A/N: Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Mystery Solved
Disclaimer: The characters of Stargate Universe belong to MGM. The characters of the Four Orders are entirely my own.
AU/SGU/FO: A powerful being from another universe appears on the Destiny just as Eli's time had run out. Stranded on the ship he has to figure out how to go home and the best way is to help the crew of Destiny.
Season Three – 'The envoy of the Gods'
Premise:
The crew of the Destiny had gotten into stasis as they planned to ride out the issues they had in the current galaxy. Stasis was to last 3 years until the Destiny reached the next galaxy (hopefully). It was supposed to be a dreamless state...
But it was anything but dreamless. The ship's AI had induced dreams for some but another being had other plans for them. It warned them that the universe is in danger and armed them with the knowledge they would need to survive the apocalypse.
Diablo and Viz had fixed their ship as best as they could and woke them up. Their reaction had been pretty as much as they had figured. But the discoveries they had made were invaluable not to mention they had allies they did not know they had. Once everything had been explained the crew of Destiny has an important decision to make...
Previously:
Chloe was surprised of her quick discovery. She wonders what to tell given that she has the key to what Diablo is looking for. She wonders if he had indeed solved the reason for his presence but given that he thought otherwise compelled her not to reveal what she knows yet.
Diablo got to observe her only to notice disturbingly that he can't read her. Viz on the other hand thought there was something wrong with her and that she has fallen to Diablo's charm. Diablo found it ridiculous and asked Chloe to return when she's ready to talk.
In the meantime, Everett and Camille got a heart to heart discussion concerning their new guests. They did not see eye to eye about them. Camille believes that they are dangerous and they must get rid of them. Everett believes that they need to give them the benefit of a doubt.
He tells Camille that they will speak with Earth the next day when she relaxed. Camille agrees but doesn't go to her quarters. She goes to see Diablo again. He confronts her about her feelings stating that they are not directed at him at all. Their source has to come from what she experienced while in stasis.
Camille denies it but deep down had to admit he had a point. But her true fear was that he is the one who caused so much grief to Lt. Johansen that she saw in that weird star field. And she got the confirmation when he attacked her about Sharon.
The next day, Camille and Everett visit Earth to give their report. Everett discovers that General O'Neill has been replaced by General Landry but gives the reins for the story to Camille.
And now:
Chapter 7
Camille had completed her report to the IOA and she was eager to go home to Sharon and see that everything is fine. She left homeworld command and with an airman who escorted her home. Sharon was pleasantly surprised and the airman left.
"I thought you said three years?" Sharon asked still beaming.
"Yes, but things changed. " Camille replied.
"How long are you going to stay?"
"We have a week."
"Great,"
Camille took a good look at the house. Everything was where it was supposed to be. She relaxed. She did examine her new body though. The Air Force has chosen well and according to the file she read she was a member of the LGBT community. All was well and Camille planned to enjoy her leave.
She had planned many activities with Sharon and most involved not staying home. She was genuinely happy. Sharon was beaming positively. Life was perfect.
Meanwhile Everett returned to the ship. He planned to give everyone one week off so they can visit their relatives and friends and have fun.
"How did it go?" Nicolas asked when he saw him.
"Rather well," Everett said. "Camille did the debriefing."
"You let her?"
"I insisted. Why?"
"She was nice about our visitors?"
"No, she was just as vile as you predicted." Everett replied.
"And how is that a good thing?"
"Well, I wanted them to see how stressed she is so they can let her go home. And they did."
"And the rest?"
"Well, General O'Neill has been replaced by General Landry. He and the IOA brass listened and said that they will come back to us."
"Okay," Rush shrugged. He knew that is just the beginning of the storm. "In the meantime, shall we let him out of the cage while she's away?"
"No, he will stay put." Everett said. "We need the crew to be at their best before we jump back in the saddle with that baggage."
"Alright,"
"I was thinking this a good time as any to go visit Dr. Perry and Ginn."
"You want to come?"
"No, you and Eli go, I will have TJ monitor you."
"Have you talked with her about the cure?"
"Not yet,"
"I suppose then it is a good time as any." Nicolas said and left.
Everett smiled at that comeback. He needed to talk to her about it. And he found her in the infirmary checking and rechecking their supplies. It would seem that Diablo had added a few more things to it.
"TJ," he called as he entered.
"Colonel," Lt. Johansen replied.
"Tamara, we need to talk."
"Colonel, we have already discussed that."
"Not quite," Everett said and gestured her to sit down. "Our resident mystery man has developed a cure."
"Now it is not the time to make such jokes. I have accepted it."
"No, Tamara, I am serious. He has developed it and it is ready for use."
Tamara looked at him incredulously. She had given up hope ever since they forewent finding the Novas fleet. And now Everett was raising her hopes. But was it real? How could this being know about her condition? Eli's footage of Novas, she reasoned.
But was it real, real? It was not something easy to develop and so far she had not found anything that could scream – TJ's cure.
