Chapter 2
Jack left the swirling motion of the wormhole to meet -- nothingness. After a second of delay his feet hit a hard surface, but his decrepit knees refused to hold him upright. He fell forward, his hands keeping his face out of ... water? His eyes encountered blue ceramic tile, the kind mostly used in fountains and swimming pools. Turning his head, he saw a white marble-looking figure of a woman holding a pitcher with water cascading downwards. Her head was missing. Shifting his eyes forward once more, he saw his cap floating, so he picked it up, dumped the water out, and placed it onto his head. Tiny droplets slid down his face.
Splash! His teammates came through behind him and also landed in the water. Jack scrambled to his feet, noticing for the first time all the people gawking at him. Some were standing next to tables, half-eaten food still sitting on trays. Others were off to the side, next to an array of carts overflowing with plants. One woman was hiding behind what looked to be a tree in a pot. It was most definitely not the gateroom, unless there had been some serious redecorating in the last two hours. Daniel must have misdialed.
Yet it was the gateroom. The room was the same large hall, with the Stargate against the back wall with the same plain gray paint and the briefing room observation window up high on the opposite wall. But there was no control room window. Instead the space was open, containing what looked like a cafeteria food line. A cafeteria? Some other planet had built their gateroom almost exactly like the SGC's, and then decorated it completely differently?
Still, it didn't matter at the moment. These people were looking stunned and alarmed, especially one little girl who was staring with terrified eyes, clutching at her mother. Nobody appeared to have weapons, but he needed to put them at ease before somebody did something stupid.
"Howdy folks," he announced. "Looks like we're in time for lunch," he added trying to lighten the mood. The little girl yelped, and her mother turned, shielding the girl with her body.
"Sir?" Carter nudged him. "This is the embarkation room, but it's not ours."
The confirmation was not what he wanted to hear. Jack looked from face to face, wondering who was going to step forward and take charge. For a moment, no one did. They all stared fearfully and backed away. Then they separated, letting a man and a woman approach the fountain. To his surprise, he immediately recognized the young woman, even though she wasn't in uniform and her long blonde hair was loose, instead of in its regulation ponytail. She was the helm officer on the Prometheus. "Major Gant?" With disbelief, he also recognized the tall man with the short brown hair and purposeful stride, though what the man was doing here, Jack couldn't imagine. "Malek?"
"Sir?" Carter whispered. "That isn't Malek."
"Sure it is." Jack looked at him again and he had no doubts at all. Malek was wearing a button-front, dark blue shirt over a gray T-shirt and tan pants, not the more usual brown Tok'ra uniform, but the face was the same. Jack had first met him last year when they'd all gotten attacked by the ashrak and they'd had enough dealings since that he certainly hadn't forgotten.
Carter shook her head, "No, it isn't. I don't sense, uh, junior."
Jack blinked. No symbiote. Malek without the snake?
The man who closely resembled Malek came to the edge of the fountain, ignoring Gant's whispered caution. When he spoke, it was definitely a human tone. Unlike everyone else in this place, he didn't seem afraid of his unexpected visitors, but his gaze was intent on them. "Welcome to Thunder Mountain. I'm Markus Alexander."
"Colonel Jack O'Neill. This is Major Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson and the big guy is Murray," Jack hedged, suddenly feeling the need to hide Teal'c's identity until he had better assessed the situation. "We're on Earth, right?"
Markus stiffened then gave a nervous chuckle. "Yes, this is Earth."
"What's today's date?" Jack asked.
Markus wore a slight smile as if he was humoring a way-ward child, yet he answered hesitantly, "March 15, 2004. Monday."
At least the day was right, Jack thought. They hadn't traveled through time. Though whether that was a good thing or not, he wasn't sure yet. "And this is Cheyenne Mountain?"
"We call it Thunder Mountain, but yes," Major Gant spoke, and it sounded like her. But Jack knew the major had a twin, so that wasn't saying much.
"O'Neill," Teal'c sloshed up so he stood next to Jack. "I believe the device on P6X-318 shifted our reality."
Jack sighed dramatically, then added, "So you're saying we're not in Kansas anymore?"
Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "The SGC is in Colorado, not Kansas."
Jack couldn't find anything to add. He looked at the faces of the non-Tok'ra and the not-Major, and realized with a cold feeling that had nothing to do with his wet clothes that getting back home was not going to be easy. Why couldn't the damn Ancients have stuck to Stargates, instead of building these time shifting things that never worked? Next time he saw a ruined Ancient place in a briefing, he'd give the mission to that smart ass Dixon and his team. Let somebody else get stuck for once.
