Chapter 14: Taking A Meeting

Atlantis

Admiral William Adama stood before Jack and Daniel with a look of utter disgust and disbelief. The whole matter of resurrections, ascensions, miracle cures, and myth busting made him think those two were either insane, deliberately handing him bull, or both. The question was why. What were they hiding so vigorously?

"Fine, you've had your little joke at my expense. Now, let's get down to business and cut the crap."

Jack frowned. Assuming his command demeanor he addressed Adama, "Bill, despite our attempt at softening the blow, you base your religion on the myths surrounding the Ancients who returned to Earth from here and mixed in with the population. You can verify it here and on Earth. How you choose to deal with it is up to you. But I tell you right now, the riots have to stop."

"What do you take me for, Jack? I know they have to stop. You have to give me what I need to do it."

"No, Bill. Either Roslin and you can control your populace or we'll wait until someone does."

"What's that supposed to mean? Have you been talking to Zarek behind my back?"

"No." Jack answered simply. "I agreed to deal straight with you, Bill."

"Admiral, what Jack is saying is that we can't risk our people among yours until the situation is calmer."

"Are you stranding us, Jack?"

"Did I say that, Bill?" Jack was deadly serious. Adama faced him down. "You will get everything we promised once the situation is under control."

"I see." Adama thought for a minute. "You have to know that nothing you have said explains much."

"Guess you had to be there," Daniel muttered.

"Bill, bottom line, none of it matters for what you and I have to do. You control your people or we pull back ours until you do."

Adama was about to argue but at that moment, Jack disappeared in a bright flash of white light. Then Adama got mad.

"Dr. Jackson, that's a helluva way to end conversation."

"Uh, he didn't do it."

"What?"

"Someone else beamed him out. I don't think Jack expected it… at all."

"Then what…"

"Just a minute, sir," Daniel commed Sam. "Sam, Jack just beamed out. Know anything about it?"

"No, maybe the Daedalus is back."

"Wouldn't they call first?"

"Yes, do you think…"

"Yes, yes I do." Daniel smiled weakly back at Adama, "Admiral Adama is none too pleased with the exit."

"Uh oh," Sam groaned. "I'll alert everyone."

"Thanks, Sam." He gave Adama a straight face. "So, hungry? This could take a while."

"No, I am not hungry, Dr. Jackson. I want you to finish the explanation."

"Well, I could show you the Library," Daniel offered. Only Adama disappeared in a flash of bright white light. Daniel shrugged and went to get some lunch, letting Carter know what happened over the headset.

Thor's Ship

Adama found himself standing in a big room with equipment. Startled and afraid, he turned to see the rest of the room. He was shocked to see O'Neill sitting and conversing with some Thing.

"Is this the human of which you spoke, O'Neill?" Thor turned his large head and deep black eyes toward Adama.

"Thor, this is Admiral William Adama of the Battlestar Galactica.

"Admiral, this is my good friend, Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Thor is an alien, Bill, a good alien."

"Greetings Admiral William Adama," Thor intoned.

"Greetings," Adama said sharply, collecting his wits quickly. "Why have you brought me here like this, Jack?"

"Bill, you wanted the truth, well here's part of it. I told you we know some aliens. This is an Asgard. They are extremely advanced, beyond us...usually," Jack frowned at Thor. "Apparently, there were developments of which we were not aware. You are going to want to hear this. It affects the future of all our peoples."

Adama glared at him. Jack ignored the glare, walking back towards Thor, and beckoning Adama. Adama remained fixed.

"This is outrageous."

"Yes, yes, it is, Bill. I am sorry, but it is beyond my control. They do things like this all the time, but they mean it in a good way. If you want to understand everything, I'm sorry but you'll just have to get used to it."

"Admiral William Adama, I apologize for bringing you aboard so abruptly," Thor said evenly. "We have need of your expertise in Cylons."

"Cylons, are they here?" He looked around to check.

"No, not on this ship, but soon they will arrive."

"Bill, Thor and his buddies got too curious for their own good." Jack turned to Thor, "I told you nothing good would come of it."

