Stargate Hastings

Chapter twenty-one: Part five

Aboard new Atlantis, Abydos system.

Jim had been both waiting for, and also dreading this moment! He had already made the decision to leave the earth and make Abydos his new home, but what he was about to do would burn all bridges between him and his friend. He could live with that, if it did not mean losing both Rachael and his daughter; If it did? Then he only hoped his daughter would understand one day. His son on the other hand, he believed would welcome what was to come.

It was his son who he turned to first. He was stood with a protective arm around his scared and very pregnant wife. "I am sorry that I had to involve your wife in this Donald; She may return to your son now, if you wish?". He asked them both.

Before Donald could reply, Meera answered. "No! I will stay". With no hint of the fear that she was obviously feeling.

Donald merely gave a shrug, that said he was not going to argue with or upset his very pregnant wife. "Please tell me that this is you, and not that thing doing this?". Donald asked Jim.

"His name is Kraytos". Jim replied. A little more protectively than he probably should have.

"I don't give a monkey's what his name is! Do you remember who you are Sergeant Major?". Donald asked him.

Jim's head dropped then, when it arose again Kraytos said in the booming voice of the Symbiote. "The man you once knew is dead, gone forever; Along with the Gau'auld that I once was". Kraytos looked to Ra, before continuing. "With both the Gau'auld...". He then turned to his left, to face Egeria. "...and even the Tok'ra to a lesser extent; The blending of our two species is merely an exchange of memories. There is of course a blending of the physical, but it is only the blending of the two psyche's, that is of relevance here".

Jim had given over control to Kraytos, because he honestly did not know how to say what Kraytos was saying. The words Kraytos spoke were as much Jim's as they were his own, but how did you explain that to your own family. Jim had died after repeated exposure to Ra's Sarcophagus; With the broken down old soldier that he had become, being replaced by something new and far more savage than the man he had replaced. It was then that the memories he had once been afraid to recall; Suddenly had become his greatest weapon, against an uncompromising enemy.

Sensing that he had the attention of all gathered, especially the Jaffa and the Abydonians; Who were all waiting to hear from the defeated one or so Kraytos believed. Kraytos then continued. "During our seemingly endless battle, something incredible happened; I learned what it was to be human, I learned what it was to be truly alive. So I searched my Host's memories for more, only for him to truly show me what it was to be human!". Kraytos turned his attention to Rachael Hawthorn, then said. "He showed me you, he showed me why he would never be defeated; Then he used you to destroy me, before turning our conflict into an all out war!".

Kraytos head then dropped, with Jim retaking control. "When Kraytos first tried to break me, he had used torturing you as a means to break my spirit; When he stopped bringing you to our little torture sessions, I assumed that he had grown averse to causing you physical pain; I could think of only one reason he would do that so I showed him why you were special to me, and soon enough he understood perfectly". Jim looked at Rachael with a serene smile on his face, then added. "I then came up with a thousand different ways to kill you, each one worse than the last". With his smile growing wider as he said it.

Rachael had already heard this story, so knew that Jim was merely teasing her. "I am sure you were very creative". She replied with a smile of her own.

"In truth, it was not actually me doing the killing; I was merely the puppeteer!". Jim turned to look at Ra, then continued. "It was truly a battleground inside our minds, and I was losing the war; At this point the most I could hope for, was for us both to die! That was when I decided to search through his memories, in the hope of finding another weapon to use against him; Instead, I found somewhere that he could not follow, and it was there that I learned what you are or what the purpose for your creation was". Jim knew that his words would get a reaction, how could they not!

"Lies!". Apophis declared, slamming his fist on the table.

Ra on the other hand, only bowed his head in acknowledgement of what Jim had just told him. When Apophis realised that Ra was not disputing this Host's words, he asked. "You believe this human?".

Ra replied. "There is much that you do not know Apophis! He speaks of what I learned in the time before time; When I became the last of those that escaped our prison!". Ra had kept a queen in stasis in the hope of finding new Host's, but she was still young and had yet to take a Host. Ra then looked to Jim, as if giving him permission to continue.

Both Jim and Kraytos were surprised by Ra's admission, but they quickly realised his reasons for doing so; Larry had him rattled, and he would play along to escape his current predicament. Whether he would stick to any agreement he made in order to make that escape, was something else entirely. Having him confirm what was about to be revealed to them, would greatly help expedite matters none the less.

