The Void between the Pegasus Galaxy and the Milky Way, 1155 hours.
The Mid-Way station hung in open space within the void between the Milky Way and Pegasus Galaxies. The two galaxies could be seen from the Mess Hall in all their glory along the walls, but in reality, anyone staring out one of the windows in the other parts of the station would see only a small speck of bright light on each side since there were no sensors to magnify the two homes of humanity. All over the station, there were on-going experiments taking place while a small section on the ventral section of the station was dedicated to making sure that everything in the Milky Way galaxy was going well.
While the powerful sensors were scanning for any signals and recording events, the two on-duty technicians, Dr Lysa Hendrikson and Andrew Wells were playing a card game to pass the time. Given the relative peace in the Milky Way, and the current peace in the Pegasus galaxy, the two of them didn't find a lot to do- especially with Jonathan on a three week break to visit his girlfriend.
"Okay," Andrew said, wishing that Jonathan would return soon that he could go on his vacation with his boyfriend, looked up from the cards in his hands towards the 4'9" woman who was wearing a blue blouse, and pale grey trousers, with her lab coat hanging off the back of her chair, "you sure you don't want to fold?"
"Come on, Wells," the young woman looked up from her cards spread out in her left hand, the wall of cards covering the smirk at the sight of the full house in her hand, "I know you don't have a good hand."
"And how do you know that I don't have a good hand, Ally?" Andrew smirked at the scientist whose eyes shifted down towards her cards. He then looked back down at the three of a kind - of three clubs - in his hand. Andrew knew that his opponent rarely bluffed, 'and so do I.' Andrew looked down at the chips of various colours on the green felt covered table, and then grabbed seven of the green ones and pushed them out towards the center of table, "eight hundred."
Ally looked back up at Andrew with a flat expression as she leaned back on her chair, and then leaned to her side and grabbed the bottle of water to her left. She took a big gulp of the clear liquid and then placed the bottle back onto the grey deck plating. She then huffed before shaking her head, "fine" Ally huffed in mock annoyance and pushed out the chips representing eight hundred credits and then tried not to smile at the unease that was etched on Andrew's face.
"I will….." Suddenly there was a beeping sound from one of the consoles. Ally watched as Jonathan placed the cards on the table, face down, before saying that they were not scheduled to get any messages from Atlantis - at least not until next week. Ally put her cards down and got off her seat as she kept her eyes on Jonathan pulling a wheeled high-backed chair away from a console before taking a seat, and then grabbing the edges of the console to pull himself closer to the screens that were spewing data.
"What's going on?" Ally asked as Jonathan tapped on the symbols that were etched onto the console.
Once he discovered the source of the message, Jonathan had a frown on his face as his head shot up and his eyes focused on the bright dot that lay millions of light years away, "it's an SOS from Earth." Jonathan then tapped a few more buttons, typing in the code that would unpack the heavily encrypted message before sending it onwards to Atlantis, "it's tuned to the subspace frequency that's used by Slayers."
"Did something happen somewhere in the Milky Way?" Ally asked with concern in her voice. While she wasn't a Slayer, she had heard about the heroism of the army of women who were key in the defeat of the Wraith. She, as well as millions of others, respected them, "Jon? What happened?"
"Let's find out," Jon said as he pressed a symbol, and the screen came to life with a worried face staring back at him, "it's a recording."
"This is Amara Kensington of Earth, Watcher to the Slayer, Josie," she said as Jonathan and Ally looked on, "we need help. We need the help of the Pegasus Slayers. The Hellmouth seals have been cracked, and… and we need help. You know what's been trapped down there for more than three hundred years since the Hellmouths were sealed. With the seals cracked and broken, Hell is going to be released. We need help."
"By the gods," said Ally, a native of Helios, a planet that is currently occupied by Cylon and Human hybrids, the descendants of the Furlings, "how bad is this?"
"Very bad," Jonathan worriedly said before he made a secured subspace connection to Atlantis, "Willow has six more months before she retires," Jonathan said, "she is so not going to like this."
"Doesn't matter," Ally said, remembering the plea for help, "send the message to Atlantis."