"Where is it?" She asked.
Everett took his radio. "Sgt. Greer, could please escort Diablo to the infirmary?"
"Yes, sir,"
"They will be here shortly." Everett said. "He wanted to know whether to administer it while you were still in stasis but I thought it prudent you check it out first."
"How considerate of you, sir,"
"Drop the sir, Tamara."
Sergeant Greer entered the infirmary alone. Everett frowned but Ronald just went to one of the storages and then returned with the phial.
"There it is, sir." Ronald handed it to them.
"Why is he not with you?"
"Well, um,"
"Yes,"
"He's meditating. Viz told me where to find it."
"Meditating?"
"Yes, Viz said that waking him up while meditating is a very bad idea."
"Whatever, dismissed." Everett said. He would have to go and check that out later.
Tamara had taken the phial. She went to her equipment and began studying its content. Everett left her with that and headed for the dome. He wanted to see how Dr. Park is settling in and if she needed something more.
Unfortunately, she was still blind. Everett had hoped that her condition will improve but alas that was not the case. He found her in the dome giving instructions to her colleagues that have become something of her personal slave army.
"Dr. Park,"
"Colonel Young,"
"I se... notice the hydroponics is in tiptop shape." Everett had to stop himself from saying see as that would have been somewhat insensitive.
"Yes, this Diablo fellow has done a remarkable job. But I still have to ask him how he managed that."
"We all still have many questions." Everett smiled. "But they will have to wait for now. Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes, no, yes,"
Everett sighed. Here we go again. "Which one is it, Dr. Park?"
"Yes though I could use a permanent helper,"
"Say no more," Everett said. "I will assign Prvt. Jenkins to help you out."
"Which one was he?"
"She, Dr. Park, is the one with the small nose pimple."
"Ah, perfect, I like her."
Everett left the dome and headed to the mess hall. He wanted to see Adam Brody. He had mentioned something about new brewery.
Arriving he noticed the small crowd. Adam was just pouring the liquid. The first taster was delighted from it.
"It is like young whiskey."
"Alright, then we need to make some adjustments," Adam Brody said. "Ah, Colonel,"
"I see things are going well."
"Yes, the new system is definitely better than our joint concoction. The distillation process goes through here, and then through here, and from there – the drink."
"I am glad to hear it. Carry on."
He left Mr. Brody to enjoy the marvel of the new system and headed to the bridge where he found Rush and Chloe.
"Chloe, why aren't you on leave?"
"I will go tomorrow. We wanted to check a few things."
"Such as?"
"Well, the power logs and the deletion points,"
"And?"
"And he was right." Nicolas replied. "Destiny is definitely storing energy for the other dimension. It was also storing power for some other purpose we have yet to discover."
"So one tenth of a percent, like he said?"
"Yes, and it has been doing since the very beginning."
"How is it that we did not notice it before?"
"We have never looked at the power logs in such detail." Chloe replied. "There was never any need of it."
"And the deletion points,"
"Well, this is definitely strange. The communication sent was from Destiny to another recipient."
"The seed ships?"
"That's what we thought initially."
"But?"
"But," Nicolas said and showed him on the screen. "Their trajectory is in opposite direction of Destiny's path."
"So where is it going to?"
"I do not know."
"Is it possible the seed ships release some kind of beacons so the data sent is sent back to the ancients?"
"I thought about it but no. We would have picked up one of those things by now."
"Not necessarily," Chloe interjected.
"How is that?"
"Well, your theory, Colonel, is plausible. It is also conceivable that these beacons are deployed at a greater distance. But given the distance, Destiny has crossed at least one signal should have made it back to the Milky Way by now."
"Unless the network has been compromised and Destiny is not aware of it." Everett reasoned.
"I don't think so." Nicolas shook head. "The transmissions are barely a millisecond. For that small amount, the only thing you can send is, puff, I do not know, space coordinates."
"You do not consider the possibility that the Ancients' compression rate may be more advanced than ours?' Chloe asked.
"I have factored that in but it is a matter of programming that I have already consulted with Eli and he agrees with me."
"Alright so it is still a mystery." Everett concluded.
"For now," Nicolas replied. "Eli and I will set a program to try and trace that when and if that happens again."
"Excellent,"
Camille returned home with some groceries. She wanted to surprise Sharon with a meal while she was at work. She started cooking while looking at the online recipe. Usually it was Sharon who cooked so she did not have to know by heart where what is. So now, she explored on her own.
She opened a cupboard and noticed a small sticker with a heart. She smiled as she recognized it. Sharon had taken it from their visit to York. She took a bowl and a cup and got cooking. She needed a knife and soon found it. When she turned it she saw engraved the name Velma on it and it brought a smile to her face.
She continued exploring and found many little mementos of their life and excursions. It made her so happy. The meal had gotten almost ready when Sharon came home.
"I'm home."
