Quest of the Furlings - Rewrite

by AerchAngel

Furlings left the Milky Way galaxy in a hurry and no one knew where they went, except for a few. SGC always looked at the empty seat at Heliopolis and wonder where they went. Now with the power to go somewhere, they embark on a journey to find out what happened to them or if they are still around. This is a more comprehensive Re-write - Enjoy

4. Book of Eli: The Awakening Revised

Sorry for the delay and how this fits into the big picture. I lacked a backstory on Eli and a backstory on the Colonials in which you will see in the following chapter which will coincide with what happens with Destiny and the missing clues. I know some of you will probably not like it but I have to write cohesively to make the chapters I think six and on from my previous writing more readable and understandable. There is some Easter egg type of information in this chapter that portends to be a potential big thing down the road if I chose to take that path eventually. My SGU jargon and understanding is not the best and you can see just like in SG1 omnipotent beings have their issues as well. Also, some good news, the second part of this story is almost done as well. Won't be as big as this one, maybe half the size but a lot of fighting and of course it will be my writing style and not a wonk fest.

Happy reading…

DESTINY

Between Galaxies near M81 Cluster

Late Winter, February 2011

"Day 679. I have visited every part of Destiny in search of finding parts to fix the last cubicle. Even though I have air and water, it is inevitable that I will die from hunger. The food supply has roughly eight weeks left if I maintain the bare minimal but the urges, oh the urges, sometimes make me eat more than what I should have. My weight is down to 180 pounds, the lowest it has ever been in my young adulthood. Constantly walking while maintaining Destiny systems, I feel some muscle development in parts of my body I never envision I would ever have. End log 2-14-2011"

The Kino dropped into Eli's hand. He stood on the empty bridge looking out into the emptiness of space, a black void depicted of travelling between galaxies.

"Ginn, can you give me a glimpse of the next universe we are approaching?" He ordered Destiny's avatar that he managed to fix, an interactive reality program using Ginn's voice and resemblance. He on occasion needed to remind himself of the destination of seeing stars again or he would go insane as a total black picture shown before him created a direr situation that could be the last thing he see if he didn't survive.

The strawberry blond female coalesced in front of him and always greeted him with a smile. At times it brought him to tears because of what happened to her and other times to comfort him when they would talk about their home planets, growing up, ancestors, the builders of Destiny and their intentions after going through all the logs he was allow to view. He did not understand why the ancestors would lock some of the information away because there was a chance something in there could help out his predicament.

"Sure, Eli, but you do realize that by sitting in the chair and attaching yourself to the device will permanently implant this into your brain." She answered, again with a smile he believed was painted on her face.

"I know and I swear you say that every time I want to ask for something, or require some dialog, even when I just want some company." Eli stated with a little more anger behind it than he'd liked but seeing her smile knowing it is just a projection, the entity understood his mood.

"Sorry, did not mean to, but looking at the logs, you've been to every square inch of this vessel that you had access to and yet you still stand there and think you will ultimately die? Sorry, but I can't see that happening." She said always providing advice that she usually gave and at times verbatim of what was stated before.

"I know." He sighed looking out the window seeing nothing but black and to him at times felt claustrophobic.

Then the galaxy they were projected to go to appeared when Destiny's Ginn turned up the contrast gain on the resolution. It was a slight irregular dwarf galaxy which resided in the cluster that sat next to the Earth's Sol Milky Way galaxy cluster based on the chart that Destiny used as a map but still a long way from the Earth's Milky Way itself. He always hoped that the advancements they made with the upgrades that the Asgard core provided would produce the means for someone to come for them.

"I pretty much know where you've been and some places I would rather not go through again as no doubt the species with their technologies in some galaxies would not like our presence and would try to destroy us like they have done to other Destiny class vessels. Cataloging these entire human populated worlds is both exhausting and exhilarating, especially when you take in consideration the fauna and animal population competing with them." He continued.

Destiny's Ginn brought up the chart of the 31 galaxies they been through with a list of all gates that were deposited, with star and planet compositional information.

"Yes, we have placed over 2,067 gates in the over 11000 planets surveyed in all galaxies we been through on the initial run and visited most of those planets deemed worthy for the past millions of years. Some species have evolved quicker than others and those that evolved to the point of self-reliance usually destroy the gate or use it for their own purpose to further their technology. For instance, a race in the M358-2 galaxy called the Orquah was able to combine their humanoid DNA to a reptilian DNA to create what you would call an intelligent velociraptor human hybrid and then after that they spliced in to other sauroid species they were able to achieve space travelling technology, mastering several genres of science during that time."

Eli remembered reading about them and a galaxy definitely to avoid as they are the apex society in that galaxy with a fleet to back it up considering the attacks on this Destiny and destruction of another two for interfering in their space.

"In another galaxy, there were many societies that are space travel capable that would be nice to visit again when we have the means to do so. Just over a hundred years ago, I obtain information on a planet that was described as one big city and the seat of some type of galactic empire." She responded.

"So in the 143 trips you been around has anyone boarded this ship?" He asked because some logs were sealed off and he tried un-successively to reopen them and the by-laws on the ship dictated that unauthorized ship boarding would be something they would investigate when it completed its voyage or downloaded at depots that were scattered throughout their known universe. But that never happened due to the circumstances of the plague.

"Again Eli, you are tip-toeing around the rules that were put in place. All you have to do…." He interrupted her.

"…hook myself up to the device. I know. It is like the answer to everything." He was becoming exasperated with this line of answering.

"I will give you this information and possibly be against the ship creator's rules, but one of the galaxies is like the Milky Way and the inhabitants are advance, more so than our own and have tried unsuccessfully to destroy this ship because of my defensive capabilities and speeds. The last visit was over six thousand years ago and some of our gates, records and possible human seeded life is located in that galaxy which should be looked at. We have over 27 gates alone along with three mega fortresses built by our ancestor allies there. Destiny was supposed to look at this galaxy in the next decade or so." She said more seriously than normal that Eli realized. It was like she was hiding something or egging him on, could not tell the difference.

"Why are you telling me this now, like we can do anything about it? I am good as dead in a few months any way unless there is some miracle food supply I have yet discovered or new invention that can create manna out of thin air and that damn device you clamor about can't feed me organic material to keep my body alive. So it shouldn't hurt you tell me what is so damn important about that galaxy." Eli was becoming more irritable because Destiny's Ginn always gave him bread crumbs which eventually make him search harder in what she was referring to.

He had to take a breath and calm down because he has been down this road many times. He looked at her wishing she was alive instead of photons and electrons with the ship's background acting as her voice.

"Before you ask, all the pods are in working order, nothing to be worried about, we have around 489 days left and calculating your foods reserves, I don't think your body can make it but I believe you will find a way to fix it. All you have to do.." She saw his hand came up and did not finish.

"Destiny, sleep now." He simply said and she disappeared and he wept.

"Day 733 and as Destiny's avatar Ginn informed me previously, my food supply is running out. I did manage to understand the schematics to create a crude protein sequencer by converting some things around the ship after reading some notes in the Ancient database on such devices. I was able to change the properties of the carbon atoms, but the side effects and destruction to my body would probably kill me first and in a painful way due to the proteins of the by-product. I do have a mixture of pills that TJ concocted if I decide to sleep peacefully permanently but the dreams I am receiving lately is making me question even that because the dreams always told me to hook myself to the machine if I want to continue to live. But without the real Ginn, I don't know if I want to. When she died, a part of me went with her. My attitude towards everyone has gotten worse, not like Dr. Rush but I might as well be the evil mini-me version of him. Time to go to the bathroom again and unfortunately we have no more those Tums equivalent on board as I've emptied the last of the supplies a while back and now the ulcers are becoming worse. Too much information. End Log 4-21-2011."

Eli relieved himself and went to the gate room for his daily routine of writing notes while staring and studying the symbols, what they meant, the galaxy coordinates, the star coordinates and their power requirements to dial Earth from various galaxies. At times he thought about using the shuttle power reserves and the ships spares by pouring over the logs but nothing came of it without the risk to the others was the end result, always.

"Enjoying the view?" An apparition asked behind him.

It startled Eli and he turned toward the voice. He was someone Eli looked at with some skepticism and he pinched himself just in case he was hallucinating and he wasn't.

"Are you the Grim Reaper" Eli asked sarcastically, because he felt his body deteriorating while approaching death and really did not have neither the time nor care for something like this to occur now. He has come to grips with this that he has not seen Destiny's Ginn in a while because it hurt him too much and rather be left alone but this prank was going too far and out of character for an avatar.

"No, but Charles Dickens wrote a wonderful story that is more apt with the situation you are in now. Let me say I am the equivalent of the Ghost of Eli's Past." He spoke with a fatherly figure voice like Col. Young in some ways but this was more familiar, more intimate. Eli could see the outline, definitely male and tall, but a gray husk for a face and somewhat chalcedony eyes appeared through the shade, almost like a faint glow.

"So I am dead now? Well, I didn't receive that memo!" Eli sarcastically retorted not wanting it to be true but what else would explain this. He doesn't think Destiny's Ginn would ever pull a prank like this on him when everything was going wrong with him and also the fact that he doesn't think Ginn ever heard of Charles Dickens.

"I see you are preparing the inevitable Mr. Wallace, but don't fret yet. This is important so let's go take a walk down this hallway called Memory Lane." The apparition pointed outside the gate room.

They walked slowly down the barren steel gray colored corridor and Eli started to notice that the walls were becoming brighter and clearer gradually losing its substance which prompted some thoughts of him dying right now creeping into his brain. Realistically there would have been a chance that he ate something toxic if the sequencer did not mix the ingredients correctly which would give him an instant heart attack from shock to his eternal systems.

"No, Mr. Wallace you aren't dying and the food you prepared was fine… this time." The ghost answered the question he was thinking of but Eli did hear the long pause. "Look around you, take it in, is it familiar?"

In a quick flash, Eli was back on Earth but as a boy around the age of twelve. There were others around him, hitting and kicking him, calling him names.

"Nerd!", "Retard", "Momma's boy", "Where's your daddy?" Over and over those words were used while they punched and kicked him. He remembered now so vividly he could feel every punch every kick. Then it came to him what happened. He'd shouted with such a force that the kids seemed to be pulled off of him violently and they got up and ran away in horror. He looked down on that little boy but did not understand.

"How was I able to do that? I remembered that day clearly as everything changed after that. I wanted to fight, but I couldn't, something held me back. I tried all my might and I couldn't so all I could do was scream."

"Yet, that scream was quite effective. Do you remember what happened after that?" The ghost asked somewhat diligently more like an awestruck whisper.

Eli thought back around 12 years ago about two years after his dad said his final good bye and never seen or heard of again which started the changes in him and they went from bad to worse.

"Yes, I was bruised in many areas with a bloody arm from falling and a busted lip from a fist or kick and ran home. My books were torn and all I thought was my mom will be mad because we had to buy more books and we did not have much money." He stopped but he looked at the ethereal being that was still in a waiting posture wanting more information.

"When I got home, my mom was crying and that was not unusual until she looked up and said to me that she was sorry like she knew something happened. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts while she looked at my arm and then asked what happened. I told her and she wasn't mad because of the books or anything. The church would have giving her money for them if she babysat. She was more concerned about the kids because the attacks were not one or more it was a gang of them."

Eli looked at the apparition who looked at him thoughtfully.

"You are not telling me what I need to know so I can explain why this particular event was important to you. I cannot provide you a reason why we are doing this unless you understand the process which you don't, now go on, it is important." He still pushed fatherly like asking a son about his ballgame.

Eli thinking he was so close to death or dead already did not understand this entity at all but he continued anyway as it was no harm in it.