"And it's sent," Andrew said with a look of worry on his face as he looked back up and stared at the Milky Way, "hang on. Just hang on." He then looked back at Ally after sending the received message, "do we have any ships in the Milky Way?"
"Yeah," Ally replied after a few second as she stared at the screen, "the Resolute is in the orbit of a planet called Ocampa."
Andrew recognized the name of the planet, and he did everything he could from 'geeking out'. Instead, he ordered that a message be sent to the Resolute for them to stop what they were doing, and to make their way to the Sol system to check on the current situation on Earth, "tell them not to intervene until they receive direct orders from Willow."
"Got it," Ally answered before pressing a button that connected her to the Resolute through subspace. She relayed the message from Andrew, and once it was relayed, the two of them waited with bated breath for commands from Atlantis on their next course of action.
Ocampa, Elders Meeting Room, 1200 hours.
While the red clouds were just starting to cover the planet Earth, Seven-of-Nine was standing in the middle of a room- the walls were covered in white light, and the floors were covered in cream coloured tiles. Standing on either side of her were two officers from the Helios, a Pegasus Alliance battle cruiser; Major Wittings and Captain Heller. And in front of Seven, or rather as she was known by now, Anika, stood Kes who was holding a tablet in her hand.
Caretaker's Underground Complex, Main Atrium, an hour ago.
Kes, upon the arrival of Anika, Major Wittings, and Captain Heller; and after watching th video and reading the proposal made by the Pegasus Alliance's ruling body, requested an audience with the elders. Once the request was submitted, Kes, with trembling hands, sat down on a bench with Anika next to her and watched Neelix's video message once again. The very one made a little over six months ago. While Kes didn't mind the late delivery of the message, she was partially saddened by seeing Neelix after so much time had passed. The two of them, despite not having known each other, talked abut how Anika was taking to her new body and her new rotating position back in the Pegasus Galaxy on Atlantis, and on AR-1, where she was getting her feet wet.
"Tell me about the city," Kes asked excitedly. Anika could see that Kes, despite her outward appearance, was still excited to find out more about what was out there in the universe. And now she was talking to someone who was staying in another galaxy. Anika told her that she had only just started to explore a small section of the city.
"Over two million people live and work in Atlantis alone," Anika said as she looked away from Kes and recalled her return to Atlantis as a full time resident of both the city and the Pegasus Alliance, "and that is not counting the millions of people living on the mainland. Nor does it count the billions spread across various other worlds." Anika had already been briefed about the Tau'ri history, and their history as far as the Pegasus Galaxy was concerned. But she didn't reveal that information while continuing to tell Kes about the more unclassified aspects of her life there so far, and ended by saying she was happy, "although there were many questions by the superiors of the Tau'ri, I have not been given the impression that I will be seen as some sort of an experiment."
"I still cannot believe that Starfleet would have allowed you to be experimented on," Kes said, her hands on her knees while Major Witting and Captain Heller were speaking to some of the other Ocampa- both adults and the young. Anika, sitting up straight, nodded her head.
"No, Starfleet would not have experimented on me. I believe that Starfleet Command and the Federation would have protected me and my rights as a citizen," Anika said, "but there is an arm of Starfleet that could very well have done…" Anika cringed slightly before continuing, "some things to me. I felt it would be best for me to start a new life in the Pegasus galaxy with the Tau'ri."
Kes nodded her head. She stared at Neelix's face, smiling back at her on the tablet in her hand. She saw how young he still looked before she brushed her fingers along her right cheek and felt the wrinkles. Kes closed her eyes and sighed before asking if Neelix was on Earth.
"Yes," Anika nodded her head as her eyes drifted to the Talaxian's image on the tablet, "the last I spoke to him was six months ago, he decided to stay on Earth."
"Have you visited Earth between then and now?" Kes asked, her head turning towards Anika.
She shook her head, "No, I have been occupied with getting familiar with Atlantis and going on off world missions through the Stargate."
"Tell me more about this Stargate," Kes widened her eyes as she turned her entire body towards Anika. She heard Neelix talk about it, and there were mentioned about it in the brief sent by the Pegasus Alliance. But there was no detailed explanation of what a Stargate was, or what it did. And when Anika spoke about travelling through the Gate where taking one step meant setting foot on a brand new world - Kes had a smile on her face, her eyes screamed how excited she was as she continued listening.
