Friday Afternoon in the Universe: An Alias/Stargate SG-1 Crossover
by: Sam Lincoln
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ruins found off-world land SG-1 in the middle of a secret war on Earth.
Disclaimer: Characters from Alias and Stargate SG-1 are not my intellectual property and are used without permission. No beatings, please
Friday Afternoon in the Universe: Chapter One
-Geneva, Two days later-
A soft tapping on the door to his office cause Arvin Sloane to look up from his paperwork. He saw Sark standing in the doorway, "What is it?" He asked the younger man.
"Pardon the interruption sir, but there's a Colonel Mayborne here to see you."
Sloane nodded, "Of course, show him in."
Sark disappeared from view and a few moments later reappeared leading a balding man of medium height wearing an inexpensive suit and carrying a leather briefcase. "Colonel Mayborne sir," Sark said.
"Thank-you Mr. Sark, you can leave us. In face why don't you find Ms. Derevko and tell her I'll want to speak with her once Colonel Mayborne leaves," Sloane instructed Sark. The younger man nodded then walked out of the office, closing the door behind himself.
"Quite an impressive operation you have here Mr. Sloane," Mayborne said.
"Thank-you Colonel Mayborne, we try," Sloane replied. The two men shook hands, how longs has it been Colonel, ten years?"
"More like fifteen, you handled that unpleasantness in North Korea that I wanted to keep quiet."
"Ah, that's right, why don't you have a seat and we can discuss what brings you here." Sloane indicated the chair in front of his desk and the two men sat down.
Mayborne reached into his briefcase and removed a pair of manila envelopes. He set one down in front of Sloane. "There pictures were taken two days ago, I thought they might interest you."
Sloane opened the folder and leafed through the photographs. He looked up at Mayborne, "Where did you get these?"
Mayborne shrugged, "I might be a wanted man, but I have my methods. The pictures were taken by a civilian attached to a special Air Force unit. So that is what I think it is?"
Sloane nodded, "It is the Eye of Rambaldi. Where were the picture taken?"
Mayborne smiled, "Before I answer that question I'd suggest you read this." He tossed the second folder onto Sloane's desk.
Sloaned opened the envelope marked "Project Stargate" and began to read the report inside. After a few moments he looked up at Mayborne. "Tell me this is a joke," he asked in amazement.
"It's no joke Arvin, the Stargate is real, I've seen it."
Sloane bit back the torrent of questions welling up inside of him and focused on what mattered, "So what you are saying is that these pictures..." His voice trailed off. Sloane's mind refused to go where Mayborne had pointed it.
"That's right, they came from up there," Mayborne pointed at the ceiling. "It's a small planet...well I don't know exactly how far away, but many light years away from earth."
"So you bring me this information to do what, taunt me?" Sloane asked with great contempt.
"No, not at all," Mayborne insisted.
"Then what do you want?"
"For the file and the pictures? Nothing, they're a gift, given freely to prove my bonafides."
"Alright, I admit, I'm intrigued by what you've shown me."
"What if I told you I could give this to you?" Mayborne picked up one of the pictures.
"And just how would you accomplish that?" Sloane asked.
"I know vital information about the Stargate facility. Its strengths and weaknesses," Mayborne fell silent, letting Sloane draw his own conclusions.
"And how much would this information cost?" Sloane asked.
"I want in," Mayborne quickly said. "I know about the arrangement you have with Derevko and I want to be a part of it."
"And why is that?"
"There's a war coming Arvin, against a foe with unimaginable power, and we're not ready to face it. The people in power are too weak to properly exploit the benefits that the Stargate offers."
"Which brings us to Rambaldi."
"Precisely, I know that Rambaldi can provide the edge the human race needs to survive."
"And what are you willing to do to achieve that edge?" Sloane asked.
"Whatever it takes," Mayborne replied, "You should know that."
"You do understand that I will have to discuss your offer with my partners before making a decision."
"I suggest you discuss quickly."
"Because you'll take your offer somewhere else?"
Mayborne shook his head, "Certainly not, but there are other people who understand the significance of Rambaldi and have access to this data. Exactly how long do you think it will take the CIA to find these pictures?"