"Mom bandaged me up and put some type of ointment on my arm to make it go away which took about an hour. She said nothing on how quickly I healed. We talked about dad again about him coming and going and him saying good bye the last time and that those kids do not and will not understand that when you lose a parent it is not your fault. This time mom did not break down to tears but told me I will see him again." Eli looked at the outline of the man whose bearing told him that there is more to this so he needed to continue.

"The next day at school, no one will come near me. I remembered seeing them whispering about me on what happened the day before more than the usual that I was weird and off-putting with my clumsiness around people. The boys who attacked me shied away when I spotted them and some I'd heard did not even come to school. One of the few friends I did have stopped and looked at me. He smiled and said something nice about how I defended myself which I did not understand because I never swung a fist or used my feet in defense. So he explained to me that when I shouted, two of the boys received a busted ear drum, one nose bled but the odd thing was the sound was only heard by the attackers and not the others that watched, it was just a low whine to them. He did not understand why they were running but they had it coming to them whatever happened because they were considered the school bullies." Eli stopped and realized every moment he confessed he remembered it like it was yesterday.

He looked at the apparition who had a patient smile on his face and he continued.

"As soon as I got to class, I was quickly called into the office and they explained my actions caused two of the kids to be hospitalized. My mom was already there and she informed them that I was attacked by several boys in a gang like manner and suffered a bruised arm and busted lips and that I wasn't the type of individual that would defend himself or even start an altercation. Well, they wanted us to pay the victim's hospital bill or I will be force to leave the school because the boy's parents had money and we didn't. Mom decided if the school was going to operate like that I don't need to be there. So we left the office and I received my paper work and my things and we went home. In a way she was relieved like finally it was over I just realized. After that she homeschooled me, well I did most of it myself and I aced every exam the state threw at me and then the letters from schools came in by the bucket full when word got out that I was somewhat a genius I guess. I finally took one of the offers but dropped out soon after, it was too easy and I wanted to be with my mom as her illness was becoming worse and now I am here abducted against my will."

Eli waited for the ghost to say something but he could tell he was thinking.

"They threw you out and you knew that the school did not provide you the education you required. You were always alone, few friends and you really didn't care. It was the teasing about your dad that bothered you. You were different, felt different than them, better than them, smarter than them the whole time and you stayed away from them because it was your dad who taught you but not to fight or defend yourself. The school lacked the expertise what your father had shown you when you were a child as they were novices compared to what you already knew and you were bored. Do you remember that part?" He edged Eli.

"Now I do remember, dad only stayed with us briefly, gave us money, and spent as much time as he could with me which was the best time in my life. I remembered now how I was quick to understand, mathematics, physics, science, biology, before I entered 4th grade and I retained every bit of that until he stopped coming around and then all I learned was gradually slipping from me unless I stayed with it." Eli said smiling remembering even more vividly now.

"Now, that is what I wanted to hear. You had it in you to do things that you'd learned and retained, just like the predicament you are in now after all you built a device to sustain you and the will to learn is still in you. If you take that what you just relived and apply it here, things will turn out better. I overstayed my welcome and must go now, Mr. Wallace. My associate will take you from here so please do as they asked and listen and retain and even regain that fire you once had." The ghost like being waved one last time and walked ahead and then into the oblivion as the scene before him started to fade and the walls of Destiny started to reappear in its place. Then a touch, a real touch, graced his hand and he turned and it was Ginn.

"Are you real?" The only thing he could say feeling the warmth of her hand.

"In your mind, yes, as real as you want it to be, but the time is the present now. I must ask do you have time to lay with me one more time like we used to do and talk before this all goes away." She asked smiling and not like the one he talked to for the past year. This felt like it was more genuine and real.

Ginn saw the look he gave her was and it was the one of a man that was giving up, something she could not let happen as death was at his door and he did not fully absorbed what the apparition had shown him. So she took his hand and pulled him with her.

"I guess Tel'Athan spoke to you and explained a specific event in your past. Do you know the significance of it?" She asked as they walk the barren corridor displaying the old worn-out walls that inhabited Destiny once again.

"Yes, that I am gifted and if I keep using my gifts I retain them maybe better them. I can think off my feet and that my shout can rupture ear drums, yet I can't swing a fist or kick my feet at any non-living thing. My dad was some sort of genius but a drifter. My mom never hated him and always forgave him or defended him when I brought him up." He said with frustration slowly creeping up.

"And you?" She asked softly.

"Eventually when I grew up and see that some people are like that, bullies, because he promised that he would come back and never did so have a lot of kids and I should have cherished the time he spent with me." He felt funny saying that because he remembered the outline of the form, the voice, and the way he felt fatherly toward him. How he would explain things that Eli would retain, always teaching, always formulating the ebb and flow of things.

"Was that him?" He finally asked inwardly scaring to know the truth.

"Yes, I sense you saw the face or voice that it was familiar to you." She said and looked at him with a smile knowing he is slowly putting it together but the pain he was enduring screamed at her.

"Yes, I know after you explain it I did recognize his face, his voice, his teaching but I also know that death is near and possibly dreaming this up because I always wanted to see him again, just one more time. Besides, I can feel you now, unlike when I am on the main bridge with you. Am I dying?" He tentatively asked while the pain around the abdomen area was intensifying. Something was seriously wrong.

"Eli, come, lay with me like we did before if you believe so. If you wake up, you will be on the ship, one way or the other and then you will know." She asked with a bit more urgency with a bit of intimacy in it.

"If I die, I wouldn't want anyone else beside me. Take me where you want me to lie down so we can talk like we'd done before." She took Eli's hand and the walls changed again and he did not know where he was but it was beautiful. A world he saw in the ships log, a place he thought would be perfect for him and Ginn and their children. He felt that all of this was in his mind, a dream, a last wish or thought because he was leaving this plane."

A house was there surrounded by beautiful fauna and small cuddly animals that were scampering about. Peace was all he could see, wanted to see. They enter it and it was how they wanted when they returned to Earth.

"Come, now to lie down? Do you want some music to listen to?" She asked undressing into her pajamas.

"Sure and I am feeling tired, really tired. Just lay with me." He said lethargically.

"Okay lie down, I will go retrieve it." She went to a dresser to get his headphones and returned and extended the ear buds and then attached him to his temple.

With a quickness he never saw before, Ginn took his arms with strength that belied her frame and laid it to his sides and the restraints quickly latched him in. His eyes bulged out and he shouted at her to release him. Soon the heaviness of sleep quickly caught him and he looked at Ginn and it wasn't the one in pajamas, it was one from the ship.

"You've tricked me." The only thing he could say as he slowly closed his eyes.

Ginn did not want to do this but there was not much time as Eli was very near close to death and shock was about to set in and the two Ginn's made a last ditch effort to save him with this ruse making his mind work to fight off the deadly ulcer that would shut down his other internal organs which he had no clue about.

"No, I saved you Eli. Now don't fight it, when you wake up, your true self will emerge." Destiny's Ginn said as she turned to the real Ginn, who had a soft glow about her and she watched the energy flow from her body unto Eli's stomach which was very red, showing exposed lumps from the ulcer and gastric juices erupting by freezing them in place.

"Destiny, you've done your best, now we must hope he takes the programming and my healing. It seems you have prepared everything for his long sleep." Ginn stated to the ship's avatar who nodded in return.

"Thank you Ginn, now I have one more request before I give the ship to you. Please get these people home."

"It's up to Eli, Destiny, he holds the key."

Ginn's hands started to glow again as she put them over Eli's stomach. She was safe to user her powers here to avoid detection with subtle movements of removing the ulcer from his stomach that was leaking into his intestines. It was safe for now as long as the kidneys or liver were not involved. Soon his breathing was more relax and the concoction Destiny gave him settled in.

Eli quickly drifted into a deep sleep while the implants did their work. He went in and out remembering, and then losing consciousness, remembering again while the brain activity rewrote some of his neural pathways until they were complete and then instructions, history, everything his ancestors had, he learned, sometimes with instruction from various instructors, even his dad. He at times could see himself lying there and the Ancient teaching device attached to his lobes. He doesn't remember how long but information came to him without stopping. Then finally he was allowed to rest and don't remember anything after that.

DESTINY

M81 Galaxy Cluster, over planet Chillicott

NOVEMBER 2011

"Wake up!" It was a voice that he had not heard in a long time. He looked up and again it was Ginn. Who did not carry her normal smile but a worried grin and felt more real, more excited.

"Are you here to welcome me?" He asked weakly.

"No, Eli, this is not some pearly white gates and the angel Michael waiting for you according to your history books when someone dies. We're still on Destiny. We have to prepare the ship before we wake the others. Now come on!" Her hands gestured toward a modified wheel chair that she hastily constructed.

"Your muscles are atrophied for now. It will take an hour before you regain your strength unless you remember how you can re-energize yourself?" She explained but there was some expediency in her voice.

"What do you mean? There is no food here." He retorted but did not feel hungry or thirsty and he thought should have after a long sleep.

"Use your smarts. You had training on using your core energy? Did you learn anything in your sleep?" She said with some sort of exasperation thrown in by throwing her hands up.

"How, I did not know a ship avatar can be a harsh critic?" He evened. He looked at her warily because she resembled a real person with a real shadow that shown up against the wall.

"Sit up, I will help you." She offered.

"No amount of photons and neutrons could move my weight, Ginn." He said still looking at her suspiciously because even with updated technology it would artifact at times. This time it didn't. She looked completely solid. He then realized that she was the one that was quick as a cat and restrained him.

"Did you modify yourself while I slept?" Then it donned on him. "You said something about waking the others up?"

He tried to get up and it ached or he had no feelings, either way he lied back down.

"Yes, we have arrived in the next galaxy. Destiny is in maneuvers to regenerate herself." Ginn answered still looking at him. She was afraid to touch him just in case the after affects put him in shock.

"That means I've slept with that damn thing on for almost a year?" He almost shouted.

"It was the only way to keep you alive and besides you needed to have it done but you are too groggy or naïve to understand why now?" She miffed.

"I thought that was all dreams because I thought I was dying or dead but it was all true wasn't it. I lived through it?" His eyes narrowed at her.

"Yes and you were about an hour away from dying, internal organ failure." She explained.

"And that was my dad?"

"Yes." She answered with a smile.

"That was the real you?" He asked not and wanting to believe it. He scrutinized Ginn's look and it was solid, no artifacts, no missing photons or anything that usually would show in the avatar.

"Yes." She answered again knowing Eli was the type of person that wanted to make sure he was not insane.

"But you are dead? He said it with such finality and pain, it made her wince.

"In a manner of speaking, I was, but something happened to me because of you." She said smiling.

"That, that, that is not possible." He stammered and then tried to remember and it was coming back to him in a flood all the memories and gaps in his memory. His dad, his mom, his childhood, his understanding then, his understanding now, all of the training he received in the deep-sleep returning. He slowly started to realize that he was not fully human or human at all. He was, no it can't be.

"Your dad was an ascended Alteran or what Terrans call Ancients, Eli, one of the last few that could walk the universe and keep the ascended gifts on this plane of existence. He could not stay with you or your mom because they made it difficult for him and he did not want you all to be the brunt of his punishment by them. Because of your kindness, unwillingness to kill or hurt for that matter and self-sacrifice for this ship and crew, he tried everything to get you to evolve using the chair and this device was the only way to speed it up as death was too much a gamble especially considering the others of his kind did not like you to be left on this plane as some of his gifts were passed down to you. So he tried with the avatar of my likeness and then when you became closer to death, he found a way to get me to help you and I coerced you to this room. Before you ask, yes that was and this is the real me." She explained it to him and it took a while for him to understand everything as it was coming to make sense.

"Then you really are alive?" He shuddered and could not believe his eyes.

