Author's Note: How's this for ironic? As I write this, I'm watching the
Mariners playing the Rockies on TV. (for those of you that haven't read
Aftermaths, you won't get that, and some of those that did might not get it
either)
~*~
Thor called to the other Asgard, telling them that he and the boy were going down to the planet surface. He requested that they send someone over to his ship, to make sure that it was manned, just in case something happened. Almost immediately, a flash of white light heralded the arrival of a newcomer. Shawn flinched, but didn't scream. He was getting used to things like that happening.
The Asgard looked the boy over with interest, even as Shawn compared the two of them. This one was a little taller than Thor, and maybe a little slimmer, although not by much. The Asgard reached out and touched the boy, who reached out and touched him at the same time. He felt the same as Thor.
"Interesting," The Asgard said, touching Shawn's soft cheek.
"We do not have time for this," Thor said. "O'Neill requires my presence."
"Leave the boy with me. He will be safe."
"O'Neill will not allow this. He requested the child to accompany me."
The Asgard nodded, and Thor touched a small glowing device he'd pulled from a shelf. "We will return shortly." Then he and Shawn vanished from the bridge.
~*~
"Aaaaaaa!"
There was a collective scream from most of the crowd that Thor and Shawn materialized in front of. Shawn didn't blame them, and neither did Jack or Sam, although some of the townsfolk felt foolish for screaming when they realized that one of the newcomers was a mere child.
Thor looked at the assembled crowd silently, giving them all a chance to get over their initial fright.
"This is Thor," Jack told them, gesturing to the small alien. "He's a member of the Asgard, and the one who asked us to come and help warn you."
"Who's the boy?" A man asked. "Or is he a small alien?"
Shawn grinned, looking over at Thor and wondering how anyone could mistake him for an Asgard. Jack and Sam smiled as well. Which made the assembled townsfolk grin also.
"This is Shawn. He's, um..."
"Your son?"
"No, but he's the next best thing to it." Jack gestured for Shawn to come stand next to him, mainly because he wanted to make sure the boy was someplace close by on the off chance something happened. "He's a very good friend of mine and Sam's."
Ironically, it was the boy that Jack had least wanted to bring that ended up swaying most of the townsfolk. None of them would have thought to bring their children on a mission of ill-intent, and they couldn't imagine anyone else doing something like that, either. The very fact that Jack and Sam had brought such an innocent made them believe that maybe the Asgard were, in fact, a peaceful race and not out looking for cows to steal. Or worse.
"You really believe the seas will continue to rise?" Rickart asked Thor, finally.
"Indeed. They will continue to rise until the water has completely covered the land. Nothing can live here once that happens."
"How long do we have until that happens?"
"No more than a couple of your weeks. You have time to gather your belongings, but you should not take too long."
"Can we bring our livestock?" Someone called.
Thor looked at Jack.
"Their cows and chickens and horses."
"Of course. Without them you will have great difficulty beginning your new lives in your new homes."
"We need to send runners to the other towns and holdings," Shelan said, gesturing for several men to come forward. These were the men that owned the fastest horses and were frequently used as messengers. "They might not want to go."
"Convince them," Jack said, looking at his watch, which was set to Colorado time. It was far into the evening there, which explained why he felt so tired. He looked down at Shawn, who didn't seem tired at all. "You have the time to, just tell them what we've told you."
"They'll want to see you. To talk to you."
"If they can be here by tomorrow, we'll talk to them." Jack figured they had that long to spare. Beyond that, though, he needed to get Shawn home. "We can't stay too long."
They all nodded, and Shelan pulled the men she'd beckoned to her aside, and spoke rapidly to them, obviously repeating what Jack had told them, and making sure they knew what she wanted them to tell the others. A poorly worded message would be met with resistance, which was something they didn't have time for.
"We'll convince them, Jack," Rickart said, smiling for the first time. He turned to the others. "Go home and begin gathering what you will be taking. We don't want to be rushed, but we will want to be ready to help our distant neighbors when they need us."
It was a good sign to Jack. The fact that they were already making plans to leave showed they were serious about going. The fact that they were already making plans to help anyone who needed it showed him they really were a people worth saving. Good all around.
"We'd better get up to the ship," Jack said, looking down at Shawn and then at Sam. "It's pretty late, and I'm starving."
Sam nodded her agreement, and Jack motioned to Rickart and the other Council members to come and join him and the Asgard.
"We're going to head up to the ship for a while, but we'll be back down at your sunrise." Which would give the people about 18 hours to get their neighbors and anyone else who wanted to talk to Jack assembled. "That should give you time to come up with any questions you might have and give your friends a chance to get here, yes?"
"We'll be ready when you return."
"Thor?"
