Chapter Two: Nights in White Satin
The blaring klaxons reverberate throughout the vast underground complex. "Unscheduled gate activation," a firm, but anxious voice announces creating a flurry of activity. Armed soldiers array themselves in front of the sealed gate in a defensive perimeter.
A strange greenish electricity arcs and crackles over the iris. Over the stargate itself.
"Unscheduled gate activation," is repeated again.
Hammond storms into the control room, his face a pale mask covering the concern and slight fear that normally twist his gut at times like this. "What do we have here son?" He asks the technician on duty making sure to keep his voice firm, resolute.
Before he can respond the iris cycles open. The normally blue event horizon was a deep sea green color that matches the electrical current coursing over the stargate
Hammond's eyes widen for a brief second. "Something just overrode our system sir. It looks like someone attached a virus to the signal they sent through," he says with a slight shake of his head. "That's not right. It came from us!" He exclaims softly in surprise. "That's an SGC command override signal."
"Can you re-close the iris?" Hammond demands as he reaches for the intercom.
He nods. "It'll take a few seconds to override the override," he says beginning to punch in the commands on his keypad.
"An unknown force has opened the iris," Hammond informs the soldiers in the gate room. "Assume..."
As he begins to give the order to fire two women step out of the event horizon. Time seems to come to a screeching halt inside both the gate room and the control booth. For a brief second, before everything explodes into action, General Hammond takes in every single detail of the two women.
Both of them were petite, the brunette being slightly taller then redhead. Neither of them were dressed in some strange alien clothing, but are instead wearing the latest fashions from Earth; Doc Martin hiking boots, faded blue jeans. The redhead was wearing a long flaring sleeve blouse with a rose floral pattern, while the brunette at her side had a partially buttoned denim jacket on.
There was a sense of power radiating from the two women. Not the gentle, unobtrusive power of the Knox, or the unassuming air of command the Asgard radiate, but more the malevolent arrogance of the Goa'uld system lords.
An oddly shaped bladed weapon stuck up over the tiny redhead's shoulder. In each hand the brunette holds a Zatnicatal. She was raising them faster then humanly possible.
The redhead's left hand seems to be moving in slow motion in comparison to the brunette. Or casual negligence. While around them the soldiers seem to be standing still, or frozen, for that one, brief, all important second.
"Fire!" Hammond shouts into the intercom and time seems to lurch forward.
Inside the gate room violence erupts. The redhead's eyes shift from green to black in the space of a heartbeat. The brunette fires two shots simultaneously hitting the two man manning the fifty caliber machine guns on either side of the ramp.
Automatic machine gun fire explodes just a bare moment too late as the heavy rounds blister a bluish colored shield. Hammond blinks as he slams his palm down onto the button to lower the blast screen. As far as he could tell the woman wasn't wearing any kind of hand device. It was almost as she was generating the shield herself.
Unlike Goa'uld shields that cause high velocity ricochets this one stops the bullets dead a second before they drop harmlessly to the ground. The shield did nothing to stop the high speed zat fire from exiting as the brunette fires the weapons at a rapid pace decimating the soldiers trapped inside the gate room.
Hammond turns to the young technician. "What's taking so long with that iris?"
"Iris closing now," he answers pressing a final button.
Willow turns her head sharply as she hears the iris begin to cycle close. "I don't think so," she mumbles darkly as her right hand shoots up. She didn't know if she could stop it, but she wasn't about to let close without giving it everything she has to keep it open. She had buried far too many friends in the nine years since first meeting Buffy. There was no way in hell that she was going to add three more to that list.
Buffy's plan be damned.
Her hair turns black as she delves into the deepest, darkest recesses of her power. Drawing on all the anger, pain, rage, and agony she has experienced in her life. Jets of black fire leap from her hand connecting with the iris, slicing into the titanium, peeling it back like it was soft butter being carved with a white hot knife.
She screams. A roar of pure power that shakes the mountain to its very core.
"My god," the technician sitting in front of the monitor whispers.
"Sweet mother of Jesus," General Hammond murmurs humbly as he struggles to maintain his balance and still watch the monitor.
"Energy readings are off the scale," he blurts out. "Every measurable form," he adds giving his head a definitive shake. "Nothing human can do that," he says after a slow beat.
"Shut the gate down," Hammond shouts after recovering from his initial shock. "If she's trying to keep it open it can only mean there are even more of them on the way through."
The young technician quickly punches in the command codes to turn the power to the gate off. Nothing happens. The gate stays open the greenish surface seeming to mock them. "Its not shutting down," he remarks. A look of incomprehension on his face. "They must have they're own power source."
Willow drops to her knees, a wave of exhaustion washing over her for a brief second. Drawing on what little reserves she has left she solidifies her weakening shield. Without that Kennedy would be a sitting duck for the nearly dozen soldiers still conscious in the gate room.
She has to give them credit. Out matched as they are they still weren't giving up. They were still fighting tooth and nail despite their hopeless situation. Of course if she passes out from exhaustion their situation wouldn't be all that helpless anymore.
Faith steps out of the event horizon, a nearly lifeless Dawn cradled in her arms. The greenish jolts electricity that arc over her body have seem to intensified dramatically over their nearly instantaneous journey through the stargate.
She lays her down, almost reverently, on the steel ramp. Running her fingers lovingly over the chillingly cold skin. "Don't you dare give up. You here me. You fight. Fight for you, fight for me, fight for us. I don't really care what you fight for, you just fight," she whispers fiercely.
"I think we just found your power source," Hammond grumbles as he looks up at the monitor after finishing issuing his latest orders.
"Nothing," he responds. "Whatever she's doing our equipment can't even detect it sir," he informs the General.
Hammond nods taking a closer look at the young girl lying on the ramp. Whoever these people were, whatever they are trying to accomplish, one thing is very clear. They were as dedicated as any soldier he has ever seen in all his years of service to his country. They are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to accomplish their mission.
"Faith!" Kennedy shouts. "A little help would be nice!" She adds noticing that the rounds were driving into the shield just a little bit more each time.
The formerly rogue slayer lifts her head, a feral light shining in her face. She could sit back safe and secure behind Willow's screen picking off the Air Force soldiers like she was shooting fish in a barrel. Only she wasn't in the mood to be impersonal.