"Yes, but like you I am no longer fully human, I am an ascended human but not Alteran and there is a big difference. Your dad somehow found an individual who can feel for the future but at a cost to him. He finagled Gen. O'Neill to pick you for this project to make sure you got to this chair. The one on Atlantis is not the same as this one. Then he knew you will be attached to me and knew that somehow someone would try to kill me and had me ascended before it carried through as my spirit was uplifted when the death blow came. When he committed the ultimate crime as an ascended being of helping those ascend before they are ready, the other Ascended Alterans came for him instantly and he did not have much time. So he told me to tell you that he is sorry he could not spend more time with you and I am your gift from him."

Eli remembered now that his dad did visit him one last time and it was for a reason a big reason. The sleep was intended on purpose because his dad did not have the capabilities to teach him so he crammed everything in when he was a child and he being evolved could handle it. The instructions were completed when he slept. His dad rigged the device with instructions to make sure he got the teaching he needed to stay with this plane of existence and help the humans because that is who he was. He grinned and knew what to do now.

He lifted his body up as it started to glow, energy coursing through him. He felt he was becoming stronger more aware. His smile and his glow grew brighter.

"I feel different." He said with a big grin.

"And all that time, you kept telling me to quit badgering you about the chair. But your dad said it was for a reason. You weren't ready then either. You needed Death's finger touching you to make that leap of faith. It made you stronger, not giving up to the last minute. You are powerful Eli, much more than I, because as a direct descendent from an Alteran, you gained almost all their abilities that can be used on this plane. But he instructed me to tell you to not abuse this power or they will come for you. "As the last sentence was uttered to Eli, he never seen Ginn that serious before and he made note of how important not to break that rule.

"Now we must get these people home but right now I need to teach you to quit glowing as this is a side effect of being an ascended half-Alteran in any galaxy except our own galaxy cluster because we are hunted there and it is a beacon of our existence as ascended humanoids."

"Hunted?"

"Yes, we are the descendants of the Alterans, the ones who beat the plague and flourished. Only a few retained their powers but soon some humans will start to gain some ascended abilities like the second iteration known as the Atlanteans and others." She had a serious look inferring that she must have learned everything when she ascended. Something they neglected to inform or teach him.

"The Ori is dead?" He questioned narrowing his eyes.

"Not them, worse, far worse. This is the reason why your dad was not around as well. If he would slip up, they would have found him and kill all of you."

"Does my mom know?"

"Yes. Always have but she did not want to frighten you and you being young probably would not have understood. She wanted you to grow up with a simple life but the disease she has is incurable unless she ascends or you ascend to lift the mantle she wears. That little display when you were a child alarmed your mother and that is why she took you out of school. She is much stronger than you think."

"Is she?" He said and Ginn instantly nodded her head.

"No, she is not Alteran either. She is from a race no longer part of our galaxy or galaxy cluster and they never told me so she would be the one to ask. It is a reason why she is sick now. The plague affected her like her people and she was force to flee. Your dad saved her, fell in love and found Earth to be off the grid as they said until the Stargate was found."

"I have to get home and help her." It was the first thing that came to his mind.

"No, you can't. If you do, they will kill you both, powers or not, me as well. We have other ways of helping her. Come. We have forever to talk. Let's get these people home first. So now lesson number, don't look like a lost puppy dog when you look at me. Master that and you will be fine."

The recharged completed and Destiny moved away from the star to the first planet that sat a long way from the red giant. She positioned herself in a geocentric orbit around medium size planet with heavy concentration of brown and green that could be seen from the bridge.

"Scans complete, gate is on the planet, intact and working, receiving the gate symbols. Lots of foliage and wildlife along with structures of some type near it and a city not too far off. No sentient life form readings and states that the planets information is in the locked section of the database. Ready to go down?" He stated smiling and the glow was barely noticeable. He felt alive, not hungry, no stress, like he was born again.

"You have gotten better with controlling the glow, Eli. I'm impressed. I saw a modified recreational vehicle as you call it on Earth that you made when you were alone. Should we use that?" She asked.

"Thanks and yes. I've created a handful because I knew we would be short on supplies when we wake up. I will show you the others." He left the bridge and looked behind him and did not see her behind him.

"Ginn?" He asked.

"I will be there in a second, just checking on something. There is some technology down there." She said.

"What type?"

"Subspace but faint but scans said it is coming from some structure. By Destiny's calculations it is advance and yet familiar." She answered.

"I will be in the gate room soon with another vehicle and then I will head to the bridge." He answered and opened a storage room looking at another cargo carrying ATV which was decent size and could carry several tons. He did not have the materials to build an anti-grave barge like what was in Destiny's schematics. The vehicle before him was almost just as good with a metal track footprint similar to an amphibian assault tank.

Several minutes later, two of the vehicles were in the gate room when Ginn coalesced in front of him.

"Whoa, what, how? What the hell? We have in-ship transporters? I didn't see that memo" He jumped and he saw Ginn roll her eyes.

"Did you retain any training, Eli? You do know you have the power to go anywhere with your mind, sheesh."

Eli looked at her sheepishly and remembered he could do that but he was afraid of it and somehow Ginn figured out what he was thinking and his face contorted with his head nodding negatively.

"Yes, we can read minds if we want to" She answered before he even asked.

"I guess I need to learn how "not to" do that." He said not liking this aspect of ascended powers.

They checked the subspace radio and did not find anything substantial, just a faint redundant tone. A civilization long since abandoned was in ruins. It seemed that some war destroyed everything including the inhabitants because overgrowth was rampant. They were able to fill their cargo with lots of food stuffs and water knowing instantly what was edible and not. Ginn had to use the modify pulse plasma rifle found in Destiny newly found weapons locker to bring down some game because Eli could not stomach shooting defenseless animals. The huge elk like creatures took up a whole cart but they had time and wanted to make sure that when the others awoke without worrying about eating.

"Let's take one more look at those structures as something is nagging me about that subspace signal that keeps repeating and somewhat familiar to Destiny." Eli said while they unloaded their last load of vegetables and fruits.

"Yeah, it feels like something that is important pulling us there. I could not pick up what it was transmitting either" Ginn agreed.

"I am still new at using our abilities to scan?" Eli asked.

"Well this is a good time to practice. Just stand still and feel the air around you and the surroundings ebb and flow even down to subspace. It can be difficult for anyone to sneak up on you like the man who killed me." She said with disgust.

"I wanted to kill him with my bare hands and couldn't. Like I couldn't hit those kids when they beat me up." He said now remembering that it was his dad that kept him from using his powers the wrong way. His understood now that dad was always around making sure they had money but like Eli was instructed, he was protecting his family the best way he could without bringing attention to them.

"Exactly. Let's go take a look. Oh, do you have your tablet with you so you can download the logs of this planet? It is in Destiny's restricted information section?" She asked.

"Sure, let's see, downloading it now bypassing security protocols." Eli read the information that was in Alteran, like it was his native language and some of the log entries stood out.

"Ginn, according to this information, this planet has been visited eight times. The period of advancement leaped in each instance to the point of space travel but then two trips prior to this one the planet was a radioactive wasteland and the ship concluded that it was due to war and destroyed from planet bombardment. The information was retrieved from some Kino's that were left behind to monitor the planets progress and embedded itself in a location not too far from here."

He took out his other device which he created that included a scanner that can track the Kino's.

"Here, about two miles north. Since I don't know where we are going, I guess we can't use our powers to just simply appear at the location?" He asked with a smirk.

"You are correct but if we find ourselves in trouble, you remember this location and the gate, so you can simply think and return here." Ginn said while climbing in the modified version of the all-terrain vehicle.

They travelled the plush landscape encountering a few animals that gave them wide birth as the Kino signal strength grew.

"We are getting close. It looks like some sort of outpost." Eli stated looking at the data on his pad and then up at the structure.

"This can't be right. The language used is something my mom read on occasion while growing up. At first I thought it was some jigsaw puzzle with different shapes and figures." He said while excitement was building in him.

"Really, that is odd? We are several galaxies away from our own galaxy" Ginn said not understanding.

"Yes, same figures, trying to access my memory." Eli thought about his sleep, his training on Alteran history and cultures and the many species they ran across that were not human. Nothing came up but then he saw it. The language was familiar to him.

"Ginn, how much history did they teach you after you ascended?" He asked bursting with excitement.

"Only my home planet and some of your planet so I can become accustom to it. I was not giving extensive technology pointers or information like that which some is innate to me anyway. I have more human advance powers like mind reading, telekinesis, teleportation and coalescing into energy to avoid potential harm. Normal human weapons could hurt me if I don't change and probably you as well."

"So if I understand these records from SGC, these figures and what my mom read are from an extinct race or I thought extinct race called the Furlings." Eli was ecstatic.

"Yes, I remember that race when I ascended but it was only mentioned briefly. What you know is more than what I know. I assume your mother is Furling." She said trying to understand.

"I am not certain but I understand what I was told. They along with my fathers' people were struck down with the plague because they were similar. The Nox was spared because their physiology was slightly different due to a DNA strand compared to Earth's homo-sapiens or homo-superior like the Alterans. The Furlings were a cross between them. It is confusing but I am a product of something similar it seems. So whoever engineered this tried to wipe out all of the humanoid stock."

He tried to remember everything but it was becoming foggy and he did not want to push it.

"Well that makes sense that your mom is sick and possibly the reason why she held on for so long to have you make it this far. Remarkable to say the least. Anyway, what does this inscription say?" She asked marveled at the man she loved.

"Chillicott Gatepost #1." He said and then used his mind to probe on what was down the rabbit hole as he called it.

"Well, let's go take a look." She said as they exited out of the vehicle.

With a simple gesture Ginn was able to move the slab of stone while Eli watched how she used her powers that it would take a few men to move that which block the entrance.

They looked down the stairwell into black of nothingness. The cobwebs were thick and Ginn kept going to her head every time when something touched it hoping that it wasn't some creepy eight-legged insect or even worse something alien land on her.

The light from the flashlight bounced off the walls creating shadows producing outlines of odds and ends with structures of tables, chairs, cabinets, some alien equipment and other things you would find in a bomb shelter or communication center which Eli came to conclusion it was. But he thought if the Furlings were that advanced why where they in shelters from an obvious war.

"This doesn't make since. If they were advance why would they hide in something like this?" He asked seeing a humanoid shaped skeletons lying in a corner.

"Does your device show a carbon dating on this?" She answered.

"Yes, the response indicated that this happened over 8,000 years ago." He scanned it twice to make sure.

"Well, if I deduce on the technology level and the destruction of this planet, I don't think these people were Furlings or other ascended beings. No doubt they lost a war and died down here." She offered ominously as more skeletons were showing up, some were even children size.

"Terrible way to die, no doubt." Eli was trying to keep back tears seeing baby size skeletons next to their obvious mother whose skeletal arms looked like they were around them. But what alarmed them was the preservation of some of the skeletons and they had holes like wide beam weapons fire. It meant something came down here and executed them.

"Over here, looks like a vault of some kind." Eli flashed the light and Ginn went over and probed it with her mind.

"Yep, it is in here, emitting a continuous signal same frequency as a Kino and it is from Destiny. Now how do we get it out?" She tried probing for a mechanism of some kind but there was none to be found.

"I am at a lost on how to open it? I tried everything but I can't forcibly open it." She said after attempting to translocate the Kino but it wouldn't even budge.

"Let me try." Eli said handing his flashlight to Ginn.

He tried with his mind like Ginn's to translocate it but soon realize that he cannot transport matter that was blocked inside some sort of protective field.

"I guess whoever put that in there it is impervious to ascended beings' powers as well. Let me see if we can determine what type of material this is made of."

Eli attached his modified device to the structure and a blue light fanned out scanning the material. The device button turned red stated it was unfamiliar with the material. So he scanned elsewhere around the underground structure and the normal elements appeared all along the walls until his flashlight saw and indention inside a raised square one that appeared circular in shape.

