to its' dark gray color.

No one moved for a moment. Everyone looked around the room at everyone else. Finally, Dr. Lebowski inched his way over and looked inside the open container.

"Well, I'll be," he muttered.

Curious, everyone edged forward to see what the doctor was exclaiming about. The inside of the container was carved out in the rough outline of a humanoid body. The carved out section was about two feet deep. Lying in the impression was what appeared to be a perfectly preserved human male.