She wants to share the pain tearing her up inside right now. Wants to feel bone crushing under her fist. Wants to see fear lighting their eyes as they come to the realization that there is nothing they can do to stop her.
Rising to her feet, she rushes the shield all in one smooth motion. Powerful muscles driving her forward at speeds no human should be able to attain. Its not a blurring speed, but by the time the soldiers level their guns at where she is, she's not there anymore.
"Faith!" Kennedy shouts again. This time fear lacing her voice as the older brunette leaps into the air. She knew Faith was rash, impulsive- her secretly dating Buffy's sister was proof of that- not to mention hot headed, but she had no idea she'd assault heavily armed soldiers barehanded.
Without hesitation she tracks the four soldiers as they track Faith. One, two, three down in rapid succession. Kennedy could swear she heard the individual shot that slams into Faith's side, spinning her around in mid air, a second before her fourth shot drops the last one.
Hammond watches in fascinated amazement as the bullet wound doesn't even slow the brunette down. With everything he has seen so far it was if these women were built for one thing. Battle.
"Gas the gate room," he orders. "If that doesn't stop them then we won't have any choice but to activate the bases... Holy!" He shouts staggering back a step as something burst from the stargate.
A large projectile soars through the event horizon as fast as any bullet fired from a gun. Its trajectory sends it crashing into the thick blast screen. The impact reverberates the heavy steel with a thunderous peel, a small bulge suddenly protruding from the other wise smooth surface. The bullet proof safety glass shatters, but does not shower the occupants of the control booth. Instead falling to the workstation below.
A second after the hammer smashes into the blast shield a tiny blonde, the smallest woman so far, steps out of the portal. Through the monitor General Hammond could see something hard in her eyes. Like nothing else matters to her except the accomplishment of her mission.
Whatever resolve was there crumples as her gaze falls on the chestnut hair brunette lying on the ramp.
Buffy sees Dawn lying on the ramp, the energy that is her heritage crackling over her skin. Her chest hardly rising as she barely draws a breath. She feels her own chest constrict as she realizes she's about to lose another person she loves. Every year, just like clockwork, she could count on losing someone close to her. Her mother, Tara, Spike, William. Now Dawn.
"Willow!" Buffy roars angrily. "Get us the hell out of here," she rages desperately hoping distance from the stargate would be enough to stop her sister's life from draining away.
Willow closes her eyes as she gathers her strength. A slow second drags by before Willow's eyes re-open. She gives her head a slight shake. "It took..."
Suddenly the young boy, that had been in the other gate room, hurtles out of the event horizon and slams into Buffy's back. His momentum managing to drive the blonde slayer to her knees and sends the pair rolling down the ramp and outside Willow's protective shield.
Buffy's elbow slams back lightly smashing into Jack's forehead sending him sailing back into the soft yielding shield that catches him before he drops to his knees stunned by the blow.
She quickly spins away from the small fire. The move bringing her face to face with the young soldier drawing a bead on her. The tiny slayer can almost smell the fear wafting off of him, see the slight tremble in his other wise steady hand. With a tight smile she darts to the side moving even further out of his line of fire, and forward bringing herself within striking distance. Her soft blow to his chest sends him soaring into the concrete wall.
Another gunshot rings out in the chamber. The scent of fresh blood fills the air as Faith grunts softly. Buffy whirls around just in time to see to see the last soldier flip completely over landing flat on his face.
Faith sags against the concrete wall. "Damn," she mumbles. "Not as bad as having you shove a knife through my gut, but... Damn."
"Hang on. We'll have..."
"Buffy!" Kennedy screams catching Willow as she falls towards the floor.
She whirls around to face the young slayer. "What happened?"
Kennedy shakes her head as she says, "she just collapsed."
"I'm not feeling so hot either," Faith comments. "Kind of tired."
"Must be some kind of gas," Buffy guesses with fiery eyes. "Get up Faith," she growls picking the hammer up from where it is lying on the floor. "I don't care if I have to tear this place apart stone by stone we're getting out of here."
"What the hell does it take to put those women down?" Hammond mutters to himself as he watches the blond stride towards the thick blast door carrying what must be a heavy hammer as if it weighs nothing.
Again he wonders what it will take to stop them even as he wonders what they are. Bullets didn't slow them down. That gas that is flooding the room wasn't having any effect on three of them. Fortunately there wasn't anyway out of the gate room.
Not unless they could walk through solid steel. Which considering some of the races they've had dealings with over the years, wasn't entirely out of the question.
Then the blonde raises the hammer and swings it at the blast door. Sparks fly as the sharp metallic clang of steel striking steel reverberates through the room and into the control booth through the speakers. The door buckles slightly. Not a lot, but still enough to raise Hammond's eyebrow in wonder at the impossibility of it.
With a loud snarl she swings again with similar results. Then again and again and again, faster and faster, denting the door with each strike.
In the short corridor, just on the other side of the crumpling blast door, a dozen soldiers line up high powered rifles at the heavy steel door, that shakes with each blow that is rained down upon it from within. Small spider-web cracks begin appearing in the concrete on either side of the blast door.
Throats go dry as their faces harden. Thoughts of their friends inside the gate room fluttering through their heads. It isn't the first time they've faced a possible alien invasion and like the highly trained and dedicated soldiers they are, they take their fear and lock it away for the time being.
They're the first, often the only, line of defense against a hostile alien force. They owe it to the rest of the world to give everything they have, including their lives, to insure that nothing threatens the safety, the sanctity of the way of life here on Earth.
General Hammond watches the monitor with hard eyes as first the brunette called Faith collapses. Even with a large bullet wound going through the left side of her abdomen, and another making a mess of her right shoulder, she is still able to carry the girl whose body continues to crackle with the unknown greenish energy. As she slides down the concrete wall, leaving a small blood trail in her wake, she still manages to support the other girl's head. For a few seconds anyway.
The other brunette, the one that had so easily decimated one of the best trained units stationed at the base, drops to her knees. She staggers slightly, pushing herself back to her feet, the woman named Willow cradled in her arms. A moment later she falls face first to the concrete floor.
Still the blonde, that answers to the name Buffy, launches one furious blow after another at the heavy blast doors. Huge dents the size of a man's head dot the piece of harden steel keeping her caged in. If it wasn't for the fact she was assaulting his base he would feel a certain amount of respect at her determination.