"Indeed," Thor admitted. "There is no purpose served in mourning overturned milk."

"That's 'no point crying over spilt milk'," Jack patted Thor on the shoulder. "I'll tell him." Jack sighed. He shrugged back at Thor, who started to object. Jack held up a finger to wag it, "Ack!" He shot a look at Thor who sat down at his console chair. "This time, despite my warnings, they went to find your homeworld and study these Cylons."

"What the frak for!" sputtered an outraged Adama.

"Long story, Bill," Jack caught Adama's do not play me look. Jack sighed, "Okay. They have problems reproducing and thought maybe the Cylon construction could help them." Jack shrugged. "Instead, they've got Cylons on their ass."

Adama looked from one to the other in angry disbelief. He shook his head slowly, then pinched his nose to get himself back under control. Slowly, he took off his glasses, and wiped them thoughtfully.

"Jack, that's something so stupid not even a nugget would do it! I thought you people were so much more advanced. Well, the joke's on me." Adama replaced his glasses and assumed his full command persona. "And now we are frakked! The Galactica is in no condition to fight. The fleet is not with the colonists. You don't have enough ships to support them in two locations and here. Maybe that weapon Starbuck found can help, but we haven't really tested it. So, Jack, unless your really 'big' ships are nearby, how do you propose to fix this?"

"Glad you asked me, Bill." Jack turned to Thor, "how much time?"

"I estimate that they will be here in a month."

"A month, I thought you said you had them on your ass?"

"First they have to upgrade their engines. That will take about a month including the trip across the void."

"What do you mean 'upgrade their engines,' Thor," Adama asked patiently.

"I don't want to hear this," Jack growled.

"We managed to take several Cylons prisoner to study them. One of our scientists volunteered to be downloaded into a cloned Cylon."

"What is he talking about?" Adama demanded.

"When I said I couldn't return your Cylons, Bill," Jack reminded him. Jack stuck his hand out to Thor. "They had them."

The awful truth slowly dawned on the incredulous Admiral. His quick mind considered many permutations to the problem. He didn't like any of them.

"Is Sharon Agathon still alive?"

"The Cylon as denoted is still at our research facility."

"Get her back here."

"She is crucial to our ability…"

"Get her back here, now!" Adama went toe to toe with Thor. "She is an officer in my fleet and one of our people. She's more important to this situation than you realize."

"It will take a few days to retrieve her. She is not in this galaxy."

"I know you can go between galaxies in hours, not days. Don't try to con me."

"She is in a remote galaxy." Thor looked at O'Neill, who didn't like where this was going. "Our research facility is far from our home galaxy and yours for protection, O'Neill."

"Some protection," Adama answered. "Why did you lead them here, then?"

"We did not. Once the scientist was in the body, the body transmitted information. We realized it, quickly but not fast enough. We had to do the unthinkable and terminate him."

"Oh for crying out loud," Jack was horrified, knowing how serious the situation just became.

"Now the Cylons know where the Colonials are and about Atlantis. With Asgard knowledge, they can build efficient intergalactic engines."

"How much did they learn?" Jack walked up to Thor, "How bad?"

"As I said, we terminated him at the beginning of the transmission, but some information was sent."

"In other words, you don't know."

"We do not."

"Then how do you know they will improve the engines?"

"One of our scout ships observed them testing one of our engines on a small fighter. I am sorry, O'Neill."

"This is the most blown mission ever, pal," Jack huffed. "Okay, I've heard enough. Thor, you have to help."

"We concur, O'Neill. The Asgard High Council has authorized me to make a significant transfer of technology to upgrade your defensive capabilities."

"What about 'offensive' capabilities?"

"We do not have authorization."

"Well, let me speak to the Council. And another thing, it's about time we had one of those Asgard phones. The President is asking and now I insist. We have to have better communication."

"I agree."

"Good, then, what are you giving us?"

"Capabilities to construct our shields and other such items," Thor answered looking at a holographic readout. "Two of your ships are half-way to completion. We shall finish them for you."