Ocampa, Elders Meeting Room, an hour later.
"And that is the offer presented to you by the Pegasus Alliance," Anika said, her voice calm and collected, with her hands behind her back as her eyes shifted from each of the twelve Elders to another. Earlier, it was Captain Whitting who explained who the Tau'ri were and their roles in the Milky Way, and now in Pegasus. Once he finished, then Anika took over.
On the floor in between Anika and the curved table where all twelve Elders sat, lay another device - circular in shape and emitting holograms of five separate planets a few meters off the floor, "these worlds are geologically stable, two are uninhabited, the other three have already been colonized by a race of humanoids known as the Athosians. They are a benign race that are allies to the Tau'ri."
"And all these worlds are allied with the Tau'ri?" a female Elder asked a few audially scoffed while crossing their arms over their chests.
"All fall within the Tau'ri sphere of influence," Anika said.
"We know that the Caretaker has given us all we need to live our lives here," one of the Elders said leaning forward while placing her arms on the table in front of her, "I say no. There is another Caretaker out there…" she then motioned towards Kes, "who Kes has already met. There is no reason to believe she has forgotten us. I have every belief that she will come to us if our need is dire. So, no…" she put her hand up, "I submit we end this meeting and…"
"I agree, we have heard everything," a bald man, middle-aged by Ocampan standards, spoke looking at the woman who nodded at him while pulling her hand back down, "I agree that it would be best to wait for the female caretaker."
Kes frowned at the man, 'all of them are in denial, we do not have time. And Suspira will not help us.'
"But I also understand Kes' argument, in that we need to leave since there is only less than three year's worth of food, water, and energy before we are forced to either die here, or go up to the surface where we have to face the Kazon sects."
"Thank you, Elder Reor," Kes nodded her head.
"We have all heard your stories," another male elder, his eyes shifting from Kes, to Anika, and then to the Two Tau'ri, and then back to Kes, "and I believed them. And to see proof standing in front of us of your adventures… well, it solidifies my opinion that you were not lying."
Kes nodded.
"But even you have to understand what you are asking us to do," the same Elder said, "we're leaving a home… the only home we have ever known for fifty generations."
"And even if we did agree, why not here, in this quadrant?" another elderly female asked facing Anika, "why not here in what your Federation calls the Delta Quadrant?"
"As a former drone," Anika said, her back straight, "I know the dangers that exist in the Delta Quadrant from the Borg, the Kazon, to Species 8472. The Federation is too far away from the Delta Quadrant, and the Pegasus Alliance, particularly the Tau'ri, do not have the power and influence it once did in this galaxy."
"Whether we move worlds to Federation territory, or to Pegasus," another younger man said leaning back on his chair, "the main issue would be ensuring everything we have, as well as our people, are moved."
"We have moved entire peoples before," Captain Whitting said, "we have ships that are capable of that."
"And you would coddle us?" another Elder scowled.
"It would not be coddling," Kes spoke up, "they would help us rebuild our homes, ensure we can live without them. And once we are self-sufficient, then they can slowly pull back."
"The Alliance would support your people with vital things like medicine and security," the Captain said, "even helping with clean food and water, but once your people are self-sufficient, then we would pull back most support. That is something that would have to be agreed on with our diplomats and yours. Of course, we would want to build diplomatic relations with your people, cultural exchanges, trade of goods through the Stargate."
"Yes, yes," another woman said nodding her head as the looked down at the copy of the Alliance proposals on her own PADD-like device in front of her on the table, "I am looking at the details in front of me."
"And this includes Stargate addresses of friendly planets, as well as recommended security measures," another Elder spoke, "measures that include helping us develop a set of laws and a means to enforce those laws."
"Yes," the Major nodded.
"And our current laws are not good enough?" another Elder on Kes' extreme right said with her left eyebrow arched upwards.
"To be blunt," Kes spoke out, "I broke our law that no Ocampan can go up to the surface. A law that the younger generation, until the cave-in that sealed the weakness in the barrier, flaunted. Including me."
"And we told you not to spread your stories as punishment."
"Which I still do," Kes smirked.
