Author's Note: This is the fastest update I've done in weeks. I hope you're all happy.
Disclaimer: You get the idea.
Cyber Stargate
Chapter 9: Negotiations
"...and you have done a miserable job at acquiring any technology from our so-called allies!" Senator Kinsey ranted, speeding up to match strides with General Hammond.
The general listened with half an ear as he headed for the Gateroom. SG-1 and the ambassador were due to arrive any minute. Sam had contacted them an hour before, warning them that they would be coming through, and that Kinsey should be kept as far from the Gateroom as possible. Hammond had tried to get rid of the senator, but it hadn't worked. Kinsey had ignored every hint that he might not be welcome.
As they approached the door that led to the room containing the Stargate, one of the guards stepped forward to intercept Kinsey. "You cannot proceed beyond this point," the soldier stated.
Kinsey stared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?!"
"You cannot enter the Stargate chamber."
While Kinsey turned his ranting on the guard, General Hammond slid through the door and into the Gateroom. He was just in time to watch the Stargate open.
"Receiving IDC," Davis reported from the control room. "It's SG-1."
"Open the iris," Hammond ordered.
The metal iris that kept uninvited intruders from coming through the Gate whirred loudly as it slid open, settling back into the rim of the Gate with the rasp of metal on metal. The blue-silver glow of the active Gate filled the room. For a moment, it was still. Then Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson emerged, walking down the ramp. Teal'c and Sam Carter emerged a second later.
"Incoming ambassador," Jack warned.
The event horizon of the Stargate rippled. Then a tall man stepped out, onto the ramp. The Gate shut down behind him.
The stranger paused for a moment, then shook like a wet dog, dislodging the frost that had formed on him during reformation. Tiny chips of ice flew in all directions. Then the stranger took several steps down the ramp.
The SGC personnel stared.
The ambassador was tall, easily six feet six inches in height. His skin was golden, an unusual color in any race. A long silver braid hung down his back, the end just below his knees. Penetrating green eyes, vaguely Asian in shape but with unusually long outer corners and catlike slit pupils, swept over the humans. He was dressed in a shirt and pants of a material that looked like silk, colored smoke-grey and patterned with red and blue stripes. Over that was a shin-length coat of some kind of scaled leather. His feet were clad in matching boots, ornamented with bands of silver.
"General Hammond, Ultra Rodimus," Jack introduced. "Ambassador from the planet of Cybertron."
At that moment, Kinsey finally got past the guards and stormed into the Gateroom. Then he spotted the figure on the ramp and froze in his tracks.
Familiar green eyes fixed on him like twin laser sights. He knew that man.
Ultra Rodimus's eyes narrowed dangerously. Fury blazed to life in their depths. Kinsey suddenly remembered what had happened to the last person to cross the Autobot leader. Jennifer Murdoch had dared to threaten the young Prime, and it had gotten her killed. The senator hadn't gone quite that far, but Ultra Rodimus had cultivated a powerful dislike of him. The Prime barely tolerated his presence at the best of times. And this was definitely not the best of times.
Deliberately, Ultra Rodimus placed his left hand on his right forearm, lifting the sleeve of his coat just enough for Falcon to peek out. The move was a warning. Stupidly, Kinsey ignored it.
Big mistake.
Ultra Rodimus's expression went cold. Falcon let out a dangerous hiss, making most of the watchers jump. The Prime's arm came up.
Kinsey's eyes went wide. He turned and bolted for the door. Falcon's blast caught up with him before he'd taken three steps. Kinsey was lifted off his feet and thrown into the corridor. He bounced off the wall, staggered to his feet, and ran as fast as he could.
Guns snapped up, pointing at the ambassador. Jack ignored them.
"You really don't like him, do you," Jack commented.
"Not at all. As I said, he's been messing with me and my predecessor since our first encounter with humans. Unlike my predecessor, I will not tolerate his demands and complaints."