Jim looked around the table, with his gaze lingering on Janus for slightly longer than the others gathered, before saying. "The reason for the creation of your species, was as a means to preserve the knowledge of those with exceptional minds; Only they did not just retrieve and store their Hosts memories they also healed them, and to a certain extent gave them back their former youth. Upon realising this the project was accelerated and once tested and approved, an entire population was chosen to participate in the first mass implantation. Only those who had reached adulthood were given a Symbiote, and the project was considered a complete success".

Jim then turned to Janus, and said. "It would be best if you told them what happened next, they were your people after all".

"It was some years before I was born, but it was among the history lessons of my childhood". Janus replied. He had no reason to not cooperate with the two individuals, who had just usurped him. He still trusted Larry, even if he was concerned by the casual way he had facilitated Cronus's death. James was doing precisely what he would have wanted him to do, only Apophis would not have been present for this part. Janus had intended to use this information as a means to blackmail Ra, knowing that Ra already knew at the least, some part of what was being revealed.

Janus composed himself, then addressed all gathered. "My people once held dominion over this entire galaxy, until other races rose up and gained sentience. Through either treaty or conflict their domain shrunk, but they were still the most powerful race to inhabit the stars. After years of conflict with two races in particular, my peoples long term goal of a lasting peace was realised. For thousands of years, this galaxy saw a golden age of advancement; Then the first of your kind became sentient, and so began a chain of events that would devastate my race".

He composed himself further before continuing; This was the story of his peoples downfall, so he felt a little saddened at the retelling. "A scientist who worked on the project, was among the first to be implanted with a Symbiote. When his became sentient... it took control of him, then murdered his entire family. The scientist spoke of seeing himself committing the murders, but he was powerless to stop himself; When a second, and then a third incident occurred they realised the Symbiotes were the cause, and began extracting them from their Host's and destroying them. Not all of your kind became killers upon their awakening, with many of the scientists refusing to have them removed. They theorised that the Symbiotes new found consciousness, were products of their Host's subconscious; They were wrong!".

Janus knew he had everyone's attention, so continued. "The scientists on the project, were the only ones to refuse the removal of their Symbiotes; They were the only one's who realised what you were, a new form of life. They became mentors to them, and even agreed to imprisonment in order to save their lives. Shortly after this, a sickness began to spread throughout the worlds of my people; Each time an outbreak occurred, our medicines and technology were more than adequate in curing the infected. Only it kept coming back, with each new strain of the virus being more difficult to cure. Until there was no cure, and a population too large to give an accurate number; Were suddenly a desperate nomadic people, afraid to set foot on solid ground".

He then made a gesture with his hands, and said. "They built cities just like this one, then prepared to leave this galaxy! Before they did however, the truth of the origins of the plague were revealed".

Egeria spoke then. "Us?". She asked.

Janus smiled at her, before saying. "Not directly, but it was of a consequence of the removal of your kind. There was no reason to believe the plague began on the world of the experiment, as the first cases of the virus were reported on different worlds to the one the project had chosen; My people also had a habit of hiding their mistakes, and pretending they never occurred! Your kind are not the villains of this tale, they are the heroes! There are species in this galaxy and beyond, that owe their continued existence to your kind".

"Explain?". Egeria asked him. She had already been told this tale, and had agreed to help in any way she could.

"The world on which the scientists, who had refused to have their Symbiote's removed were exiled; Was one of the few worlds untouched by the plague. When it too suffered from an outbreak, the population of that world was devastated. The scientists were quarantined on a remote continent, and when their Host's were infected the Symbiotes easily neutralized the virus, and also recognised what it was or to be more precise; Why it had became so resistant to the usual treatments. When the Symbiotes had been removed, the immune systems of those who had only been joined for a short time returned to normal, but those who had been joined for a longer period did not; A simple virus that one or more of these individuals had came across mutated, and while not harming those individuals it became lethal to anybody else. These people became unknowing plague carriers, spreading it without ever even showing symptoms of the original virus or the mutated version". Janus finished.