"Open this fucking door!" Buffy roars as she pounds into the steel obstruction again. She wasn't expecting them to do it. She simply felt a need to scream. To rage at anything. She could feel her strength fading, seeping away from her. She knew she wasn't going to get out, but she couldn't give up. There's nothing left inside of her. Nothing but the force of her own will keeps her going. Keeps her on her feet. Keeps her swinging the heavy hammer in her hands.
"If she dies," she growls hitting the door again, "I'll tear this base apart with my bare hands." Another weaker hit. "And there won't be," another still weaker blow, "a damn thing," another, "anyone," again, "can do." She drops to her knees, "to stop..." She finishes before collapsing.
As Buffy hits the floor unconscious the event horizon shimmers again as the four heavily armed members of SG1 burst out of the stargate, fanning outward, forming a defensive perimeter.
"Sir," Major Carter exclaims taking in their surroundings. The unconscious airmen, along with young Jack O'Neill, and the five woman that hijacked the stargate.
"This is..." Denial begins picking up on the same thing as Major Carter. He stops putting a hand to his head. A moment later he falls to the floor.
"Shit," Jack mumbles groggily as he to, drops to the floor. Sam then Teal'C follow quickly as the potent air base sedative takes effect in only a matter of seconds.
General Hammond's eyes bulge even further as he takes in SG1 as they burst into the gate room. "What the," he breathes out lowly. There was only one member of SG1 currently off planet and Major Carter was aboard an Asgard ship providing them with her expertise.
The other three members were on Earth. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'C were aboard a Russian submarine off the California coast and Dr. Jackson was assisting from shore.
There was no possible way for that to be the real SG1. "Secure the gate room and get a medical team down there right now. I want to know what the hell just happened here."
Dawn storms through the kitchen. She hadn't meant to invite Harmony into the house. It was just that she hadn't been able to stand listening to the blonde ditz insulting Xander like she had been.
There was no reason for Buffy to say what she had about her. She wasn't just some kid who didn't know anything after all.
Beside, she knew Xander could take Harmony, the blonde bimbo that she is. After all Xander is Xander. He can take some cheap trashy looking hussy.
Anya shifts her head slightly as she hears Dawn come through the kitchen. From the angry, hurt, and determined look on her face she could tell what the young girl is planning on doing. Going outside, at night, alone, in Sunnydale was about as close to suicide as possible. "Hey!" She shouts as Dawn reaches out for the door handle.
There had been more she was going to say, but that vanishes from her mind as a bluish sparkling light encompasses Dawn for a second, before it vanishes taking the young girl with it.
"Don't," she adds in a small voice.
After shaking off her shock she checks the area. Which was pretty simple considering it was a five foot space in front of the back door. "Dawn?" She says wondering if maybe she went invisible. Only if Dawn was invisible she still would have had to open the door in order to leave the house. Or she would have walked into the door not being able to see her hand in relation to the door.
Or she could have been turned ethereal as well as invisible so she just walked through the door. But then wouldn't she have turned around realizing she never touched the door. Or she could be falling through the planet right now.
Or somebody could have teleported her out of the house. If Dawn was teleported though she didn't recognize the magic that was used.
There really was only one thing she could do right now. "Buffy!"
Dawn reaches forward with her right hand as she continues walking. Instead of grabbing hold of kitchen door's door handle her hand slams into clear blue-white energy field that sends a small jolt up her arm. "Ow!" She shouts jumping back.
Her back hits another section of the field sending a slightly larger jolt through her body. "Ouch!" She screams surging forward. Just before hitting the screen in front of her she stops. Spinning around she sees the same clear, mildly shimmering blue and white field of energy, that is shaped like a giant oblong egg encompassing her.
Beyond the screen is a large chamber. Steel gray floors and tresses. Walls that are blacker then black. Bluish-white rocks, a foot or so off the floor, emit a soft light that provides a gentle illumination. Off on one side there were oddly shaped rock like things as long as caskets. On another side there was a raised dais and a serious of strange looking, she'd almost say consoles.
"Hey!" She screams at the top of her lungs. "Let me out of here!" She adds after an accelerated heartbeat. Then she stops as the situation really dawns on her.
She was alone in some kind of underground catacomb. Someone, some kind of demon, had kidnapped her. Obviously its an attempt to draw Buffy out. More then likely there's probably some kind of deadly trap waiting for her sister. Or an elaborate labyrinth that she has to navigate. Maybe a horde of vicious, blood thirsty demons she must battle before being able to save her.
It could be all three. Possibly more. As long as there weren't riddles, then Buffy had a good shot at rescuing her.
Jack quickly scrambles to his feet as he realizes he hasn't been blown to pieces. Or eaten by those nasty little mechanical insects. Glancing around he easily recognizes Asgard architecture. Continuing to look around her spots Sam and Thor.
Just beyond the Colonel, Teal'C rises to his feet as well. Though he does so in a slightly more reserve and stately manner.
"Fancy meeting you here Major," Jack says when nothing more appropriate, or funnier, pops into his head.
Sam gives the Colonel a small shrug as she replies saying, "you kind of looked like you needed a lift sir. If I was wrong I'm fairly certain I can put you back," she finishes with a straight face, but a humorous little light shining in her eyes.
Jack gives her a disgusted look but doesn't bothering responding to the bait. Instead he asks, "so you guys take care of everything okay? Didn't come back because Major Carter was too smart to handle the situation?"
Thor gives Colonel O'Neill a strange look as he tries to figure out the meaning behind his words. "Major Carter was quite helpful. Her plan has staved off the replicators invasion. Her use of the O'Neill was ingenious to say the least. It was something we Asgard never would have contemplated."
"The O'Neill?" Teal'C inquires.
Sam gives a little nod. "The Asgard built a ship in your honor Colonel," she informs them.
"A ship," Jack murmurs dreamily as Sam steps out from behind the control panel. "Named after me?" He asks coming back from his happy place.
"Yes sir," Sam answers.
"And it was so powerful it was able to wipe out the replicator controlled ships," he states proudly. His chest puffed out slightly.
"Not quite sir," she replies with a slight wince.
"Not quite?"
"We blew it up," she tells him.
"You blew..."