Ginn's flashlight showed the same on another wall using her wide beam. She looked at it again and then at the structure which was around five meters away and sat approximately at the same height of two meters. She quickly adjusted the light and saw the same on the other three walls, the same indentions same height, same dimensions.

"Eli, take a look at this." She pointed at the three walls with the indentions. "You did say it was a Kino device correct?"

"Yes, it emits the same signal and now I realize why it was faint, due to the material this vault is made of." He said not understanding what Ginn was referencing.

"Well look at these other indentions. They are all at the exact height as this one, maybe it is a key to opening it and I do not see any other Kino's around." She stated with excitement bubbling at the surface.

"I have a few on Destiny. Should we go retrieve them?" He asked understanding where she was going with this.

"Yeah, do you remember your training?" She asked smiling and by now he could feel the smile more so than seeing it.

"Yes, I do now."

Instantaneous thought brought them before the gate. Eli dialed the device and the worm hole opened and he went through.

Ginn looked around the landscape. It was a pretty planet but she could still see the ruins of burnt out skyscrapers of the nearby city that once stood. Whoever destroyed this planet it looked like it came from orbit and that worried her because Destiny, while powerful now that she fixed the ships power distribution and backups, weapons and shields, the people that did this must have many ships to level a planet that appeared to have weapons of its own.

Gun turrets and skeletons of some type of mega cannons that pointed upwards could be seen gutted out and to think this was over 8,000 years ago made her shutter because during that time frame the same invaders undoubtedly would have advance even further.

Eli came through with a few more Kino's than the room required and smiled. "Just in case one is fizzled out, did not have time to check them."

"Noted. " She said while they both teleported back to the bomb shelter.

"I wonder who did this to these people and if they are still around in this galaxy." She said as she took one of the Kino's and inserted it into the indention. It was a smug fit.

Another one was placed in and a thin green laser appeared to connect the two Kino's. Eli put in the last one and nothing happened.

"Hmm, not working." He took out the other and inserted it. The angle of the three green lasers attached to each other and pointed at the vault but it did not open.

They aimed the flashlight where the indention for the vault was and the laser was off about an inch or so.

"Must have been some tectonic action in the past to change the elevation. We need to adjust the kino's beams to the same height." Eli stated.

As soon as he got it out of his mouth Ginn headed over to the furthest one and adjust it while he did one of the others, she was able to adjust the last one and it hit the main indention of the vault. There was a noise and the wall opened. Sitting on a pedestal was a Destiny type Kino and it was emitting a sound, similar to when he sends it out to scan before a team enters the gate to let them know if there is a problem or not. This said there was.

"Let's get this bad boy to the ship and see what's on here." Eli took it enthusiastically marking it as the one to see and not the others.

They entered the modified all-terrain vehicle not wanted to leave it behind and slowly made their way to the gate. They determine the building was some sort of outpost and dated machinery was found around the structure but not enough interest for them to survey further.

Eli took the other five Kino's and reprogrammed them to scan the ruins for anything else that was of interest. Since he has full control of Destiny, they weren't up against any timers. If something was interesting, they could always come back.

They shut the gate down and look at all the crates of water and food, with four big elk like animal sprawled on a makeshift freezer that Eli was able to build using spare parts and equipment that could produce Freon. Their first reaction was to look at the Kino's but decided to wait until the others were awaken so they would not hide anything from the others.

One issue Eli did not want to address was the situation with Dr. Rush and his girlfriend's death via the stones. There were no instructions given on how to explain it to him. Then he saw Ginn walk over to him and without any preamble gave him a hug.

"You know don't you, in what I have to face?" He asked her while he looked in to her eyes that tears were about to form.

"When you have a heavy mood swing, you give off something that will make me naturally scan what the issue is so that is something I don't think I can stop so I am sorry but yes you do have a problem but it is both of our problem and I am the one that should explain to him what happened because I was giving instructions when this confrontation will happen. Do you realize you can't remember anything in the other realm except what was taught to you?" She said providing him more confidence about the whole ordeal.

"Yes, I know, somehow I am blocked off from talking to them or doing anything with them." He answered seeing a smile forming on Ginn's face.

"Because of the stipulation that your dad brought upon himself. If you do not have contact with the ascension realm then no further contamination you can bring to this plane. I actually agreed with it. But I do have to deal with this with you, so you can understand what all parties came into agreement with." She explained to him lifting even more burdens off of him.

"Good, so I don't have to turn him into a frog." He laughed then paused. "Can I do that?"

"No, silly, you cannot use your powers to harm people, only to defend or help people and please do not try to revive someone. You wouldn't last a full day on this plane as they will come retrieve you like they did your father when he did it with me. "At first she was playing with him but the latter she was serious.

"As if I would hurt anyone?" He rolled his eyes while he moved a carton of leafy like vegetables.

"Any good cooking recipes from your home planet you can make from these vegetables" He asked Ginn who was examining the game lying on the table with trickles of blood forming a small pool.

"Because I do not know how to cook anything." He started to separate the fruits, the ones he thought that was fruit from the vegetables.

"Yes and I will have to butcher the game because I know you want no part of that, especially with all the blood that would spill. If you can find some sort of laser scalpel or make one, I would appreciate it. It shouldn't be that hard now, just need to concentrate." Ginn used her powers to lift the half ton animal to examine it on where to cut the meat from. If it was like any other game in the known galaxies it should share the same principals. Or she could have Eli figure out from the planet's archive what this beast was since they spoke a form of Ancient sub language.

"Eli, we might need to find some sort of storage device that kept records on the animals and plants of that planet. Do you mind taking a trip down there to search for and retrieve one from the ruins?" She asked setting the dead beast down back on the frozen table.

"Sure. You think I can chance it by teleporting myself down." He grinned wanting to see if it worked.

"I see why not, I don't remember them saying we can't do it. All we have to do is remember where we were or you can convert yourself into energy like they do when they move from place to place." She answered knowing the latter is how she got here.

"Nah, that kind of sounds dangerous to me, I think I should stick to something I can trust a bit more before diving off into the deep end."

"Suit yourself, but if I were you, I would check Destiny's avatar to see if she can see anything that resembles some source of data on that planet from their archives first before you head planetside. I have a lot of work to do." She left the room with carton full of vegetables while levitating some water jugs as well.

Eli proceeded to the main bridge. "Destiny" He ordered.

A new image appeared; dull in appearance of homely women of a mix complexion.

"Yes, Mr. Wallace, what can I do for you?" The avatar answered which now were just elaborate photons suspended in air.

"The planet below is it possible if you can retrieve all the information about the plant life, previous planet population, tech level or any other pertinent information that was not previously stated from the past occurrences from Kino's?" Eli asked.

"Data retrieval is commencing and displayed on screen, Alteran or English?" She asked.

"English please, the Alteran is messing with my mind and I don't think Ginn or the others learned it yet." He answered while watching some of the information on the screen appeared.

"According to my records the planet's name is Chillicot and the people were called the Chillotti, somewhat technologically advance more than ten millennia ago. Sensors show that some still are alive but heavily mutated and appeared to lose what humanity they did have because there are no cohesive structures that would indicate settlements. Appear to be in a hunter/gatherer type era. Sensors picked up some trace form of crystals that can be used for storage, scattered around, some in the ruins that you two were near but heavier concentrations in the city center, possibly a library like structure. Is there something else you wanted to know?" Destiny's avatar asked Eli who was still going through the information.

"We picked up a lot of plants and going over it with our scans and gut feeling. We determined that they are not poison but we want to make sure there is no properties that would cause analeptic shock like bee sting or something worse. Also the game, we want to make sure we cut it right and not expose some of the internal organs gastric or toxic juices into the meat either."

Destiny took a moment which meant to Eli that she was retrieving any data the previous 43 encounters she has had with this planet.

"Inconclusive, the Kino's did not bring back any plant matter or animals in the previous stops. We sent four Kino's down and the only one detected is the device that is now in your possession. It is possible that the information is in there. It was created to retrieve all recordings of anything the planet and their habitants have done. Therefore you might not need to be planetside at all. "Destiny's avatar continued to drone while more information kept appearing on the screen.

"Destiny, back up. Let me see this again." He saw some of the information about the formation of the Kino's and their purpose.

"Calculated this date compared to the information received, how long ago was this?"

"Approximately 8000 of your years ago, the last pass before the Kino stopped the recordings. It seems our patterns became more irregular closer to this date." Destiny explained.

"More than likely you been attacked a few times and some places were closed off from you, because if I am correct at least half of these places are space faring and powerful enough to give you problems. Am I correct?"

The avatar looked at Eli while accessing the data records that were previously closed to him and the crew.

"You are correct Mr. Wallace. I made a lot of corrections over the last 12000 years to adjust for that factor."

"Thank you Destiny. I might be asking a few more questions after we download the data. We are not going anywhere yet. I will still go down to the surface and look for some sort of data crystal as 8000 years is a long time and pretty much could see that this planet was pretty advance back then."

"I agree with your assessment." Destiny's avatar said before she deactivated but left the data up on the screen.

He teleported himself back to the gate room loving the idea that he could do that and saw Ginn still dealing with the vegetables and water.

"Well that was an interesting find." He said and she stopped what she was doing and sat down.

"What did you find?"

"About what we brought back and not much. Destiny had sent the Kino's down for a reason because she kind of gently steered me away from it. What I do know, the world down there was way advance for 8000 years ago when they were wiped out. You do know some still are alive but not human like you or I anymore. Three missing Kino's is what got Destiny's attention. They were recording devices as well that fed the main one in the vault. There is a chance we have not received all the data. The fourth Kino was protected because it was the backup to the other three, so if one is missing, they have a backup"

"Oh, so what do you think?" She asked not understanding what this was leading to.

"That this planet was something really important for four Kino's to be sent down and practically giving to these people." Eli said seriously.

"Something happened to these peoples who were for the most part kin to the Ancients, Nox or Furlings who I need to find more information about when we used the stones again. They were wiped out from above but seeing the technological level that they were space faring as well by what the records shown that Destiny did have on them. "

"That is interesting, so how does it help us?" She asked. "We need to get these people home."

"I know but something on this planet is part of that as well. It is on those Kino's and we have to find the others." Eli got up and started to dial the gate. He went over to one of his all-terrain vehicles and then he grabbed one of the three portable DHD's he created with his spare time when the others were asleep.

"Why are you taking that?" Ginn asked.

"I have a hunch about the other three Kino's. If your planet's destruction is imminent, would you keep the most important find in the same place? Besides the habitants on this planet moved some of their people elsewhere as well. The gate is hard to destroy as well." Eli smiled while he climbed into this vehicle.

"Hmm, I see where you are going with this. Be careful." Ginn said watching Eli drive through the event horizon.

Eli took a quick scan with his mind and nothing out of the ordinary was around so he drove back to an equivalent of a command post knowing how convenient it was near the gate and the skeletal remains of the surrounding structures were defense cannons of some sort. Because of 8000 years of nature, the rusted out parts and what considered wiring has long decomposed just showing what it would be like back then and with no shells of any nature, it was an energy cannon of some type.

There was no need to go down to the compound again as it was just one big room and many skeletons. Up here was different in the open area, not many skeletons at all and probably were cleaned by some carrion eaters that took over the area. Not like Eli mind that, seeing skeletons gave him the creeps.

A big city was not too far away, the skyline was like any other you see on Earth. He thought maybe a few million tops lived there once. He looked up at some big predatory birds that were circling him thinking maybe he was their next meal so he reached out with his mind and delved into the feelings and emotions of the animal. As he thought, it was looking at him as their next meal.