Camille was happy but not happy she would not be able to surprise her. "I'm in the kitchen, honey." She heard Sharon literally dropped everything and bolted to her.
"Oh, honey, what are you doing?"
It is the first time, Camille had seen her concerned. "I am doing fine, thank you. I wanted to surprise you."
"I am flattered but this is my job, dear." Sharon said and gently pushed her out of the cooking area. "Oh, God, you have positively made a chaos in my kitchen."
The words came out in their heartily caring form but there was a notion of concern. Camille attributed that her general concern and distrust of her cooking abilities and paid no further attention to it.
"Alright, it is your domain. I just wanted to help."
"And I like you for it, but stay out of it." Sharon said. "What were you cooking? Oh, Camille, you shouldn't have."
Camille had retreated to the TV set and there she noticed for the first time something strange. Usually there was a photo of them on it. She sought it but couldn't find it in the vicinity. She looked for it in the room and it was not there either.
She opened Sharon's desk and found it in the drawer. It was face down. She took it out and put it back where it is supposed to be. She figured Sharon must have cleaned and forgot about it. It happens.
And then her gaze fell on the mantelpiece. Their time in Tibet has been pushed to the back while in the front there was a picture just of Sharon. There were small tokens from their visit there but they were not around the picture frame.
Actually when she looked again around the house many of their photos together were not where they usually were. They were either missing or pushed back. Camille frowned as one tiny little voice in her said: 'it is the little things'. She thrust head. 'No'. But the truth of that sentence spoke volumes.
In her excitement she had assumed that everything is fine and she did not pay attention. She went to her room and began noticing the small but subtle changes. Some things even appeared placed there in a rush.
She opened Sharon's wardrobe. Things there have suffered changes but the ones she feared. Maybe she was imagining things. She sat on the bed but the little devilish voice continued to nag at her. So she finally decided to silence it and looked under the bed.
There was a bra there but it was not Sharon's. She knew her size and that was neither hers nor Camille's. 'So a friend came over and forgot it.' She thought but then again what friend will lose her bra under her lover's bed and why?
She looked for the safe behind the picture above the fireplace. She opened it and there were all their mementos she had forgot about but that she did not see around the house. There were also photographs of Sharon with another woman. She seemed positively happy and no...in love. The very thought hit her like a dagger in the heart.
Camille sensed movement behind her and turned to face Sharon whose face was red.
"I wanted to tell you." She began. Camille began to sense her insides doing the twist. "I just couldn't find the words. You have just come back. I guess I panicked."
"How long?" Camille asked with an icy tone.
"One year,"
"One year?" Camille repeated. "You gave up on us in just one year? How could you?"
"Camille, it is not that simple." Sharon said. "You said there is a possibility you may not wake up in three years. What I supposed to do with that? Wait for you an eternity?"
"Till death do us part," Camille recited. "Have you forgotten those words?"
"Of course not," Sharon said and moved past her to close the safe. "I resisted it for some time but it just happened."
"No, no," Camille said sitting on the chair. "This is not happening. I must be still on the ship dreaming. That's it." She was trying to convince herself that this not real.
"I am sorry," Sharon said. "I am so sorry. But I had no way of knowing. I have no contact with you."
"You pretended these past four days like nothing had happened." Camille's anger began climbing. "You...you..." The anger vanished and was replaced by tears. Sharon attempted to comfort her but Camille raised a hand repulsing her. "No, no, NO..." How did it go wrong all of sudden? Why did she listen to that voice in her head? If she hadn't she would have never found out.
But that would have happened eventually. And then it would have hurt much more than now and she knew it. She just couldn't believe that the thing was right. Oh, she hated him now.
"Do you love me?" Camille asked with tears freely falling from her. Sharon did not respond right away. Camille jumped from the chair and kissed her and it was then she sensed something she did the first time but had ignored it. The passion was no longer there.
"Camille, I," Sharon said when she pulled back.
"No," Camille shook head. She was heartbroken. The pain was too much. She wanted just to faint away but didn't have the strength even for that. She sat powerlessly on the chair and buried her face in her hands and cried.
Sharon sought it best to leave her alone. She had wanted to tell her but couldn't find the right time or perhaps she hoped she wouldn't notice at all. And then with some mail she could have just explained.
The next day, Camille had packed her bags and left. Sharon had tried again to explain but Camille did not let her. She couldn't.
She returned to homeworld command and returned to Destiny. Her first stop was the brig.
"I hate you! Do you hear me I HATE YOU?"
"You are welcome." Diablo's voice came from the shielded area that turned transparent and he faced her. "I am truly sorry, Mr. Wray. Sometimes our powers can be a burden. I knew once a man that could tell when you lie just by looking in your eyes. He was really misfortunate as he could tell when his partner lied. It is not comfortable to live with such ability.
Sometimes I try to ignore it but one can never ignore the truth for long. It is best to know it when it happens as it hurts less than the alternative."
To be continued...
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Lordheaven