"Ow!" A high pitch voice echoes into the room. "Ouch!"
Teal'C shifts at the sound his body readying for combat. Jack and Sam react only fractions of a second slower. "If I'm not mistaken that sounds like a young girl," the large warrior states.
"Hey!" The voice shouts even louder. "Let me out of here!"
"That's definitely a girl," Jack agrees.
"It came from this direction sir," Sam adds pointing down a short hall. Teal'C his sidearm at the ready moves out ahead of her.
Jack looks at Thor asking, "is there something you want to tell me Lucy?"
"This is most unusual," Thor says sliding out of his chair with a slight hop. Moving quickly, on his short legs, he catches up to Sam and Teal'C, forcing Jack to trot in order to keep up.
The small alien comes to a door. A quick sweep of his hand over the sensor causes it to slide open with a gentle swoosh. Before he can enter though Jack and Teal'C take the lead, their automatic pistols drawn and held at the ready. Sam follows close behind.
They move with caution, and speed, as they sweep the area.
Thor, however, strides straight down the center of the storage bay. Within seconds the object Thor is heading directly at becomes obvious.
A crystalline, blue and white energy field that shimmers slightly. Inside is a young girl no more then thirteen or fourteen. Her long, dark hair is pulled back exposing what will one day be a long, gracefully neck. Her blue eyes are wide with fear as one would expect finding themselves on an alien ship.
Dawn watches the group with trepidation. Three humans, the two men with guns drawn, while the woman was unarmed. All three are dressed in military clothing. Either field camouflage or standard olive green fatigues.
The demon was a strange looking creature. It is small, with smooth gray skin, and spindly arms and legs. It has a large head with a big brain cavity. Its black eyes are quite large and slant backwards. Its mouth was small and toothless.
Or it just appeared to be small and toothless.
For all she knew there could be a whole gapping maw of razor sharp teeth inside of his mouth. Any second now the demon's lips were going to peel back revealing row after row of needle sharp teeth.
Or maybe he didn't need teeth at all. His tongue could be some straw like injector, twenty feet long. When he was hungry it would shoot out of his mouth piercing flesh with a sickly pop, and he would just suck up the persons innards like a slurpy.
"Oh Lucy," Jack starts in a bad accent. "I think you got some explaining to do?"
Thor ignores Jack as he studies the sensor readings on his monitor. The little alien gives his head a small shake. "This should not be possible," he says in anxious wonder.
"Thor. Buddy. Pal. What the hell is going on here?" Jack demands as he becomes frustrated. Before he finds it too tempting to use his gun he slides it back in his holster.
Thor lifts his head turning his coal black eyes on the Colonel. "What do you perceive to be within the containment field?"
"A girl," Jack says slowly placing special emphasis on the word. "A thirteen..."
"Fourteen," Dawn corrects quickly from inside her little bubble. If they were going to talk about her then the least they could do is get her age right.
Jack glances at her as Teal'C raises an expressive eyebrow. "A fourteen year old girl."
"I must concur," Teal'C agrees.
At the same time Sam gives a slight nod of agreement.
"As do I," Thor says.
"Gee thanks," Dawn gripes sullenly.
"But," Thor adds looking back down at his sensors. He knew that they weren't wrong, but his own eyes were telling him that they were.
Major Carter takes a few quick steps to reach the dais to stand at Thor's side. Her nose scrunches slightly as her eyes narrow looking at the various readings. Thor would have told the Major what she was looking at, but she had made it abundantly clear during their short time together, that she likes to figure things out for herself. As long as she wasn't going to blow up the ship or cause irreparable damage to it or something else. "Are these the bio readings from everyone in the bay?"
Thor gives a slight nod. "This is for Teal'C," he says pointing at one of the readings. "This one indicates the symbiote he carries. Colonel O'Neill, yours. Mine."
Sam points at the last reading. "And this one is for?" She questions as her eyes flicker up at the young brunette fidgeting inside the energy field.
Dawn catches the look. The wonder and amazement that shine in the Major's eyes. Along with the fear.
"Yes," Thor answers.
Her eyes widen as she looks back down at the readings. It was nothing like any of the others. If the girl was human, like she appears to be, then her reading should have resembled the Colonel's bio readings. Or her own. Only they didn't.
They weren't like anything she has ever seen before. Not that she had ever seen any readings before, but if she had, none of them would have looked like this. She was pretty sure they wouldn't have anyway.
"Well?" Jack demands. The single word almost sounding like a whine.
Sam glances at Dawn again, just a quick shifting of her eyes there and back again. It was enough for Dawn to catch that same look again. Like she is some puzzle to figure out. An extremely dangerous puzzle that must be handled with care.
"It might be better if we discuss this privately sir," Sam says. Her eyes again flicker towards the teenager.
"Just as soon as my good buddy Thor here tells me why he's beaming people up onto his ship," Jack replies.
Sam widens her eyes as she nods towards Dawn. "This concerns that, sir."
His eyes narrow slightly. "You sure?" He questions.
"Yes," she replies.
"Fine," Jack says almost sounding like a sullen teenager. "Just as soon as Thor lets the young woman here out of her cage," he adds. Thor gives him a doubtful look. "Do you really have to keep her in there? I mean she's just a kid for cryin out loud. How much trouble could she get into?"
"I'm not a kid!" Dawn yells at him. "Why is it everyone always treats me like I'm not even here?" She grumbles just loud enough to make sure everyone can hear her.
Jack glances at her, a small smile creasing his lips. Thor gives a slight shrug of his thin shoulders. As he moves to the control panel O'Neill shifts his attention to Teal'C. "Keep an eye on her," he orders.
Teal'C dips his head slightly acknowledging the order. A moment later he turns back towards Dawn and takes a few strides closer to her with his hands clasped lightly behind his back. As he comes closer to her the containment field surrounding her vanishes.
Dawn watches Teal'C with a wary eye as the other two soldiers and the small demon move away from them. She takes a step forward and to the side in an attempt to get around her big guard and follow after the others. It was obvious they were going to talk about her.
Teal'C moves smoothly to intercept her. His arms coming to his sides making him look even bigger.
Dawn glares up at him as she comes to a stop making it look like it was her idea and not because he forced her to. She needs to hear what they're saying about her, but she doubts if the man mountain blocking her path is going to let her pass. Crossing her arms over her chest she says, "my sister is going to kick your butt if you touch me."