"Wouldn't you like to get out of the water and into some dry clothes?" Markus offered.
"Markus, what's going on?" An Asian-featured man asked quietly, as he came up to flank Markus. He was staring at SG-1 -- not in fear, but with a strange intensity that Jack couldn't read.
Markus just shook his head once, not answering.
"So, who's in charge here?" Jack asked, stepping out of the fountain and shaking the water off his boots. Gant backed away a step, before recovering herself and returning to her position.
Markus responded, "I am."
"You?" Jack retorted, surprised. "Last I knew this was a military installation, and you --"
"Jack?" Daniel interrupted. "In case it's escaped your notice, there's no military here at all. In fact, I think everyone in here is younger than I am."
Jack scanned the room. Daniel was right. Most were young adults with a few frightened children. There was nobody who looked older than thirty. His jaw slackened.
"I think a lot has changed since you were here last," Markus told them.
"And I suppose you're not Major Gant?" Jack directed at her.
"My name is Erin," she paused, then added reluctantly, "Gant. I'm Markus' right hand. But I'm definitely not in the military."
"Sure you are. Third generation. Great pilot, too," Jack added for effect.
Teal'c spoke as he climbed gracefully over the edge. "Indeed. I had the privilege of flying with you aboard the Prometheus."
Erin looked more disturbed by this information than flattered. "What's that thing on your forehead?" Erin asked.
"It shows that I was the first prime --"
"It was a college fraternity initiation stunt," Daniel interrupted, before Teal'c could finish. "You know those Greeks," he added with a weak laugh, "Now it won't come off."
"He called you Doctor Jackson," Erin shifted her attention to him "Does that mean you're a medical doctor?"
Daniel shook his head in sheepish apology. "No, sorry. Archaeologist."
Jack glanced at Markus to see what he thought. Arms folded, the Tok'ra-less Markus seemed to be listening closely. Jack realized that he was letting Erin ask all the questions so he could watch them, doing the same thing Jack was by letting Daniel talk.
"Come," Markus beckoned Carter and Daniel out of the water, apparently having had enough of the introductions.
Jack's feet squished in his boots as he and his team grouped together outside of the fountain.
Markus nodded once at the man at his side. "May I ask you to give Lee Chen, my chief of security, your packs and weapons. We promise to give it all back when you leave."
Jack tightened his hold on the P90. He didn't want to give it up, yet he knew that if these people wanted to imprison or kill them, eventually they would succeed. Their numbers were too great an advantage. However, alien technology didn't belong in the hands of those who didn't even realize it was alien. Carter and Teal'c's zats simply looked too much like guns, so they would have to go, but giving them Teal'c's staff was out of the question. It was very powerful, and yet too easy to activate and use. Setting off a zat accidentally was unlikely to kill, but a staff weapon could.
"Fine," he agreed with a nod. Daniel and Carter handed their guns to Lee Chen. Carter also handed over her zat, murmuring to Chen to be careful with it. Jack passed across his P90, sidearm, and knife, all of which received a quick glance before being set on one of the tables. Teal'c handed his zat to O'Neill to give to Chen. They all shrugged out of their packs and set them on the ground, and at Jack's gesture, added their vests to the pile. Then Jack said brightly, "That's everything."
He stood in front of Teal'c, trying to convey by body language that he was not to hand over the staff. Maybe these people wouldn't realize it was a weapon.
"And the big stick?" Lee demanded.
"No," Jack refused, staring at Markus with determination. "That belongs to Murray, he gets to keep it. We handed you everything else, including our guns, that's sufficient."
The Thunder Mountain leader paused, watching Jack, then acquiesced. "This way." He turned to Lee and added, "Clean up here, please. Take their things to the security office."
Jack looked around. What he had taken to be decorative plants along the side of the room were actually carts with shelves of plants, lights, and tubes in some sort of hydroponic gardening system. One cart had been destroyed by the wormhole's vortex. The recognizable pieces of M-16 rifles, wrapped in plastic bags, were lying on the floor, next to the toppled trays. They must have been hidden within the water tubes. Jack looked appraisingly at Markus who returned his look with bland openness, as if it was an everyday thing for guns to be hiding in hydroponic gardens. But Jack wasn't fooled. Markus' direct gaze was suspiciously similar to Malek's -- revealing on the surface, but with his true thoughts tucked away.