"We can integrate your laws with the primary laws that govern colonies in the Pegasus Alliance," the Major said, "of course, you would have to change some of your laws to fit a whole different situation, but we'll help you with that."
"And there is something else," Anika said before she looked over to the Captain who nodded his head.
"I have read some of the files in regards to missions of Tau'ri explorations though the Stargate in this galaxy," Anika said before the Major asked the Elders to turn to another section of the brief given to them, "one of the earliest missions by the Tau'ri included encountering a race of humans known as the Argosians."
'How is this possible?' Kes thought in surprise as she stared at the tablet in her hands detailing SG-1's mission to Argos several years ago. She read about how the Argosians lived their lives in a period of a hundred days before their death, 'and we live for about nine years, some for twenty even. But a hundred days?' Kes looked up to the stunned faces of some of the Elders, and the glances that the others gave each other indicating they had already read up to this far after they were handed the brief, since the others were too focused on the sections that pertained to them having to give up their lives on Ocampa for a new one in another galaxy.
Before Kes could ask any question, one of the Elders who hadn't read the section on Argo spoke up, "what are you trying to say?"
"During my time as a Drone, I assimilated several Ocampans," Anika said in a clam voice, "I know of your history, of your biological limitations in regards to your age, I am also aware…" Anika glanced at Kes, "that some of your people can live up to Twenty years." And before any questions could be asked, Anika added, "as a crew member on Voyager, I had access to current data on Ocampans due to Kes' tenure."
"Even the ships logs?" Kes asked.
"Even the ship logs," Anika said, managing a smile before shrugging her shoulder in a way that was uncharacterizable for the former drone who was still getting used to the trappings of her new found humanity, "I was curious."
Kes shook her head with a smile before turning back towards the tablet in her hand.
"I studied the mission reports of some of the exploration teams after reaching the city of Atlantis," Anika said recalling her time immediately after reaching Atlantis. She was given a room in one of the towers at the southern pier. She was the supposed to have a few weeks of medical examinations, psychological evaluations, training on projectile and energy weaponry, as well as basic hand – to – hand combat. All of which were little to no problem since she still had the memories of those she assimilated. Anika was even able to add what she knew to the current Atlantis knowledge base. At the same time, she studied old mission files to get a sense of what it would be like after she stepped through the Gate.
And the Argosian mission interested her.
"And I informed my superiors of the similarity between the Ocampan lifespan and the Argosian regressed lifespan," Anika said before she turned her head to look at a surprised Kes staring at the images of the nanobots that controlled the aging of the Argosians, "and all we have is a theory."
"Our ship is cloaked in orbit of Ocampa," the Major said looking at each Elder, "it's currently running a scan to search for certain metallic compositions and energy patterns in our database."
"The Doctor on Voyager examined my blood the moment I joined the crew," Kes said looking back at Anika, "if he found any of these nanobots, then he would have informed the Captain and myself."
"The theory is your people were experimented on thousands of years ago, long before the arrival of the Caretaker and his people," the Major said standing next to Anika, "it is possible that your people could have had a longer lifespan than the one you have now." At that, the Elders looked at each other and murmured their disbelief. When Kes asked everyone to calm down, the Major continued, "according to our own history, we know that the Goa'uld called Pelops took human slaves from the area we call Ancient Greece thousands of years ago. He took them to Argos and experimented on them."
"What were his aims?" an Elder asked.
"Since the Goa'uld army were genetically engineered human hosts, called Jaffa," the Major continued, "he wanted to know how they would evolve. He couldn't wait, so he created a nano-virus that forced the humans to age a year every day. But, from what we gathered based on the history told to us by the Argosians themselves, this Goa'uld suddenly left. But he let his experiments continue."
"Until we stopped it," the Captain said, "we disabled the nano-virus, and the people of Argos lived productive lives. The last we heard… just before we transported them to the Pegasus Galaxy… was that they currently have a population of a little over a hundred thousand with an average life expectancy of sixty years."
"While that is quite interesting," an Elder said while the others murmured among themselves, "this does not solve our lifespan limits. Are you saying that the Tau'ri have a way to find out… I believe you are probably referring to our ancestors being put under some sort of genetic engineering…' and the Major, Captain, and Anika nodded their head, "if our nine year lifespan is a result for that engineering?"