"We'll be back," Jack said to the watching people. Shawn waved at them, unable to contain his enthusiasm. A few waved back, even as the four of them vanished.
~*~
Thor called to the other Asgard, telling them that he and the boy were going down to the planet surface. He requested that they send someone over to his ship, to make sure that it was manned, just in case something happened. Almost immediately, a flash of white light heralded the arrival of a newcomer. Shawn flinched, but didn't scream. He was getting used to things like that happening.
The Asgard looked the boy over with interest, even as Shawn compared the two of them. This one was a little taller than Thor, and maybe a little slimmer, although not by much. The Asgard reached out and touched the boy, who reached out and touched him at the same time. He felt the same as Thor.
"Interesting," The Asgard said, touching Shawn's soft cheek.
"We do not have time for this," Thor said. "O'Neill requires my presence."
"Leave the boy with me. He will be safe."
"O'Neill will not allow this. He requested the child to accompany me."
The Asgard nodded, and Thor touched a small glowing device he'd pulled from a shelf. "We will return shortly." Then he and Shawn vanished from the bridge.
~*~
"Aaaaaaa!"
There was a collective scream from most of the crowd that Thor and Shawn materialized in front of. Shawn didn't blame them, and neither did Jack or Sam, although some of the townsfolk felt foolish for screaming when they realized that one of the newcomers was a mere child.
Thor looked at the assembled crowd silently, giving them all a chance to get over their initial fright.
"This is Thor," Jack told them, gesturing to the small alien. "He's a member of the Asgard, and the one who asked us to come and help warn you."
"Who's the boy?" A man asked. "Or is he a small alien?"
Shawn grinned, looking over at Thor and wondering how anyone could mistake him for an Asgard. Jack and Sam smiled as well. Which made the assembled townsfolk grin also.
"This is Shawn. He's, um..."
"Your son?"
"No, but he's the next best thing to it." Jack gestured for Shawn to come stand next to him, mainly because he wanted to make sure the boy was someplace close by on the off chance something happened. "He's a very good friend of mine and Sam's."
Ironically, it was the boy that Jack had least wanted to bring that ended up swaying most of the townsfolk. None of them would have thought to bring their children on a mission of ill-intent, and they couldn't imagine anyone else doing something like that, either. The very fact that Jack and Sam had brought such an innocent made them believe that maybe the Asgard were, in fact, a peaceful race and not out looking for cows to steal. Or worse.
"You really believe the seas will continue to rise?" Rickart asked Thor, finally.
"Indeed. They will continue to rise until the water has completely covered the land. Nothing can live here once that happens."
"How long do we have until that happens?"
"No more than a couple of your weeks. You have time to gather your belongings, but you should not take too long."
"Can we bring our livestock?" Someone called.
Thor looked at Jack.
"Their cows and chickens and horses."
"Of course. Without them you will have great difficulty beginning your new lives in your new homes."
"We need to send runners to the other towns and holdings," Shelan said, gesturing for several men to come forward. These were the men that owned the fastest horses and were frequently used as messengers. "They might not want to go."
"Convince them," Jack said, looking at his watch, which was set to Colorado time. It was far into the evening there, which explained why he felt so tired. He looked down at Shawn, who didn't seem tired at all. "You have the time to, just tell them what we've told you."
"They'll want to see you. To talk to you."
"If they can be here by tomorrow, we'll talk to them." Jack figured they had that long to spare. Beyond that, though, he needed to get Shawn home. "We can't stay too long."
They all nodded, and Shelan pulled the men she'd beckoned to her aside, and spoke rapidly to them, obviously repeating what Jack had told them, and making sure they knew what she wanted them to tell the others. A poorly worded message would be met with resistance, which was something they didn't have time for.
"We'll convince them, Jack," Rickart said, smiling for the first time. He turned to the others. "Go home and begin gathering what you will be taking. We don't want to be rushed, but we will want to be ready to help our distant neighbors when they need us."
It was a good sign to Jack. The fact that they were already making plans to leave showed they were serious about going. The fact that they were already making plans to help anyone who needed it showed him they really were a people worth saving. Good all around.
"We'd better get up to the ship," Jack said, looking down at Shawn and then at Sam. "It's pretty late, and I'm starving."
Sam nodded her agreement, and Jack motioned to Rickart and the other Council members to come and join him and the Asgard.
"We're going to head up to the ship for a while, but we'll be back down at your sunrise." Which would give the people about 18 hours to get their neighbors and anyone else who wanted to talk to Jack assembled. "That should give you time to come up with any questions you might have and give your friends a chance to get here, yes?"
"We'll be ready when you return."
"Thor?"
"We'll be back," Jack said to the watching people. Shawn waved at them, unable to contain his enthusiasm. A few waved back, even as the four of them vanished.