Teal'C cocks his head slightly as his eyebrow arches in mild surprise at her statement.
"She kills things scarier looking then you every night," she adds for emphasis.
"What do you mean she's not human?" Jack demands in a hoarse whisper. He shoots a quick glance at where she's standing. Teal'C was blocking out nearly all of her, but from what he could see, what he's already seen of her, she looks and acts like any other petulant little girl who isn't getting what she wants.
"Exactly what I said Colonel O'Neill," Thor responds calmly. "The young girl, despite her appearance, is not human."
"I'd have to agree sir," Sam says. "Granted I'm not an expert on Asgard bio-reading equipment, but even I can tell the difference between you, me, Teal'C and her."
Jack lets out a disgruntle breath as he shifts his feet. Running a hand through his slightly graying hair he asks, "what the hell is she then? Because I got to be honest here, she looks like a damn kid to me."
"From what I can tell," Sam begins with an uncertain look. "She's energy sir. Pure energy."
He glances back at her again as she tries to convince Teal'C of something. From the looks of things Teal'C was about as implacable as ever, and she looks like she's about to give herself an aneurysm any moment with how animated she is. "Are you sure?" He mumbles as he looks back at Sam.
"Quite," Thor replies. "Shortly after the destruction of the O'Neill my home world recorded a phenomenon unprecedented in the history of the Asgard."
"That's gotta be awhile," Jack murmurs. "Sorry, just kind of thinking out loud," he explains a second later.
"What was it? This phenomenon," Sam asks curious to discover anything that predates the Asgard.
Thor glances from Jack to Sam. The small alien lets out a slight sigh. "The universe has not always been as it is now. Like you humans do now, we Asgard once did as well. Explore the universe, finding its mysteries, trying to unlock its secrets. The Ancients had only just recently vanished from the cosmic landscape. Their vast cities much easier to find, much more accessible when they were found. It was in one of their cities, ancient even by their standards, that we first came across the early history of the universe and the young girl you see now. Though at the time she looked vastly different.
"When the universe was in its infancy discord and chaos were the order of the day. Unlike now there was no barrier preventing dimensions with dramatically opposing physical laws from colliding, bleeding together, if you will, without any rhyme or reason. According to the records we found the results were quite catastrophic."
"Sounds like a hell of a place to live," Jack mumbles to Sam.
"At the time the Ancients were still a young race. From their own accounts they were arrogant, ambitious, not to mention brilliant. Seeking to stabilize the universe before it did irreparable harm to itself they created a barricade, so to speak, locking all the dimensions away from each other. Preventing any further destruction."
"That must of taken some doing," O'Neill adds. He gives his head a small shake. "Look as grateful as I am for the Ancients for doing all of that, what the does any of it have to do with her?"
"A byproduct," Sam blurts out in sudden understanding. Jack looks at her in confusion. "Sort of like a nuclear facility sir. It produces vast amounts of energy, something we want, but it also creates radioactive waste, something that we don't want," she finishes with a confident smile.
Thor cocks his head slightly gazing up at her. "An apt hypothesis Major Carter," he replies after a moment. Sam's grin widens. "But wrong." Her smile falls at the small alien's words. "What you are seeing is the barrier."
Jack frowns at Thor. "Wait a minute. You're trying to tell me the Ancients made this barrier of theirs to look like a fourteen year old girl?" He shifts his stance slightly as he adds, "even I know that doesn't make sense."
"The last I saw of it, when it was transported to Earth after the Goa'uld occupation had ended, it was a green ball of energy the size of a man's head."
"Yeah well, it looks like its changed a..." He stops speaking almost mid word. "You put it on Earth?" He questions a hard look lighting his eyes.
The small alien nods saying, "it was designated the safest planet to house it."
"Why didn't you just put back where you got it from?" O'Neill demands.
"That particular world had been destroyed when its primary star collapsed in on itself, or else we would have returned it," Thor answers.
"Why Earth though? There had to have been other planets just as suitable," Sam asks.
Thor gives a slight shake of his head. "Most planets are accessible by stargate. A vast majority of those that are not are either in Goa'uld control space, or are close to the end of their cycle. At the time Earth had no active stargate, plus it was too far for the Goa'uld to reach by ship. Also none of Earth's native inhabitants can perceive it in its natural state."
"I can perceive it pretty well from here," Jack replies sarcastically.
"Sir," Sam cuts in. "Its fairly obvious that somebody, something changed this energy."
Jack shakes his head. "You can't just change energy," he scoffs. At Sam's rebuffing look he says, "alright. Fine. You can change energy. You just can't make it human."
"Someone did just that sir."
"With what. Magic?"
Sam shakes her head. "I don't know sir," she admits. "What I would like to know though is what did your people detect. It must have been incredible powerful for it to be detectable in a completely different galaxy."
Thor nods again. "It was detectable across the entire universe."
"Wonderful," Jack groans. "What was it though?"
Thor looks back at Dawn. "It was the energy of the barrier being used to power Earth's stargate."
"Keep me informed of any changes in your situation Dr. Jackson," General Hammond says placing the handset of his telephone back in its cradle. It had been nearly twenty minutes since Colonel O'Neill and Teal'C detonated the Russian sub infested with replicators off the California coast, and still there was no word from the two. He knows there is the very real possibility they are both dead, but he'd believe that when he was presented with their bodies and not a moment before.
He had other reasons for contacting Dr. Jackson though. Namely the duplicates of SG1 currently in the base's infirmary under a heavy guard. It wasn't the first time that impersonators had tried to infiltrate the base, but he had never seen such a botched, not to mention, convoluted attempt.
He didn't even know if it was one attempt or two separate ones. There were so many variables he doubts he could even contemplate half of them. The one that kept jumping out at him though was one he didn't want to think of. They knew time travel was possible with the stargate if there was enough power, and the one thing those girls had an abundance of was power.
He rises from behind his desk. Turning he faces the thick, steel reinforced concrete wall. On the other side of that wall more the a dozen soldiers rush to repair the damage caused by a handful of young girls. Their first priority was the iris. Everything else could wait until that was back in place. Without it the base was a sitting duck with a big target painted on its back.