"Not today." Eli gave him a thought that he would not taste good and make them sick. At first the bird did not understand the strange urge that its next meal was something it could not eat so it flew off.

He kept going and the city grew nearer and nearer. Something like suburbia stood out and like all the other buildings gutted out or overgrowth overtook it. The houses though a bit different than on Earth but not that much different in how they were laid out. It amazed Eli how much humanity shared in structures and not alien in nature. A Chillicotti was human in appearance just like him but if they survived possibly close to Atlantean in evolution moreso than Terrans based on the advancements.

The streets while covered in plant life were wide and cars were everywhere. None had wheels meaning they must have been using anti-gravity for motion. This intrigued Eli because Earth was becoming closer to accepting this way of travel. They had the technology but not the moxie to go ahead with it.

The lettering was all in some sort of subtext of Furling/Alteran which was similar in many ways so this society unlike Earths had only one language it seemed. He watched for any signs of sources that would have some sort of encyclopedia or Wikipedia to obtain information. He set his pad to the strongest scanning level it could muster.

Several seconds he received a signal and he started in that direction. The signal came from a cluster of high rise buildings that had no structural integrity whatsoever and Eli did not want to attempt turning into energy and go find out. He got out of his vehicle following the signal and before him was an equivalent to a library he surmised by the half torn sign displayed on its archway which translated into to an observatory of learning. There was no door at the entrance so he just walked through looking up at the holes in the floor hoping his energy or any subtle movements would not have the building come crashing down on him. Erosion took whatever materials they used as books away probably several thousands of years ago. Something that looked like a computer were scattered around but like other items on this planet, corroded, burnt out or dissolved into fine powder.

The pad gave off a beep indicating he was at the spot. He looked around until he saw it, a sliver, orange colored in nature. It looked like a pencil; about have the size of regular No.2. He put it over his scanner and indicated it was a data source like a micro drive. It took a few minutes to understand the complexity of the drive structure but eventually the pad figured out the syntax. He had it translated and it was what he thought a records device but this had only metallurgy on it and was of no use to him.

He recalculated his device for wide beam and several of the devices shown up on the screen like splotches meaning there was concentrations of them, maybe a library filing cabinet. He made a quick glance outside seeing that it was becoming dark soon and he could feel the air was gradually cooling. So he decided to pick up all the devices he could find which took over an hour with Ginn constantly in his head asking where he was and that if he was safe.

He transported several times from the location in the library to his vehicle. The last one was picked up and he teleported himself near his vehicle. He coalesced into form and something was there waiting for him. It was sniffing his vehicle and it resembled a bear, a very big brown bear with larger ears and a heavier body.

Eli looked into its mind and found out it was hungry and that it picked up his unusual scent. The worst part it was female and had cubs around so this was tricky for Eli to take care of. He would have a hard time to shoo this particular beast away and he did not want to harm it as it as just hungry and wanted something for her cubs and then a thought came to him.

"Ginn, I am in a pickle and need your help." Eli sent his thought to her which was instantaneous.

"Are you in trouble, do I need to bring weapons?" Her first instinct was to go down there with weapons but there was no fear in his thoughts, just concern.

"No and by now you can tell I am concerned about something. Well there is somewhat of a large animal, on our world similar to a grizzly bear, sniffing around my transportation and I have too many of these storage devices on me and I don't want to risk losing them if I materialize on Destiny. So can we spare one of those elks that you shot because this is a female and she is looking for food to feed her cubs?" Eli said which eventually calmed Ginn down.

"Oh, sure, I can do that. Where are you, near the gate?" She asked.

"No, I am the city, actually the downtown area were all the tall buildings are located." He gave her the description.

"I see. I can send it through the gate. You can transport there and pick it up and then give it to her. It will be a few moments, need to move it onto something you can carry it on." She said moving to the modify freezer he created.

She picked the smallest one and put it on a steel plank she pulled from the medical bay and transported the elk unto it and carried it to the gate room. She dialed down and found out it was dark. This kind of unnerved her a bit so her senses were heighten and then all alarms came up because it seems the predators come out night and they were zeroing in on her position and the strong smell of the elk like animal.

"Eli, you need to come get it now. I will have company soon and I do not want to be a part of someone's dinner." She thought nervously.

A few seconds later Eli appeared with a grin and gave her a few devices.

"Take these back and do a scan on them. These are about animal and plant life. I will take this off of you." He said handing her the sliver sticks.

He took hold of the steel slab and then transported back to his previous position and darkness was all he could see but his other senses were good, very good. The bear like creature was near him, about twenty feet away and picked up his scent along with a new one that she was familiar with. Eli went the opposite direction pulling the slab with him. He determined that he was far enough away and pushes the bloodied carcass off of it. He quickly spotted in the bear's mind that food is right here. Seconds later he could hear the cry of the bear while she sniffed the carcass. It looked at Eli with gratitude of thanks which put Eli in a slight shock that it understood what he has done. Eli watched as the bear ate, from time to time looked up at him for a few minutes. Eli enjoyed things like this and took it in. Soon six cubs came in a single file, the mother looked at Eli one more time with gratitude and Eli disappeared back to the spot where he laid the rest of the slivers down.

Even though the drive back was uneventful the cries and barks at night were unnerving and Eli thought about this planet and the humans on it. Something gnawed at him about the missing Kino's. The lit area around the gate, thanks to Ginn's forward thinking, made him think of something else, downloading the DHD history.

He recalled all the Kino's that he sent out earlier and about ten minutes later they appeared one by one. He took one of them and attached it to the DHD. He devised a way to remote dial the DHD if they ever got into a predicament if it was needed.

The download took a bit longer than he liked and he had to remind Ginn that he was okay and the light must have kept the night time prowlers away. There was a beep from the device indicated that the buffer was full and upload was complete so he packed it up and went through the gate.

The storage slivers were able to confirm that all the vegetation they picked up was okay and none of them had any proteins that would give analeptic shock to anyone and the elk was similar to the elk on Earth but much bigger. They did not decide to go get another as the other three were plentiful.

"Ginn, we will need to wake up Col. Young, TJ, Lt. Scott, Sgt. Greer, Dr. Brody and Dr. Gray." Eli said while setting up and interface between the Kino device to relay data to the computer on the main bridge.

"No Dr. Rush?" She inquired.

"Not right now. He would only talk or ask about what happened to Dr. Perry when we have other pressing things to discuss." He answered somewhat irritably trying not to think about it and gave a smile to reassure Ginn it was not directed at her.

"I understand but we will need his expertise. We're both smart but it does not mean the others are no less than we are either." She stated making sure the Eli new found prospective does not cloud his judgment.

"I did not mean it like that. He tends to take extremes if something is off-kilter and I rather that is done after I talk to the others. Anyway, how long will it be reversing the atrophy effects on their limbs? You said it would take an hour when I woke up?" He asked trying to steer the subject.

"Not long, the different mix of gases and electrode response conditions the muscles well. The only after affect is that their ligaments and joints are going to be kind of rigid. A lot of stretching will fix that." Ginn answered.

"Well that's good news. We can start on it as soon after you fix dinner." Eli looked at her before a frown formed on Ginn's face.

"I am not your wife or a woman to be push around, Eli" She feigned being upset even though being his wife would not be a bad idea.

She already had cut some steaks out for more than who they were releasing. Greens have been boiled and big salad bowl was created. The dressing was messy work and kind of hard to do because the many wild herbs they found had an earthy taste and pressing oil was no picnic so she cheated a little. The makeshift flat surface grill had enough holes to have a legitimate barbecue with some of the wood they found around gate site.

About an hour later everything was ready and they went to one of the pod sections that had the command crew and they started the thawing stage. The ETA was around fifteen minutes. Eli watched as Lt. Matthew Scott's body convulsed with blue electric arcs coursing around his body and he looked at the others who were going through the same thing. They were stimulating their muscles before they woke.

The eyes of Col. Young opened first as he was the first they started on. The glass encasing opened and he tried to take a step and almost fell but Ginn caught him. He looked up in horror seeing her but was too weak to run.

"You, you are dead. I saw your body. That means I am dead as well." The shock in his eyes was apparent until she went into his head.

"Colonel, I am not dead it is along story. Just relax" She said softly in his mind.

Col. Young did not know what to think or feel but he was really hungry and somewhat discombobulated. He tried to bring himself to walk but his legs will not move.

"Give it a moment, Colonel, the nerves are going through system checks to see if all synapses are running like normal. "Eli explained to Col. Young who looked his way.

"I see you got that last one working, good job." Col. Young stated then added after looking at Eli. "You look like you lost a lot of weight and have some muscle on you."

"Not necessarily true but I am here nonetheless. Here let me give you a stimulant." Eli walked over and looked at Col. Young and took out a small flashlight to check his eyes, ears and nose while pricking him with a hypo-needle.

"Okay, try standing up!" Eli gave Col. Young a makeshift cane so it was something he can lean on if he needed some more time to get his legs to work.

Col. Young was wobbly but he managed to straighten using the cane. Eli pointed for him to walk around in circles to have blood flow more freely and his gait became better and better until he did a slight jog.

"That is better. I am going to release the others on the staff if you don't mind. In the meantime stretch as much as you can but start slowly until you feel the pain of your joints" Eli instructed and it wasn't the timid voice that Col. Young was used to. It was more authoritative in nature which made the colonel wary.

"Sure, but first let me ask about the previous comment about you fixing the cubicle." Col. Young asked but more like an order.

"I will explain later. A lot has happened then and there is a lot going on now." Eli answered still with an attitude that made Col. Young more wary.

"Are we in trouble, are we under attack?" Col. Young asked looking at Eli who's demeanor was nonchalant and the looked at the supposedly been dead Ginn who just smiled.

"No and no, actually we might have the means to get home." Eli said and smile formed. "But first we have some mysteries that are important to solve which involve is us getting home. Like I said, we have been busy, so let's wake the others."

One by one each of them were released and they helped each other get their legs under them but they notice that Dr. Rush was not released but Col. Young did not say anything as he understood.

"Dr. Rush?" Dr. Camille Wray asked about him to anyone who listened, seeing his eyes closed still with a smirk like grin on his face.

Eli pointed at Ginn. "How can I explain about her to him?"

"He has a point Camille, besides, how did you survive? We put you on ice until we got home."

Eli smiled. "Well it is a complicated story." He moved to the door and got everyone's attention.

"Come, everyone, let me show you. Well, let me show you everything. I revived you all first because Ginn and I have some things we saw and learned about what is in this galaxy. I have been very busy and created a lot of nice things to make our journey home more enjoyable." Eli led the rest of the group out and told Ginn mentally to have dinner prepared.

"They went to where Ginn's original body was and it was still there." Eli felt the shock by several of them. Then he went over and pressed on the pale skinned face of Ginn and the body collapsed into a pool of gelatin.

"Ginn has ascended. She is no longer a normal human but an evolved one. If you remembered about our people that have befriended the SGC, she is now one of them." Eli scanned everyone in the area, some not believing, some wanted for him to explain it.

"So she fixed your cubicle so you were able to stay with us." Col Young asked still wary of the new Eli.

"No, kind of complicated. I never was able to fix the cubicle. I spent over two years awoke and partially insane the whole time." Eli answered with a slight distaste.

"Then how? You were in between galaxies with no food or water." Dr. Brody asked wondering about his young innocent like friend.

"Well, I was able to create a crude food replicator that eventually expired and almost took me with it. My dad helped me after I ignored him and then Ginn came along to help him to trick me into going through what I should have done a long time ago. But like he said and then Ginn, I needed to grow up first." Eli explained and he knew they still did not understand actually even more bewildered.

"Replicator, died, your dad, Ginn, go through? You are not making sense, Eli. "Col. Young stated but now was getting the feeling that something traumatic has happened and this was the end result. Eli looked and acted like an adult and the vibes he was throwing out was someone with supreme confidence in himself.

