Have Moon Will Travel
"Moonbase Alpha status report, Dr. Helena Russell-Koenig recording, moral is still high even weeks after the Stragoth ships were shot down and they stopped their flybys over Moonbase Alpha. The Re'tu have conducted several more successful test flights yet remain cautious about the hyperdrive test.
We have had another possible alien ally show up, the Mondoshawan. This had both Tolok and Dr. Daniel Jackson of SG-1 excited. Apparently they have been among the many aliens to visit Earth in the past, in their case 1914 was their latest visit. High ranking Jaffa priest had not only heard of them but had worked with them on projects that did not so much benefit the Goa'uld but protected them and the people they ruled over. Tolok was happy to find out that the Mondoshawan had asked if they could have a permanent presence on Alpha. For now it would consist of an observer, Ytisan.
Certain personnel are getting to ring down to attend a wedding that is of official note due to some of the attendees from other worlds. This is the first function that several are attending and it is hoped that this will mean another step towards Earth becoming part of the ever larger galactic community. This will also leave Moonbase Alpha in the hands of Group Captain Paul Marrow as Colonel John Koenig will be heading to Earth for this function."
"Ready yet Helena?" John asked for the second time. It was more due to nervousness than trying to rush his wife. "We should meet Ferretti in the Ring room in a few minutes."
Helena smiled knowing why John seem to be rushing her, "Just finished the log, we can go now if you." John's expression somehow mingled relief with stress, and Helena walked up to him to needlessly fiddle with his tie as if straightening it.
"Paul is going to be fine running the base. He has General Hammond's confidence and Tony backs him up. Besides, Victor will be here to keep everyone in line," her hands dropped from his tie as her eyes looked up to his.
Now he couldn't help but smile however brief, "I know, I know Helena. It's just I also know Washington doesn't like the idea of a 'foreign national' in charge of Alpha." He could see his wife heard the quotation marks around the term, "They don't see this as an international coalition, but a purely US run operation."
"Well it's not as if we have some kind of international oversight advisory to fund us, no more IASA either, they're pouring their funds to Johnny's and DK's Farscape project. So it's the good old US of A who is donating the lion's share of the budget to run this place," Helena pointed out knowing her husband needed to talk this out before he could leave this behind and get to the wedding of her friend at the SGC.
"Yet," he simply said stopping the pacing he just started.
"Yet," she repeated then pressed on, "Look until orders come from General Hammond what Washington says and what actually happens are two different things. Why not let your CO worry about this? It is part of General Hammond's job you know."
John did and nodded, "I suppose I shouldn't go borrowing trouble."
"Right, and so are we ready to go down and leave certain grumpy faces here on the moon?" the not so subtle hint was heard and John's smile resurfaced on his face, "Better."
"You know John doesn't like it when you call him Johnny," he teased referring to John Crichton, son of fellow astronaut and friend John Robert "Jack" Crichton, Sr.
"He's not to happy with Little John or Junior either," Helena quipped glad her husband's mood had lightened, "But he will be glad if we make launch, since you had to turn down Command of the Space Shuttle to take him up."
"Not just me. Steve, Tony, Roger, we're all in hot water about that. It's a good think Jack understands. He's not happy, but he understands," having talked about old friends and not-so-old problems, John was now settled and ready to go.
Offering his arm, John walked his wife from their quarters to the Ring room. There they found Victor, Paul, Tony, Alan, and Louis waiting for them. Like John, Louis Ferretti was in his Air Force dress blues and not the Alpha uniform that was designed with the notion of unifying the base with all the different nationalities Victor recruited before the SGC took over to fully fund the base.
With the idea that they were pretty much living as most back on Earth would term a science fictional existence, the uniforms were influenced by the one show most knew about and coded their sections according to color. While it differed from the show that inspired such an identifying sequence, one could tell at a glance at their left sleeves that Paul is Main Mission department, color coded red, Alan of Astronautics, yellow and Victor matching Star Trek's traditional color for sciences, blue.