Ultra Rodimus lowered his arm, absently stroking Falcon. He eyed the guns. "Do you mind?"
"Is he dangerous?" Hammond asked Teal'c.
"Only to the senator," was the reply.
"Like I said, he's already acquainted with Earth," Sam added. "He and his kind have been on Earth longer than we humans have. They crashed in Oregon four million years ago."
"What?!"
"It's a long story."
In the briefing room, Daniel repeated the history Jazz had told him. The general listened in stunned silence.
"You can't be serious!" he protested once Daniel had finished the tale. "Giant alien robots?!"
((Beloved, we're here,)) a welcome voice announced in Ultra Rodimus's mind.
"If you want to see proof, let's go outside," Ultra Rodimus cut in. "Some of my people are waiting for us."
Hammond looked skeptical, but agreed. The group headed for the elevator for the long trip to the surface. Curious men watched them as they emerged into the sun.
"Where are they?" Hammond looked around.
"Autobots, transform!"
The car carrier just outside of the gates suddenly began to change shape. A few moments later, a huge robot loomed over the humans, optics glowing blue. Then the other vehicles began to change. A group of clearly robotic creatures stepped over the fence and walked over to them.
Hammond's jaw dropped and his eyes glazed over as he stared up at the robots.
"We are very real," the tallest robot, a huge red, blue, and white one, rumbled. "We have numerous treaties with Earth already in place. SG-1 explained to us exactly why you want a treaty with us. Our leader came here to negotiate the terms of that treaty with you. Why are you being so narrow-minded?"
"Magnus," Ultra Rodimus growled.
The red Autobot looked down at the human. Their gazes locked. Finally, the robot subsided.
"Who is your leader?" Hammond asked.
"That would be me," Ultra Rodimus answered. "I am a robot with the ability to become human at will. Now, shall we get down to business?"
Back inside the SGC, Hammond and Ultra Rodimus got down to business. The Prime had brought with him a datapad containing a list of weapons and equipment that could be offered to the SGC if the treaty went through.
Hammond scrolled through the list, feeling stunned. "We've never had an offer like this from any of our allies."
"So I've been told. But a lot of the technology Earth already has is based on or built from Cybertronian technology. And we are much more advanced than the Tok'ra."
"Plus, they'll be a lot more help," Jack added.
The alarms began to howl. Ultra Rodimus only raised an eyebrow. Hammond looked like he wanted to strangle someone or something.
"It's the Tok'ra," Davis announced.
"Speak of the devil," Daniel commented.
Aldwin appeared in the doorway, looking inside to see who was there. He noted the papers on the long table and then the green-eyed, pointy-eared stranger seated across from the general.
Ultra Rodimus had taken off his jacket, leaving it draped over the back of his chair. His shirt had no sleeves, leaving his muscular arms bare, revealing Falcon and the silver scorpion on his left arm. He fixed the Tok'ra with a look usually reserved for some of Sunstreaker's stunts.
"Why are you here?" Jack asked.
Aldwin just stared at him.
"I guess he has no reason to be here," Ultra Rodimus quipped. "Run along now. The adults are rather busy." He waved a dismissive hand at Aldwin.
Just then, Jacob, Sam's father and host of the Tok'ra Selmac, poked his head in. "So this is where everyone disappeared to."
"We are rather busy, Jacob." Hammond indicated the piles of papers and the gold-skinned man sitting across from him.
"Just what are you up to?"
"Gaining a new, helpful ally."
To be continued...
I just ran out of ideas, so I ad to end it there. I'll try to think up material for the next chapter and get it posted as quickly as possible. And here are the reviewer responses:
Gromia: Is this a fast enough update?
Fenestrae: I like bacon, but I don't get it often. I managed to update both of my fics in one day. That's gotta count for something.
Shawn Provoncha: I'm sorry about the length of my chapters, but when I run out of ideas or write myself into a corner, I have to stop. I'll try to improve my update time, but I am a college student, remember.
See you next chapter!