"Great, but we need more than two ships."

"The Asgard will send part of the fleet."

"Part?"

"We still have to deal with other issues of importance to the Asgard."

"Commander Thor, they hate all organic life forms, not just humans," Adama interrupted. "After they get us, they'll go after you."

"We expect as much. Admiral Adama, we need to access all your pertinent information concerning the Cylons."

"We gave General O'Neill all our data."

"We have reviewed that data. It is our experience that sometimes information is omitted in reports. We would like to speak to your experts directly."

"Before I authorize such an effort, I want a full briefing on the situation."

"Bill, we've been trying to do just that. You don't believe us."

"Listen General, my team and I need a full briefing. I assume you can deliver them the same way you took me. I'll give you the list."

"That's not such a good idea to involve more people."

"Sorry Jack, it's not negotiable."

"Whom do you wish to attend?" Thor played with his console.

"Now? Here?"

"Sure, why not," Jack asked? Adama flinched then decided to go with it.

"I need Major Lee Adama, Colonel Saul Tigh, Lt. Gaeta, and Captain Kara Thrace. They are spread out between the Beta site and Arula. Can you get them?"

"Sure," Jack answered looking to Thor to do something. "Um, Thor, would you bring Daniel and Carter up while you're at it, please?" Daniel and Sam arrived looking around to get their bearings.

"Hi, Thor," Sam smiled recognizing the small grey alien.

"Greetings Colonel Carter," Thor replied. "And Dr. Jackson."

"Hi Thor, so what's going on?"

Daniel checked to see how Adama was taking it. A small lurch sent them into hyperspace. Suddenly, Lee Adama and Colonel Tigh arrived. Confusion was soon replaced with outrage.

"What the hell is this?" Tigh roared after turning to see Adama with Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Thor. He barreled up to Adama and put himself between them. Lee did the same thing to protect his father.

"Settle down. That's an order." Adama said softly. "We're just talking."

"And what the frak is that," Tigh sputtered pointing at Thor?

"That old friend is an alien, a real alien." Adama waited for Tigh to get a grip on himself. "Supreme Commander Thor, I would like to present my Executive Officer, Colonel Saul Tigh, and my son, Major Lee Adama."

"Greetings Colonel Saul Tigh and Major Lee Adama, I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet."

"Uh, greetings," Lee managed to utter. Covered in stubble, Tigh stood there gaping with his one eye. Moments later, Starbuck and Gaeta appeared. They too were amazed when they saw the Admiral and the others.

"Sir," Starbuck said, reaching to draw her weapon. It wasn't there. "What the frak just happened?"

"Stand down, Captain. You are here at my request. It seems we have more 'friends.' That is Commander Thor. He's an alien friend of General O'Neill."

"Greetings Captain Thrace, Lt. Gaeta."

Gaeta recovered enough to return the greetings. Starbuck moved to protect Adama. The wily old Admiral calmly pushed her aside and stood next to Jack. The two men shared exasperated looks at one another. Jack got down to business.

"Thor, would you mind making a conference table with …chairs?" Jack watched them appear in the center of the room. "Sweet!"

"We should have asked for this a long time ago," Daniel muttered to Sam.

"This is one PowerPoint presentation I'm glad I didn't have to put together," she joked back to him, as everyone took a seat.

Tigh exchanged a worried glance at Adama who sat like stone, watching and assessing the players. All the reasons for the deaths and resurrections played in his mind. It occurred to him that Jack and Daniel might not be human but machines. Machinery would explain the problem. Human or machines, Adama wondered if this other race controlled them. Were they some sort of overlords? All his suspicions put him at alert. Lee sensed that his father was deeply troubled. He became more focused. Tigh was boiling as usual. Gaeta observed the items in the ship carefully. Starbuck had had a bad day. She rallied forcing herself to pay attention. Nothing had prepared any of them for a meeting with a real alien.

"The Admiral asked us to bring you here for a briefing on a situation that has come up," Jack began formally. "The Cylons are coming."