Both Egeria and Ra were engrossed by what was being revealed. Apophis seemed to be insulted by it, and Heru'ur who had now retaken control of his Host, had other things on his mind. The Jaffa and the Abydonians, all seemed to be in a state of shock; Whilst the Tau'ri delegation were equally engrossed as the Gau'auld and the Tok'ra, with only Richard Hastings seeming to be distracted by his thoughts.

Marcus Hastings was a man who considered himself completely out of his depth, and wished only to be allowed free reign to explore this wondrous city; Instead found himself listening to an history lesson, that he had no need to learn; At least as far as he was concerned. There was one thing that had caught his attention though, so he asked for an explanation. "You said that the scientists were wrong about how the Symbiotes became sentient, that it was not a product of their Host's subconscious?".

Janus had wondered when someone would ask that question, only he had expected it to be either the Tok'ra or Gau'auld that would. "An excellent question Marcus, one that will require further knowledge concerning my own people to answer". He told him.

Janus used his neural link with the city, in order to alter the image above the large table from Jack and Teal'c, to that of the Milkyway galaxy. He then said. "Even for a species as meticulous at record keeping as my own, even they did not know the exact time of their arrival in this galaxy; However, they did know that they had been in this galaxy for millions of years, before any other species rose up to challenge them. In time even they came to refer to themselves as the Ancient ones or simply as the Ancients; You must first understand this, if you are to understand my people. You must also understand what became of my people! Before they arrived in this galaxy; My ancestors who called themselves Alterans at that time, were already aware of the concept of ascension".

Ra cut him off then, by asking. "What is this ascension?". Ra suspected, that he was referring to the being that had rendered Kheb off limits; Information Ra was very interested in.

"Something that is beyond you! However, It is relevant in understanding my people. Ascension is a result of both evolution, and a conscious willingness to let go of the physical self; Essentially becoming pure energy and existing on a plain of existence above this one, although technically that plain runs parallel to this one, with the perspective merely changing. For millions of years my people knew of, yet refused to follow the path to ascension; It was something they believed would one day be the ultimate goal of my people, but they wished to discover as much about the physical universe as they could, before embarking on the great journey". Janus told Ra.

He then turned back to Marcus and said. "My people were not emotionless as you may expect of such an ancient species, they were a very passionate race; Only they had developed methods of mental training, that gave them a mastery over their emotions. What they did not do was suppress them, meaning their would be no reason for repressed emotions or memories to be transferred onto the Symbiotes. It was a result of the Host's conscious mind, that the Symbiotes developed their own consciousness; Except the Symbiotes only received knowledge from their Hosts, not the actual experience of dealing with that knowledge. Without the psychological training or more importantly experience; Those natural urges that we all learn to control with time, overwhelmed some of the Symbiotes. Not all of the Hosts needed specific therapy for violent tendencies, and that was why only a small percentage became psychotic upon their awakening". Janus finished.

Apophis had lost patience with the proceedings, with a cynical tone to his voice, he asked Janus. "Even if you speak truthfully, do your people not owe us a debt or have I heard incorrectly?".

"My people owed you a debt, one that they repaid in full. Myself? I was born thousands of generations after those people. My people! Abandoned the humans of two galaxies to enslavement, and something far worse! So you see, my debt is only to those people". Janus smiled smugly at Apophis, but then had that smile wiped off his face in an instant.

That happened when Larry said. "Yes Janus; However, your people did indeed abandon two galaxies full of humans, but we have already established that you can not be trusted with that task. Thank you for your assistance old friend, we can take it from here". Janus nodded his head in reply, then took a step back from the conference table.

Larry then said to Jim. "They have an understanding of what you found now, please continue".

Jim had learned a few things himself from Janus's history lesson. He also suspected, that he had discovered something even his people had not about the Symbiotes; If they had, they would have certainly found a way to continue the project. Jim already knew that the focus of the project changed, when the Symbiotes healing properties were discovered. They desperately wanted to hold onto the physical, and craved immortality. Only turning to ascension, after their population had been decimated. From what little Larry had told him about the Wraith, Jim knew that they had not learned their lesson.

"Whilst hiding in those memories, I realised that I was losing ground in the fight for control; Even though we were restrained, given enough time he would have broken our bonds, and killed those who had put their lives in my hands. There was still enough of the man I was left, to not let that happen. I waged a psychological war against him, first showing him the best of me; Before giving him the worst of me. Each time I returned to my refuge, and searched for more knowledge that I could use against him. Then I found what I needed or a way to kill us both!". Jim then turned back to his son, then added. "At this point I did not care which".