SG-1 followed after Markus, with Erin bringing up the rear, to the elevator and up to the corridors of level 18. O'Neill was intrigued as he got a good look around. It was very strange. The corridor had the familiar markings, lights, and conduits hanging at the ceiling, and yet when he caught a glimpse inside some of the open doors, he saw beds, pictures, and curtains. He wondered what he would see if they went to the other corridor and opened the door for Daniel's office. "Look at this place. Offices are now living quarters. Wonder how your lab's changed, Carter."
She was also staring around and added, "Or the briefing room. It has such a nice view over the, uh, commissary."
Daniel slowed so he was walking next to Erin. "So what happened?"
"Happened?" Erin parroted blankly.
Daniel continued, "Yeah. This was a military base -- and part of NORAD. Now it's home for a group of young adults and kids. So something happened."
Erin stopped and gave him an incredulous look, as though he had proclaimed his ignorance that the Earth was round. "The Big Death happened," she responded curtly.
Jack stopped. "Big Death? What's that?"
She exchanged an uncertain glance with Markus, who nodded his permission. "A virus," she answered.
Daniel was wide-eyed. "Some sort of plague? How many people?"
Markus answered, in a very calm, level voice, "Billions. No one knows exactly how many. Only the adults died. Anyone under the age of puberty survived."
"Oh my God," Carter whispered, taking the words right out of Jack's mouth.
It was unthinkable. It couldn't be true. It had to be a really terrible joke. Yet, when he looked at Markus and Erin, they weren't smiling. They didn't seem to be making it up. Jack did some calculations in his head, based on the ages of the people he'd seen. "So then this epidemic was, what, fifteen, twenty years ago?"
"Fifteen," Markus answered.
Jack whistled. "That's a long time ago. Only kids were left? It must be chaos outside."
"It is," Markus replied shortly. He continued down the corridor and then stopped at a room Jack knew as Balinsky's office. "Here are the rooms. I suggest Major Carter take this one."
Carter responded with a smile, "Thank you, Markus. Call me Sam."
"Sam. There're clothes in the drawers; hopefully something will fit you." He led the way to the next office. "This one also has an assortment of clothes. Down the hall a ways is a bathroom. Water is scarce, so please don't waste it."
Carter nodded in understanding. "Water is scarce where we come from too. It seems that there's never enough precipitation and the runoff hasn't been able to fill the reservoirs."
"I assume you had electricity to pump the water from the reservoirs to the mountain. We don't even have that," he replied. "I'll send Sarah in about fifteen minutes. She handles newcomer integration and orientation. She'll give you a tour. Feel free to ask questions. We'll talk later, after you've seen our home."
Markus said the words politely, but Jack detected the steel. He was very protective of this place. Despite that, he wasn't locking them in the brig, though that was what Jack expected and would have done to anyone who came waltzing in through his Stargate.
Carter went into her room, and Markus and Erin waited until the three men had stepped into theirs. Jack waited a few moments and then pulled open the door again, to see if he could. The door wasn't locked, and Markus and Erin were gone. But Jack noticed two young men lingering in the nearest intersection, who turned at the sound of the door opening. So, there were guards after all.
Their presence meant Markus was no fool. He was granting leniency -- purposefully giving the four newcomers a long leash, to see if they would prove their friendship or hang themselves with it.
Jack closed the door again. There were two sets of bunkbeds, two wooden chests of drawers, a wardrobe, and a metal desk. "So, let's see what's in these cupboards." Jack began opening drawers, finding them all stuffed with old clothes. Apparently this room was some sort of storage closet as well as guestroom. He found a pile of fatigues and t-shirts, marked with the insignia of various Army battalions. "They must have looted Fort Carson for all this. But why is there nothing Air Force?"
"Perhaps the 'good stuff' has already been chosen," Teal'c suggested.
Jack turned in surprise. "Was that a joke, Teal'c?"
"An observation," Teal'c responded, without a flicker of a smile, no matter how hard Jack looked.
Daniel and Teal'c changed into the Army surplus. Jack was hanging on for something he could live with. Daniel opened the wardrobe and inside was an Air Force dress blue uniform, which Jack started to try on until he realized that it came with a skirt. Muttering obscenities, he shucked his wet outfit and threw on BDU's with Airborne patches, as a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Jack called out, and Carter slipped in. She had found a worn Air Force Academy T-shirt and jeans. Why did she have all the luck?
She eye'd Teal'c, who hadn't found anything with a smile and then turned to Jack. "I've been thinking."
Jack couldn't stifle the groan.