Sloane nodded, "True enough. Alright you're in, but if any of this is not on the level your life won't be worth living."
Mayborne returned Sloane's gaze without flinching. "Then I'd better be on the level."
There was a knock on the door and Irina Derevko stepped into the office, "Sark said you wanted to see me," Derevko said.
"Yes Irina, I'd like you to meet our newest associate, Colonel Mayborne, formerly of the United States Air Force."
"Why wasn't I consulted about this?" Derevko demanded, "We're partners Sloane."
"Calm down Irina, Colonel Mayborne has unique, time-sensitive information." He stood up and handed Derevko the pictures and Stargate file. "I think you will agree that I made the correct decision."
Derevko read the file then looked up at Sloane. "Are you going to do what I think you are?" Sloane nodded. "Is there anyway to take control of this Stargate without arousing suspicion?" She asked Mayborne.
"It...would not be easy," Mayborne replied.
Sloane smiled, "Colonel, have you ever known me to do anything easy? Now let's get to work. I want to have all the pieces in place for tomorrow." Sloane paused, "You do know the chances are good that either Jack or Sydney will be there," he told Derevko.
"I'm aware of that," the former KGB agent replied. "But when have they prevented me from accomplishing a mission?"
"Fair enough," Sloane said. He pushed a button on his desk. "Mr. Sark, would you please get the usual suppliers on the phone. We are going to need a lot of personnel and hardware in a short period of time."
-Stargate Command, +3 days-
Jack O'Neill walked into the SGC briefing room in a foul mood. He had been about to drive out to a small lake he knew for some fishing when he had been summoned back to the base. It was to have been O'Neill's first extended break that did not involve quarantine in a long time. O'Neill looked around the room and felt his mood worsen when he saw three strangers in suits seated at the table.
"Ah, hello Colonel," General Hammond said. "I'm sorry to have to call you in like this Jack, but it's urgent."
"Oh that's ok General, the trout aren't going anywhere," O'Neill replied, feigning cheerfulness. "Who're the suits?"
"We'll handle the introductions when the rest of SG-1 gets here," the general replied.
O'Neill sat down at the table across from a slim brunette who looked to be in her late twenties. "Hi there, I'm Jack," he said to the woman.
"Sydney," the woman replied, but offered no additional information.
The briefing room door opened and Carter entered the room. "Sorry I'm late, there was an experiment in the lab I needed to finish up." She slid into a chair next to O'Neill.
"OH really? What were you doing?" One of the visitors, a man dressed in a rumpled suit with wild hair stammered.
"It's high level physics, I wouldn't want to bore you," Carter replied.
"Oh physics wouldn't bore me. I've always found physics fascinating. I dabble in my spare time. So far I haven't gotten general relativity meshed with quantum mechanics, but I've had some near misses...I had a remainder of two one time."
"Let me get this straight, you're working on the Grand Unified Theory in your spare time?" Carter asked.
"Yeah, and let me tell you, string theory is way, way off."
Before Carter could reply the door burst open and Daniel hurried into the room followed closely by Teal'c, who moved at a more sedate pace. "MY apologies for being late General Hammond, Daniel Jackson required my assistance with a translation and we lost track of time."
"That's alright Teal'c, just take a seat," the general said. Teal'c and Daniel sat down next to Carter and O'Neill. "Now that we're all here we can get started. Mr. Vaughn, Ms. Bristow, Mr. Flinkman I'd like you to meet SG-1: Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c." General Hammond turned in his chair to face SG-1. "Mr. Vaughn and his associates are from the CIA. The Director requested we meet with them, but so far nobody has told me why." Hammond faced Vaughn, "So Mr. Vaughn, would you please explain to us why we're here?"
The man named Vaughn nodded, "Certainly sir, and my apologies for keeping you in the dark, but this is highly sensitive material...in fact should they even be here?" Vaughn indicated Daniel and Teal'c.
"Look around you, what do you think?" O'Neill sarcastically asked.
"Dr. Jackson and Teal'c both have top level security clearances you can speak freely," General Hammond assured Vaughn.