A titanium iris peeled back like it was paper from a single gesture of one girl. A girl who shook the mountain. A minor quake that registered one point seven on the Richter scale.
There was a dent in the blast screen the size of, well it was the size of war hammer. A hammer, a hundred and five pound, five foot three, blonde hair woman used to nearly buckle a foot thick steel door. A hammer nobody on the base could pick up. Five men together hadn't been able to budge it. They had to use the crane that brings the stargate in and out to lift the hammer onto the back of a mount and roll it out.
There was definitely something going on here that he didn't understand. A woman whose very presence seems to be all that's required to power the stargate. Three women who posses fighting skill that surpass anything he has ever seen before. Any one of them appears more then capable of defeating a battalion single handed.
A solid knock on his office door brings him back to the moment. "Come," he orders turning back to the door.
The door swings open as Dr. Janet Fraiser pushes it in. "Sir," she says stepping into General Hammond's office.
"Doctor," he replies.
"I've got the preliminary results you wanted to see," she informs him.
"And?"
She lets out a long breath while giving her head a small shake. "To be quite honest sir, I don't have a clue with what I'm dealing with. I've got SG1 down there," she gives her head another shake as Hammond opens his mouth. "As far as I can tell they're not clones. I won't know for certain until I get a complete genetic screens on them. There are differences though."
"Such as?"
"They're older for one, but Daniel's body doesn't have the normal levels of toxins or cellular degradation a man his age should have. Its almost like his body was returned to a clean state," she finishes taking a deep breath.
General Hammond can see there's something else that she has to tell him. "What else?"
She inhales deeply again as she steels herself. "Teal'C doesn't have a symbiote."
Hammond's eyes widen with her information. "What?" He gasps. "I thought Teal'C needs the Symbiote in order to survive?"
She nods. "Normally I'd have to agree but I found an unknown substance in his bloodstream, along with several vials of the same fluid. I'd have to say its some kind of antibiotic that's being used to replace the symbiote."
"And that's what's keeping him alive?" Hammond questions.
"I think so?"
"Will you be able to replicate it?"
Janet gives a slight shrug as a small frown creases her lips. "Most of it. But there's an ingredient I've never seen before. Without that..."
Hammond's nods in understanding. "What about the boy? He seems familiar," he asks wanting to get off the distasteful subject for the moment.
"He should," Janet replies. "According to all the test I've run so far. He's Jack O'Neill."
Hammond's eyes widen again. "Please tell me you're joking. Trying to infuse a little levity in an other wise tense situation?"
"I wish it was that simple sir."
"But its not," he murmurs sitting down in his chair. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?"
"Because you're not," Janet answers bluntly. "I've got one girl, two floors up, whose dying, for no reason I can determine and there's nothing I can do to stop it. There are four girls, each one in an isolation chamber. One of them had two bullets taken out of her less then twenty minutes ago. The wounds look like they've had a week to heal. I have three of them on a continues sedative drip, maximum dosage because they began waking up within minutes of being removed from the gate room."
"What the hell are they?" He demands almost unsure of how to proceed.
"Human," she replies.
"That impossible," he refutes in disbelief. "I've seen first hand the destruction they can wreak with little more then their bare hands and from the report you just made," he gives his head an angry jerk. "They make a platoon of Jaffa look like a pack of girl scouts selling cookies Dr. Do you realize just how dangerous that make them?"
"Of course I do," she replies. "But I also know what my test tell me. The girl that's dying, as far as I can tell she's an exact double of the blonde. All their test results come back one hundred percent human. No strange genetic manipulations. Nothing."
"There has to be something Dr."
"I know that. Sir," she adds belatedly as she runs her right hand through her hair brushing some of the stray locks back. "I don't know how much more sedatives I can give them. They're at the legal limit right now."
"You're going to keep them sedated until we come up with some conclusive evidence one way or the other. Is that clear," he adds seeing her disapproving scowl.
"Sir," she begins just as an airman knocks on the open door.
General Hammond looks up. "Come in," he orders as he stands.
The young soldier enters snapping a crisp salute to the General as he presents him with a thin folder. "The results of the finger prints you ordered sir."
Hammond takes the folder with a curt nod. "Dismissed," he orders absently. The young man turns and leaves immediately. General Hammond opens the file, flipping slowly through the pages. After he turns each flimsy sheet of white paper he nods sharply.
"Colonel Jonathen O'Neill, Colonel Jonathen O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Teal'C, Buffy Anne Summers, Erika Faith Dilby, Gwendolyn Annette Kennedy, Willow Rosenburg, Dawn Marie Summers."
"SG1 plus young Jack and our five girls."
"Girls is exactly right Dr." The General responds. "The young woman upstairs what would you estimate her age at?"
"Nineteen," Janet replies. "Maybe twenty?"
He pulls out a sheet of paper. "This says she's fourteen. Lives in Sunnydale, California with her mother and sister," he places that sheet back as he pulls out a second. "One nineteen year old Buffy Anne Summers, who last year was issued a low level security clearance for a now defunct NID operation coded the Initiative." He places that one back in the folder and pulls out another one. "Erika. Seventeen. Serving twenty-five to life at Orange County's Maximum Security Prison for Women on three counts of first degree manslaughter. Gwendolyn, sixteen. Arrested for assault at a gay rights rally. Charges were later dropped. Rosenburg. Nineteen, Sunnydale California," he shrugs. "Passport."
"You don't think they used the stargate to travel from the future into the past?" Janet asks incredulously.
"Do you have a better explanation that fits all the criteria?" Hammond demands. "We already know its possible for the stargate to transport people in time." He gives another shake of his head. "What I wouldn't give to have someone with an actual understanding of temporal mechanics here right now."
A slight shimmers coalesces at the door as a life like image of Colonel O'Neill appears with his back facing them. "Whoa," he breathes out looking down the corridor.
"Jack," General Hammond exclaims.
"Colonel O'Neill!" Dr. Fraiser burst out excitedly.
Jack turns around cautiously. He almost looks unsure of where he's stepping. "Hey Doc. Fancy meeting you here. George," he adds then stops. "This is so cool. We have gotta get one of these things."
"Are you alright Colonel," General Hammond cuts in.
"Oh yeah. Doing great," Jack replies. "We all are. Me, Sam, Teal'C, Dawn. Probably means you can have the Navy call off that search for us."