Tony still wondered why someone chose purple for Security, though this wasn't on his mind at this time.
"Ah Helena, looking wonderful," Victor complimented before they embraced, the other gentlemen adding their praise leaving her feeling especially nice.
John had just finished shaking Victor's hand when he turned to Paul, "Take care of Alpha while I'm gone."
"Don't worry John, it will be as if nothing happened when you get back," Alan interjected before Paul replied. The Brit gave the Australian a look that Alan shrugged off, leaving Tony smiling at the silent byplay.
Taking their places in the center of the rings, John nodded at Alan who was at the controls, smiled and though it had little to do with what they had seen on any of the treks said, "Energize." Laughing Alan hit the sequence and the rings came up around the trio, a flash of light, and in their place stood the Tollan Narim.
"Welcome to Moonbase Alpha," Paul said stepping forward to shake the Tollan's hand. He wasn't what they expected dressed in an Armani suit, but from the briefing Tony gave Paul, he recalled the Tollan was attending a wedding where few of the participants knew he wasn't born on Earth.
"Thank you for your welcome..." Narim briefly looked around, "I thought some of my people might be on hand to greet me?"
"We are," Patir said walking in, Karyel moved ahead and hugged him as the others heard an unfamiliar word, but not unknown to Victor of all people. This wasn't lost on Alan who turned to him, "Professor?"
"Tlahtli, Alan is a Nahuatl word, Aztec we would say, and means 'uncle' if I recall what the Keeper had told me. As you know humanity out in the galaxy came from Earth originally," Alan and Tony could hear the subtle shift in Victor's voice as he took on that easy tone of a Professor lecturing to a select class, "Hence why we're known as the Tau'ri, the first world. While I believe the Tollan either denies it, forgotten it or are just unaware of it, they are also from Earth."
This wasn't news to either man, not the fact about humanity, Victor did notice that they didn't realize the Tollans might deny this.
"It's not like they would refute such a claim, they are quite brilliant as a people, it is just they know they had never been enslaved by the Goa'uld, at least on their original homeworld of Tollan," Victor's measured tones wove its spell and the men weren't even aware that Paul and shown the Tollans out of the Ring room to where Narim will be staying.
Both Alan and Tony fell in to Victor's right as he did realize the room was empty and started to make his way to Main Mission still sharing what he learned from the Keeper, "They had in fact had been, or were about to be when the Furlings came upon them and rescued them from the Goa'uld-controlled Aztecs. Apparently the Tollan weren't Aztec themselves, but Mayans. The word you heard is a loanword from the encroaching Aztecs, though not even the Keeper knows why their language has a sprinkling of Nahuatl."
When they entered Main Mission all three of their comlocks gave a specific beep indicating a Re'tu was there. From the way Sandra seem to be talking to no-one in particular, the Re'tu was likely there, a fact supported by what was on the main screen.
"Another test flight?" Victor asked moving to a spot opposite to where Sandra seem to be directing her attention to when she talked. Since the Re'tu were somewhat solid one didn't want to bump into them though they typically saw a human coming and moved aside from their 'blind' allies.
"Yes, Gxak is out now, Professor. The Re'tu wants to make a last flight for a full systems check before they try out the hyperdrive."
"Finally," Alan said rubbing his hands together in glee as he sat down at his station, "Gxak was looking forward to that and I have to admit so am I."
"How did your drink with him go, Alan?" Tony asked with a voice attempting not to sound smug.
"If you want me to say out loud he liked your beer, you've just got your public endorsement," Alan said shaking his head, his eyes on his station's instruments, and waited a beat, "From the Re'tu. It still isn't fit for human consumption."
Smiles around Main Mission fell to frowns as more than one station picked up odd readings.
Kano's station swiveled around to face the others, "Selene says it is a power build up of some kind, but says it is localized to the moon..." he looked down and read more text, "In fact -in- the moon. Do you think something to do with Chandra Professor?"
