A Gated Community

Almost by chance, well hidden in the ancients' database was found the location of a single planet with human inhabitants. Its only stargate had been 'de-activated' about the same time that Atlantis was hidden beneath the ocean.

An inhabited planet isolated for ten thousand years was too important to ignore for ever. Eventually the Daedalus made a brief stopover. From space it was determined that the planet was inhabited by intelligent beings. Their level of technology was uncertain, but there were no artificial satellites and no sub-space technology. The Daedalus left a stargate in orbit and continued on its way.

Months later they were ready for a first-contact expedition, and a landing site had been chosen. In the briefing session the lead anthropologist explained that they had chosen a large but isolated community, well away from any major towns.

"We walk around, speak when spoken to and keep as low a profile as a group of strangers can. Our main task is simply to see what their reaction to us will be. If it is hostile then we retreat and try again somewhere else another day."

There were to be three experts in the team: the lead anthropologist and her new female assistant, and an older man who introduced himself as a social psychologist.

The cloaked puddle jumper hovered above a mass of buildings. They were stone and brick and in a hotch-potch of styles, but the overall layout was, as Col. Sheppard remarked, "creepily like Atlantis itself." There were several towers, not as tall or needle-like as those of Atlantis, but one black stone tower, much taller than the rest, had an uncanny resemblance to the Atlantis control tower.

The jumper was parked out of sight behind rocks in the semi-desert three klicks from the great buildings. Col. Sheppard, Mr Woolsey (newly appointed leader of Atlantis), Dr McKay, Teyla and the three experts walked with studied nonchalance along a dirt track towards the buildings which filled their field of view. There was a massive stone wall – "it's a castle" whispered Sheppard - and at its base a village of mud huts and shanties bustling with activity.

As they approached, the inhabitants ignored them with obvious pretence and avoided eye contact. When Teyla advanced on a group of women they turned and disappeared into a warren of narrow alleys. She turned to the young anthropologist who was keeping very close to her. "They are very like my own people. I should like to converse with them if I can."

It was quickly decided that the two women would stay among the huts, and the rest of the team would enter the 'castle'. There was no great gate or drawbridge, but merely an unguarded archway or tunnel through the massive wall. They entered unhindered and no-one followed them. Inside, McKay, his face buried in his hand-held instrument as ever, paused, muttering to himself, and then hurried to join the others. "A very weak energy signal, right on the edge of detectability, nothing to worry about."

They looked around: everywhere were buildings, large and small, brick and stone, bare and ivy-covered. It was silent and deserted. Keeping together they advanced into the place, not entering any building but looking around "like rubber-necking tourists" thought Woolsey, who had been hoping for a reception committee he could exchange speeches with.

Sheppard was uneasy: a thousand windows looked down on them and the streets were empty. He spoke softly to the psychologist. "Those people back there, did they strike you as cowed, oppressed?"

"No, judging by their body language I should say that they were proud, too proud to be bothered with outsiders. It's not unknown in close-knit communities."

A bell clanged once far off; it was an ugly sound for it was cracked. Before the echoes had died a multitude of lesser bells sounded all around. At once they heard doors banging, shouts, and the clatter of innumerable boots on flagstones. A score of small boys, uniformly dressed, rushed headlong past, yelling to each other and ignoring all others.

They stopped then and waited. Eventually they saw a man walking purposefully towards them. There were two more men behind, flanking him; their bearing was military but they appeared to be carrying large books rather than weapons. Mr Woolsey took one step forward ready to be greeted and to respond. Five steps from him the man stopped and read out from the small book he was carrying.

"Strangers, the Castle greets you. I, the representative of the law, request that you now reveal your purpose in being here."

Mr Woolsey had also been briefed in what to say: "We are travellers, passing through. We thank you for your welcome."

"Travellers, you shall receive the gracious hospitality of the Groans. I will lead you to the House of Strangers where you may dine and rest before continuing on your way."

Then he added, less formally, "You have come at a good time, for tomorrow is the Day of the Bright Carvings which you may witness from the strangers' balcony. It is many years since that was last occupied."

Mr Woolsey responded in kind. "Your hospitality is most kind, and we truly regret that we are unable to accept it as fully as we would like. We must continue our journey this day."

The official consulted his book for guidance. "The rituals permit that you may be served the day meal in the House of Strangers and then continue on your way. The stipulations are that you must leave the Castle by the way that you entered, and must do so before sunset. I do hope that is agreeable to you all?"

At the House of Strangers they were past to a second official who acted as host. The food was dull but palatable - McKay was reminded of childhood meals at his grandparents' - and the drink was a watery, slightly sour beer. Their host did his best to answer their direct questions; he neither volunteered information nor asked questions of his own. The servitors would not talk to any of the team, though they chatted easily amongst themselves. Afterwards, the visitors were anxious to rejoin the two they had left with the Outer Dwellers. Their host led them back to the wall with its semi-circular archway and left them there after giving the traditional valediction:

"Farewell strangers and wherever you go think well of Gormenghast.

Speak not of it to others."

While they waited for Teyla and the other girl to join them McKay took several photos of the archway and fiddled with his equipment. Once all together, the party walked out of the shanty village back to the puddle jumper. Many eyes were on them but nobody followed, much to their relief.

Once safely aboard the jumper the two groups compared notes. Once the others had left, the two women had found that the village women would talk, though they were shy at first. "Their food is strange," said Teyla, "they seem to live on jarl root – a local tuber – and handouts from the castle. The next people we send down should include medics; there is a lot of disease and ill health in that village."

She asked if they had seen guards or armed men. At that very time there was a big manhunt going on throughout the castle for a murderer on the run. Sheppard and the others had seen nothing, and none of the few they had spoken with had even hinted at it. Even the social psychologist had to admit that "the whole set up is very strange; they're an odd lot in that castle."

A few miles up Col. Sheppard pointed to a massive cloud formation building over the horizon. "See that! Tomorrow is their 'Day of the Bright Carvings', well that baby is going to rain on their parade. Big time and then some!"

Dr McKay finally released his little bombshell as they approached the orbiting stargate. "That archway into the castle, did you notice anything familiar about it?" He paused for dramatic effect. "Looked a bit Moorish didn't it – a bit more than a semi-circle? Well it's built around, or has fitted into it, a complete stargate! Walk into the castle and you walk through the planet's de-activated stargate."