Vaughn nodded, "Ok, well I guess I'll just get to the heart of the matter." Vaughn reached into a folder and withdrew a picture. "Does this look familiar?" He slid the picture over to O'Neill.
Daniel leaned over to get a good look at the picture, "Hey, that's the pictograph from PX 1121, how did you get a copy?"
"Actually this picture was taken in Italy. This is the emblem of a group dedicated to the 16th century philosopher Milo Rambaldi."
"Wait, Rambaldi...he was a minor figure in the Renaissance, right?" Daniel asked. "Why would he have followers?"
"Because Rambaldi was more than a painter," Vaughn explained. "He also appears to have been a genuine prophet..."
"Pull the other one," O'Neill exclaimed. "I got pulled off of leave for this?"
"Look," the young woman named Sydney snapped, "You don't have to believe that Rambaldi was a prophet, but I've seen the machines he designed, the man was operating on a higher level than the rest of us. It's very important that you tell us where you saw the Eye."
"The eye?" Daniel asked.
"This symbol is called the Eye of Rambaldi," Vaughn explained.
"Wait, you don't know where we saw this?" Carter held up the picture.
"For security's sake only portions of your mission logs are stored at the Pentagon," General Hammond told Carter, "Things like location are omitted."
"Right, and I wrote a data mining program that combs the government net looking for references to Rambaldi," the man with the wild hair said. "It would include your system here...but you don't seem to be connected to the outside world..."
"So you people have no idea where we saw this eye? Or what goes on down here?" O'Neill asked.
Vaughn shook his head, "No, and it's vital that you tell us. There is a terrorist organization that is gathering as many Rambaldi artifacts as it can."
"Why would terrorists be interested in a Sixteenth Century philosopher?" Daniel wondered.
"Rambaldi's writing form pieces of a puzzle. Conventional wisdom says that if you put together the pieces of the Rambaldi puzzle you get a super-weapon. We can't let that fall into the wrong hands. The other side will move quickly when they learn about the existence of this temple, so we have to get there first," Vaughn told Daniel.
"Don't worry, that won't be a problem," O'Neill replied. "General can we show them?"
Hammond nodded, "SG-5 is due to arrive soon. If you'd follow me please," He told the CIA agents. The group stood up and followed the general into the control room. Klaxons were blaring and warning lights flashed in the gate room.
"Sir, we have an inbound traveler. Their authentication code checks out as SG-5," one of the technicians told Hammond.
"Open the iris," General Hammond ordered. He turned to face the visitors from the CIA. "Welcome to the heart of the SGC."
"Uhm, major?"
"Yes Mr. Flinkman?" Carter replied.
"Please call me Marshall, uh, is what I think is about to happen about to happen?"
"And what do you think is going to happen?"
"Well, judging by the power readings and the way those rings are rotating, I'd say..."
Marshall was cut off by a brilliant blue flash that emanated from the Stargate. A gout of what looked like water burst out of the ring then receded, leaving behind a pool of shimmering blue. Before anyone in the room could speak a group of soldiers walked out of the ring and the blue pool dissolved into nothing.
"What was that?" Sydney asked in amazement.
"It was a wormhole wasn't it?" Marshall asked. Carter nodded. "We just saw interstellar travel," he told the other two CIA agents. "Cool, how do it work?"
"I think you have a new best friend Carter," O'Neill commented.
"So, that thing leads to a different world?" Vaughn asked.
"Worlds actually, there's an entire network of these stargates," Daniel said.
"Naturally this is the most classified thing you have ever seen in your life," General Hammond said.
"There's other intelligent life out there," Marshall gasped. "There's no way we built that ring, and Doctor Jackson just said there was a network these things, somebody had to build them, and that could only be an advanced alien race, right?"
"Oh he's good," O'Neill quipped.
"To answer your question Mr. Flinkman, yes there is intelligent life out there," General Hammond said, "but that information is on a need to know basis which you do not have."
"Let me get this straight, you can visit different planets through that ring?"
"That is it precisely Ms. Bristow," Cater said.
"Call me Sydney please," Sydney said. "So you visit other worlds, and you have pictures of the Eye of Rambaldi that you found on a temple somewhere."
