Chapter 5

(1700 Hours/August 9, 1997/UNSC Cruiser Pillar of Autumn/Location in orbit behind dark side of the moon)

It has been an hour since the news has been delivered and it's safe to say that not everybody was thrilled with the news. Aboard the bridge of the Pillar of Autumn captain Keyes was reading the reports with a grim look on his face.

"Three more riots, one Injured" Cortana said in an all too calm tone as she reviewed the actions of the past two hours. Keyes was irritated and troubled that he detected a hint of amusement in her tone. "Your little speech about our dilemma didn't create as much chaos as I thought it would. No immediate damage to the Autumn or any of her-" he could of swore he heard her say my"systems."

He just nodded, and thought (well it could have gone worse).

"What about the planet? Earth," he corrected himself. It was the same word and world he knew that. But at the same time it was so different backwards and primitive. "Has anything new happened down there, Cortana?"

He thought about what little he could remember from school. Within three years, the War on Terrorism would start coinciding with the Oil Crisis and the Global Depression. They would undergo upheavals as old powers waned and new ones started showing their worth. People would begin investing in space exploration and colonization, the predecessor to the future colonies of the UEG. The nations down there would endure the petty little crises and go on to begin colonization efforts of the Moon and Mars in eighty years. They wouldn't even form a united government until the 22nd Century. The United Nations didn't even possess a military arm, unlike it would later in the future due to the Rainforest Wars.

But then he thought as he closed his eyes.

Who was to say that this Earth would follow the same path of events that his Earth had gone through? This Stargate program never existed in their timeline. If it had they would have been better prepared for the Covenant invasion, they wouldn't have been so outmatched by their enemy. From what Cortana had read, the Jaffa's Staff weapons were fairly strong. Weapons like those, refined and adapted for real war, would have changed what? humanity always won on ground. It was space that was the decisive factor in the war.

Even so, if his Earth had a Stargate Program, he was certain they would have held back the Covenant, or at least stemmed their advance into UNSC Space. Maybe even win a few more engagements in the war. He found it slightly ironic that the SGC was fighting a religiously-based Empire like the Covenant, this Goa'uld Empire. Parasitic beings taking on the personas of Gods using humans as hosts and slaves.

(They're dealing with things too big for them to comprehend) he thought darkly. (This Program has already started a war between them and these Goa'uld) He realized of course that the Goa'uld had invaded first a few months ago, but the Americans had blundered into a delicate scenario. They didn't have the slightest idea of what to expect out there, besides the few humanoid races they've encountered, not including the Goa'uld.

The actions of the SGC, their secrecy from the rest of the world, reminded him of ONI. Perhaps that wasn't a fair comparison, but it was a close one. The SGC, while it proclaimed its mandate to be for the betterment of the human race and Earth, was essentially working for the betterment of the United States. An American-run organization being run in secret, behind the backs of everyone, it wasn't hard to see the truth. While ONI's Special Weapons projects were often questionable, he had to admit their effort worked in favor of mankind. The SPARTAN Program was one example.

"Captain, are you listening?"

Broken from his trance, Keyes blinked and found himself staring at the annoyed face of Cortana. "Sorry," he said, "continue on," keyes added.

"Stargate Command is working closely with NASA," Cortana said, taking on a more professional tone, "and the European Space Agency is scouring the skies for us. The Russians and French are doing the same, and I've made a few 'phantom' Slipspace windows for them here and there, to keep them guessing."

"You're playing with them," he observed.

Her avatar shrugged and he had to smile at the gesture. "What if I am, Captain? My duty is to defend humanity, and right now I'm defining it as 25th Century humanity, meaning the people aboard this ship. Unless you give the order, I won't allow anything or anyone to jeopardize the safety of this ship."

"A bit extreme, isn't it Cortana?" Keyes said warily.

Cortana gave him 'the look.' "I don't define myself between your little groups, Captain. What I define as my duty right now is whatever I think is for the best. Of course the final answer is up to you, Captain. But I am here to help."

Keyes scowled.

He deliberated on what actions he should take. He already knew what he was going to do, but he needed to keep his already limited options as numerous as possible. This was a dangerous situation there was no way for him to know what would happen below. Worst case scenario, the more reactionary nations North Korea, Iran, and America would react in a violent manner. Best case scenario would be that there would be minimal disturbance.

He chuckled at that. Humanity, at its best, had always been violent, masking their violence, covering their nature with lies of wanting peace and unity. In the end though, he admitted, humanity often deluded itself into thinking that they were capable of hiding their nature. History though, never allowed them to hide it.

"Sir, some new developments," Cortana's disembodied voice said. He sighed and shook his head. By her neutral tone, he knew that the news wouldn't be in his favor.

"Go ahead."

"Stargate Command has recovered one of their 'SG-Team's' from off world under heavy fire. However, I've detected unusual seismic activity concurrent with the activation of the Stargate in Colorado. Sir, based on the files I've liberated from Stargate Command, I would presume that there may be another Stargate in Antarctica. Sir I'm also detecting a Hexagonal shaped structure located just 100 feet below the ice in the same region it might be a base of some kind left behind by the one's who made the gate's just like the Forerunner structures on earth" She has no idea how close her first guess hit home.

"Another one?"

"Yes sir," Cortana stated.

That was interesting, Keyes noted. Two Stargate's on Earth and a ancient alien base he doubted that Stargate Command knew about them considering they had yet to make any movements to Antarctica. He stood up and straightened his uniform then took a deep breath. "Going somewhere Captain?"

"I've made my decision Cortana."

"Oh?"

He didn't answer as he walked out, making his way towards the Bridge. He noticed that someone had painted BACK TO EARTH on a wall, and made a note to have someone clean that up. He had to restore order on his ship this would not be tolerated anymore. It would not be tolerated anymore, he assured himself.

"Captain," Ensign Lovell said, the first to notice him.

"At ease," he said, walking to the front of the bridge. "Ship-wide broadcast Cortana."

"Yes sir ready when you are."

"This is your Captain speaking," he stated. "We have been through a lot since Reach. We have fought an unknown alien race and we have found ourselves not only out of our own time but out of our own timeline. This isn't the UEG or the UNSC, but this is Earth." He saw a few uncertain glances from a few bridge officers and ignored them. "In those stars lie the Covenant, gathering their strength and expanding. Our oath was to the UNSC, but the UNSC does not exist yet. Right now there are six billion humans on Earth, unaware of the threat, involving themselves in acts beyond them, playing games with powers beyond them. It is our duty to lead them and protect them. We swore to defend humanity from the threats beyond, and we will."

He was silent then after a moment of pause he spoke.

"We will contact Earth."