She ignored it. "Markus said that the adults died from the Big Death, but not that they all died. We might have a problem if any of our doubles are here."
"Entropic cascade failure," Daniel volunteered. "I'm feeling okay. Didn't it hit Doctor Carter right away?"
She answered, "Yes, but I was in the same room. Proximity is likely a factor. In this reality we have no idea where our doubles could be or if they exist. No one seemed to recognize us, but I get the impression these people don't get out much."
Jack agreed. "We'll have to wait and see."
He thought for a moment about the idea of the Earth's population decimated by a virus. How had the children who had survived the virus managed fifteen years on their own? It was mind-boggling and chilling to imagine, a whole world of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. Or Lord of the Flies.
Carter broke the sudden silence. "I was thinking in 1989, I was at Vandenberg. Where were you, Colonel?"
Jack knew what she was getting at. "I was recovering from a parachute accident. At the Pentagon," Jack made a disgusted face. "The longest six months of my life. I swore I'd never have a desk job again. What about you, Daniel?"
Daniel frowned, thinking back. "In '89, I was, um, in Peru. At a dig. That was where I first saw symbols I recognized from Egypt -- they were Goa'uld, I know now -- and started to put together my crackpot theory of alien visitation." He rolled his eyes and shrugged a little, now able to treat lightly what had earned him the scorn of his colleagues, even though he was right.
"And we know where you were, 'Murray'," Carter said. "Assuming the previous timeline is close to ours, I suspect you and Daniel are the most likely to have doppelgangers in this reality, if any of us. Your other selves were isolated, and might have escaped the disease."
"I shall be on guard for symptoms of entropic cascade failure," Teal'c declared. Daniel nodded.
But they all knew from Doctor Carter's visit that ultimately the only cure would be to get back to their own reality. Which they had yet to talk about, but Jack knew it wasn't going to be easy. No Quantum Mirror this time.
There was a knock and the team fell silent and turned. An attractive, lanky blonde entered the room with a wide, welcoming smile. The smile slipped only a little when she saw them, no doubt surprised by their age. "Hello, I'm Sarah. I'm in charge of orientation. Markus told me you've just arrived."
"I don't know about you folks," Jack straightened his shirt and sidled up to Sarah, determined to worm some useful intel from her. "But I'm eager for that tour and orientation spiel. Been known to give it myself in my day. Like to know how things have changed." As SG-1 entered the hall, Jack noticed the guards were waiting for them, and fell in behind as they began the tour.
She led them through corridors that were familiar yet different from what they were used to seeing. Inside the workout room, Jack asked, "So, what did happen?" he asked. "I mean, here, to let you kids stay? And how did Markus end up in charge of the place?"
Her steps faltered to a stop and she got a distant look on her face. "Our parents brought us in when the Big Death started to sweep the country, because it was safer in here. Markus' father wasn't military, but he was here as a doctor, a specialist on the disease. There were about one hundred of us -- kids, I mean -- when Major Quantrell ordered the base sealed. But it was too late. All the adults died anyway."
Her voice was matter-of-fact, telling the story without any obvious sadness or horror. Jack thought that was the most terrible part of it.
"And Markus?" he prompted.
She smiled, glad to tell him this part, and she looked very earnest as she explained, "He was the oldest. And he's brilliant. He already knew how to run the computer system. Right after the Big Death, he kept us alive." She shrugged a little. "But he knew we weren't big enough a group to survive, so we began to slowly make our way outside and bring people in to join us."
"And fifteen years later he's still in charge?" Jack asked, brows arched, a little suspicious.
Her smile faded and her eyes hardened, even though she answered with a light tone, "We won't let him go. Come, this way. I'll show you the infirmary."
She started down the hall. Daniel gave Jack a chiding look, to which Jack shrugged. They weren't going to learn the lay of the land if they didn't push a little bit.
Carter hurried after her, "The infirmary? Really? It's still intact?"
"Yes, it is," Sarah replied. "We don't need it all that often, thankfully. Childbirth and accidents, mostly."
Jack thought back to the little girl in the gateroom and realized of course these grown up children were having children of their own.
"If the adults died, how did you manage without doctors?" Daniel asked.
"Books and the computer. Learning by doing. It's all we have. We had no one to teach us," Sarah told them, not looking at Jack. "All the older kids had to teach the younger. We all do our share. That's how it works here."
Daniel nodded. He looked rather gut-punched by what they'd heard. "You're still here, and that strikes me as a pretty big achievement all on its own."