"It is a possibility," Anika clarified, "which is the very the reason why the Resolute is in orbit conducting scans of the planet." She then turned her head towards Kes who was looking at her with her hands trembling, "my superiors have theorised that this Goa'uld discovered your ancestors and noticed the application of your race's psychokinetic abilities."
"He wanted to see how we would evolve," Kes whispered before she turned her head from Anika to the Elders. Kes knew that Anika was right, this was just a theory… an interesting theory, but a theory nevertheless with no evidence. But she still went on speaking, "he must have run the same experiment as on Argos, but… but something went wrong."
"Now, there is no direct evidence that our ancestors had any abilities, mental or…"
"Do you really want to begin with this argument once again?" Kes stared at the Elder as she used her telekinesis to lift the PADD in his hand to just over his head, and then lowering it back into his hand. All the while, the older Elder had her lips pressed together staring at the PADD before looking up and glaring at Kes.
"You may have abilities, but…"
"There are written historical records, Belor," an Elder said glaring at the woman, "there were ancestors who exhibited these mental abilities."
"Order!" another grey-haired Elder slammed his hand on the table, "order!" Everyone went silent while the man, the Lead Elder on the Council, stared at Kes, and then at Anika, and then at the two Tau'ri officers, "what you are saying is just a possibility, with no proof. For one, as Kes has kindly pointed out, our blood does not have this nano-virus. And as far as the written records go, even those who exhibited mental abilities, their average lifespan was nine years."
"I understand," Anika nodded her head. But before Anika could continue, another Elder spoke up.
"What would you do if we decide to stay?" she asked.
"Then we will leave," Anika nodded her head, "but in the meantime, before you make your decision, I urge you to think about this. It is a second chance for your people, and if our theory of Goa'uld experimentation is accurate, then the Tau'ri can help to reverse the effects."
"You still theorize genetic engineering through a nanovirus?" Belor frowned shaking her head, "then why do none of us, especially using the advanced technology in our medical units, have seen these machines? Why is it that our lifespans average nine years instead of a hundred days? Why…"
"The Goa'uld didn't account for our mental abilities," Kes whispered before turning her head to stare at Anika who nodded her head, "if what Anika says is true, then even if this Goa'uld creature knew about our abilities, he may not have known the extent of them. Maybe he wanted us to live a hundred days but something happened, and… and instead of a shorter lifespan, we regressed to only nine years?"
While the Elders mumbled among themselves, Anika stared at Kes. She was told by the Doctor and Janeway that Kes was intelligent, and that if she had remained on Voyager, then she would have gone very far in a potential career. And now, Anika was seeing that they were right, "it is possible this happened over time, over a period of hundreds of years with the nano-virus spreading down the generations altering Ocampan genetical make-up. Eventually the nanomachines were made inert and absorbed into the body, but the genetic chances were already final… the Ocampan lifespan was reduced to nine years."
"But it's only a theory," the Captain said, "but we won't make any knowledge we learn a condition of coming with us to the Pegasus Galaxy. Whatever your answer, you will be informed of what we discover."
"The Tau'ri role would be to help the Ocampans to Pegasus," Anika said, "and any assistance will be provided until your people are self-sufficient."
"And if there is evidence that supports this theory of genetic engineering our ancestors," Kes said, "than that's even better."
"We would like to go through this brief extensively," one of the Elder's said as he stood up, followed by the others, "if there is no rush, please give us a month to pour through what we have…" the man picked up the PADD, "received. And in the meantime, I invite you to stay here as our guests."
"Thank you," the Major nodded his head before saying, "but once we have finished scanning the surface, we have to leave this galaxy. We don't want to make ourselves known more than we already have."
"I understand," the Elder said nodding his head.
"I…." the Major stopped talking as he pressed the ear piece and listened to the orders relayed from the Resolute. Once the message was received, he looked in stunned silence at the worry on Anika's face. She heard the message as well on her ear piece, as did the Captain. The Major turned back towards the Elders and said, "I am sorry, but while we would like to stay, we have been ordered to Earth."
"Earth?" Kes said with worry as she looked over at Anika, "what's wrong?"