"That's right," Carter said, leading Sydney on.
"You didn't find that temple on Earth did you."
"Afraid not," O'Neill replied.
"So what, Rambaldi was an alien wh ocame to Earth through that thing?" Vaughn asked.
Daniel shook his head, "That's impossible, the Stargate was still buried when Rambaldi was alive."
"So how old is the Stargate?" Marshall quietly asked.
"Then how did the Eye end up in a temple on a different world?" Vaughn demanded, ignoring Marshall's question.
"There are other ways to travel through space than by Stargate," Carter said. "And it could just be a coincidence."
"Do you believe in coincidences Major?" Sydney asked.
"Well, no, not so much," Carter admitted.
Sydney stared out at the Stargate. "We need to go there," she declared.
"We already have a survey team prepping to explore the temple," General Hammond said. We will be sure to share everything we find."
"With all due respect general your people do not have nearly the experience with Rambaldi that we do. If you want I could call the director, I hear he as quite a bit of pull with the President."
"Do you really want to play that game with me?" Hammond sternly asked.
Sydney returned the general's gaze. "This is too important for me not too."
General Hammond considered Sydney's statement for a few moments. "Alright, I will allow you to go through the Stargate with the survey team."
"Wait a minute sir, you're just going to let her bully you like that?" O'Neill asked in disbelief.
"Calm down Colonel, Ms. Bristow makes a good point, assuming this temple is related to this Rambaldi then it would be useful to have an expert on the subject at the site."
"But she's a spook, you can't trust them."
"Which is why I am sending SG-1 along to act as a security team."
O'Neill opened his mouth to protest, but bit off whatever he intended to say. "I walked right into that didn't I?" He asked Daniel.
"Pretty much Jack," Daniel agreed.
"When do we leave sir?" O'Neill asked General Hammond.
"Tomorrow at 1300, that should give you time to get Agent Bristow up to speed."
O'Neill sighed, "Alright, Carter take our guest down to the armory and get her some equipment. Daniel, Teal'c you heard the man we're moving out so gear up." Jack started to walk out of the control room.
"Where are you going Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"I'm going to go cancel my boat reservation," O'Neill said over his shoulder. "Since I'm not likely to get any fishing done this weekend.
-CIA Operations Center-
"Assistant Director Kendall!" Jack Bristow called out, "May I have a word?" Bristow caught up to Kendall in the halls of the Operations Center.
"Sure thing Jack, what is it?" Kendall asked.
"Where's Sydney?"
"She's on assignment."
"Why wasn't I notified? I thought we were clear, I am involved in all of Sydney's missions."
"Sorry Jack, not this time, the director asked for specifically."
"The Director?" Bristow asked.
Kendall nodded, "Called me himself this morning, and before you say anything Jack I don't know what the mission is and I protested to high hell. I hate it when three of my people get yanked out from under me like this."
"Three?"
"That's right, Agent Vaughn and Mr. Flinkman left with Sydney," Kendall saw the look on Bristow's face. "Look Jack, she's not in any danger so don't try anything foolish."
"How can you be sure of that?" Jack countered.
"Because she's at Cheyenne Mountain you damned fool," Kendall snapped. "Do you think I would let three of my best people go wandering off without knowing where they went?"
"Cheyenne Mountain...NORAD? Why would the Director send her there?"
"NORAD isn't at Cheyenne Mountain, they very quietly moved it to a new location a few years back."
Bristow frowned, "So what's there now?"
"That's highly classified, but apparently there's some sort of big astrophysics research lab there now."
Bristow raised an eyebrow, "Sounds to me like a highly classified lie."
"I agree," Kendall said, "That's why I want you to fly out to SAC headquarters in Nebraska."
"I'm afraid I don't see the connection."
"There's a special ops rapid response team stationed there. They have standing orders to deploy to Cheyenne Mountain if communication is lost for more than a day."
"Sounds to me like there's more than just astrophysical research going on there."
Kendall nodded, "But look at it this way Jack, your daughter's in the most secure military facility in the country, what could go wrong?"
"Let's hope we don't find out," Bristow muttered.
-to be continued-