Jim returned his attention back to the room, then continued. "Whilst in exile, the scientists did indeed build healthy relationships with their Symbiote's, and hoped to find a way to make the project viable again. Although they believed the Symbiotes became conscious because of their own subconscious, they hoped they could find a way to use their own conscious thoughts, as a means for giving them a greater understanding of emotions, and how to best control the effect they had on them. Only the Symbiotes were already learning from their Host's and they also believed, that the method they had chosen could be lethal to both Host, and Symbiote! I had no such misgivings". He stared directly at Ra, making it clear that he would very much like to kill him!

If Ra did not take Larry's offer, Jim knew he would get the pleasure of doing just that. Kraytos on the other hand only wanted to bring him to his knees, but would not object to Ra's murder. Of the two Kraytos hated him the most, but since their true joining it was he, who had become the reasonable one of the two of them. This was the part that could lose him his family, admitting this to himself had been hard enough! "They created mental copies of themselves, so perfect the clones believed they were the real thing; In truth, they were nothing more than phantoms, designed to merge with the Symbiotes. They believed that this would prevent what had happened previously upon their awakening, but they felt the danger of messing with the subconscious could be lethal or worse!".

He took a deep breath before continuing. "I took what they had planned to do, and turned it into a weapon; The part of me that was a soldier...". He looked over in the direction of the Jaffa. "That made me a warrior! I used to create an unstoppable force; The part of who I was, that had grown tired of killing...". He turned to his 'friend'. "...for men who cared nothing for those under their command or for the innocent lives caught in the crossfire!". He screamed at Richard Hastings.

Jim suddenly went to close the distance between himself and Richard, but the city recognised the threat and blocked his path; Jim then looked to Larry, who nodded his head. When the force-field dropped, Jim continued his advance only in a calmer manner. When he reached Richard, he turned his head towards Robert Parker, then said. "I am not going to kill him!".

He then carried on towards his target, who waited with no hint of fear in his demeanour. "Would you agree, that my debt to you is paid in full now Richard?". He asked him.

So it is my turn then, Richard thought to himself. "That was a joke James, you never owed me a debt; I chose to step in front of that bullet, and would do so again". He told him.

Jim shook his head, then said. "I believed that it was a joke, when I first read it; Then you used my son to ensure my obedience, oh great one! You even used your own cousin to get what you wanted or do you deny that!".

Before Richard could answer his friend, and explain his reasons for pushing them together; Jim did something not completely unexpected. He connected directly on the bridge of his nose, with his forehead almost knocking him to the ground. Before turning around and returning to his position, he said. "No chair to hide behind now old friend!". Then casually walked away.

Richard knew that his friend or former friend had held back when delivering his blow; He was certain he would be dead now if he had not! He also knew, that he thoroughly deserved what his friend had just done to him. Both his uncle and cousin had told him as much, with his cousin even giving that as the reason, that she would not allow her daughter to be in his presence. He did not regret what he had done, and would do the same again without hesitation. James Elden was the best man for the job, with his son showing all the same attributes of his father; He had even been mentored by the man. No, he was certain he had chosen the correct course of action.

As James walked away from him, he said to his back. "I would do it all again!".

When Jim got back to his former position, he put a caring hand on his daughter's shoulder, then replied. "If not for my daughters, and my grandchildren...". He smiled at Meera then Rachael, before turning back to Richard and saying. "...You would be a dead man old friend! Now that is done with, I will continue".

Jim looked to the Jaffa and Gau'auld, as well as the Abydonians as he declared. "He is no better than the Gau'auld, in fact he is worse! Not just him, but the chaos he intends to unleash on this galaxy, that is my world!". He spoke then directly to San'kha. "Tell me brother, when the Gau'auld go to war with one another; Where are these battles fought, and what are your orders concerning none combatants?". He asked him.


To be continued. One more part after this, then the Epilogue. Will explain what I will be doing with the story next, the short version. Off world missions split into several parts, with some being short missions and others longer. Will also be doing a spin off in the Stargate Atlantis section, called Stargate Hastings: Pegasus. Will give more details when this story is complete!