"There has been an attack."
The Summers family home; 1215 hours.
"Hey dad," Lisa said as she walked out of the glass doors that led out of the kitchen and to the large back yard. She walked right to the barbeque carrying a large bowl of chicken in one hand and a tray of sausages on the other hand, "here you go." She placed the bowl and the tray on the table next to the large barbeque pit where Xander was standing with tongs and wearing an apron that read 'Kiss the Cook'. Lisa, hair now tied back into a ponytail, put her hands behind her back and kissed Xander on the cheek before heading back into the kitchen where Buffy was making salad and Willow was chopping celery for the potato salad.
"Dad's got the fire going," Lisa said as she rushed past them and out of the kitchen. She then made her way to the living room where her nieces and nephews were either running around chasing each other or playing video games. Chuckling while shaking her head, she then turned and walked out the front door to the wooden porch outside where her other two older siblings, Brenden and Sarah where they were sitting drinking iced tea with their Uncle Jay and Aunt Rose.
"Hey, look who's here!" Brenden yelled out as Sarah shimmied to one side so that Lisa could sit next to her on the wide couch that faced the front yard and the driveway.
"Dad's got the fire up and running," Lisa said taking a seat next to her older sister while Brenden took a sip of his tea while Jay asked him about his latest Science Fiction Horror novel. Lisa started talking with Sarah and Rose during this - their monthly get-together. Back in the house, Willow moved on to mixing the ingredients together while Buffy shook the bottle of her own home-made dressing.
Willow glanced out the window at the sound of a 'splash' followed by laughter. She saw Dawn in the pool with Anya and Daniel while Giles' wife Anna was lounging in her bikini under the warm sunlight. The redhead chuckled as she grabbed the finished bowl and put it to the side before turning to Buffy, "that's done, Buff."
"The garlic bread's next, Will," Buffy said pointing towards the fridge before issuing instructions, "we'll take it out so that Xander can put it on the grill."
"Got it," Willow said opening the door to the fridge just as the both of them head cheers from the front porch. The two of them looked at each other.
"Faith," the two said at the same time. The brunette Slayer had gone for a beer and soda run nearly thirty minutes ago, and that made Willow wonder how many cases her wife bought this time.
Just as the door opened and the children in the living room excitedly called out Faith's name, Willow received a call on her earpiece. As she placed the four separate foot long garlic bread loaves on the kitchen island where she placed the bowl of potato salad, Willow answered the call by simply using voice recognition on the earpiece and saying, "connect call."
"General Rosenberg," a male voice said, "we have a code red situation."
Willow stopped what she was doing and replied, "Wraith?"
Hearing Willow mention the Wraith had Buffy stop what she was going too and turn her head towards the redhead just as Faith walked into the room carrying four case of beer and soft drinks.
"No, ma'am," the male voice said while Faith noticed the worried look on Willow's face and asked Buffy if there was something wrong. Buffy told Faith that it could have something to do with the Wraith, and the brunette Slayer put on her serious face and turned to Willow, "we received a distress call relayed from Earth through the Midway station."
"I see," Willow nodded her head after she was told what happened, "have the Resolute go directly to Earth and offer any assistance. I'm with Buffy and Faith, and once they're notified, I'll contact the President."
"Understood."
"Prepare al the Puddle Jumpers," Willow ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am."
The connection was then broken. Willow looked at both Willow and Faith before saying, "the seals around the Sunnydale Hellmouth have been cracked."
"What?" Buffy exclaimed as she stared at Willow, and then at a stunned Faith.
"That's not possible," Faith said, "the seals were supposed to hold forever."
"We'll find out when we get there," Willow said, "we received a message from Earth though the SOS device we left for the Devon Coven. We're headed to Atlantis." Willow then turned back towards Buffy, "this is the end of the world situation, Buff. I need every Slayer you can get me."
Buffy nodded her head before she rushed to a phone. Willow then turned to Faith and asked her to inform Lisa about the situation. Faith nodded her head before rushing towards the front porch while Willow called Cordelia using her earpiece.
'Here we go again,' Willow thought as the music from the backyard travelled into the kitchen, 'We'll have to do this another time.'
TBC.