"Sandra...your station should be set up to contact the Keeper," Victor drawled calmly, a center of serenity in the storm of ramped up tensions around Main Mission, "And call Paul. This may be something, maybe nothing."
"The Nest confirms Selene's conclusions," Sandra said feeling as if she were like the Keeper, trying to juggle many task at once and lacking the Keeper's extra limbs as her fingers danced about various keys.
After weeks of the Keeper's image not appearing in the Clam shell it came to a surprise to some as her image did snap into existence, her voice one toned with a sense of urgency, "Prepare for Transverse!"
No-one knew what that meant and eyes, both Re'tu and Human turned to Victor who shook his head, "I have no idea what that means."
"Whatever power generation is going on its spiking Professor," Kano tried to keep his voice even but it did raise in anxiety and everyone felt the moonquake that followed.
Suddenly everyone saw a white flash of nearly blinding light all around them no matter where they were in Alpha, the lunar surface or the Nest.
With the light and quake fading it was Sandra who looked up at the viewer first. "The stars...they're different."
Victor had a bad feeling about this, yet kept his voice calm, "Sandra, locate the Earth and put it on the main view screen will you?"
Her fingers flew over her keyboard, David Kano did as well at his station, he was still consulting with Selene when Sandra announced, "The Earth is...gone."
"Moonbase Alpha status report, supplemental, Dr. Bob Mathias recording. It has been two hours since the phenomena we are calling Transverse. The term based on the word the Keeper had spoke before the moon changed location. All departments have called in and even out at the Nest no injuries or damage has been reported. Professor Bergman has spent most of the two hours down below with the Keeper. His return has signaled the assembling of the command staff as well as representatives from our allies on base. It is hoped that he has information not only about what happened, but concerning the fear of the moon's removal from Earth's orbit has left our planet devastated, or even destroyed.
Paul sat at the conference table painfully aware of the absent seat of John Koenig and feeling the weight of every person on Moonbase Alpha, Human, Jaffa, Mondoshawan, Orbanian, Re'tu and Tollan, on his shoulders right now. Inwardly he briefly smiled thinking about the huge Mondoshawan here in the Command office. Like the rest of any Mondoshawan encountered Ytisan was encased in some kind of armor, golden to coppery color.
He still wasn't sure how to describe them in a report, not that technically anyone has seen an actual one for like the Vorlon they all well suits, well armor in their case. All of which seem to be some bizarre cross of hulking elliptical beetle-turtle-armadillo with incongruously small heads that resembled a vulture's, though technically a humanoid with two arms, two legs. Paul had heard one American on the base describe them as a thickly armored Weeble.
Paul had to look up just what a Weeble was, and recalling that threatened his inward smile to come outward so best tend to the matter at hand, "What have you got Professor?"
"First thing to allay concerns, Earth is fine. No damage was done to our planet," Victor said addressing the main topic on every human's mind, "In fact they don't even know we're gone."
That created a stir around the table.
Alan was the first to speak after a snort, "How do you hide the fact the moon's missing?"
"Because Alan to them, we're not. What happened was not so much a teleportation of a kind, and we did relocate, but a...transferee, an exchange. There is -a- moon in Earth's orbit, just not our moon."
He waited as the din died down again, "Apparently Earth is not the only planet that Chandra keeps an eye out on and in order to do this, he exchanges place with other moons over other worlds."
"So we are in orbit of a planet somewhere else in the galaxy?" Bob asked trying to grasp what was happening, he knew Ben would utter one of his Californian phrases, this was one big happy trip for him.
Well, Bob would too once he could put his mind in order about what was happening including the more pressing issue on his mind now that the fate of Earth was settled, "And can we get back?"
Victor's slow nods relieved everyone in the room. "We are currently in our galaxy, yes. In fact after Kano went over the gate address the Keeper shared, we are in orbit of what the SGC called Heliopolis."
Narim as the Tollan representative looked puzzled, "Heliopolis?"