"Dawn?" Hammond questions with a sinking feeling in the pit of his gut.
"A young girl Thor abducted..." He stops looking at something they can't see. "Well what would you call it when you whisk someone out of their house in the middle of the night? Thank you," he says graciously. Looking back up at them a large smirk on his face. "As I was saying. A young girl Thor abducted from a small town in southern California. Go figure, they can travel all over the galaxy without getting lost, but they have problems telling the difference between the SGC and Sunnydale." He gives General Hammond a concern look as he leans forward. "Nothing wierd's been going on down there? Has it?"
Willow's eyelids slowly slide open as the world around her begins to come back into focus. There was still someone pounding on the inside of her skull with a heavy hammer. As her eyes open the lights overhead glares down causing the little drummers to beat double time.
Instinctively she pulls her eyes close again. "Scuro," she murmurs causing the lights to black out.
Trying to get up she realizes leather straps around her legs, arms, and waist hold her down. "Rilascio," she says. Her voice gaining a little strength. Like living creatures the straps move, unbuckling themselves then going inert again.
It didn't take much effort for her to realize they had been captured. Buffy could ream out for it later, she didn't care. She just knew she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she had allowed more of her friends to die when she was capable of preventing it.
Willow tries to get up again. Her arms and legs move like lead weights as she flops over falling to floor below. Slowly she becomes aware of the wires attached to her flesh.
Looking around her surroundings the world stops spinning. As everything comes together she can make out the medical equipment in the room. Heart monitor. EKG. Other equipment as well. Too much for her to take the time to pay attention to right now.
Grabbing hold of the edge of the bed, she had been strapped to, she hauls herself back to her feet. Reaching out with her mind she wobbles slightly. Locking her knees and tightening her grip on the bed she keeps herself from collapsing.
She could feel them rushing towards her. Doctors, soldiers. They were scared. They didn't know what to make of her and the others. Didn't know what she was any more then knew what Buffy, Faith, and Kennedy are. What Dawn is.
Even after all their test they haven't got a clue. They didn't believe their own results. No matter how many times they came back as human.
She can't help that her lips pull back in a silent snarl. It wasn't their fault her and the others were human. With their skill and powers she sometimes had a hard time remembering that.
Kennedy, along with Buffy and Faith were close by. Under heavy sedation. Not surprising considering the recuperative powers of a slayer. She couldn't find Dawn. Either she was too far from her right now or...
Willow lets the thought go not wanting to dwell on it. If she was, there's nothing that could be done about it now.
Just like there was nothing she could do about getting her lover and her friends out of here right now. She was still far too weak to bring them out. Once she finished the mission she would be able to return for them.
But she had to leave now.
The door burst open. A handful of Soldiers filling the room. "Don't move!" One of them shouts at her.
"Permesso," she whispers with a clear image of the scythe in her mind.
The room spins, fades, shifts, and changes in an instant. One moment she had been standing in a dark square shape room filled with soldiers and medical equipment. It vanishes around her to be replaced by a large room cluttered from wall to wall, floor to ceiling with ancient looking artifacts, books and tombs and manuscripts and parchment.
Willow wobbles. Grabbing hold of the nearby table she manages to hold herself up.
"Hey! Who the..."
She turns her head at the sudden voice at the two scientist.
"Shit!" The other one yells. "Hit the alarm."
"Stretta," Willow snarls sinking closer to the floor. The two scientist freeze where they are standing. In the exact position they had been. One person's hand only inches from the red panic button. They stretch and they strain, but no matter how much they try they don't budge another inch closer.
"Where is it?" She mumbles looking around the store room. She didn't have to look very hard to find it. Lying at the far end of the table she is currently leaning against. Using the table for support Willow staggers to the other end. Reaching the scythe she wraps her hands around the hilt. A small smile sweeps over her face.
It was time to leave now. It was time to go home.
"Domestico," she whispers.
The two scientist stare in astonishment as the girl simply vanishes the same way she had appeared.
"Spike!" Buffy bellows as she slams open the door to his crypt. Dawn is missing, according to Anya, teleported right out of the house. She didn't have a lot of time to waste, and most of what she did have was taken up by Anya telling her what kind of demon it wasn't. When pressed Anya admitted she didn't know what type of demon used that particular kind of teleportation.
Normally, if there was some new big bad in town gunning for her she would hear about it. So far she hasn't heard a thing.
Which is why she's here. In the hope that maybe Spike might have picked up on something. Even the smallest, tiniest, little tid bit of information that he might be willing to share. If he did and he didn't, then she'd just have to convince him other wise.
"Spike!" She shouts again.
"Just keep your knickers on," Spike says from behind her. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Light flares as he strikes a match. Bringing the flame to his cigarette he inhales deeply lighting it. "So, what do I owe the displeasure of your company?" He sneers.
"Someone kidnapped Dawn," she answers. "Took right out of the house without anybody seeing anything."
Spike takes a few steps forward saying, "and this is something I should care about why exactly?" He pops his cigarette into his mouth taking a deep drag.
Buffy slips a stake from her white coat. "Because I got a nice sharp stake with your name on it," she says spinning the wood smoothly between her fingers.
"Oh, well. Since you put it that way," Spike starts as he steps up to the edge of the stone sarcophagus that is the centerpiece of his crypt. He hops up on the hard granite, his legs splayed to either side of the sharp corner. He takes another drag off his cigarette. "Haven't heard a thing," he tells her.
Buffy takes a menacing step forward. Her normally laughing hazel eyes glaring murder at him. "If anything happens to my sister and I find out you knew about it. You're going to spend days begging me to stake you."
With that she turns on her heel and storms towards the crypt's heavy steel door. Spike lets out a deep sigh just before he says, "hold up slayer." Buffy turns back to face him. "I heard something while I was out awhile ago, but considering the source," he finishes with a shrug.
"What?" She demands taking a step forward.
"I'm sure its nothing. Just a bloke blowing a bunch of hot air, but its the only thing I've heard lately."
Buffy takes another step towards him. "I really don't have time Spike."