"Come, I can feel that you all are hungry. Ginn and I prepared a meal and I will explain my ordeal over dinner." He switched to a smile much to the chagrin of others as they all now were like Col. Young wary of Eli because they never saw this before on their journey.

"Great, porridge again, so this will be a short explanation" Ronald Greer growled.

All Eli could do from bursting out laughing was to smile really hard without exposing himself.

The walk was not far from an area they designated as the mess hall and the smell in the air did not help matters.

"That sure does not smell like porridge to me. It smells like a grill." Lt. Scott said and the others started to talk among themselves while Eli just kept walking and smiling.

Eli went through the opening first and smiled at Ginn and turned. He wanted to see their faces of shock on the food they prepared.

"That settles it! We have died because this is not possible!" Sgt. Greer said while his mouth started to water profusely as his saliva glands were overacting. The smell of grilled steaks filled the room up.

"How? Where did you get all of this food? Steaks, salad, vegetables and what is that?" Mr. Brody stated looking at the delicious spread. He pointed at the slightly pink looking drink that was in a big jug.

"That is wine. I kind of quick aged it if you don't mind so it will have a little kick." Eli said.

"Moonshine." Greer added.

"Nah, I wouldn't do that." Eli retorted.

"Take a seat and eat up to replenish your bodies after a very long sleep!" Ginn remarked excitedly trying to get them to not focus on her.

Sgt. Greer was the first to seat and the first to stab at one of the steaks that were still steaming. The others joined him after. After few bites Eli started the conversation.

"Okay, now that your stomachs are not crying out I can finally explain what happened during that time."

Eli explained the daily toils and frustrations but also the many projects he undertook and nifty devices he created and Col. Young like the DHD/Kino combos the most plus the all-terrain vehicle was something Greer and Scott liked. The amenities for the civilians were created as well for showering, entertainment and exercise.

"I see you were busy but you still didn't say how you survived without putting yourself on ice?" Dr. Brody asked. "Not to mention how your girl was raised from the dead, just saying, not picking a fight."

"It is okay. I kept all of that last because your faith and your understanding will be challenged." Eli said not masking the seriousness this moment is and he took a swig of the mulberry like fruit they made into wine.

"First, Ginn is real and my dad gave her ascension before her life was choked out. He was informed that this was going to happen so he sacrificed himself so that she could live and I can carry on the responsibilities that have been entrusted to me." The others look at him and Ginn who offered her patented smile. It was his story to tell.

"You keep saying dad. The records indicated you haven't seen or heard of him in a dozen years, left your mom who is really sick, no money or anything. More importantly out in the middle of nowhere he shows up. You are right this is testing my faith." Col. Young said.

"Gen. O'Neill and Dr. Rush came to my house and abducted me because you know why? It was foretold and I was the smartest individual ever to be accepted at the most prestigious school in the world without lifting one single book in high school and they set up a test that only I could pass. But behind that devious plan was my dad. He set everything in motion for me to be here in this place right now. This is also the reason why I am awkward around people as I never had social skills. Not because my mom kept me in the house. I just did not want companionship because I felt different and now I know why."

Eli had to calm himself down as he knew he would start to glow if he became overly excited.

"Still this does not explain your dad, Eli?" Dr. Wray said softly trying to bring the temperature down and saw Sgt. Greer wolf down another piece of steak which made her eyes roll.

"My dad is Alteran, or you know as Gen. O'Neill's friends in high places who are quite powerful and my mom is not from Earth. My dad found a seer in some far away galaxy that had special gifts of seeing future events and he wanted to know if he can have his family back together but found out that was not possible. The reason why I am smart because my dad taught me and the only reason why I was at school is to learn social behaviors as I was already smart enough to finish doctorate school by the time I was nine years old. But my training was not complete and I was steered to be on Destiny because Atlantis did not have the proper equipment on what I need."

"Wait, back up, so you are not human, like Earth human?" Dr. Brody asked.

"Technically no if you go by my parent's biological history but I was born on Earth. Like those of other planets that humans inhabit, I am like one of them but I am also Alteran as well." He explained trying to gauge their feelings and it was as he thought, their wariness increased some not believing but some did. Col. Young was the one that hid what he felt.

"Even if you are/were part Ancient, you still need to eat and drink and there was no way you could find anything for that whole period of time. Do you have some sort of powers?" Col. Young asked.

"I was about an hour from death, when she appeared, along with my dad. They tricked me into lying down and they forced my mind to sleep. They shackled me into the chair and then attach the Alteran device unto my head and slept for almost a year in it. During that time I was trained on my true identity and learned the history of my dad's people, the ones that Gen. O'Neill fought alongside with against the Ori." He explained.

"The head sucker?" Dr. Brody shouted. "That thing could have killed you."

"Actually Dr. Brody, my dad rigged this all for me to put it on. It was my fate to do so." He smiled.

They started to talk among themselves again about Dr. Rush experimenting with it.

"It would not have worked on anyone else but me. Dr. Rush attempted but he was giving what he needed to know so we could survive and now since I have fixed everything except places that need patches this ship is almost 100% complete." Eli told them.

The others looked at each other and looked at what they thought was just a normal highly gifted young adult human but now knew the real story.

"I am glad you are back and to see Ginn here as well. I think Dr. Rush might want some explanations." Dr. Wray said not wanting to be in either of the young adults place when they wake him.

"Well that is the other thing we need to discuss. When you are up to it, we can use the stones again. I think I know what happened but I have to confirm it. "

"So with this new body or revelation is there anything you can share with us. I mean conjuring foodstuff out of thin air is hard to believe." Col. Young asked.

"I don't care where this meat is from, it is the closest thing to a T-Bone we have since we been on this joyride." That brought some laughs while Greer smiled.

"Actually, no magic. Ginn hunted for the game and we gather the other stuff. The only magic I've done is creating these all-terrain vehicles, DHD devices and other little doo-dads for exploration from the locked schematics which now are unlocked and for use."

"Wait, are we over a planet?" Col. Young asked and never thought once to ask them their position because of all the revelations that were coming out.

"Yes, a planet called Chillicott. Used to be inhabited by humans like us called the Chillicotti. We are in the next galaxy cluster group that is next to our own. I have mapped every stop that Destiny been to including our own Solar system and when you see where the originating point is, you are not going to believe it. I will save it because the planet below has some information about the past I brought back up including lots of food. But unfortunately we will need Dr. Rush awake when we go through all the data." Eli stated while finishing his last bite.

Ginn came over to grab the makeshift plates feeling the scrutiny by the eyes around the table. She could understand their reluctance and subsequent viewing her as a ghost. Then she purposely took a knife and cut herself when cutting into a potato like vegetable. Blood started to flow.

"Let me take a look at that." TJ said with her instincts taking over.

She got a napkin and brought it to Ginn and pressed on the cut. "Looks kind of nasty. Is the med bay still there or did you change it at all?"

"Outside of me emptying all the Calcium Carbonate tablets, I did not touch anything else." Eli answered knowing why Ginn pulled that little stunt.

The two females left the room.

"I still can't believe she is still here." Dr. Wray said softly then continued. "I watched her eat and saw the food go down here throat, she burped and now I see blood."

"I know but what my dad did was something I would never be able to repay him. He told me everything and why he left me and my mom. The sacrifices to keep us alive and for me to fulfill our family's legacy is now burned into me."

"Where is your mom from? What is she? Why is she sick?" Col. Young asked yearning to know the mysteries of this young talented man who now is more than what he thought.

"I don't know, they did not tell me. She knows a language that is not of Earth and I've seen something similar below on the planet and since I have access to every bit of information on this ship, there are a lot of things that will open your eyes."

"So, you know how to get us home?" Matt asked.

"Yes, but we are missing something and we need to find them because it is a key to why history is the way it is and expands not only our galaxy but all those that our ancestors populated." Eli said.

"What is it?" Dr. Brodie asked.

"Kino's, three of them to be exact. The Chillicotti took them when they left the planet 8000 years ago."

He looked around the table and they looked at each other.

"So the planet is inhabited?"

"Was." Eli answered quickly.

"Oh, what happened?" Dr. Wray asked curiously.

"They were bombed into the Stone Age and nukes were used as well to finish off whatever aerial bombardment from space did not accomplish as the ones below were more than what we are on Earth about several hundred years. When you all are rested we can take a look down there but make sure you are armed. You won't see much in standing structures and I retrieve all the information on the planet I need from an equivalent of a library. After I talk to Gen. O'Neill, then I can release the other information."

Eli turned to Col. Young who now looked at Eli he was an adult, not because he was powerful, he radiated confidence.

"Sorry Col. Young this information I don't know if you have access to it or not. There is something afoot that Destiny has dodged for many millenniums and by the damages she has sustained it is imperative we find those orbs. This galaxy is wrought with danger, I can feel it. The quicker we find the orbs the quicker we leave this galaxy" Eli looked and felt for Col. Young's reaction and he received none. Col. Young was still wary of him but gave him the benefit of the doubt.

A few minutes later, the two ladies returned and Ginn had a bandage on her cut hand.

"She is in good health, good live heartbeat. She is Ginn." TJ responded with a smile and a relief washed over Eli.

"Can we use the stones now so we can get going?" Eli offered.

"Yep, stones, so we can wake the others." Col. Young said as he got up and headed for his office. He needed to be alone with Eli to assess what information he can get out of him or vibes. He can tell Eli has changed but was it for the better is what eluded him.

"Matt, Ronald, you got KP duty. Doctors, help with Ginn in preparing the meal for others when they wake." Col. Young said with a smile. He could already tell morale was great and a good meal could do that as the two soldiers had no issue doing a thankless job.

"Col. Young I have managed to create some games similar to what we saw on TV for entertainment to keep their minds active and engage or our journey home." Eli said and then turned to Dr. Gray. "Here are the instructions." He gave Dr. Gray another pad like device.

"A makeshift entertainment center was created in this room. It was not like I was idled. Whatever I could think of I tried to create." He added.

Col. Young led Eli to his office and noticed that the door has never been opened by Eli before. There were some dust build up but nothing out of the ordinary in his room. The case was there with the stones. He picked up the case and they both went to the bridge. Col. Young noticed that it felt different, more alive and started to read all the data that Eli had on the screen.

"You never thought about using them, not even contacting your mom, Eli" Col. Young asked and looked at Eli who had a simple smile on his face.

"Thought of? Yes, many times, but never went through with it because it would have been selfish and something could have went wrong and put us into an even direr situation. I just weigh the pros and cons of the situation." He finally answered. He watched and felt the many things going through Col. Young's psyche. To him the colonel could not measure him but more in awe of him.

"I see. No shit you grew up really fast. It feels like we are equals now." Col. Young said honestly.

"We aren't. You are the leader of this group and I am just here to give advice or help when needed." Eli answered him likewise honestly.

Col. Young could see the mostly brown planet below and it was heart-breaking due to the history but Eli said earlier what is on the surface was anything but.

"Destiny, can you open a communication link to SGC?' Eli ordered the avatar who was on watch at all times.

"Opening link now, Mr. Wallace." A moment later a female avatar appeared startling Col. Young.

"Destiny, this is SGC. You are out of normal communication rotation. We thought you would incapacitated for another three months. No one is here at this hour." The on call duty controller replied to the call.

"Well, we made it sooner than we thought and we need an emergency recall for Gen. O'Neill. Tell him it is a Code 1 priority." Col. Young ordered.

"Will do Col. Young, do you want me to stay online?" The controller asked. Col. Young looked at Eli.

"I fixed it, no need to worry about power consumption" Eli replied with a grin.