"A planet where an earlier Stargate mission discovered a database of knowledge from the Ancients, the Asgard, the Furlings, and the Nox," Victor explained as one word of the previous explanation stuck in Paul's mind.
"Professor you said 'currently' in our galaxy..." Paul fished for an elaboration he really didn't want.
"Yes, yes Paul," Victor had the tone of a teacher pleased with a student who caught onto a particular point of his, "Apparently Chandra is far larger than we thought and exists partially in higher dimensional states. I'm over simplifying, but to put...simply, parts of him extend to other moons around the universe, well several galaxies at least. What we did is 'ride' along one of his roots if you will to another place he is also at. Pulling this moon to where the moon that part of him was located and changing places like one might playing musical chairs. He can't go just anywhere, only to where a part of him is ...planted as the Keeper put it."
"So we can go back, we will go back won't we Professor?" Tony asked not as concerned, more curious on the time table.
"Oh yes, yes. Chandra just wanted to have a look around now that things have become active to him," Victor smiled and leaned back in his chair, "You could say we, that is I, am responsible for waking him up and now that he's sufficiently awake..."
"He wants to go on a walkabout?" Alan suggested incredulously, and Victor nodded.
"Shouldn't be too long," Victor then noticed the apprehension as most knew how old Chandra is, "Too long in our terms. I did ask the Keeper specifically about that. John and the rest will be quite worried when the moon they see doesn't have an Alpha on it."
Then he chuckled, with Paul prompting, "What Professor?"
"I was imagining how Eureka is reacting right now..."
"Eureka?"
"A town in the US...they have instruments on the moon, long story, in any case what it is a place where the Americans collect their intellects as a sort of think tank town. A friend of mine lives there, yes another former pupil, Henry, Henry Deacon and that is where Drs. Catherine Langford and Ernest Littlefield settled after SG-1 rescued Dr. Littlefield from the planet we're orbiting. You see it doesn't have an accessible Stargate anymore..." another chuckle, Kano this time prompted with a 'Professor?', "Another prize student of mine, Rodney McKay spends time between Eureka and Area 51...I was imagining his reaction to not being able to figure out what happened to Alpha...then again he might. He's quite brilliant, lots of promise."
"I'm sure Professor," Paul said noncommittally, then turned to the others, "Well, we signed up because we wanted to be apart of mankind's thrust into space. I say since we know we are going back in a relatively short time, let's not waste any more about what happened and take to gathering as much information as we can."
"Since its Stargate is not accessible and this is a database, do you think we could ring down to it?" Alan suggested thinking back to when he sent John, Helena and Louis to Earth earlier.
"Possible...but you might want to send something else down first, perhaps a MALP, Kano, do you think you could get one to the Ring room?" Victor asked and Paul just let the Professor go on, in many ways he is the father and founder of Moonbase Alpha, Paul didn't feel at all as if his authority was being undermined.
"Will go if can't get MALP," Xat spoke up slightly startling some. It was easy to forget the Re'tu where in on this conference despite the communication post showing the Re'tu image. Tolok wasn't among them as he had Ma'chello's treatment and could still sense Re'tu it just wasn't painful to his symbiote and by extension, himself. Paul wasn't the only one to notice the way Ytisan's head turned to look at supposedly nothing, apparently the Mondoshawan could see the Re'tu as well.
"Let's draw up a plan and have it ready for me in an hour...Professor any idea how long we might be here?"
"Probably a day at most, the Keeper did apologize for not giving us a warning, she promises she will do so for now on...and a day is partly to let Chandra rest up, and partly I informed him that Gxak is still out in our solar system. We don't want to strand him."
"Life support?"
"Should be fine Bob. I don't think Xnedk," and Victor seemed one of the few who used the Re'tu's name instead of the nickname 'Xat,' "Would be so calm if there was any worry about that."
"No," Xat simply said at first, then added, "Should use hyperdrive to get to Reetalia if cannot return to Nest."