Thawed out by Jackson charm, she found a smile for him again. "It wasn't easy, especially in the early days. But we managed. Fixing the equipment that broke proved to be the biggest challenge."
"Is there anything that needs fixing now?" Carter volunteered. "I know the base systems, and I'd be willing to help you out."
Jack rolled his eyes, wishing she had kept her mouth shut. But he should've known -- Carter was unable to see a big tech mess without wanting to make it better.
"Really?" Sarah asked. "That would be a big help. We'd better go see Markus."
The two women went speeding down the hall. Jack was a little slower to follow, disappointed that the tour was over. He'd hoped to see the briefing room.
It didn't take long for him to realize he was going to get his wish, as Sarah took them there anyway. It had the same large glass window overlooking the embarkation room or rather, the hydroponics lab and commissary. The same American flag was standing in the corner. Yet the partition for the general's office was gone, leaving one large room. There was a desk against the window, holding a collection of small pots of African violets and the computer terminal from the control room had moved next to it. A small round table had replaced the rectangular one of the briefing room, and the other walls were lined with bookshelves, a couch, filing cabinet, small refrigerator, and a wide credenza piled with books, papers, and a coffee pot. There were children's drawings taped to the walls -- something he didn't think Hammond would have approved.
"I'll go find Markus and tell him you want to speak with him. Wait here," she told them as she left.
Jack had to open the door again to see if the security detail had stayed or gone with Sarah. They were there, casually leaning against the opposite wall. Jack nodded to them and closed the door.
Carter had gone over to the computer and was frowning at it.
"What is it, Carter?" he asked, standing behind her. "It doesn't look dangerous, but I've been fooled before."
She smiled a little. "Do you realize how old this system is? You think it works?" She touched keys and the main screen and some other panels lit up. "It all works. That's amazing." She bent closer. "Look, this terminal's still connected to the mainframe upstairs. I wonder if the Big Board is on? Maybe some of the satellites in orbit are still functional."
Jack couldn't see how dying satellites were of any use to them, and turned away. Daniel was perusing the books on the shelves, while Teal'c had taken a seat at the table.
"So, anybody think they're lying?" Jack asked as he sat next to Teal'c.
Carter shook her head and answered from the computer. "Clearly something happened. Otherwise this base would still be in military hands and the technology would be more modern."
"It's horrible but it has to be true," Daniel agreed. "This is some alternate reality in which over half the entire population of the Earth was wiped out by a disease. Why would they make it up?" he added, sitting by Jack.
Jack gave him a look and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Daniel. They're led by a guy who we know as a Tok'ra. How could that happen?"
"Well, obviously, the answer is that Malek's host in our reality is Markus. So the real question is how did Malek come to Earth without anyone knowing about it?" Daniel asked. He'd never met Malek back in their reality, so the similarity didn't seem to bother Daniel as much as it did Jack.
"Malek's host may not be Markus Alexander," Teal'c suggested. "We have no evidence that the Tok'ra visited Earth before Jolinar took Major Carter as host."
Jack's snorted. "Right. So you're saying that Markus and this host of Malek's are part of some cosmic genetic twinning? Like a doppelganger? I'm not buying it. They lied to us." He leaned forward and banged his head on the table once. Damn Tok'ra. He straightened, pointing out in a more controlled voice, "All the times we've met him, Malek was the only one who ever talked. His host never spoke to us directly. Maybe it was because he had something to hide. I can't wait to get home and call him on it."
"Sir, I don't think we're getting home any time soon," Carter said in a voice of strained patience as she joined them at the table. "First, their computer capacity is at least fifteen years old. I could try to program it to dial, or we could dial manually, but the problem is power. If they don't have enough to get the water out of the reservoir, that means they're not attached to the main grid. They must be using only the base generators. I have no idea of their current load capacity, but I can't imagine it's very high."
"Carter, even I know the gate doesn't take all that much to open," Jack objected. "I'm sure they can spare us a little. They've kept the lights on."
"Yes," she answered, humoring him. "But you heard what Sarah said about fixing things. The whole system may be very unstable. As we know, if there's no power, the base is unlivable in the long term."
Jack made a disgruntled sound. "Pessimist. You could fix it."
"Colonel, I would need parts, at the very least, and fuel. Those may be in very short supply," she reminded him and let out a loud breath. "Look, I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but this isn't a matter of plugging in the Stargate and dialing home. The base has been decaying for fifteen years. In fact, I'm amazed that anything still runs at all. Given current conditions, I don't know that I can fix it."
She paused and added, more softly, "We could be stuck here a very long time."