"Yeah, I thought so. I can tell when I got to the bridge a lot of instruments are lit that wasn't there before. Also seeing shields, turrets and main gun in the green as well gave it away. I guess you've been busy."

"Not much else to do instead of chasing ghosts but fortunately they were chasing me." Eli said.

"Colonel, I have the General online." The controller interrupts the banter between Eli and Col. Young.

"Colonel, wasn't expecting you this soon. I guess you made it across the void. How is the crew?" Jack asked with a bit more enthusiasm for someone who should be sleeping.

"Well only a few of us was released so we made sure all was well before releasing the others. Now I need to ask for a few things and it requires using the stones. Do you have anyone I can swap with?" Col. Young asked.

He heard the General bark at someone and they came over.

"Sorry, had to find the first person I saw. This is…." Jack barked again. "Mr. Lavin, he is a technician. Explain to him what is going to happen so he doesn't faint."

"Mr. Lavin, my name is Col. Young on the ship Destiny. I need to borrow your body for a few minutes. You will on my ship in the meantime so don't freak out." Col. Young could tell that the engineer was already freaked out.

"I know who you are Colonel and your mission and that you can't wait to get home. I also heard about these devices which are outdated…" He heard a quit shut up coming from Jack. This made Col. Young arch his eyebrow.

"As I was saying can we get this over with, please?" Dr. Lavin said nervously.

"Sure." Col. Young gave the doctor instructions and they changed spots. Dr. Lavin look at the old and someone dated bridge of Destiny as it look similar to the ones they were updating on Mars.

Destiny Bridge

Same time

"Doctor?" Eli spoke wondering if the transfer took place.

"Yes" He looked at Eli like he did not know of him. The doc pictured according to Gen. O'Neill that Eli looked like a chubby frat boy on a ship full of men when he was given the crew roster.

"How is everything back home?" Eli asked trying to gauge how much the doctor knew and what Eli saw, it blew him away. He best decided not to be over excited because of the leakage. He piggy-back over the communication link and sent a quick message to Gabriel about what has transpired in the fastest way possible. Gabriel already knew of Eli and what he been through so he quickly relayed what happened on Mars, which made Eli smile. They had a plan.

"Fine, everything is fine. We are trying to find any super gates in the galaxy you are in currently so you can come home. We found three bi-directional and one unidirectional which is a receiving one only in our Milky Way." He answered knowing he was under orders not to reveal too much.

"That is great news." Eli said but he already knew from the data packet Gabriel sent to him.

Olympus Mons

Same time

"Col. Young, so tell me what Eli had done to maximize the engines to shave off so much time without endangering the fuel reserves?" Jack asked and subsequently Col. Young explained what happened but did not reveal that Eli was different until the right time.

"So you are saying that Eli found some ancient recording devices on the planet you are orbiting?"

"Yes, but there is another matter that you must attend to first due to an unusual phenomena that has occurred on our trip. Ginn has somewhat miraculously appeared. Dr. Rush friend Dr. Amanda Perry perished when our Ginn perished. I believe some of your friends brought her back to life or did something that I can't understand as well because of laws of the stones. If Ginn is alive on our ship, Dr. Perry should be alive here."

Jack looked at Everett for a moment to gauge in how serious this is and the colonel did not flinch. Jack turned to Gabriel. "Yo, Gabe, I need you to come here for a moment."

The Alteran construct walked over to Dr. Lavin who Col. Young change places with. "I see you are using the stones again."

Col. Young gave the construct a blank look of not understanding.

"May I help you Colonel?" Gabriel asked breaking the colonel's gaze.

"No, it is I who need help. Is there a way you can find an ascended being or humans who have heighten abilities?" Jack asked and in a way Gabriel contorted because Jack would never ask for something like that.

"Why? That is an unusual request." Gabriel responded playing along. "What happened?"

"Someone tampered with ascension and you know how they get upset if anyone who is not authorize to do it ends up. Ginn, a former Lucian Alliance member is alive on Destiny and understanding how the properties of transitivity works, under the guise of the stone, both members receive equal treatment."

"Ah, I see. I will put 'feelers' out and see if I come up with anything." Gabriel pretended he was accessing the system but he was making a call to one of his friends in higher places and got back the results almost instantly.

"Yes, you are correct but she is being indoctrinated now and because of her background she is bit of a pain in the ass as they say. She can walk now which would be impossible due to her prior condition and they are working on how a miracle could happen because her colleagues in the medical field would not buy that rationale."

"Thank you, so this will head off Dr. Rush on Destiny when we wake him up. We have some clues about this galaxy already as Destiny been through it before and left some markers. We are going to follow up on it and see if they have any information on super gates for this particular galaxy." Col. Young stated while he looked at the facility they were in more intently than before and not understanding what he was seeing which Jack purposely did.

Jack could tell that Col. Young was hesitant about something.

"What is it Everett? How is the morale?" Jack asked trying to sidetrack the colonel.

"Morale is fine now, probably more than fine. Eli fixed a lot of things on the ship. Efficiency is probably at peak levels outside of the holes Destiny has endured over the millennia. We are over a planet that have some of these funny images that Eli said were similar to what you refer to as Furlings you and Col. Maybourne saw. I know you briefed me on these lost allies before but we never saw them according to records."

When Jack heard that it made him rethink everything. They thought they went off to somewhere and wanted be left alone but seeing their technology in some galaxies away opened the door to something they could shoot for.

"It was somewhat like Furling? And Eli mentioned it. How does he know about the Furlings?" Jack was bewildered. After all Eli and Dr. Rush, who didn't know about the Furlings either, would know that.

"I will let him explain it. Eli has changed and you knew he was the last one that went into the pods but he never enter it." Everett let that sink in. And on cue Jack face change like in 'how?'

"There is no way he could survive on that ship for three years with a limited supply of food or water." Jack was becoming suspicious that there is more to this.

"Like I said, I don't believe it either, but he did and he has changed and his life story is something I am having some issues with outside of him being a genius." Col. Young stated and agreed with Gen. O'Neill about the Alteran protégé'.

"Okay, let me find someone else so he can exchange bodies so I can ask him myself." Jack said and then saw Gabriel nodded and made a gesture.

"Not needed." Gabriel said and asked for Eli it was okay to come over via the comm.

"Okay, I never done this but everything is in place. Gabriel are you ready for the transfer?" Eli asked.

"Wait, what is going on? How did you know about Gabriel?" Jack did a double take.

"Long story General." Eli looked at Gabriel who smiled and seeing not only they have audio they now have visual.

"I see you've been busy. Your dad is really proud of you. The system is ready, you can transfer now" Gabriel said and Jack's mouth just drop as all of this went way over his head.

One minute Dr. Lavin was seeing a tall muscular young man and next he watch Eli slowly converted himself into a ball of energy and enter the communications panel. A minute later, a ball of energy erupted out of the Olympus Mons panel with Eli coalescing right in front of Gen. O'Neill which took every ounce of his body of not fainting.

It took a minute for Jack to regain his bearings and about a half a million questions popped up in his head. Eli looked real right in front of him, not some ghost or anything and was well built and not the chubby kid that he tricked when he brought him to the Icarus base.

"Is that you, Eli?" Jack asked losing all military bearing he has gained through the years.

"Yes sir, it is me in the flesh." Eli said now forming a smirk as he was eating this up. At first he was pissed at what Jack did taking him away from his mom but now without him doing it, they were a doomed family.

"But how?" Jack tried to find something to say but could not shake the feeling that something profound has happened.

"To make it short Jack, I am not totally human. I am part Alteran, like my dad, like Janus, like Merlin, like Chaya Sar, like the former Orlin, like Morgan Le Fay." He answered watching and feeling Jack's mind swirl in circles. It was too much for him.

"I see" Jack said and studied him gaining some understanding now and his bearing came back. The things he been through his career solidified his resolve. He knew that the others had powers that could do what Eli just did but seeing someone who was born on Earth do it was a bit much for him.

"So you know that Destiny was constructed here, the first of her kind and the only one that lasted this long." This got Col. Young's attention. Eli noticed that instantly and smiled.

"Col. Young like I said, there is a lot of things that the others must not know about." Eli looked at Jack who nodded to confirm what Eli said was the truth.

"General, can you get us home?" Col. Young asked and Jack looked at Gabriel and then at Eli. They all had the look of that is not a problem.

"Yes, we know the location of Destiny, but there is a problem in the galaxy you are in." Gabriel said which received a look from Jack who did not know that.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Jack said hurt.

"Because what Eli is doing now. He has brought me an update on every world that Destiny has been and there is some alarming data on some of the gates and the histories of some of the races that were barely walking when Destiny and her sisters visited. The one who wiped out our people for one are out there and still looking for any of those who are gifted like Eli and the last of these people left from the planet that Destiny is over now. They would be the second iteration of humans on par with the Atlanteans"

"Is it fair to keep our people on that ship longer to go after some more data?" Jack said not understanding how a construct would even think of something like that. Now that construct is making Jack doubt he is even a construct at all but something or someone else.

"Speaking like a human I see. Well if you want to confront these entities later with no information, well, you will end up like them or Atlanteans as in dead and an extinct race or Eli and Col. Young can track down these missing Kino's because they went missing or hiding for a reason. "Gabriel said eyeing Jack.

Jack thought about it and he knew from his dealings with other Alterans that a race of equals that wiped them out using a plague and Earth who is primitive compared to them would not survive if something like that was ever released upon them.

"You have a point but I would advise stalling tactics first to give you the time to track down the Kino's. I imagine you already know where the super gate is? Jack said giving in to the two Alteran's.

"Technically Gabriel can't say it but he knows I will find it eventually and these Kino's are the key. You have to remember General, I might have powers but there is responsibility that comes with them. If you think how hard they can come down on my father, Oma Desala, Merlin and the others, I am just a novice compared to them and would be instantly ripped from this plane." Eli explained.

"Point taken. Just don't take too long and keep an eye out for them and you as well Col. Young." Jack said somberly.

"That I will and Col. Young is still in charge as I have no aspirations of usurping him in any way. " Eli stated to ensure Jack that he is playing team ball.

"I would advise not to use stones anymore and I know that would be some form of bad morale for the crew. Just tell them that they are close to getting home and Eli did create some nice form of entertainment for them and made life easier on Destiny as he has full access and all their schematics." Gabriel said adding in.

"We will do that." Col. Young said. He nodded to Jack and Eli smiled and gave Gen. O'Neill a shake and nodded at Gabriel who was feeding him information the whole time going back and forth. Due to the upgrades being retrofitted to the fleet of Neptune class ships, some can be implemented on Destiny as well.

They switched the bodies and Eli coalesced back on the bridge along with Col. Young who felt much better than he has had since they embarked on this trip.

"Remember let's keep this to ourselves. First we must decipher the stargate log of all the trips conducted to and from this stargate to see where the survivors went to." Col. Young said and Eli acknowledged him by nodding.

Col. Young looked at all the now available instrumentation on the bridge that was converted to English by Eli. He smiled knowing that all was okay and they only had one mission to perform before going home.

"So it begins….." He said to himself.

THREE DAYS LATER…

The crew was jovial as there was plenty of food and wine for everyone and the question most often ask was about the super gate in the galaxy and its location. Dr. Rush who at first did not acknowledge Ginn and Eli's real biological parents and current status came around after accepting that his Amanda Perry is alive as well and walking but bringing her around her colleagues was an issue. What made Dr. Rush happy was that Destiny was open to him but most of his previous theories went down the drain but new ones arrived. Of the galaxies Destiny has been too, a few of them stuck out and he hope that Destiny would take them to these regions even though some were depicted as dangerous.

"Col. Young since everyone has awakened and had their fill how soon are we able to take a trip down and study the Stargate addresses and retrieve these orbs so we can be on our way?" Dr. Rush who was eating on what he determined was between a plum and an apple.