"Alright, except for the panic the US are going to have, I think this should be fine. We'll meet back in an hour," Paul dismissed everyone to their work.
After that hour Paul approved of the plan for four parties, Greg Sanderson would lead a party to find and if possible clear the Stargate for future use, Clive Kander's party will go to the database to film and record as much as they could, while Victor leads a party to explore the surrounding area on the ground, Alan would take a transport pod to survey from the air. Paul had to smile thinking about how mixed the Professor's party was going to be.
Xkun and Xond, Paul thought at first, were going as security, but they are more of the scientist kind of Re'tu, armed like Xat and Xzuk but according to the appended note by Bill Lowry from Security, shouldn't be counted on to hit the broad side of a Mondoshawan. Paul made a note of his own to Tony that while Lowry's study of the Re'tu is appreciated his description should be less embellished.
Especially as Ytisan is also going down. Paul knew it would be a separate trip than the rest of the party. Few could fit in the rings with the eight foot tall Mondoshawan.
He'd have to deny the Tollan request, not all of them could go down. Someone has to man the weapons on the off chance hostiles did show up. Paul could guess who that would be and since Karyel called Narim uncle, she wasn't going to be happy that he gets to go and she doesn't. From what Paul observed over the months the Tollan have been apart of Alpha, if the guards split up then Patir would likely remain with her.
Paul found he was wrong, both Tollan guards were going. Apparently Narim is important to someone on the Curia and while Karyel did make her displeasure known, they would rather trust her safety to Alpha than trust Narim's to an unknown planet.
Everyone was united about the Urrone going. It wasn't a question to be considered, this was a unified front. Sure they were intelligent, bright, but to even alien eyes they were children. Though it seemed eerie to Paul how accepting they were of the decision, and wished Karyel had been so mature about it.
The last group was in the Ring room when Paul walked in, hearing a heated argument between Patir and Tony.
"And I don't care if your advanced society can properly take care of Professor Bergman's party, I'm sending my own guard along." Paul could understand Tony's temper, everyone looked up to Victor and no-one wanted to risk him. It seemed the Tollan took exception to that as they also admired him...for a primitive.
"I think it's more because his suggested guard is Bill Lowry who has worked with the Re'tu," Paul interjected hoping to calm things down. Yes Paul was ready for John to be back and deal with this. Leave him to run the base, John to deal with diplomacy.
Greku grunted, which caused Patir to calm down, Paul supposed that passed as some kind of conversation between two members of 'advanced societies.' Yes, he was ready for John to be back to deal with this.
Nor were the Tollan the only ones that could be counted on for firepower, Paul noted that Tolok brought his Staff weapon, though if he recalled from the file on the Jaffa they call it a Kara'bashaak'tak. Whatever one called it, its firepower and it made a good walking stick for the elderly Jaffa.
He watched them go and wished John was here again to worry about them, but he wasn't and that left Paul in charge to properly worry as he made his way back to Main Mission.
Victor finished the long pan with the camcorder he had and lowered it from his eye, "This is amazing...for fifty years this was Dr. Littlefield's home. All alone...and as we can see four kinds of dwellings in the distance. Shall we have a look?" Heads nodded in most cases, especially in Ytisan's, he didn't talk often and no-one had a clue what the Re'tu did at first, they only heard the chirped 'yes' over the comlocks.
It was a long journey to the first dwelling, Mondoshawan more lumbered, someone less kind would say waddled, at a pace Victor might have been grateful at in a few years but his drive for discovery still put a spring in his step.
The first dwellings did have script that was familiar and before Victor identified them, Ytisan spoke up for the first time today, "Ancients." Exploring what lay inside they found a dais of sorts with a chair in it, an alcove, and corridors that seemed to stretch out. It turned out lighting was not a problem for when they walked into an area, it came to life with illumination.
"I think it's you, Professor Bergman," Narim quietly pointed out, "Notice when you are around the Ancient devices work, when you are not they appear to go dormant. I don't know why but that is what I've noticed."