"Ran into a gang of vampires earlier tonight," Spike starts off taking another drag off his cigarette. "Nothing special about them. Figured I'd go ahead and lesson the population a bit since a was bored and the mood for a good rough and tumble." He takes another drag off his cigarette before tossing the spent butt to the ground. "Turns out Harmony's managed to put together her own gang. Bunch of bloodless wankers if you ask me."
"Harmony took Dawn?" She demands.
"Bint said she had something brilliant that was suppose to draw you out," Spike scoffs. "Chit hasn't had an idea, brilliant or otherwise in her entire life. Probably hurt herself if she ever did. Cause that single brain cell to go and overload as the blood finally rushes to her brain."
"Should've staked her while we were in high school," Buffy growls lowly. She turns and as she walks out of his crypt she adds, "time to correct that oversight."
Major Davies waits patiently in the small, stark, and cramped interview room. His jet had been in route to a landing field within walking distance of Cheyenne Mountain when his orders had been changed without warning. He was being sent to an airfield just outside Orange County, California.
He was to meet with a division of Air Force MPs and retrieve a prisoner from the Women's Prison there, and return with her to SGC. Two members of SG1 and several others were suppose to be hooking up with him at the airfield for the return flight to the SGC.
He was in the room now with four of the largest MPs he has ever seen. Hard face men all. Each one of them was big enough to make Teal'C seem average size.
Major Davies is fairly certain this sudden change in his orders has something to do with the incident that occurred within the SGC some forty-five minutes ago. So far there hasn't been any official details released, but official rumor had it that a hostile force had breached the commands internal defenses. Aside from that though there wasn't anything.
The heavy steel door opens with a resounding clang. It swings inward, one guard stepping into the already over crowded room. Following him in is a lean brunette, the top of her orange jump suite tied around her waist. She looks far to young to be in a place like this. Her dark brown eyes however were as hard as any he has ever seen before.
"Prisoner four three zero zero one nine," the guard announces stiffer then he normally would have.
Faith smirks as she walks into the room full of military personal. These rooms are small to begin with. Right now, with all the large people in it, the room felt positively claustrophobic.
Finding the one in charge was simple. Out of the five of them he was the only one not a member of the no neck club. He was also the only one with a little age to him.
"All you boys here to see me? I don't know if I'll be able to fit you all in, but I'm sure willing to give it a go," she says a hot light flashing in her eyes.
Major Davies ignores her comment as he opens the thin vanilla folder looking from the picture to the girl in front of him. He didn't need to but he didn't like leaving anything to chance. "Erika Faith Dilby..."
"It just Faith," she hisses.
"You are hereby transferred to the custody of the United States Air Force," he continues ignoring her comment. Turning to the MPs, "shackle her," he orders.
"What the..." Faith begins taking a sharp step back.
The guard steps in front of her. "You have no..."
"Step aside son," Davies orders the young man. "If you want to debate the disposition of this prisoner I suggest you talk to the man who signed the order."
"And just who would that be?" The guard challenges.
"The President of the United States of America," Davies answers.
Inside the gate room two dozen men congregate. Eight of them working feverishly to dismantle the shredded remains of the iris. Sixteen keeping a vigilant watch on the stargate, as well as the rest of the room, in case the unthinkable should happen again.
News that one of the invading women escaping had spread through the base like a wild fire. Most of the soldiers expected her to return, with reinforcements, to extract the rest of her team. They knew if more warriors, like the ones who originally came through the stargate, attacked a second time. They would be hard pressed to stop them. If they could be stopped.
SG1, along with the other soldiers that had been incapacitated in the first attack were expected to begin regaining consciousness anytime now. Then again Major Carter has already been seen moving around the base, going over the computer readings from during the assault. It was also rumored that Teal'C was aboard an Asgard ship parked in orbit over Earth. The same rumor also said Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson, along with a contingent of heavily armed MPs, were en route to a small town in southern California.
Suddenly the stargate is on.
There was no spinning. No dark amber lights. No event horizon exploding outward. Nothing. One moment it was off the next it is on. Looking like a rippling pool of dark blue water.
Everyone explodes into action. Weapons are trained, shifting with every sudden ripple.
Welders drop to the floor and rush to get clear even as the draw their own side arms from the equipment.
Somebody, somewhere on the base hits the general alarm causing the klaxons to blare.
Seconds drag by. Muscles tense. Fingers place a light pressure on the triggers of their weapons.
A body rockets out of the event horizon like it was shot of a cannon. It hits the concrete wall half way between the floor and the blast shield with bone crushing force. Or it should have been bone crushing force, only its the wall that winds up with a concave indentation the size of a nightstand. Cracks spider-web outward from the center. The body rebounds slightly as it drops to floor landing with a soft thud and a groan.
Weapons are instantly trained on the naked body with shaggy brown hair laying on the floor.
Before anyone can say anything. A bare moment after the first body, a second body shoots out with equal velocity. It hits slightly lower on the wall but leaves an indentation equal to the first.
Instead of falling to the floor in a heap like his predecessor. This person, a young man with long flowing blonde hair and soulful jade eyes, lands in a crouch, gazing at all weapons trained on him with a calm level stare. He is just as nude, and just as well endowed physically- with hard, rippling muscles that flex and shift with each small and subtle movement- as the first man.
Behind them the event horizon disappears.
"Bugger all, but that was bloody painful," he grumbles pushing himself to his hands and knees.
"Don't move!" Half a dozen throats shout as high powered fire arms ratchet.
He looks up. A slight shifting of his head. His long, shaggy dirty blonde hair falling across his face obscures his vision somewhat. His sharp eyes however are capable of seeing more then enough. "If this doesn't beat all."
________________________________________________________________________
Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
Letters I've written, never meaning to send.
Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before.
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.
'Cos I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you.
Gazing at people, some hand in hand,
Just what I'm going through they can't understand.
Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend,
Just what you want to be, you will be in the end.
And I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
Letters I've written, never meaning to send.
Beauty I've always missed, with these eyes before.
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.
'Cos I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.
'Cos I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.
Breath deep
The gathering gloom
Watch lights fade
From every room
Bedsitter people
Look back and lament
Another day's useless
Energy spent
Empassioned lovers
Wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love
And has none
New mother picks up
And suckles her son
Senior citizens
Wish they were young
Cold hearted orb
That rules the night
Removes the colours
From our sight
Red is gray and
Yellow white
But we decide
Which is right
And
Which is an Illusion