"Soon, TJ needs to make sure everyone is medically cleared and our muscles don't snap if we have to retreat. Even the predators around the gate gave Eli and Ginn pause when they visited even though the predators are primarily nocturnal." Col. Young answered taking a drink of a non-alcoholic drink staring at the planet below.

Destiny radar picked up some debris from the planet's orbit, possibly caught during the bombardment and Eli's was going over the weapon's signature from energy weapons used over 8000 years ago. He concluded that the weapons were heavy plasma based, not as strong as Destiny but the planet counter strike was substantial as well. The plasma cannons were of medium yield considering the debris encountered did not originate from the planet.

"Col. Young, the analysis determined that the invaders used some automated ships to destroy the planet akin to the ones we have encountered before. I think we are looking at an earlier version of those ships." Eli said and agreeing with Destiny's Avatar.

"So you are thinking they are chasing Destiny for a reason that Destiny probably saw what happened and left before they can turn their sights on to this ship?" Col. Young questioned but thinking that Eli might be on to something.

"Yes, the logs during the visits were scrambled and didn't make sense but we are working on it. Who do you have in mind in looking for the Kino's? And if you don't mind, I feel more comfortable that either myself or Ginn has to be in the party and one on the ship because we have more intimate knowledge incase repairs that need to be made." Eli stated but not as arrogant as he was before. He tried to be less bossy to Col. Young showing that he was honoring his commanding officer.

"Noted, but the problem is that people don't trust her yet and her being somewhat powerful is something we have to overcome as well. So I decided if you don't mind that she will be in the party since there will be a few of us and they are able to handle themselves with integrity."

"You mean not as jumpy if she disagrees?" Eli interrupted.

"Exactly. I will be with the group, along with Matt and Ronald, Hanson and Alleruby." He hesitated for a moment. "And possibly Dr. Rush." He sighed.

"I will inform Ginn not to turn him into a toad or anything and keep away from him." Eli understood what Col. Young was getting at.

"Sounds like a plan. So who's in charge of Destiny and it can't be me." Eli asked making sure he was not selected and it was not because he couldn't. It didn't feel right and he was the second youngest among them all.

"Dr. Gray and then Dr. Brody, TJ is in charge of the military, but I don't think you all will have an issue. Standard protocols and thinking we are not up against timers anymore, we have a lot of play in what we can or cannot do." Col. Young answered and saw Eli smiled and he saw a sigh of relief in Eli's face.

Col. Young went to his chair and turned on his communications.

"TJ, Camille and Dr. Brody, can you come to the bridge please?" He ordered.

All three responded and arrived a few minutes later. Col. Young could see that Camille and TJ were arguing about something that was brought up from the planet. It had to do something with soap or shampoo production.

"Ladies?" Col. Young said and they both stopped and then smiled. Col. Young could tell it was a friendly spat.

"Eli and I have came up with party configurations and we want to let you know that Eli is staying on the ship and Ginn is going with the party that includes me, Lt. Scott, MSgt. Greer, Sgt Hanson and Alleruby and Dr. Rush. On Destiny, Camille is going to be in charge, Brody her second and TJ will deal with any military matters." Col. Young watched them all nod their heads with no complaints. If Dr. Rush won't be around there was not much to complain about.

"So, when they are cleared by TJ, we will embark on this mission. Do you have an ETA by the way?" Col. Young looked at TJ.

"Tomorrow around noon, need to do a flex test on all joints so you all don't snap a ligament when you have to run to or from something. With Ginn, I don't think you need a healer so I can't say or think of anything else." TJ answered after Ginn told her she is her primary backup medic but no bringing people back from death.

"Good, we have determined there are only six addresses we saw they interact with on a constant basis. Eli and I will check them out later on today for any calamities you might find. I need you to brief the ones that are going and if Dr. Rush starts to complain, please let me know." Col. Young said while he looked over the Kino's that they were able to build just for this purpose.

TJ left to join the others and see what type of entertainment Eli provided.

Eli realized during his alone time on Destiny that it was a remarkable ship that had a lot of self-repair capabilities that were shut off or cut off from them along with a few passengers both welcome and not welcomed. A room stock full of Kino's, parts to gates even though they did not have enough material to create even one, but instead markers that could be set down on a planet for later placement but that never came about. One of the most important equipment in stock which was broke that he wanted to fix now that Gabriel gave him the schematics was a construction droid, or he calls VINCENT, which it resembled from a movie he saw with its anti-grav use of motion. All it lacked was a few parts and unfortunately it did not exist on the planet below. Other spare pieces were used to build the stuff that made life easier for the others. Eli felt he had a knack for it and somehow felt that this was who he was.

"What are you doing Eli, a grocery list?" Col. Young asked when he saw Eli jot down something on his tablet.

"No, the metals needed to fix a couple of construction bots. It seems that they were shot at when attempting to fix the ship after a fire fight. Some burnt out panels. It is a miracle Destiny was able to retrieve them. Just trying to find the right combination if we can't find a pure replacement." Eli said, seeing his list was more than ten items and knew that only Ginn would figure this out and possibly Dr. Rush.

"K, I am done. I have six Kino's programmed for the addresses to not only look for the Kino's but also if this material is within gate range." Eli said while programming the last orb. " I am ready whenever you are."

The two men packed up their things to gate down to the planet below. Eli refused to take any weapons with him while Col. Young did not take any chances bringing but his hand Glock, an Ancient pulse pistol, retrieved from the now weapons locker and the standard SGC rifle.

The gate energize while some of the others watch them go through. Col. Young could tell the morale was probably the best it has ever been since they first arrive and all he could was smile and Eli who is always scanning could tell that his mentor and boss was more relaxed knowing they will get home. The only matter is when but more importantly much sooner.

Olympus Mons

Same time

Gen. O'Neill looked down at his notes while Gen. Caldwell, Gen. Ellis, Gen. Carter-O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Col. John Shepard, Col. Cameron Mitchell and President Henry Hayes watched him while waiting for him to speak.

"Thanks for you all coming here at this time and on short notice. The good news is that Destiny has been located and if I you look up at the screen pay attention to the galaxy cluster and our galaxy, they are not that far away." Gabriel had the pointer out showing Destiny's location.

"The bad news, the region is patrolled by beings that may have constructed the first plague to take out special or advanced humans. Eli Wallace provided me with some footage and notes on a destroyed planet they are over now. This occurred about 8000 years ago and the advancements from that time till now would make them even more powerful." There was some small talk from some of the individuals and Jack had to clear his throat.

"There is a lot more information that I will release and this is top secret at the highest level and this group I trust more than anyone in the universe which means I also need your help." Jack said watching their faces.

"What is so important now Jack? Destiny is found and if she could survive this long, we shouldn't doubt her getting our people home." Daniel interrupted like he usually does when he has a point to make.

"I was getting to that. The last communication we provided them with schematics to update the ship with better firepower and secondary power requirements for weapons and shields just in case. Eli will be in charge of that." Jack said and on cue the objections came.

"He is just a kid, around 24 years old with no military or engineering experience for a vessel that is eons years old?" It was his wife Sam that was the loudest.

Jack started to laugh, startling the others. They didn't know, good, he thought.

"That kid left here a 250 pound frat boy that looked like he sat on his fat ass his whole life but he was a genius then and still is one and more. Now he is a 180 pound muscle bound freak of nature and someone I would not want to mess with because he is also Alteran." Jack let that sink in watching a lot of faces and confusion.

"You are joking." President Hayes blurted.

"Not a joke sir, not at all. You know what he did. He shrunk himself into a ball of energy and piggy back his way from Destiny who is like seven galaxies over in a straight line and reappeared right in front of me and I could smell what he had for dinner."

"Didn't Oma Desala and Morgan Le Fay travel like that?" Daniel asked.

"Yes they did Daniel now that you've mentioned it. Now Eli can do that same thing but like I said, the entities in that galaxy are looking for people like him so he is hunkering down low for now so he won't bring them to Destiny even though they know she is in their galaxy and will either attack her or hitch a ride to ours. Also, Ginn has been resurrected like Christ himself and an ascended human that is linked to Eli. The both of them are investigating this threat along with bringing our people home when they locate the Super Gate in that galaxy." Jack continued.

"If they have the power requirements now, why can't we bring them home like right now through the gate?" Gen. Ellis asked and like always looking at the big picture and the subtle things people miss.

"Great question and the first one that I asked and was promptly debunked by Eli. The gate signature is huge and Destiny would be a huge target for the beings and we can't have them using the gate as a means to do what they have done to others if they overtook the vessel." Jack answered.

"You have a point but it seems you aren't finished." Gen. Caldwell said and looked at Gen. Ellis who seemed satisfied with the answer with a nod and smile directed at the General.

"No, in addition to Eli's new identity, Destiny has a lot of upgrades that were added after she left here namely a few passengers who we think were Furlings. Gabriel informed me of some of their technology that the ancients did not use that can be useful for us now here at this facility and on Earth. He will brief you later on them. " Jack saw a hand raised. It was Col. Sheperd.

"Should I tell my wife that another of their flock has awakened?"

"She already knew John." Gabriel answered for O'Neill.

"Dammit, she doesn't tell me shit about her people." John was not happy and becoming more angry with his powerful Alteran wife.

"Believe me Colonel, for a good reason and why Eli's name should not be mentioned about being Alteran either nor his mom." Gabriel said more seriously than he usually is.

"His mom is too?" Sam asked.

"No, but she is not from Earth either." Gabriel said with a smile. "Without her knowledge of the Furling language Eli would not understood the planet they were on. And no the Furlings are not there either as I would know. They are elsewhere and I have a hunch but it would be dangerous to look for them haphazardly because they want to remain in hiding."

"Which leads us to this. These clues they are picking up will help us cast a wide net out on those that exterminated our ancestors or force them to ascension and find out where the Furlings are and what they have to do with all else is going on." Jack said as he looked around the table. Determined faces, pent up with many question he could tell.

"Now we need to meet Destiny if she can come here or any of the near-by galaxies in our cluster. So I need to get training up running around the clock. We are looking at two to four months before they are home based on calculations if they are lucky. It would take them that long to get to the edge before another two-year journey to the next galaxy and I don't want that. Abe what is the status of the fleet"

Gen. Ellis, the operational commander of the fleet measured Jack so he could give him the best and honest response.

"Two more Ares class christened, four Neptune class ready for initial shakedown, just need crew, all Artemis and Hermes are manned. Several dozen have seen action already."

"Good, need one Ares with remora capabilities, four Artemis and six Hermes to welcome them. I hope you have a trained crew ready as Gabriel seems to be a bit jumpy about them being attacked." Jack said.

"Can't we just go to them?" Col. Mitchell asked, finally saying something.

"If we can find the gate travel capabilities, possibly, but Gabriel is telling me there is a reason the gate to that galaxy is closed and I already provided that."

"That doesn't make sense, you said they need to find a gate to get home and now you said we can't go there?" Col. Shepard barked with a frown on his face.

"I know, the gate is not bi-directional to this galaxy and we don't know which way it goes but we will have to be there just in case. If they can come through, someone most likely will come with them and that is why I am sending a fleet and not just a Hunter or two. If it goes from our galaxy to the one they are in, then I am sending only the Ares through to meet them and escort them to the next galaxy without waiting two years, which is why I require a remora upgrade."

John's face changed from being frumpy into a smile. "Ah, I understand, nice plan."

"Don't thank me, Gabriel explained that to me and it made sense to me. He knows where the gate is and there is the other reason why we sending more than a few ships." Jack let that sat with them then spoke with a bitter look on his face.

"Near Kobol, the Cyrannus Sector where those accursed Colonials and Cylons reside."

And as Jack thought when he said it, another round of complaints ensued.