"Yes. Same. Only Professor present devices work," the gravelly voice of the Mondoshawan agreed, then turned his head suddenly, "Something else here."
Comlocks chirped with the voice of one of the Re'tu, "Life here. Like us, but not us. Run!" That was when they heard the Re'tu weapon discharge. "That way," Ytisan gestured, pointed with a thick armored finger, he had to shift a bit to get his arm in the right direction as it didn't have a huge movement range.
Greku nodded at Bill and both went in that direction. Tolok started off after them when he paused by Victor and looked up at Ytisan briefly, "Professor, if we have to run..."
Victor was nodding already, clearly worried. Mondoshawan were many things, apparently well armored, but fast was something one only called their spacecraft from what SG-1 reported.
"We saw Rings here...could they get to Alpha?"
Tolok found himself nodding with a spreading grin on his face. "Yes, Rings will make it."
Victor went over to where he thought he remembered seeing rings, somewhere around the corner from the chair spotted earlier. Silently he urged them to hurry as he heard Staff weapon fire, P90 and whatever the Tollan were using. What was ominous was the lack of Re'tu weapon fire.
Finally Victor saw Ytisan clank and lumber over, his arms slightly outstretched at his sides for some odd reason, and then it hit Victor. He was carrying something and if the founder of Alpha couldn't see it must mean the Re'tu. He had to -carry- them was the afterthought.
"Hurt bad, should go ahead, warn of incoming," Ytisan advised as he lumbered over to the Ring controls. His fingers were too big but something extended out of one of them and he used the slim rod, or tool to Victor's eyes, to press out a sequence on the controls.
Victor ringed up to Alpha, snatching his comlock from his belt, "Bob! Get Ben and a medical team, the Re'tu are injured." Clearing the platform in time for Ytisan to ring the Re'tu up, not that Victor could tell. Not until Pierre arrived with a TER to shine on the crumpled aliens.
Ben actually had one of the Tok'ra visors, how he got one few could guess, but he was directing the litter team to pick up one, then the other Re'tu and wheel them out of the way. It was a while later before others started to ring up. Ytisan, then the others came in the next two transports.
"Recall the teams, there is something like the Re'tu but much, much larger," Bill recommended to Tony who jogged into the Ring room.
After hearing that it didn't take long for Paul to call for recall.
"Good news, the Stargate is available to use again," Paul recounted to John once both Moon and its Commander were back, "We also know we can move the moon to other locals if necessary. However bad news is the lost of Xkun and there is something on Heliopolis we might not want to hurry to go back and see."
John Koenig sat back in his chair and considered what he'd been told and what he had read. "Thank you Paul," he began finally his mind briefly thinking about how Helena was likely having a talk with Ben who would take the loss of the Re'tu the hardest. Bob tried, but wasn't as well versed as Ben, or certainly not Helena, with Re'tu physiology. They could only save one Re'tu and it just happened to be Xond who Ben got to first.
Recognizing his wife might start blaming herself for not being here, John intended to wrap up this meeting with Paul soon. Yet he wasn't going to rush his 2IC out, there's enough guilt going around for everyone, however there was something else that should be thought about too. It was a variation of what Victor said to him just a little while ago as the Commander of Moonbase Alpha wasn't immune with self-incriminations either and guilt for being away when he should have been on Alpha.
"Remember the Re'tu knew the risk, so does Ytisan, and all of us Paul. This is a big unknown, all of this is and at the end of the day you have to think about what we accomplished, and not let what we lost. Then you hope that's the last lost you're going to have."
When Paul turned to leave he knew better than to ask if John believed this was it, life didn't work that way and both men were mature enough to know it. He did turn back as he felt a slight quake and raised an eyebrow as his eyes met John's right before the Keeper's voice called out, "Prepare for Transverse!"
Then everything went white.
Author's note: Unintentional crossover mentions with Eureka, it just happened that way during writing. However the crossover was very intentional with the movie 5th Element.
